Nigeria is a country full of amazing ideas, reactions and actions, that is why those in power or holding positions of authority today should always be wary of those around them, because whenever their tenure lapse, they are the ones that will be mocking them. A very germane point at the moment was the reaction of the Ogun State House of Assembly that immediately followed the exit of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun. It would appear that the Assembly was in such a hurry to obliterate those things that the former governor sought to hurriedly put in place, ostensibly to the discomfiture of his successor.
Such actions include the reversal of the appointment of new employees into the state Civil service, financial agreements, coronet Obas and suspension of Local Government and LCDAs Chairmen executed by immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun which thde Assembly swiftly effected two days after Ibikunle who has now been elected a Senator left the Oke Mosan office.
What ios really baffling and informed writing this article has nothing to do in tarnishing the image of the former governor or the eighth Ogun State House of Assembly, neither the termination of those appointees nor the appointer but to make the proper assertion that where, when, who, how and why now the dissolution of these lopsided appointment made by the former governor by the House of Assembly members? In whose interest? And whose interests are they protecting?
The question could be asked, where were those Assembly members when the former governor was running the state like a private estate? Do they know their duties not only in making laws, but in their oversight function over the executive arm of government and its agencies? Is it on record that any member raised a motion of urgency to discuss any of the matters? How did they suddenly regain their voices after Amosun’s exit?
It is unfortunate that the legislature that is constitutionally empowered to serve as a check on the executive was sleeping while the former governor, like an emperor, chose to upgrade coronet Baales into Obas without recourse to the time honoured traditional process. Paramount rulers in the state were sidelines and impunity reigned. It is now clear that the new administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun cannot cope with the bloated wage bill and something drastic has to be done. It is however commendable that, however late, action has now been taken, given the hope that the Assembly, when inaugurated, would work hand in hand with the new government. We hope that they would rise above partisanship and narrow interests and ensure that the pan-Ogun interests dominate their actions, debates and resolutions at all time.
Prince Dapo Abiodun should be very cautious and wary of those to associate with among the failed Assembly members and members-elect in the state, as they will now be angling to curry favour from him. He, too, should realise that he was elected by the people despite fierce opposition of the former governor who had the support of a suppliant Assembly.
If I were the Speaker, Hon. Suraj Adekumbi, I will continue thanking Amosun for the opportunity given for eight years as a speaker of the state, or what else does he want? Why Those who served in the past administrations since 1999 did not have such chance of holding position of responsibility and relevance for so long. given to you by Amosun, now Amosun has finished his tenure, you now turned back to him and the appointment, employment you deeply known about, after you people were given slot of candidates to fill, why now crucifying Amosun? The fact remain that the present administration should be wary of those hailing and jolly with it, in the next four years or thereabout, they will be among those who will be calling for its crucifixion.
Let me nowturn attention to Governor Abiodun. Without mincing words, you are inheriting a state with an economy in shambles, but I believe that the good people of Ogun state were anxious for actions that will ameliorate their suffering and smiling which marked Amosun’s eight years of administration like a century in penury and seeming perpetual hopelessness. Or how else could one describe an administration that could not pay May salaries of workers before leaving but paid severance allowance to all political appointees who served him for the second term, a government that could not pay leave bonuses to its workers for good five years, a government that owed its workers several unremitted pension, owed gratuity of retirees and many more? It was a government without human face, that owed institutions so much subvention, which made some institutions in the state go on industrial action many times.
On workers’ welfare, Ogun State was always rated among the best in the country but now the reverse is the case, they were marginalised by the Amosun administration for no reason; they are the ones who lay the golden eggs for any government, they sacrifice their time, children, home to serve the government, still they have been marginalized. They should not be starved financially, morally the way Amosun did to them, because he turned thousands of them to beggars by denying them a large portion of their earnings which made some to die untimely and their children were withdrawn from schools, he made life so miserable for them. In fact, their spirit must have contributed to the loss of Amosun’s godson, Hon. AbdulKabir Adekunle Akinlade (Triple A), and really paved way for you.
Orunbon, a ublic affairs analyst, wrote in from Abeokuta, Ogun state.
via:orunbonibrahimademola@gmail.com.
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