More than anything, the behaviour of Hon. Dimeji Bankole Speaker House of Representatives, at the commissioning of the Sango Ota bridge recently was an infantile and naked display of arrogance of power (albeit temporary), which has its roots in the Speaker’s inordinate ambition and increasing pattern of not showing proper respect to elders, a virtue held sacred in African custom but which Speaker Bankole apparently lacks. Mr. Speaker has once again vindicated those who insist that when you assign a kid the job of an adult, there is always the high probability that he will make a mess of it.

To be clear, the construction of the Sango Ota Bridge STARTED BEFORE Bankole ever dreamt of becoming Speaker. That is a fact. It was former president Olusegun Obasanjo who initiated the construction of the project and this was rightly acknowledged by the Minister for Works and Ogun state Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel at the ceremony. It is equally true that when OBJ left office on May 29, 2007, the bridge had not been completed. But what is the point of continuity in government? The fact that it wasn’t completed before Baba’s departure does not mean that he was irresponsible or a bad leader. That is why government is a continuum. It is the responsibility of the incoming administration to finish the job and that it has done. The construction of the bridge was never abandoned and for some people to go around spreading such lies is not only dishonest but perverse.

Early last year Ogun state Governor Gbenga Daniel tried to make the road around the bridge passable to ease the pain of the people, but the construction company handling the project sought and got a high court injunction preventing the governor from doing so. The construction company argued successfully that its contract had not been terminated by the Federal Government even though work had stopped temporarily due to shortage of funds. At the ceremony, the governor never claimed to be the one who built the road nor did the minister. As a matter of fact while they gave that credit to Chief Obasanjo, they also recognised the efforts of the Honourable Speaker.


Granted that Bankole used his office to put pressure on the late president Umoru Ya Adua to approve funds for the completion of the bridge, that is not enough reason, nor should there ever be, for him to abuse the minister and the Governor and attack the driver of the governor’s bus. But this cannot be a surprise to observers of plenary sessions in the House of Representatives where chair throwing and fisticuffs are part and parcel of legislative business. What Bankole wanted to do was score a cheap political point with the commissioning ceremony. But for some inexplicable reason he was late. You would think that for someone who planned to turn a civic affair into a political campaign, he would not be a truant.
The minister as far as we know did not breach any protocol by going ahead with the commissioning. The Speaker’s presence was simply not required for the road to be opened. He was only invited because he is from Ogun state and he facilitated the resumption of work. But after waiting for over 8 hours the ceremony had to go on.

We need not remind Bankole that he is a legislator and nothing more. His job is to legislate and perhaps, as part of his oversight duties, ensure that public funds are not misappropriated which, clearly in the case of the Ota Bridge, was not the case. Having established that the money released was utilised for the purpose for which it was intended, Bankole ought to have been satisfied, but apparently he wasn’t, because he felt that he was owed the adulation of the people for doing what he was elected to do and he could only get this recognition by strutting his stuff at the ceremony. Too bad he got something else.

This may explain why sometime last year, on the very day that worked resumed at the site, Bankole’s media man was spotted at the bridge recording the workers with a video camera as they went about their work. I won’t be surprised if there is a documentary in due course from the Speaker’s office about the Otta Bridge praising the Speaker to high heaven for his “heroic deed and compassion for making the bride a reality. But it needs to be reiterated that the construction of that bridge and the road leading up to it was initiated by Obasanjo. Maybe that was why providence prevented the Speaker from getting to the ceremony in time. Mr. Speaker’s behaviour showed bad form politically and a yawning lack of class.

In conclusion, if the Speaker wants to endear himself to the people of Ogun state, so that they can vote for him when he eventually enters the gubernatorial race in Ogun state, he should initiate a multi billion naira project in his constituency and finish it and not try to take credit for some else’s work. He should also be more forthcoming and transparent in the little matter of Cargate. The Speaker is a successful young man who unfortunately is being misadvised. The path to Oke Mosan Governor’s office can be easier for him if only he would learn how to wash his hands before coming to a table to eat with his elders. Once that is done the sky is the limit for him.

This speaker needs to grow up fast and behave commensurately with his exalted position. All these shouting at the governor, threatening the minister that he would ensure his removal by the presidency and wrestling a bus driver for the vehicle's key would only help in rubbishing his already dented image.

More than anything, the behaviour of Hon. Dimeji Bankole Speaker House of Representatives, at the commissioning of the Sango Ota bridge recently was an infantile and unclothed display of arrogance of power (albeit temporary), which has its roots in the Speaker’s inordinate ambition and increasing pattern of not showing proper respect to elders, a virtue held sacred in African custom but which Speaker Bankole apparently lacks. Mr. Speaker has once again vindicated those who insist that when you assign a kid the job of an adult, there is always the high probability that he will make a mess of it.

The governor cutting short his speech and hastening the commissioning of the project upon sighting the speaker is what should have been described as "Infantile"

and i kind of hate the fact that folks tend to easily draw the silly "respect your elders" card only when it seems appropriate for their use.  our elders loot our treasuries dry, abandoned their responsibilities and we are just supposed to fold arms and respect them cos its part of a "sacred African custom"? 

The construction of the bridge was never abandoned and for some people to go around spreading such lies is not only dishonest but perverse.

If there ever was anyone spreading ridiculous lies, it had to be the author of the statement in quote.

Granted that Bankole used his office to put pressure on the late president Umoru Ya Adua to approve funds for the completion of the bridge, that is not enough reason, nor should there ever be, for him to abuse the minister and the Governor and attack the driver of the governor’s bus

.

This is typical Najia bullchit!. . .Eyewitnesses at the opening assert the fact that even before the speaker got to the venue, the governor had made certain disdainful remarks against the person of the speaker, just to save face and score cheap points from his shameful and gross under performance in office.
The governor should have been schooled on how "you ought to give respect to get respect". . .Everyone of them, both Bankole and Governor Daniel were at the ceremony to score political points. . .the only difference was just that Daniel had attempted to score points on a project he had abandoned

We need not remind Bankole that he is a legislator and nothing more. His job is to legislate and perhaps, as part of his oversight duties, ensure that public funds are not misappropriated which, clearly in the case of the Ota Bridge, was not the case.

Me thinks the author forgot to lend the same piece of advise to the governor whose administration has been consistently marred by corrupt malpractices, redundancy and a fearful lapse in security of Ogun state citizens, largely manifested in political killings, thuggery and god-fatherism.  

me thinks i as well as a couple of thousands of other Ogun state citizens would rather the bridge be fixed by the legislator than wait till forever for the governor, who is rather busy with looting the treasury dry, to wake up to his responsibilities.

Having established that the money released was utilised for the purpose for which it was intended, Bankole ought to have been satisfied, but apparently he wasn’t, because he felt that he was owed the adulation of the people for doing what he was elected to do and he could only get this recognition by strutting his stuff at the ceremony. Too bad he got something else.

Here is another piece i believe applies more to the person of Governor Daniel than it does to Bankole.  it is a well known fact that the entire Ogun state is totally defaced by ugly looking billboards of OGD, whose sole success story in his second term tenure was achieving nothing.  

This may explain why sometime last year, on the very day that worked resumed at the site, Bankole’s media man was spotted at the bridge recording the workers with a video camera as they went about their work. I won’t be surprised if there is a documentary in due course from the Speaker’s office about the Otta Bridge praising the Speaker to high heaven for his “heroic deed and compassion for making the bride a reality. But it needs to be reiterated that the construction of that bridge and the road leading up to it was initiated by Obasanjo. Maybe that was why providence prevented the Speaker from getting to the ceremony in time. Mr. Speaker’s behaviour showed bad form politically and a yawning lack of class.

Again many times, we had witnessed a million projects that had been started and abandoned midway, anyone who takes up such project and saw it to completion deserves all kinds of congratulations he gets!
Every OBJ, OGD and BOJ can begin a project, it only becomes meaningful if and when completed!

In conclusion, if the Speaker wants to endear himself to the people of Ogun state, so that they can vote for him when he eventually enters the gubernatorial race in Ogun state, he should initiate a multi billion naira project in his constituency  and finish it and not try to take credit for some else’s work. He should also be more forthcoming and transparent in the little matter of Cargate.

In as much as i have never been an advocate of Bankole, i strongly believe the author of this piece had been unfairly biased and had totally absolved the governor of any kind of blame.

The Speaker is a successful young man who unfortunately is being misadvised. The path to Oke Mosan Governor’s office can be easier for him if only he would learn how to wash his hands before coming to a table to eat with his elders. Once that is done the sky is the limit for him.

me thinks the words in bold should be replaced with "lick árse", then and then only does it make any kind of meaning