₦airaland Forum

TonyeBarcanista:
I won't blame you because of your ignorance...

Makinde was not the one that fixed Ibadan, it was NWC. Makinde insisted that the decision of NWC is sacred, Fayose opposed, saying it be held in Abeokuta. The party met both chieftains, Makinde, a man of peace, decided that if the impediment is Ibadan location, he is ready to shift ground to another location, he proposed Lagos, but Fayose disagreed saying Abeokuta. Later Osogbo was decided, it needed Makinde's approval which he gave.

Do you think Makinde is the typical politician that always believe on his way or the highway? Sorry

TonyeBarcanista:
Did you see the dates? Or you just read headlines and stay satisfied? Can you comprehend?

Despite threats by Governor Seyi Makinde, the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has postponed the Southwest Zonal Congress of the party pending the determination of a case filed at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Justice C J. Aneke of Lagos Federal High Court had on January 19, 2021, ruled that status quo ante Bellum be maintained pending the determination of the originating summons in a suit number FHC/L/CS/63/2021 filed by some leaders of the party challenging the venue of the congress.

The applicants are seeking an order of the court directing that the zonal congress be held in Abeokuta, a neutral state and the Ogun State capital.

However, in a letter addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated March 31, 2021, and reportedly signed by Uche Secondus, the PDP National Chairman, a new date, April 10, 2021, was purportedly fixed for the congress, with Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital as the venue.

This deepened the warring members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP as many of them kicked against the said date because of the subsisting order of the court restraining the party from going ahead with the congress pending determination of the case.

A source at the meeting of NWC of the PDP said that after a long deliberation over the issues, considering the consequences of disobeying a court order as an opposition party, the PDP decided to ignore the threat by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and postponed the southwest Zonal Congress till after the determination of the suit before the law court.

OYOINSIGHT recalls that Makinde had threatened that there will be “dire consequences” if the South-West zonal congress did not hold on Saturday, April 10, 2021, at Ibadan.

The threat by the Governor was made following early signs that indicated that the congress will be postponed.

Welcum:
We are marketing Osinbajo. I know that the mentally retarded people who can only think in terms of TRIBE can't understand us - which is why they are saying that we're not marketing any candidate.

Who Cares If You Join APC, Nothing Will Happen If PDP Zonal Congress Is Postponed — Party Chairmen Threaten Makinde

By admin - April 2, 2021

State chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-West have warned the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde to stop insulting and threatening the party and its National Working Committee, NWC, saying; “the PDP existed before he returned from his political sojourn in the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and if he chooses to leave now as he has always done, the party will still exist and strongly too.”

Makinde, OYOINSIGHT.COM had reported, threatened that there will be dire consequences should the South-West zonal congress of the party be postponed in obedience to an order of the court.

Responding, Chairman of the State Chairmen, Dr Sikirulai Ogundele, said it was shocking that a man who called himself a governor could insult and threaten the custodians of the party just because they choose to obey an order of the court.

Sikirulai, who spoke on behalf of the PDP chairmen in Ekiti, Lagos and Osun States, Otunba Bisi Kolawole, Engr Adedeji Doherty and Hon Sunday Bisi respectively, said they were not surprised “because Governor Makinde has never for once been stable in the party, being a serial decampee, who only returned to the party in 2018.”

The statement read; “We read with disgust, the statement credited to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, warning leaders and member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“We would have ignored his ranting as it did not come to us as a surprise because we are aware of his negotiations with the All Progressives Congress (APC) as made public by leaders of the party in Oyo State.

“We are not equally surprised because Governor Makinde has never for once been stable in the party, being a serial decampee.

“There is a general saying that if there is peace in a household, it is because the bastard among the family members has not grown to adulthood.

“We are however shocked that a man who calls himself a governor is insulting and threatening the custodians of the party just because they choose to obey an order of the court.

“We dare him to sustain his threat.

“When he said no one is bigger than the party, he actually directed at himself because his governorship of Oyo State does not qualify him as Governor General of PDP. In other words, Governor Seyi Makinde is not bigger than the PDP.

“The Working Committee of this party was duly elected just like the governor and as stakeholders, we all have our own roles to play.

“More so that he is only the governor of Oyo State by providence and not the Governor General of the South-West. Even in Oyo State, the governor is not the only stakeholder of the PDP there.

“To us, threatening that there will be consequences if the party obeys court order concerning the South-West Congress is the height of political rascality and it should be made clear to all lovers of PDP that nothing will be worse than what he has done before by jumping from one political bed to another. It is on record that in 2015, he was persuaded to accept senatorial ticket, yet, he left PDP for SDP.

“Who cares if he chooses to leave PDP this time too? Is he not even already a sinking ship in Oyo State, placing members of the SDP and ADC over and above those of the PDP?

“This is a man that has just exhibited crass indiscipline and disloyalty to the PDP by hand picking chairmanship and councillorship candidates, who are not registered members of the party, contrary to the PDP constitution and guidelines for the primaries to strengthen the PDP internal democracy. He has virtually destroyed the PDP in his Oyo State and he is struggling in vain to compromise the NWC not to right the wrongs on these primaries.

“Without apologies, governor Makinde can do his worse. He should stop threatening the party because he is not more a loyal and committed member of the party than people like us who stood by the party when he left.

“The PDP existed before he returned from his political sojourn in SDP and if he chooses to leave now as he has always done, the party will still exist and strongly too.

“Lastly, Governor Makinde’s vituperation has clearly exposed him as the greatest enemy of rule of law and democracy by his attempt to blackmail and castigate the NWC for upholding the basic element of the rule of law that court orders must be obeyed.

“The NWC should totally disregard his infantile and undemocratic statement.”

PDP: Any Attempt To Shift April 10 Zonal Congress Will Have Dire Consequence — Makinde

By admin - April 2, 2021

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, has commended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) for deciding to go ahead with the Southwest Zonal Congress.
The congress has been scheduled for Saturday, April 10, 2021.

In a statement made available to the media, Governor Makinde praised the NWC for their decision, stating that he was glad that the NWC “bowed to superior reasoning regarding the congress.”

He, however, warned the NWC against allowing divisive elements within the party to “unduly influence party decisions on the national level.”

The Governor said that “any attempt to shift the date of the PDP Zonal Congress from April 10 is a signal to party loyalists that the hierarchy has been compromised,” an action which he said would lead to “dire consequences.”

The full statement is reproduced below:
Being a Statement Released by Governor Seyi Makinde on the Decision of the PDP National Working Committee to Proceed with the Southwest Zonal Congress on April 10, 2021.

As the only serving PDP governor in the Southwest and an invested party in the PDP’s growth and development, I commend the National Working Committee (NWC) for the decision to go ahead with the Southwest Congress.

I am glad that they bowed to superior reasoning regarding the congress. I am also happy that the congress will be held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in line with our party’s constitution and as stipulated in paragraph 8 (1) (g) of the Guidelines for the Conduct of Ward, LGA, State, Zonal Congresses and National Convention for the purpose of electing Party Executive Committees at all levels which was issued and signed in January 2020. We look forward to hosting other members of the Southwest PDP come April 10.

However, it has come to my notice that some divisive elements within the party are trying to unduly influence party decisions on the national level. It is shameful that while the peace and reconciliation committee is going about trying to bring the party together, some people are determined to factionalise it. The NWC must not reward these individuals who are working against the party’s overall interests.

I must warn that any attempt to shift the Southwest Congress’s date from April 10 is a signal that the hierarchy has been compromised. Such an action would have dire consequences. For one thing, we will be forced to take all necessary measures to take back our party.

Let me restate that the PDP is the best alternative for Nigerians. At this moment, we should be expending our energies in positioning our party and gearing up for leadership at the national level. We must show Nigerians that we are the real deal.

The NWC should rise to its responsibilities and prevail on the person or persons acting as clogs in the wheel of the party’s progress. Remember, the PDP is greater than any individual.

Seyi Makinde
Governor, Oyo State
02/04/2021

Makinde’s Actions Annoy Me, Ajimobi Already Paid For The Akobo Flyover He Re-awarded - Fijabi

By admin - March 28, 2021

Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, a two-term former member of the house of representative, has taken a swipe at Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, for revoking the contract for the construction of General Gas-Akobo Flyover Bridge and circular road from the contractors handling those projects, alleging that Makinde is only playing politics with the lives of the people.

Makinde, OYOINSIGHT.COM understands, had few days ago flagged off the construction of the General Gas-Akobo flyover bridge which was re-awarded for a sum of N1.058bn. Abiola Ajimobi, late former governor of the state had initially awarded it for N1.464bn in 2017 and some skeletal works have been done before the current administration revoked it. Makinde had explained that in spite of the current high inflation rate, his government was able to save about forty million naira for the state in the new contract.

Also, the Makinde administration had last month ordered the contractor handling the 32.2km circular road project to stop work, claiming that the progress of work done was not satisfactory within the timeframe of the contract.

But speaking on BOTTOM LINE – a political programme on IBR 92.5fm Ibadan anchored by Aanuoluwapo Omorinde over the weekend, and monitored by OYOINSIGHT.COM, Akinade-Fijabi said the action of the government is annoying.

According to him, “sometimes, you get angry with some of these things. See that bridge at General Gas, Ajimobi has paid for it. As a governor, you now revoked the contract. It’s so sad. We should be crying for ourselves. A bridge that has been paid for, another governor now came, brought tent, chairs and said he is re-awarding it. This is a project the past government has paid for.”

When reminded that the government in the new agreement was able to save the state about forty million naira, the former lawmaker exclaimed “It’s a lie! Forty million naira when you have borrowed N150bn”.

“Go to Ring Road yesterday if you are coming or going from Ibadan, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway just like five kilometres to Ibadan, you cannot enter Ibadan because they were doing the road. What could have saved that one was the circular road that the previous government has brought somebody to do, but you revoked it. All those trailers coming to Ibadan don’t need to come to Ibadan. There is no argument, this is sad”.

“Seyi Makinde is playing politics with the lives of the people and the people too, they don’t really care. The saddest narrative is that the followership don’t care. Now you will be complaining. Why must you complain? You don’t have to. That road, this Akobo road, they should have finished it long time ago but you reversed it saying you are saving forty million naira in a state that is as big as Oyo. You are saving forty million naira at the expense of people living in Akobo”.

He urged Nigerian youths to eschew bitterness and envy among themselves especially ahead 2023 if truly they desire better deal in the murky water of Nigerian politics.

Warripikine:
Japan has no oil..yet see how developed they are

What I told Sunday Igboho after my son was murdered by herdsmen —Aborode, father to slain Igangan politician


By KEHINDE OYETIMI

On Feb 9, 2021

In this interview by KEHINDE OYETIMI, Alhaji Lasisi Folohunso Aborode, father to deceased Dr. Fatai Aborode who was allegedly murdered by herdsmen in December, 2020, speaks about the long history of herder settlements in Ibarapa axis of Oyo State, the advent of unrest in the zone and the death of his son.

How long have you lived here in Igangan?

I am an indigene of Igangan. I am retired as chief environmental health officer. I am the father of the late Dr. Fatai Aborode. I am also the Baba Adinni of Igangan land which means that I am one of the religious leaders of Igangan. I was on January 16, 1942. I clocked 79 on January 16, this year.

It is impossible to speak about Igangan and the whole of Ibarapa without taking into cognizance the place of Fulani and Bororo herdsmen. How did life with these herders start?

From a very young age while I was still a pupil, our fathers were friends with Fulani herders. Their friendship was so useful to the extent that our people would buy cattle and keep under the watch of the Fulani herders. My forebears were known to be blacksmiths. My people gave these herders hoes and cutlasses; the Fulani herdsmen were also involved in farming. They built settlements and the relationship between us and them was very cordial. If we, as Yoruba and owners of the land, had any festivities, the Fulani herders would come and celebrate with us. We also visited their settlements whenever they had any festivity. In fact, as Muslims we also celebrated Islamic festivities together. Fulani are known to be Muslims, so also the larger part of Ibarapa and Igangan in particular. We had no issues with them; we lived together in harmony. This was around 1949/50.

After a while, this was about 40 years back, some herders referred to as Baru, also came around. They were not troublemakers; they were herders. They had a lot of cattle. Their settlement was not far from the main market in the community. They would come to buy items at the market; their wives did same. When they took their cattle to graze, these Baru herders ensured that they avoided cultivated farmlands. They were careful and considerate. When they met our women on the farms, they neither molested nor harassed them. These Baru herders were respectful and courteous. In fact, whenever they met our people on the farm, they would be invited to join them in a meal; they would be offered food and water. The atmosphere here was congenial.

Your description is idyllic. What then went wrong?

Some herders are called Bororo. These Bororo herders are the worst to interact with; they are inhuman, unforgiving, selfish and wicked. They exhibit such violence even among themselves. Within a Bororo herders’ family, we notice such display of violence. They kill without any remorse. They are vicious. If a Bororo herder discovered that his brother betrayed him in any guise, he would behead him. We became worried by this show of madness.

On our farms, we would come across very young children herding cattle. We would not know that the parents of these child-herders were hidden on a tree. Should the farmer confront the child-herder for destroying his farm, the hidden chaperon on the tree would suddenly appear and accost the farmer. The farmer would then be attacked.

It is known all over that the Yoruba are largely farmers; it is not different here in Igangan. These herders would move their cattle into our cassava, corn farms and destroy them all. This is wrong. Look at the loss of investment by the farmer; look at the labour loss. Why can’t they take their grazing elsewhere? Whoever tells the herdsmen to take away their cattle from the farm will be attacked. Many farmers have lost their lives in such circumstance. These herders go about with swords and guns.

Our wives and women here are also farmers. A man would cultivate his farm; his wife would do same. That is our practice here. Unfortunately our women are not safe on the farms. In some instances, some women who were waylaid by the herdsmen on the farms were raped to death. Some were lucky to escape after they were raped. Some of the rape victims were old women between 70 and 75 years old.

What did government do concerning all of this?

We still call on government to do something drastic about this. We are grateful to the secretary of the farmers’ association here in Igangan, Mr. Taiwo Adeagbo. He has been relating much of our frustration to the relevant authorities. Do you know that in all of this, no Yoruba person must do havoc to any herdsman? Should a Yoruba kill a Fulani or Bororo herder, that community which produced the Yoruba killer would be destroyed by the herdsmen. Yet we are referred to as the owners of the land. Do we own the land? Many people have been kidnapped. These kidnap victims would be taken to very far distances and huge ransom would be demanded by these herdsmen. The suffering that the victim would suffer is better imagined than experienced. Many of our people have suffered such fate. They demand for as much as N50 million in ransom. Sometimes, they demand N10 million. Where do you expect an agrarian community to get that? Those who are able to pay escape with their lives; those who are unable to pay are killed. Many innocent people have been kidnapped and their corpses found many days after.

I have been alive and around for a while now. How do you see and hear this and not get saddened? That is why our people are insisting that these herders leave. About three months back, they became very particular in kidnapping and killing people here in Igangan.

My late son owned a big farm. He was a mechanized farmer. He would give these herders salt. In fact, he went as far as employing as harvesters the wives of these Fulani herdsmen. He did this whenever it was harvest time. He ensured that they were paid handsomely. He was generous to them; he was friendly.

How did he meet his death?

He had planted soya and it was time to harvest. He had a relatively large body of employees; he had two farm managers. He got them motorcycles to aid them in their supervisory role. After the discharge of their daily duties, he would ensure that each employee was well paid. He would feed them. He had makeshift houses for them on the farms and so people travelled from neighboring communities so as to work for him and earn some money. The women who worked for him on the farm were great beneficiaries of this gesture. In fact, many of the workers never wanted such harvesting periods to be over considering the financial remuneration that they got. When his corn farm was not doing well and if it had little or no prospect at a good yield, my son would call the various herders’ communities and ask them to graze their cattle there freely. Normally the herders would have paid handsomely for this. The herders love grazing their cows on corn farms.

However on this day, December 11—it was the worst day of my life—I was not at home. We are very pained. We are true Muslims; my son was a Muslim. The Quran taught us that whoever God loves, he tries by unsavory vicissitudes of life. Look at the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He had seven children. Only one buried him; six of his children died while he was alive. The death of one of them, Kasumu, was very painful to him. He loved Kasumu so much. He died on Ileya (which is a very important festivity among Muslims). The enemies of Prophet Muhammad mocked him; they said considering his loss, he would not perform his religious obligations to God. The Prophet was human. There is an angel called Jibril. He is very close to God. Angel Jibril travelled down to the earth after God mandated the angel to tell the Prophet that he should perform his religious duties despite the fact that God understood what he was going through. God said the Prophet must accept his sovereignty. The Prophet went ahead and performed his religious obligations.

The death of one’s child is terrible. No parent prays for it.

What is the government doing about this?

It is only government that can explain what it is doing about this. The only person who God has used as our messiah is Sunday Igboho. My son was a politician. When he was with Oyo State former governor, Ladoja, my son and Sunday Igboho got to know each other. Sunday Igboho visited me. He greeted me so warmly. He told me: ‘Baba, I knew your son very well while we were together with former governor Ladoja. Your son was generous and accommodating. I never knew we were from the same geographical spread here in Ibarapa/Oke Ogun. Look at my tribal marks. They are exactly like yours. I also saw the same tribal marks on your son’s cheeks.”

Sunday Igboho then told me that whoever was responsible for his brother’s (my son) death would feel his wrath. He promised to chase them out wherever they could be hiding. I pleaded with him to be patient and calm. I begged him to contain his anger. He informed me that he would return in seven days and that Seriki Saliu should vacate this place.

When next Sunday Igboho would return, the crowd that received him was unprecedented. The last time I saw a glimpse of such crowd was when I visited Mecca on holy pilgrimage. For over six hours, the crowd surged on his visit. It was a standstill.

No farmer in this region would want the herders here, considering the huge destruction that they have caused. It is now left for the government to find a lasting solution to this. Those kidnappers make a lot of money. Many relatively rich indigenes who could not sleep at home have returned and can now sleep since Sunday Igboho visited.

Fahdiga:
Irrelevant award

DimIsaac10:
So technically he could not have won without eem?.
Now I understand why godfatherism will be so difficult to defeat.

DimIsaac10:
Who brought Makinde into power?.