A group; Ibadan Mandate Forum (IMF) has called on the Oyo State Governor; Seyi Makinde to Accord commensurate recognition and appreciation to the people of Ibadan who were instrumental to his landslide victory in the last election.
The group through one of its Chiefs, Adeoti Akerele said ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’.
According to Adeoti in a press statement he personally signed on behalf of Ibadan Mandate Forum, “our people comprising high chiefs, senior chiefs, Baales, Mogajis, transporters, artisans, landlords and landladies, including political leaders across party lines supported His Excellency to secure resounding victory in the March 18, 2023 election.
Akerele analysed how the patronage of Ibadan sons and daughters deserves to be rewarded especially in the cabinet formation in Makinde’s second term.
“In Ibadanland alone, His Excellency garnered 279,697 of the 563,756 total votes across the five geographical areas of the State, meaning that the Governor won almost half of the votes from Ibadanland because statistics showed Ibadan votes accounted for the over 49% of his total score,” he said.
He said while Ibadan votes majorly went the way of Governor Makinde, his main challenger and candidate of the APC who also doubles as an Ibadan man, Senator Teslim Folarin only recorded 92,404 across our 11 Local Governments.
Akerele stated Folarin’s votes thus: Ona Ara 5,510; Ibadan Northwest 5,947; Ibadan Southwest 9,491; Oluyole 6,592; Ibadan Northeast 8,486; Ibadan Southeast 9,147; Ido 7,865; Lagelu 10,661; Ibadan North 11,883; Egbeda 7,377 and Akinyele 9,445, all totaling 92, 404 across 11 local governments in Ibadan.
Unlike Governor Makinde who enjoyed overwhelming support of Ibadanland, Folarin’s total votes of 256,685 across the State showed he had more votes outside Ibadan, revealing that “Ibadan votes alone of 279,697 for the Governor effectively secured victory for His Excellency, and that the Governor enjoyed our people’s support as he trounced Folarin with 187,293 in Ibadanland.
Akerele said since morning shows the day, our people are beginning to realize that the Governor, though one of them, who meant well for the generality of the citizens across the State, was not paying attention to the recent happenings in his government.
According to him, “Ibadan stood their ground for him. He must compensate them. Agitations have started amongst our people that a certain Otunba Seye Famojuro (an Ijeshaman) is again looming too large and the Governor must guide against his antics before it boomeranged.
“In the recently reconstituted Park Management System (PMS), insinuations are rife that Famojuro appointed another Ijeshaman Mr. Tomiwa Omolewa (a.k.a Tommy) as the State Chairman at the expense of other Ibadan transporters and Union leaders who worked for the success of the Governor at the poll.
“This Tomiwa, rather than sharing the motor parks amongst other leaders and factional Union leaders for them to have a sense of belonging, has arrogated the powers of PMS and revenue generation to himself at the expense of other leaders who are mostly his Seniors in the transport Unions.
“Some of the PMS committee are also groaning in silence alleging Seye Famojuro of cornering virtually everything to himself and at the detriment of the PMS leaders and State’s revenue. For instance, virtually all the boys who were working for the ousted Mukaila Lamidi (Auxiliary) that were loyal to Seye were retained, leaving these PMS leaders at his mercy.
“Also, Tomiwa was said to have been told in clear terms by Seye Famojuro not to collect revenues from Okada riders; Quarry transporters; heavy truck drivers; tricycles as he (Seye) is the sole beneficiary of the revenues coming from those sources daily.
“These developments have made the so-called peace being looked for by the Governor amongst these Union leaders a peace of the graveyard as many of the PMS leaders recently appointed by the Governor as Executives of the PMS are not happy at the happenings around the PMS and may soon leave this marriage of inconvenience which may not engender fruitful and harmonious co-existence of the State.
“The greed of one man presently represented by Seye Famojuro may not allow the Governor to generate his much-expected revenue for the State. As second term just commenced, people are raising the dust on why Seye who determined who got what in the Omituntun 1.0 is again dictating who gets what in the new Omituntun 2.0
“If our man, the People’s Governor fails to rein in, on Seye and allow his greed to continue, the confidence Ibadan people have in the Governor may soon be eroded because we know what our leaders did to support His Excellency in his second term bid in Ibadan in particular and across Oyo State in general.
“We must guide against unnecessary criticisms and the question of who is on the driver’s seat of the governance of Oyo State should not happen again between our GSM and Otunba Seye Famojuro in Omituntun 2.0,” Akerele warned.
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