BAYO AGBOOLA from Ibadan writes that with the second coming of Governor Seyi Makinde in Oyo state, all eyes are now on him for the full take off of the administration, code named Omituntun 2.0.
Expectations are, however, high for the coming on board of all the government apparatus, particularly, the commissioners for the smooth running of the government activities.
Makinde’s overwhelming victory
Needless to mention that Engineer Seyi Makinde recorded overwhelming victory in the March 2023 governorship election in the state winning in 31 of the 33 local government areas.
Political observers had attributed the governor’s victory to the votes he got from beyond members of his political party, thereby, alluding to the fact that members of other political parties including the major opposition parties in the state also massively voted for him.
Some of them were said yo have been in the late hour alignment with the governor’s ambition and had collapsed their party structures for Engr Makinde in the March 18 polls.
Expectations of inclusive govt
Arising from the landslide victory of Governor Makinde in the March polls, there are now high expectations that the Omituntun 2.0 cabinet will among others be that of an all inclusive government with the likelihood of bringing in competent hands from other political parties in the state including the major opposition parties and other affiliated political parties in Oyo state.
Governor Makinde had at a thanksgiving service held at the Sword of The Spirit Ministries, Precious Cornerstone University Campus 1 (PCU), Garden of Victory, Olaogun, Old-Ife, Ibadan to commemorate the end of his first time and part of activities for the inauguration of his second term in office, informed the citizens that the knowledge, exposure and experience he has garnered in his first term in office has taught him enough to prepare him for a smooth sail in the second term.
He said all he achieved in his four years first term could be said to have been achieved within two years,
His words: “In 2019, at the inauguration, I made a pronouncement that I will be paying salary at 25th of every month. I made the decision before reading the handover note. And we have paid for 49 consecutive months. When I read the handover notes, I wondered who will help me drive the vision to fulfil that mission.
“It took me time, say close to six months to figure out what is where and who is doing what, but I can bet, there are different kinds of person inside the secretariat.So, I would say the first six months was a period for me to learn what it looks like working g in the public domain.
“By the following months after the six months, Covid-19 came and it was an issue of if we will lock down or not and we were like that for 11 months.Towards the end of 2020, we started real work. We worked for the whole of 2021, majority of the in 2022 and before this second term problem. So whatever we have been able to achieve, now you will agree with me that we have been able to achieve that within two years.
“But, this time around, it’s not going to be like that, you know why? since March 18 that I have been declared re-elected, I did not and haven’t stopped working for the people of Oyo state.Within March 18 and now, what we have done that is close to where we are is the underpass at Onipepeye. It is open now to traffic. Between then and now, we have been able to open the bridge between Oyo and Iseyin, the one over Odo Ogun river is open to traffic.
“I have learnt the ropes, I am now a junior master and there will be, indeed and in truth, no network failure in the governance of Oyo state in this term. Four years ago, every time I went out to campaign, I always sing this song because we had a clear understanding of what we were going to be faced it. This time around, for the next four years the Almighty God will help us carry our burden.
Apparently smelling the expectations on his cabinet for Omituntun 2.0, Governor Makinde last Friday posted on his newsletter that his new cabinet will be in place within the next two months of his administration.
Towards this, he said necessary consultations were presently ongoing on the composition of the new cabinet stressing that capable hands among his former aides would be re-engaged to continue their service to the state.
Cabinet composition
Feelers from the State House has already indicated that Governor Makinde has submitted the list of his commissioners to the Oyo state House of Assembly and that the names of the Commissioner-designates would be read at the House sitting this Thursday, June, this week by Speaker of the House, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin.
At a forum last week, the governor said, “Of course, I have also been busy consulting widely to ensure that I keep to my promise of having a cabinet in place within the next two months. I ask for your support and prayers as I make the necessary decisions to move our dear state forward. As I have previously stated, those who served Oyo state well under Omituntun 1.0 will get a chance to continue their good work,”
According to Governor Makinde, politics is a game of principles and deep interests and that trade-offs and alignment will be his operating principles to achieve sustainable development in Oyo state.
Preachment of unity
He also assured that “equity, fairness and justice” were essential elements to achieve good governance which, he said would remain the watchword of his administration.
To Makinde, “meaningful development and advancement would be a mirage without unity, especially, among political stakeholders, and young politicians who wish to go far in politics should shun hostility and enmity but embrace alignment when necessary.
“Many people still think, in 2023, opposition politics is about hostility and perpetual enmity. It is not. This is one lesson that young people who really want to go far in politics should learn quickly. After years of contesting and losing elections, I realised that politics is a game of principles and deep interests. I also learnt that politics is about trade-offs.
“But again, trade-offs should be based on principles. You gain followership when people know what your principles are. In a country such as Nigeria, where political parties are not yet set on proven ideologies, it is these principles that will determine political trade-offs and alignments”.
“For me, those principles are equity, fairness and justice. My support will go to anyone who subscribes to those principles. It really does not matter whose ox is gored. We cannot advance in disunity. Trade-offs lead to progress. And so, this will continue to be our operating principle in Oyo State as we march towards sustainable development.”
Ajumobi’s wife denies slots in Makinde’s cabinet
Amidst the expectations for the Omituntun 2.0 cabinet, the wife of a former governor of the state, Late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Chief Mrs Florence Ajimobi issued a statement that there was no time Governor Seyi Makinde offered her commissionership slots in his would be cabinet contrary to an insinuation in some quarters.
Mrs Ajimobi in the statement issued on her behalf by former Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Mr Bolaji Tunji said, ” This news is strange to us. We can state categorically that at no time was such an offer discussed. Mrs Ajimobi holds the Governor in high regards”, saying, ” He has continued to exhibit good leadership traits while playing the politics of a unifier with the aim of bringing peace to the State, however the report about Commissionership slots overture could only be attributed to mischief makers.”
“Mrs Ajimobi who was coordinator of the Oyo State Tinubu/Shettima (OTISHE) Women Presidential Campaign Organisation, worked for the victory of the presidential candidate of the party. During the period, she engaged various stakeholders in the state – such as the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN), Trade Union Associations, market men and women, Moslem women groups, youths and students bodies among others in the build up to the election.
“To her joy, her modest contribution led to an overwhelming victory for President Bola Tinubu with Oyo state having the highest votes in the South West states of Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo.”.
As rightly said by Makinde himself, the expectations for the Omituntun 2.0 cabinet should not be a long waiting for the people of Oyo state going by the two months limit pronounced by the governor that his new cabinet will be in place within the next two months of his administration .
