Whenever I post opinions in the social network, it is primarily sharing of thoughts with those whose friendship requests I accepted and who accepted mine; and ‘whosoever wills’ of the public.
The words motive, purpose, aim, objective and others not listed here are often used interchangeably because they are synonyms. They all are used to explain intention, reason, cause and desire for doing things or taking actions. Motive is my focus -word for writing this. Having made a deliberate choice of the word for use, I also expect that anyone who reads this post will carefully appraise the motive behind my releasing it.
Really there are a number of vital issues to ponder and resolve in the trend of our Country’s governance which should be of greater national concern. It is in consideration of such that one should bother fellows less with ‘smaller’ matters that are quite ‘simple’ and are narrowed down to a ‘small’ geo-political zone.
Wait, which people’s deliberation, political process and franchise power have constituted the authority that Governor Isiaka Ajimobi wields as the executive governor of Oyo State? Has anyone answered that Ibadan people’s deliberation, political process and franchise power have done it… Well, ask the Governor himself if you can. He surely knows better.
Alhaji Ajimobi has been cited as the luckier jinx breaker and the Governor of Oyo State who has been voted to win election for two terms unprecedented. Mr. Governor has a firm grip of the State’s government – its finance, security agencies, other powerful arms, administrative bureaus, institutions and YOU. He talks tough and poses challenges that just few fellows with ‘seven spirits’ may try to dare. Baba Ajumose, himself!
Come to think of it, Oyo State is so vast, and may be by Ibadan entity alone; apart from the other places to which some of us belong. It takes a great deal of big wise mind to know how to fairly share ‘meat’ between the BIG Ibadan and the rest of other towns and villages which are merely big. Therefore, if our able Governor is acceptably doing this sharing well, much that we all feel so ‘fairly’ treated in Oyo, Ibarapa, Oke ogun and Ogbomoso, then kudos to his ministering prowess and brilliance. I only worry now, and needing much of his brilliant assistance with resolving a very small palaver, which LAUTECH matter is. It takes his excellency’s little godly statement and fund release…
I have bothered so much about LAUTECH, Ogbomoso where, despite having worked there for more than two decades, I may have seen and known far less to what my conceit is misconstruing for so much. Thrice beaten tence shy, the reflection by many workers at this juncture is that if or when academic activities are re-commenced at LAUTECH, they are resuming, retiring or quitting. Sadly, salaries are debts too bad to owe. No wonder that when bail-outs by the Federal government were released, emphasis was placed that states governments should use them to especially settle outstanding salaries debts among others. After all, burdens of salary-debt were noised by states in their pleas for bail-out assistance.
Initially for instance, I have questioned my fellows who are natives of Ibadan why their uncle Isiaka with all entities of his government (inclusive of my people) seem to have been so dociled to every idea that Osun government brought up; since 2011 and so far. One idea was that if Oyo State wanted a university to be solely owned it should solely found one. The earlier was the “terms of settlements” that the Supreme Court adopted” to cement joint ownership. There were other sales such as, ‘close LAUTECH for one year… set up Visitation Panel… set up Technical Committee to review Report… get a firm to audit staff and fund management… ‘ What’s next to wait expecting? Iro n p’aro fun’ro.
I have also mused at why there was no resistance, to things having been so easy and comfortable for Mr. Governor, to register with NUC, establish the new Oyo State University and secure approval. I tried to imagine if Chief Bayo Akala while in government or if he had won the last election could have decided and had it through to start a new university which would NOT have to be sited in Ibadan. By now, I have been able to ask my fellows who said to me in 2011, “Booda e n bo wale” if they are now happy that their own uncle Isiaka is doing so ‘better’ beyond the gains of our Ibadan and at the capital of Oyo State.
Who is afraid of the late orator-multi-linguist, Barrister Samuel Ladoke Akintola… Are some people from the stories they know or heard from their late parents getting more and more restless and being ‘chased by the ghost of brilliance and frankness of the late Aareona Kakanfo… Akintola campaigned, “Ka b’Hausa se, ka ba Ibo se; ajosepo legbe wa”. Now, what they hated that he said, calling for true unity is what they are now trying as a wear which is feeling too loose below their shoulders.
As an Ogbomoso man, I shy from liking to talk about Osun State to which I secondarily belong only as a Yoruba man and worker in a jointly owned University. The government of Oyo State has been my real concern. in the recent, I have tried to relax religiously on the conviction that the MOTIVE will show how the present actions of Oyo State will end. The motive, behind whatever the present government of Oyo State has done with LAUTECH so far – its establishment of Ibadan Technical University, the flagging-off of the N70,000,000,000 (seventy billion Naira) Ibadan ring road, and other projects that are lined up to sink in Ibadan, will surely show an END. This end will either condemn or justify the today’s power actors in Oyo State. Think about it my fellow compatriots with whom I share this.
I will like to take a riddle about a charity company, an inheritance that once belonged to some visionary parents which was later bequeathed to generations of their children. At a particular generation, two children evolved as rich investors. They became two modern owners of the inheritance. These new owners suddenly came to tell their employees that they could no longer fund the hitherto highly subsidized service-business. They asked the managers to cause the workers to henceforth, work freely as volunteers to keep the company running as a charity home that it has been, otherwise the workers should find means to generate fund by themselves or the company will be locked up for one year at the first instance; and may thereafter, it will be left to become desolate and waste away, so that charity seekers should move elsewhere to get such servjce or be ready to get pay-service. The owner said that they are no longer interested in the charity business bequeathed to them by their kind fathers. They added that all normal business should be self fund generating by bringing in profits. They declared their having suddenly realized that the idea of charity service-business is an archaic and a retrogressive one. The well wishers of the late parents of these new owners began to worry for what contrarily may become of charity getters, the nostalgia of the home that the company once had been and the fate of the employees. They therefore decided to come together to assist by gathering up donations to sustain the business. Doubtfully, their goodwill may fairly assist immediately against an imminent collapse and liquidation. The questions are: will the assistance if given by the donors change the ownership status of the business whereby the two rich inheritors and members of their family will have to relinquish their bequeaths; will their giving off fall in place with the history of the business and the family, on what terms and for how long can the donations last for the survival of the business; what happens to the ego of the heirs of the business and memories of the original owners and their ideals, will these two rich investors still be the business’ real owners by re-branding… Will this development make them comfortable with donors and donations gatherers…
Seeing you again on arrival.
By Akin Odesola
