By John Ojelabi
I feel obliged to put my pen and paper together as a way of expressing my displeasure in the modus operandi of governance in Ogun State. If it is the same Ogun State of the late sage - Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Ogun State of the great late Afro beat singer - Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Ogun State of the late philanthropist and winner of the annulled June12 1993 presidential elections - Chief MKO Abiola, the Ogun State of late Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo; then, it becomes a thing of necessity to invoke the spirit of these great heroes.
How and when did things get this bad, should be a source of much worry to any patriotic citizen. Obviously, things are not how they used to be. It is only in this present Ogun state that Goats bark rather than bleat, dogs hiss rather than bark, snakes hump rather than crawl. But before you probe any further, you might want to ask, how exactly did things used to be? Did things suddenly deteriorate or we refused to heed the fact that we reached our elastic limit a long time ago, hence the real mess we found ourselves.
I wouldn't know how things used to be back then as i was still either in my mothers womb or was busy wheeling tyres in red pants. But I know the Ogun State that produced men of national honours like the elder statesman and former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who clocked 76 years on the 5th of March, the socialist and investment guru Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, Dr Subomi Balogun to mention just a few, isn't used to having sons of the Soyinkas, the Adegbites, the Ogundes, the Ogunpolas as commissioners .
Imagine an Ogun state where the son of Late Alhaji Lateef Adegbite is the Commissioner for Works, the son of Late Hubert Ogunde is Commissioner for Justice, the son of Professor Wole Soyinka is Commissioner for Health, the son of a former Education Commissioner is the Special Adviser on Social Media. If anybody feels offended, let them come up with a superior argument.
Appointments are now based on who your father is/was - not on your pedigree and achievement. If the scenario in Ogun State is anything to go by, the efforts and glory of our past heroes might just whither away in vain even before our own eyes.
The dynamism of leadership in Ogun State is such that any perceived enemy of the governor is usually being attacked by a group of "attack lions" (apologies to Dr Doyin Okupe) of the governor, both on the social media as well as the print media. The attack dog syndrome has suddenly become a national phenomenon. You definitely can't undermine the fact that man is a political animal. Many would have thought that a man so lucky to finally become governor after several years of futile trying would concentrate more on the job he was elected to do and take every criticism in good faith. But apparently, many are the thoughts of men, for no man is predictable. Likewise, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If this was not the case, the show of shame displayed by members of the hallowed chamber of the State House of Assembly ought not to have occurred In a sane society.
While we were still mourning and sobbing the day light robbery of a 260million pedestrian bridge that leads no where, we woke up on a particular morning to read of the intentions of he governor to approach the Bond market for the third time in 2 years. How he intends to achieve this feat was what we were dissecting when the news of the imbroglio of the House of Assembly broke out.
Apparently, some lawmakers who asked the governor to produce a detailed report of how the previous loans were expended, were being suspended so the house could amend the bill that permitted the governor to access the Capital market to a simple majority from the earlier passed two-third majority.
But the major drama was when the suspended lawmakers alongside about 10 other lawmakers later reconvened to counter suspend the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the Majority Leader and another principal officer of the 7th Assembly.
I hope somebody would remember to tell somebody to remind somebody that power is transient, as it has always turned out that no man has and no man will ever rule forever.
2015 is though far but it is near...
* Culled from the Ogun State Community Page - http://www.facebook.com/ pages/OGUN-STATE/ 299803033480329