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Oyo State and Ibadan ‘Elders’ By Dejo Akanni
I’ll begin this write up by quoting one of the popular sayings of our elders - ‘Omode Lo Hun Se Ni, Agba Kii Seniyan’ which could be translated to mean ‘naughtiness, to some extent is tolerable for kids but a total aberration when supposedly elders in the society start misbehaving’. It is in this context that the current show of shame, now pastime for some self-styled ‘Elders’ of Ibadan should be properly dissected by the people of Oyo state before the so called ‘Elders’ pull wool over the innocent citizens of the state in their devious attempt to confound people while the real objective is nothing but a premeditated attempt to protect their embarrassing parochial interests, all the while been presented as a struggle for the interests of all.
The incessant attacks – mere taunts for the obvious non effects on Government, left for its nuisance value and needless embarrassment to the Citizenries – on Alao Akala Government is totally uncalled for. It is a trite fact that in every electoral context, there would always be a winner while the Tribunals are there for the losers to channel any grievance(s) whatsoever; we cannot all be clamoring for democracy and at the same time be condoning the truancy of some clowns masquerading around as ‘Elders’ and our ‘Guardians’ – or what else do you call those obsessed with an imaginary ‘divine mandate’ to choose Governor for the state? The ‘anointed’ candidate of the cabal, Senator Abiola Ajimobi should be manly enough to wait for the verdict of the Tribunal and stop behaving irresponsibly. He needs to salvage whatever is left of his much vaunted ‘integrity’; enough of the cook and bull stories – these are already irritating to most people - been peddle around lately, this shouldn’t be coming from a purportedly cheated winner, with unassailable evidences but from a hopeless impostor, finally coming terms to the bitter truth.
Oyo state is bigger than any individual not less the fact that the era of local neo-colonialism is gone forever in this country; Oyo state belongs to all of us: Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Oyo, Oke-okun et al and no part of the state has the sole right of governing the state while the rest are condemned to second – class status. Perhaps, we should ask ourselves one simple question here - why is it difficult for our people to practice what they preach to others? Yorubas are known for championing the cause of justice and fairness in Nigeria; it is convenient for us to accuse a certain section of the country of monopolizing power and at the same time committing the same offence at the local level?
Once again, I need to further restate here that this write up is not in any way meant to cast aspersion on anybody nor to be seeing as being disrespectful to the real Elders of Ibadan but a sincere attempt by a concern stakeholder in the affairs of the state, rousing to attention, all honest, selfless and patriotic Elders in the state generally and Ibadan in particular to do the needful now before the existing peace and harmony in the state is destroy and rupture by the unbridled ambitions of a few in the state – this is a clarion call to duty. The Ambassador Olusola Shanu led Ibadan ‘Elders’ forum has shown its partiality and partisanship, hence it must be ready to be taking to the cleaners as the time for any pretension is over - ‘ a mad man would eat his mother’s corpse if left alone’. The ceaselessly attack of these group is nothing but a deliberate gang up against the so called ‘non-indigenous’ governor of the state; if the whole charade as we are been made to believe is an altruistic project, why is it Ibadan ‘Elders’ forum and not Oyo State ‘Elders’ forum? Perhaps, Ajimobi candidacy was been programmed abnitio to be Governor of Ibadan alone with other parts of the state left in cooler as it was in the past. It is not unexpected though, if Ambassador Shanu could not find other wheel dealer ‘Elders’ like the gangs in his so called Ibadan ‘Elders’’ forum in Oyo, Oke-Ogun and Ogbomoso areas of the state as these areas only have responsible, God fearing and fair-minded Elders like Chief Bode Amoo, Bode Akindele, Kola Dahunsi and other highly revered leaders of Ibadan.
The bane of our problem in Yoruba land is the politics of ‘convenience’ and until we jettison this brand of politics, the future looks more than bleak for the race. The only thing we have been hearing from these ‘Elders’ is that Ajimobi was rigged out by PDP as if that is a new thing in our clime; how did Ajimobi secured the Gubernatorial ticket of ANPP in the first instance? The ‘Elders’ would see nothing wrong in the treacherous and inappropriate manner the original candidate of ANPP was displaced by their anointed son because it is convenient for them to overlook that.
It is expedient now for every fool and sycophant in the land to be opening his/her mouth to abuse OBJ since that is the cheapest way to stardom in the town now – who can deride OBJ most? OBJ and Adedibu - the duo were responsible for rehabilitating the desperate man after he was fired from Connoil by Adenuga – are now bad people, to be condemned and maligned. Adedibu was a nice man in 2003 when he did everything possible - including working against PDP senatorial candidate, the latter having refused to surrender his ticket - to ensure Ajimobi won the year Senatorial election under the already comatose Alliance for Democracy. Since 2003 agreement between him and Adedibu was for a single term in the senate – 2007 already reserved for Kamor Adedibu – he was ready to do anything just to get the PDP gubernatorial ticket for 2007.
It’s beyond human imagination the dramatic change our politics would undergo if only the common man - often used as the cannon fodder by the politicians in Yoruba land - should realize the level of dangerous scheming engage in by these politicians. Ajimobi, while still pretending to be an AD Senator was already scheming to cross over to PDP if only he would be given the PDP gubernatorial ticket for 2007. After failing to get the PDP ticket, he ran to AC and when that door was also closed against him he finally berthed in ANPP – a party that was so popular and accepted in the south west as was the old UPN and AD in the North –West. The same man who shamelessly usurped the right of another man just because he was stronger than the unfortunate fellow is now crying foul when subdued by a higher force, what an irony?
The fulcrum of the arguments of these so called ‘Elders’ are not only laughable but shallow in the real sense of it ; just because a certain disgruntled, confused and laid-back man – yes, confused because he could not make up his mind on the party his households were to vote for between the Labour party, AC and ANPP; a recurring feature of his uneventful and disastrous 38 months governance of the state - raised Ajimobi’s hands in two or three sparsely attended campaign rally some 72 hours to the election was the only reason why our ‘Guardians’ felt their candidate ought to have won the election.
Perhaps, it is appropriate to ask Ladoja why he refused contest in the April 2007 elections if he was so sure of his electoral value - at least he was eligible for second term in office - and if truly the people of the state were behind him as he is wont to mouth these days. The laid-back would not because he knew nobody want to do anything with him in the state, a total outcast, waiting for others to do his job for him; it was a known fact in the country then that the Guber ticket of Labour party was held in trust for him by one of his aides while that of AC was there for his pick for a very long time before those ones finally wrote him off as an unserious man.
Besides these two parties, there were at least 20 other political parties any serious man worth his onion – not a mere paper tiger – would have used to prove that he is really on ground – recalled Mbadinuju of Anambra state and Mala Kachalla of Borno state in 2003 election. Instead the indolent man was busy shuttling between Ibadan and Otta farm, begging OBJ - the same man he now takes delight in abusing - to give him the ticket already won by Akala when he was away on Siberia leave.
Elections are not won on mere propagandas – unintelligent ones for that matter – nor on the crest of a failed Governor who was to all extent a passenger in the seat of power; it even baffles some of us that an intelligent man – as Amb Shannu would want us to believe – of Ajimobi calibre could be deceiving himself that he would be installed Governor by a drowning man? ‘Eni To Ma Da So Fun Ni, Ti Orun Re Laa Ko Ko Wo’; if Ladoja cannot use his so called ‘incumbency’ to come back as for second term what then gave Ajimobi the false hope that he could make it on Ladoja’s back or was he all that blindfolded by his unbridled lust for power?
Alao –Akala as every other human being is not Perfect and to the best of my knowledge, has never claim to be one hence the ‘moralists’ in Ibadan should allow the man to concentrate on his job while they can continue enjoying their ‘sumptuous feasts’, a priority for them now. Alao – Akala shall remain the Governor of Oyo state until Court of Appeal decides otherwise.
Stop Press – This is too Cheap
According to the ‘progressives’ in our midst, Awolowo’s statue was pulled down on the instruction of Chief Lamidi Ariyibi Adedidu in 2003 and this was a sacrilege for which the man and his associates, particularly Alao- Akala, deserved to be ostracized and possibly lynched according to the jobless rabble rousers in Yoruba land.
It is very much convenient for the numerous idle minds and pseudo activists in the South west to buildup and gain political mileage (for whatever it worth) from the current unnecessary controversy generated by the replacement of Awolowo’s statue - demolished since 2003 - with that of an unknown Soldier but not the Ex-Governor of the state, Senator Rasheed Ladoja.
Senator Rasheed Ladoja should be advised to keep quiet and stop embarrassing himself; what stopped his administration from replacing the same Statue – demolished in his very first week in office – during his 38 months Mongo Park expedition in the government house, Agodi?
Dejo Akanni, Lagos.
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