Against all odds, he won the 2019 governorship election in Ogun State; this is despite the stiff opposition from the then incumbent, Ibikunle Amosun. Two-and-a-half years down the line, residents of the Gateway State appear hugely disappointed at his lackluster handling of state affairs. OYEDAPO OYEWOLE reports
For a state that has produced important personalities in virtually every sphere of human endeavour be it education, politics, business, administration, sports, and entertainment, the people of Ogun State could not but expect so much from Prince Dapo Abiodun, as he assumed office as the Governor on 29 May 2019.
Indeed, the high hope was necessary due to the daunting challenges strewn across the polity with virtually all facets of life in the state calling for urgent intervention.
The governor was to further raise this hope with his inaugural speech wherein he pledged to change the narrative about governance in the state. He said, “You have now provided me with the mandate to serve our dear state. When I signed the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office a while ago, I solemnly did so beyond being a requirement for the formal assumption of office. It was much more than that. I hold it as a tripartite covenant between me and God, on one part, to serve Him and reciprocate His faithfulness through the journey so far by being a tool to bring the greatest good to the greatest number of Ogun State people, regardless of creed, gender, and political affiliation. On the other hand, it is also a covenant with the good people of Ogun State.
“To give Ogun State focused and qualitative governance and to create the enabling environment for a public-private sector partnership, which is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun.”
However two-and-a-half years on, the Dapo Abiodun-led administration has continued to receive knocks and condemnation from people lamenting low performance in every stratum of the state, accusing the governor of failing in his pre-election promises to the electorate. From education to infrastructure, rural development, water supply, and sanitation, women affairs, empowerment, and social welfare, health and transport, agriculture and youth empowerment, the governor is under fire from the people blaming him for subjecting citizens to untold hardship in the state.
Some residents, who spoke with Rulers’ World, noted that the Governor has failed the people in his responsibilities to provide good motorable roads, quality education, rural development, water sanitation, empowerment of women and the youths, and health care delivery.
On infrastructure, they said as a result of bad roads that spread across major cities in the state, many citizens are losing their lives and becoming victims of kidnappings due to failed portions of the roads across the state.
According to one of the residents, “The most unfortunate thing is that every part of the state suffers from this problem of deplorable roads. Many of them are unmotorable and in bad shape. We are tired of unfulfilled promises and pipe dreams. The helplessness of the Dapo Abiodun led-administration on the deplorable conditions of these roads across the state shows his incompetence.”
Some of the roads clamouring for help are found particularly in Ifo and Ado Odo Ota local government areas of the state with most of them impassable. It was learnt that the residents of Agbado-Ijoko in Ifo Local Government Area for instance have spent not less than three million naira on self-help trying to make the road networks in the area manageable for vehicles to ply. Ditto for residents of Olambe, Akute, Denro, all in the same council area. Their pleas and cries have fallen on deaf ears of the state government. Similarly, residents of Ado-Odo Ota, the most industrialized local government area and cash cow of Ogun State, are exhausted of complaining about the lackadaisical attitude of the government towards their cry for help.
Speaking on lack of good governance in the state, former spokesman to Nigeria’s former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Segun Sowumi, lambasted Prince Abiodun, for alleged unproductive handling of the state. The former House of Representatives candidate under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), described governing the state by the governor as though he is a Level 13 civil servant, adding that he runs the state without ideas.
He maintained that the state has failed to experience significant infrastructural development and improved Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) owing to alleged poor administration by the Abiodun’s government. According to him, “At the beginning of this administration, I was very critical of them; but when COVID-19 made all the states not able to work much it was not in my interest as an Ogun indigene to demarket my state when I could not see what others are doing.
“I am disappointed that they have time to organize a big burial; they have time to organize big political activities; they do not have time to organize an economic summit which we are used to; they do not have time to organize a framework to ensure that our IGR is big.”
Sowunmi further frowned at the way Governor Abiodun, uses the media and commissioned writers to mask the real issue, like what the state government has done to IGR and the leakages surrounding it. ”They blocked all the leakages? You know the answer yourself. All you have to do is look on the streets and see the number of people jumping up and down, cutting tickets.”
He similarly berated the Abiodun-led government for lacking innovative ideas to develop the state.
“They have not brought any innovative ideas of theirs. Not in road construction; not in health; not in housing; not in education. They have not disrupted economic policy in a manner that can create new energy and new opportunity for people.
“Anytime I think of Ogun State, I think of a state that can make itself like New Jersey of America. They have not taken advantage of their proximity to Lagos. What can they do to inspire the citizens; what can they do to interest you”.
Yet another segment of the society that has openly expressed resentment to the handling of state affairs are commercial motorcyclists. They recently staged a protest wherein they rejected the government directive to register at one of the state’s designated registration points across the state within 10 days or risk being arrested, describing the registration fee imposed by the government as insensitive and outrageous.
Three of the riders who spoke on the development, Mr Rafiu Akanbi, Michael Sote, and Kunle Adelaja, said the imposition of the outrageous levy on the riders was a plot to multiply the taxes already levied on them.
Civil servants in the state had also threatened a showdown with the governor over what they termed “unimpressive” implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the government and the organized labour.
The government had signed an MoU with organized labour in September 2020 on the implementation of the new minimum wage and other demands of the workers.
And one year after the MoU was signed, the workers under the aegis of Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, said the government’s implementation of the agreement has been “grossly unimpressive, morale dampening and ultimately sending helpless state employees to their early graves.”
The Council Secretary, Olusegun Adebiyi, in a letter dated September 23 and addressed to the Governor, explained that the issues still subsisting in some of the signed MoU include proposed amendment (s) on State Contributory Pension Law; 19 months of nonpayment of deductions; gratuity payment and matters arising. “Others are unpaid 7-year arrears of statutory leave allowance and adopted snail speed on staff promotion, amongst others,” he said.
The Council Secretary added that the union had “painfully observed the lackluster attitude and lack of genuine commitment of the state government towards coursing any policy whatsoever to alleviate the fast deploring noticeable living conditions of its direct workforce.”
He said the council requested a purposeful meeting with the governor be conveyed to nip in the bud possible industrial disharmony in the state. “It is appropriate to reiterate that council repose absolute confidence in dialogue which as it were was the ultimate outlet to collectively find lasting solutions to the workers’ present predicament,” he said.
The Judiciary workers were not left out of those that had embarked on strike action to press home their demand from the Dapo Abiodun led-government. Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Ogun State Chapter, on 23rd September, 2021 shelved its two monthly old strikes it embarked upon.
The union members embarked upon industrial action on 11th August, 2021 to stop the government from cutting their salary. The union said it noticed the short payments in their salaries since October 2020.
While briefing the newsmen shortly after suspending the strike, the Chairman of the union in the state, Mr Tajudeen Edun, said the union had reached an agreement with the government to resume work after striking for more than two months, adding that the state government had accepted their demands and they had also agreed to what government asked from them.
On water sanitation, there was a report that scarcity of water had grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, Ogun State, and the residents are facing harrowing experiences in getting clean, potable, and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Residents in places like Obantoko, Asero, Elega, Ilugun, Oke-Saje, Adatan, Ake, Sapon, Itoku, Ago-Oba, Ago-Oko, Enu Gada, Sokori, Totoro, Ita-Eko, Omida, Panseke, Adigbe, Onikolobo, and Oke-Ilewo, are the most affected. They were said to be getting water from unclean sources to do their daily chores.
To further demonstrate the lack of understanding of governance and mindset required to move Ogun State forward, functionaries of the administration appear to be capitalizing on the tepid style of the governor. For example, the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, the Chief of Staff, Shuaib Salisu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Political Affairs, Rt. Hon Egbetokun, have been accused of usurping the power of the governor.
Members of the Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are also complaining of being neglected by the administration. Rulers’ World learnt that on the 30th September, 2021, some APC members stormed the Office of the Governor in Oke Mosan, to express their dissatisfaction and demanded the sacking of the SSG. An elderly woman, who led the group, complained of how hardship has enveloped the people of the state and how the state government had neglected the party members. She further lamented that the SSG pontificated that he is powerful and can do as he pleases. She further expressed her dissatisfaction with the SSG’s high-handedness and arrogance.
In the face of daunting tasks, the governor has been visible only at social events. Prince Abiodun, is reputed for organizing a ball on 29th May since he assumed office. The governor isn’t celebrating the handover date; rather it is his birthday which coincidentally falls on the same day.
It is on the pedestal of the aforesaid that it is necessary for Prince Dapo Abiodun to wake up from his slumber and assume the driver’s seat that had been entrusted in his hands to turn the fortunes of Ogun State around bearing in mind that another election is around the corner.
However, when contacted on phone to react to the issues raised in the report, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Mr. Kunle Somorin, requested that a message be sent to him as he was at a function at the time.
A message was subsequently sent to his mobile phone and WhatsApp platform. The message sent to him read: “I am Dapo Oyewole, reporting for Rulers’ World Int. Magazine. I need your reaction on some issues raised by some residents in Ogun State alleging that Gov. Dapo Abiodun has not been performing to their expectations most especially in road infrastructure, workers welfare, education, water, and so on. Please, your prompt response is eagerly awaited and will be highly appreciated. Thank you, sir.”
From his WhatsApp platform, he asked, “Rulers’ World, published by???”
Our correspondent then replied to him, “Rulers’ World International Magazine is published by Rulers’ World Master Communication limited. Our office is based in Ibadan, Oyo State. We are circulating across Nigeria, other African countries, the USA, UK, and Canada. We are also publishing online via www.rulersworld.com.”
But there was no response from him until the magazine went to bed.
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