Governor Abiodun handing the symbolic Ogun State key to president Buhari then.
Story by Oluwaseun Olowojaiye.
It is rather pathetic hearing the Executive Governor of Ogun State, H.E. ‘Dapo Abiodun, say that “Tinubu inherited an administration that was almost comatose”.
Let us straighten out just a few things for the sake of posterity.
The PMB administration may not have been perfect as perfection remains the sole domain of the Almighty God. PMB came, ran a great race against all imaginable odds and history will forever be kind to him.
On May 24 2023, President Muhamadu Buhari, who was represented by his Minister of Transportation, commissioned the Kajola Wagon Assembly Plant in Ogun state, the largest in Africa and the first of its kind in West Africa. The Assembly Plant is to produce 500 wagons annually and create 5000 jobs: a feat achieved by a President said to be running an economy in a comatose state?
Governor Abiodun paying obeisance to the then president Buhari.
Under President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, again in Ogun State, on January 13th, 2022 PMB commissioned the gateway city, the 42-km Sagamu interchange to Abeokuta road, the 14km Ijebu-Ode – Epe expressway, two housing estates for low, medium and high-income earners at Kobape and Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta. PMB also approved the reconstruction of Sagamu-Ogijo road by the NNPC under the tax credit scheme. The same day, H.E. ‘Dapo Abiodun presented and bestowed the honorary indigene ship award of Ogun State to PMB by the symbolic presentation of the key to the gateway state to the then President. Do you bestow such an honour to someone who is running the economy comatose??
Earlier on March 24th 2021, H.E. ‘Dapo Abiodun commended PMB for supporting the security architecture and economy of Ogun state: do you commend someone who is running the country comatose???
September 5th 2020, H.E. ‘Dapo Abiodun publicly defended and commended PMB for increasing fuel and electricity tariffs. In his words “it is time people begin (sic) to pay for what they consume. While it may be a tough and unpopular stand at this time, we must ensure the entire power value chain is profitable if it is to attract the right foreign direct investment”.
When Governors couldn’t pay workers’ salaries, PMB bailed out all state governments through the Paris Club refunds. As of June 9, 2017, Ogun State had received the sum of N11,478,749,388.92 of the fund. In September 2018, the PMB-led Federal Government also released N17.3b from the same fund. As of November 2019, Ogun State also received N5,739,374,694.46.
We can go on and on.
What saddens critical stakeholders of our great party is that certain individuals in the APC are acting like an opposition. APC was there before and APC is still here now. Individuals saddled with responsibility to serve the people either by appointment or election under the same party ought to consolidate on the strides of the previous administration rather than finding non-existent faults driven purely by sycophancy, past grievances or selfish interests.
It is all about the Nigerian state and the integrity of our state should be upheld at all times. Playing to the gallery through divisive statements and sycophancy will further divide the unity we all hold.
H.E. ‘Dapo Abiodun should publicly retract his statement and apologize to PMB and the previous administration. H.E. ‘Dapo Abiodun was a critical stakeholder in the Buhari-led Federal Government, and if the economy was running comatose as he claimed, he was ipso facto, a major player in running the economy comatose.
We cannot build a great Nation through untruths and provocative assertions. Words cannot be taken back once spewed. We should learn to be measured in our comments and leaders especially should learn to chew kola with dignity. Dapo Abiodun is a prince, he should act like royalty after all.
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