Uneasy they say lies the head that wears the crown, this famous axiom best describes the condition of the Governor of Gateway State, Prince Dapo Abiodun at the moment, Gateway Times can reliably inform.
It should be recalled that the former Governor of the state, Sen Ibikunle Amosun who spent 8 years in office and exited the scene on May 2019 was alleged to have largely favoured Ogun Central at the expense of other two senatorial districts in the state.
Be that as it may, residents of the state were engrossed in wild jubilation when Prince Abiodun who was perceived to be a better alternative to his predecessor took over the mantle of leadership of the state.
But Gateway Times investigation has revealed that the general expectations of the people in seeing the incumbent Governor kick-starting his campaign promises almost immediately he assumed office are beginning to be waning given the latest direction of the new administration.
Though, six months after, Abiodun’s administration has touched on some hitherto dilapidated schools in a bid to give education a new lease of life among other relative feats, but some political watchers believe that Dapo Abiodun is not only slow, but seems not to have tangible programmes in stock for the people of the state.
The new government has been scored below average in the area of security, roads construction, rural development, employment generation, infrastructural development etc.
Mr Segun Showunmi, a member of the Peoples Democratic party and a former spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organization in a message tagged ‘A Note to The Stakeholders’, released on social media few days back, said the continuous statements of the governor on public-private partnership suggests to him that “the Abiodun government has no clear agenda of its own. And in case it does, it is going about things in a rather snail slow speed, which suggests a lack of preparedness”.
In his words, “I make bold to say that in terms of the general perception of capacity, there is no gainsaying that Ogun has never had it so disappointing. I refresh your minds to how it was in the class of 1999 when Chief Olusegun Osoba was the leader, not only in the South West, but was also revered by many Nigerians as one who moved with clarity. You may need to remember how often his voice was heard, not just on Ogun State issues but also on the issues around the progressives in Nigeria.
Within six months, it was already clear that the Osoba government would take development to the fringes of the state and that the rural areas would get connected with activities. His Commissioner for Works, Segun Adesegun, had settled in office, and his office had become a beehive. At about the same time of six months, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, during his time, had become the wonder boy in government and project development. The entire country knew that something was up in Ogun State. Computerisation of the civil service had commenced. Also, structures and projects were already commissioned. Need I say that Daniel’s pace of work was, till then, unmatched in our country. Ogun State was in the news for all the right reasons.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun had, undoubtedly, within the period under review, showed his hand firmly around his strength in road constructions. He had opened up the Ogun State economy for the influx of private sector investors in a way that had not been done before”.
But in a swift response, Mr Wale Adedayo, the Publisher of Uhuru Times and a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC described Showunmi’s piece has one written in a hurry and therefore lacking in facts.
Hon Oluomo and Gov AbiodunAccording to the former Chief Press Secretary to the erstwhile Governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, “Amosun did NOT open up Ogun State to investors. OGD did. And that can be backed up with facts. Whether in Ogun Central, East or West, the many industries on ground or that have just moved in we’re initiatives of Amosun’s predecessors.
You may not know he practically sent quality ones packing. I understand Gen. T. Y. Danjuma and a host of others had to pay twice for land already acquired with Government approval. But beyond that, you conveniently elected to on it Dangote Group. Ogun State is sitting on the largest reservoir of raw materials for cement in Nigeria. Yet, you did not raise issue about why Dangote had to upgrade Obajana in far away Kogi State as his biggest cement factory.
But the most important is the Olokola Deep Sea Port project and Petrochemical plant that Dangote was about to start. Amosun practically chased the man away from Ogun State! And, guess what? That is the biggest investment in Lagos State today. Yet, they have to dredge their port. There was no need for that in Ogun Waterside, because the place has the deepest end along the West African coast. Yet, Amosun threw all these away.
On infrastructure, you missed it ‘biggerly’ too. One of Amosun’s first project for which he was being praised was a footbridge close to his ancestral home in Abeokuta, where he put SIX air conditioners! Amosun had no idea what roads (big ones) are meant for. He had no plan when he became governor”.
Meanwhile, loyalists of the incumbent governor have continued to take on those linked with various write-ups against Abiodun, which they perceived as attempts to discredit the new administration.
Further findings by Gateway Times revealed that, the governor’s media manager, Kunle Somorin, his SSA on New Media, SF Ojo Emmanuel and other unofficial media handlers, have also joined the heated discussion. While coming hard on Segun Showunmi for drawing out their principal for appraisal, the foot-soldiers have also been reeling out some of the key achievements of the governor since inception of office.
