Surveillance Aircrafts: The Debtor Paid Up His Debt |By Sola Abegunde

I never had the intention of minding those who feels that the delivery of two surveillance Aircrafts by Governor Seyi Makinde is anything to brag about until I saw the statement by Prince Dotun Oyelade, Oyo state Commissioner for information.

There are times when you need to be humble and sober and a particular instance is when Governor Seyi Makinde took delivery of those two Aircrafts.

I have seen a lot of comments about the Aircrafts. People have referred to them as ” crabs”, ” refurbished” and yet, many have praised the Governor for finally delivering on his promises.

I am not an Aviation expert and as such, I will rather wait for expert opinions on what was ordered and what was delivered.

However, one fact is sacrosanct, there is nothing to be ecstatic about by Governor Makinde and his supporters.

The important question is, how did we get here? That is the crucial and germaine question.

Governor Seyi Makinde got approval for the purchase of two surveillance Aircrafts.

He also got approval for the construction of an airstrip at Igbeti and both approvals are connected.

With respect to the approval for the purchase of the surveillance Aircrafts, the Governor gave several delivery dates and on those dates, he couldn’t deliver on the promises. Then, the disaster at Oriire happened and the Governor started saying, ” I am not responsible for security issues.” ” I should not be held accountable for whatever happened at Oriire Local Government” and in that context, discussions started around the poor service conditions of the Amotekun and the several failed promises concerning the delivery of the surveillance Aircrafts.

So, what is wrong if the procurement of the surveillance Aircrafts became an issue at that point or at any point for that matter?

The funds that were approved and paid for the procurement of those surveillance Aircrafts didn’t come from Governor Seyi Makinde’s pocket. Did it? It belongs to the public. Isn’t it?

So, what is wrong if the public is asking questions about resources that belong to them? What?

Apart from the abduction of Teachers and Pupils at Oriire Local Government, in the midst of the failure by Governor Makinde to produce the surveillance Aircrafts on the dates earlier promised, the issue of the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC probe also became public knowledge.

The probe occasioned a conflict between the Government of Oyo state and the EFCC.

The EFCC is requesting for the details of all contracts awarded and monies paid to Contractors by the Oyo state Government between 2021 to the date when a letter dated back to 2025 was written to the Government of Oyo state.

Now, when did Oyo state Government award the contract for the procurement of the surveillance Aircrafts? Did it not fall within the period within which the EFCC is interested in?

Oyo State Government secured a judgment which set aside the letter of the EFCC but the court didn’t stop the investigation.

So, if anyone assumes that Governor Seyi Makinde rushed to procure the surveillance Aircrafts as a result of the pressure from the EFCC, could anyone fault such assumptions?

That is why it would have been better for Governor Seyi Makinde to have secured the delivery of the surveillance Aircrafts before Oriire and before the issue with the EFCC became public knowledge.

I was surprised to see that Prince Oyelade referred to members of the public, who are making genuine and legitimate demands about the surveillance Aircrafts, as ” political antagonists”! Where is that coming from?

Did Engr Seyi Makinde, as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, not make similar demands from the Government of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi?

Did Ajimobi refer to him as an antagonist?

Did Seyi Makinde not say that the only good thing he saw in Ajimobi and his Government was the nice dresses Ajimobi used to wear? As derogatory as that comment was, did Ajimobi refer to Makinde as an antagonist?

Today, the same Seyi Makinde could not find anyone suitable to succeed him amongst those who have been serving in his Government for over seven years and he has settled for Bimbo Adekambi, who, himself, admitted that the late former Governor sought him out, brought him into politics and tutored him.

I guess Bimbo Adekambi must be one of the caps Ajimobi was wearing at that time and Seyi Makinde must have been fascinated by that particular cap. Or, perhaps, one of the Agbada gowns of the late former Governor.

I am happy to hear from Prince Oyelade that performance is the best way to answer critics. Fantastic.

In the light of that opinion, will Prince Oyelade ask the Governor when we will have the Airstrip at Igbeti?

The approvals for the construction of the Airstrip and the procurement of the surveillance Aircrafts were gotten same time. What about the Airstrip now? When will Governor Makinde silence critics about that one?

When will Governor Seyi Makinde tell us what new things he has done with the Light Up Oyo to warrant the further approval of over a hundred billion Naira for an admitted failed project?

If criticisms will spur Governor Seyi Makinde to action, so be it and if he would misinterprete criticisms for antagonism, so be it. He should just deliver. That is all.

So far as he is dipping his hands into public funds as the Governor of Oyo state, if we have issues with him in the process of performing his duties, he can not and will not escape criticisms.

If he is uncomfortable with them, he knows what to do.

When he was a private citizen, the Chairman of his private Businesses, no one took cognizance of whatever he was doing with his personal resources.

Currently, he is a public figure and he will be criticized any time there are reasons for it.

The delivery of the surveillance Aircrafts is a debt he owes the citizens. If he was able to pay up his debt after many failed promises, what is so special about it?

Or, were those Aircrafts procured with Governor Seyi Makinde’s personal resources?

Sola Abegunde.