The winds across Oyo state is hazy.
The weather is rough and cloudy.
The Atmosphere is laden with tension and apprehension.
Governor Makinde has lost his ego and audacious character. The once daring and outspoken poster boy has gone mute.
The one, who alongside four other brother Governors brought down Atiku and the PDP has lost steam.
The thorn in the flesh of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Government is no longer heard.as before.
The Governor, once known for bold and daring comments has resorted to holding meetings and issuing instructions to even his carefully selected Chairmen in dark corners and behind solidly bolted doors.
A storm is gathering in Oyo state and its coming is imminent.
Governor Makinde had done everything humanly possible to ensure that he avoids the fate of the storm.
He has secured the services of a compromised Senior Advocate of Nigeria to hold a discredited Local Government Election where Governor Makinde’s lickspittles in the PDP won in all the 33 Local Governments and the 351 wards of Oyo state as Chairmen and Councilors.
He had his way at the Local Government Election Petition Tribunals as all Petitions against the anointed candidates were dismissed for one reason or the other.
Unfortunately, God Almighty, through president Bola Ahmed Tinubu had other plans.
A judgement of the Supreme Court which granted financial Autonomy to Local Governments threw spanners on the plans of the Governor.
Governor Makinde is now faced with the reality where, though, he successfully took over the structures of the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state, yet, he has lost the coveted price, the resources of the Local Governments and since then things has not been the same with the Governor.
In fact, the Governor like the black rat which received an unwanted visit of the rattle snake in the day time has been forced to a panic mode, seeking for shelter.
In Governor Makinde’s bid to clutch to every piece of objects, like a man drowning, he has exposed himself to the extent that even, his ardent supporters are beginning to feel disappointed in him.
An alleged mismanagement of the resources of the 33 Local Governments over five years running is the reason Governor Makinde has become the proverbial ” aaragba” leave which is said to have no rest.
Throughout his first term and until very recently when the status quo was altered by the judgment of the Supreme Court, it has been alleged that Governor Makinde was in the habits of doing whatever pleases him with the resources of the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state.
It was alleged that he took the N2B with which he paid Osun state to severe relationships in the ownership of LAUTECH from the Local Governments funds.
He was alleged to have been awarding contracts to his cronies without due process, using Local Governments funds to finance such contracts.
The last straw is the allegations that he has used the monthly Allocations for the Local Governments as collateral for loans which he has been spending on all manner of projects without authorisation.
Since the presidency of former president Mohammadu Buhari, it has been alleged that Governor Makinde had received billions of Naira as monthly Allocations for the 33 Local Governments and he has been plundering same without due process.
The situation in the 33 Local Governments also confirm this allegations.
There has never been a time in the history of Oyo state when Local Governments have been rendered useless and ineffective as the time of Governor Makinde.
It is so bad that even the staffs of the Local Governments no longer go to work as a result of redundancy.
Governor Makinde is the Governor of the state and the Chairman of the 33 Local Governments.
Now that an unforseen circumstance has altered the status quo, why won’t the Governor panic?
Why wouldn’t he lose his voice and be restless.
From the past 48 hours we have been inundated with the several panic actions of the Governor.
We read reports that he had threatened the 33 “Ajeles” , I call them Olagunju wonders but they call themselves Chairmen, they have been ordered by the Emperor to pull out of ALGON.
According to reports, the Yes Men had done the bidding of the Governor by announcing their withdrawal from ALGON.
They have equally, according to reports, urged that their slavery be continued through the continuous payment of the Local Governments monthly Allocations to the joint Accounts of the state and the Local Governments.
According to credible information, ALGON has engaged the services of Constitutional Lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN, to write the Finance Commissioners for the 36 states of the Federation and demand that the Allocations for the 774 Local Governments be paid directly to the Bank Accounts of the Local Governments in line with the position of the Supreme Court.
Governor Makinde is not comfortable with this step, hence the directives to the 33 Local Government Chairmen in Oyo state to exit ALGON.
What a display of ignorance and desperation?
How couldn’t Governor Makinde and the 33 jesters not know that they lack the authority to make such demands in the face of the judgment of the Supreme Court?
How could they be so clueless to think that, just because they have pulled out of ALGON, then those in Abuja will just comply with such silly demands?
Governor Makinde must be at his wits end to have considered such trivial strategy.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by section 7 recognizes Local Government Chairmen not ALGON or whatever names Makinde and his clueless Chairmen may choose to be known moving forward.
As much as they are still known and recognized as Local Government Chairmen, they will forever be bound by the judgment of the Supreme Court.
No escape route.
The pit that Governor Makinde dug, he has fallen into it and he must carry his cross.
Spending funds that belongs to the Local Governments and using same as collateral for loans under any guise is not only illegal, it is also criminal.
Whatever the Governor has been hiding about the mismanagement of the monthly Allocations belonging to the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state is bound to be made public and there is nothing Governor Makinde can do about it.
We now know that Governor Makinde has not been fighting to defend the interests of Oyo state but his own personal interests.
This storm is imminent and the only choice open to Governor Makinde is to embrace his fate with dignity.
The child who exhibits cowardice during circumcision suffers severe wounds.
” Ila ojo nii po”.