About the League Merchants
In the last few days, I have been inundated with calls from different people seeking my opinion on the purported cry for suspension of OGD by a so-called APC Youth League.
Not that the threat really amounts to anything, but for the concerns of the reading public, especially friends and colleagues in the media who have made spirited attempts to call me for my honest views, I shall respond.
As a matter of fact, I did not bother to read the so-called letter or Press release. The first paragraph betrayed the intellectual capacity and motive of the author(s). Too many grammatical mistakes. I also know that there is a generation whose merchandise is to profit from vulnerable leaders like Mr. Dapo Abiodun in a season like this. They have street slang for this; they call it “Perspe”. So, it is not uncommon to situate this so-called write up within the context of political swindles of a desperate and outgoing governor who will be ready to pay for anything. After all, some politicians have also traded on the Bazaar before elections. The “League” is not a registered arm of the APC, neither does it represent any of its official correspondence.
This explains why the “association” was oscillating between “APC National Youth League” and “APC Youth League” as they seem not to agree on which name they want to answer to; either to give it a national or local outlook and which one will give the desired effects. That was also the reason they needed to remind or psyche themselves that they have “membership across 236 wards in Ogun”.
Whoever that is at the driver’s seat on this kind of project did not do a clean job of it, and I will recommend that Mr Dapo Abiodun should ask for a refund on the shoddy job, or refuse to give them any “Perspe” jobs in the future. A “League” that claimed to have done “a discreet investigation” that found out that the former governor “vehemently worked against the interest of APC” and also “had several nocturnal meetings ahead of poll with members of the PDP … with a surreptitious plans to work against the reelection of Governor Dapo Abiodun ” cannot in the least provide video, audio, minutes, calls reference or records of where the former governor directed that his supporters should NOT work for the interest of the APC.
The “League” merchants also insulted their employer, Mr Dapo Abiodun when in the letter they claimed that the former governor “collapsed remnant (sic) of his political structure for Ladi Adebutu…”.
By concession and by implication, they seem to have admitted that “remnants” of OGD political structure is what the governor needs to win a re-election without which he is doomed to failure. Of course, why would one rather not prefer an OGD remnant than a full course meal of Dapo Abiodun for one’s political fortunes? It also suggests that OGD political remnants that gave him over 115,000 votes are far more virile than PDA’s full course that returned him 86,000 and made him lose in all but one local governments in Ogun East. If I were Governor Dapo Abiodun, I would order the arrest of these boys in the “League” merchandise, not only for the financial swindle, but also for insulting a whole Chief Security Officer of a State.
Anti-Party
While there is no proof that Otunba Gbenga Daniel directed anyone against the interest of APC, I also have evidence, for instance, that the Senator-elect voted for the candidate of the party in his Sagamu II State Constituency (Hon. Ademola Adeniran aka Sapele). I know this because my cameras revealed so from a distance while covering OGD when he cast his ballots.
But more importantly, several of OGD’s loyalists protested the recommendation of Prince Dapo Abiodun for re-election to the political family. I, and some others are leading advocates of this rebellion because we did not see PDA representing the ideals of good governance. As a matter of fact, the Dapo Abiodun led administration is a “Briefcase” or “portmanteau”, “Cash and Carry-go” business. He failed in every department of ideals, empathy, transparency, prudence, integrity and honesty in leadership.
So, if there is anyone who should be questioned for anti-party activities, Prince Dapo Abiodun should be the first candidate, because he has betrayed the Manifesto of the All Progressives Congress which promises to bring good life to the people of Ogun State.
Mr Dapo Abiodun also derailed in his responsibility as the leader of the APC in Ogun State for failing to deliver his polling unit and rigged the result against the Senatorial Candidate of the APC during the Presidential and Parliamentary elections on February 25 and for gloating about it with news syndication to all media:
Mr Dapo Abiodun should be questioned by the leadership of APC for shortchanging Security Agencies their entitlements, for failing to ease the pains of the citizens whom he swore on oath to protect economically, socially and in all ramifications.
It is anti-party when you fail to pay workers entitlements as at when due; when you make promises to start paying workers’ leave bonuses on the eve of elections and divide them into batches, hurriedly pay the first batch representing only about 25% of those qualified. And after the election, instead of paying the outstanding leave bonuses, even the workers’ statutory salaries are now being paid on the 36th day of a new month.
It is of course an Anti-Party when two years into their tenure of office, Chairmen of local Government Councils, all elected on the platform of the APC, do not have official cars for the smooth discharge of their functions. And after a temporarily “stolen mandate”, you said they should come and collect “Mikano” (not generators) cars which were actually donated to you for your campaigns as their official vehicles.
This is especially when there are available records and vouchers indicating that expensive SUVs have been purchased on behalf of the chairmen at the expense of the Local Government treasury. I think Ogun State people need to know the source of the 25 Mikano (not generators) cars out of which the governor is giving 20 to the LG Chairmen.
Is it not Anti-Party to ask the Chairmen of the Local Government Council to come and sign for N16 billion Ecological Funds which was never released to them just because someone has to Cook the Books to reconcile election funding and close the Expenditure Invoices and vouchers under some subheads? Can the Chief Security Officer of the state explain how $9m allegedly left the Treasury in just 24 hours to the election and to what purpose. In summary, about N6 billion are believed to have left the coffers of the state in just two weeks to the election. Do the people of Ogun State have a right to know how their money is being spent and on what items.
What can be more Anti-Party than for its candidate submitting false reports, multiple identities and contradictory academic and educational records and qualifications from Primary to University? You have not only robbed your party of a valid nomination, but also deceived the entire people of Ogun State. You have removed honesty, integrity, transparency, industry, enterprise from governance and replaced those ideals and virtues with short cuts, lies, falsification of records and deceptions to attain power. You have not represented a model of good conduct and character to the next generation.
These grossly violates the tenets, principles and philosophies of the All Progressives Congress and any other political party in Nigeria and anywhere else in the world, as such I am strong in my recommendation for the questioning of Governor Dapo Abiodun by the leadership of the APC in line with the Constitution of the party.
The battle for the soul of Ogun State has entered into a new phase, the weeping of the people may only tarry, but at the end of the day, God will heal the land. This affliction may subsist, but only for a while. In the meantime, we need to gird our loins, we need to be eternally vigilant. Much of our common patrimony has already gone into Political purchases of endorsements, we should not allow vouchers that will fund Court Cases which promises to be very expensive in the long run. Whoever can, should please help the workers to hold the hand of the pilferer from having access to the till so that they don’t pay for unjustified court cases with their hard earned entitlements, salaries, bonuses, pensions and deductions.
Steve Oliyide is still my name.
Freelanews is the editorial byline of Freelanews.com, used for staff reports, news updates, press releases, and collaborative stories produced by the Freelanews Editorial Team.
