GAUGING AMOSUN WELFARE PACKAGE ON THE SCALE OF ‘AMG’ JINGLE

July 9, 2014 Babatunde Ojetola

In his ‘born again’ tone, he claimed to be ready to listen at the eleventh hour when the attention is on election. SIA got too comfortable with the platter of Gold provided by the crack created by the Ogun State PDP crisis. He went feral as soon as he assumed the office in 2011, like the chicken just let out of the cage; demolishing structures including homes without compensation, halting and disengaging his predecessor’s public programs.

GAUGING AMOSUN WELFARE PACKAGE ON THE SCALE OF ‘AMG’ JINGLE

By Professor Fermi Ajayi

ot getting over the APC “Useless” and “Sell-Out” Yoruba Royal Fathers policy, Amosun political swaggering has given way to ‘AMG’, as he is beguiling Ogun Civil Servants with peanut car loans and mouse-styled housing package, which may not be realized before this administration runs out of ‘energy’. SIA only paid 12.5% of those eligible for the severance pay; and still owing some workers entitlements. We never imagined that SIA would almost prostrate during the Public Service Day Celebration tagged ‘A day with Mr. Governor’, at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, Wednesday, June 2, 2014.

A government that did not bother about the welfare of the workers after its 75% of its administrative life-span, would suddenly ‘ready to listen’ to the Civil Servants. It will be an insult on the intelligent of an average Ogun Civil servant to believe in such move.

It could be one gesture too late!

Ekiti election has seriously affected SIA’s psyche, as well as some of his colleagues in the South-West. The three major incumbent APC Governors have been taking most of the available herbs, including APC medication, to treat their political jaundices to retain their jobs.

PDP applied its incumbent muscle when it limited the money bag political penetration into the June 2014 Ekiti Election. PDP should realize that other APC States, both real and adopted, require unique approaches as each state has its own exclusivity. Duplicating what happened in Ekiti by riding Okada like Fayose did could be suicidal to some politicians. Yorubas as led by their Royal Fathers are not “useless” and “sell-out”; and are not ready for “roast.”

Ekiti People, Fayemi, Fayose Cast their votes

If some uncaring APC governors are paying salaries on time now, July 2014, as Ekiti election fever filters into South West, because they want people votes, what will happen after they got their votes? Definitely empty promises and ‘white elephant’ projects would double their second term, if re-elected. Workers would have to wait for months without collecting their salaries; as some of the Governors are out for revenge, not governance.

Realistically, promises made in turbulent periods are often forgotten in the period of calm. It is like putting a rotten meat inside a pot of fresh soup.

SIA Embraced Ekiti Election Fever

Would Ekiti election experience repeats in Osun State, where workers’ salaries, Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme payments, were delayed for months; when it was hard to take care of the most essential domestic needs?

Ekiti people have spoken.

Omisore, a copy cat politician without principles myopically rode on Okada, publicly ate roasted corn, to deviously tell Osun electorates as a grass root politician. Okada ride and public consumption of roasted corn would not get Omisore closer to Osun Government House; not now, or in the nearest future, as PDP has fielded a malfunctioning politician, compared to Aregbesola who belongs to the grassroots.

Omisore politics of deceit

Regardless the spit on the Yoruba Obas as “useless” and “sell-out,” Aregbesola, in his wisdom, cleverly turned the statement into a more sombre significance that, “…our Royal Fathers are custodians of our culture,” which could spare him the serious consequences of the political defeat of Fayemi.

Prescribing a healing medication to an auspice patient is SIA’s approach in Ogun State, launching late hour ‘welfarist agenda,’ aimed at paying more attention to the people’s welfare, at this late hour. Good intelligent people would realize that this type of ‘welfarist agenda’ is a cosmetic approach to the employees’ plights under obdurate Governor.

It is an eye-sore that any Governors’ actions now do not change their governance styles, using the civil servants as fishing baits to get re-elected. Definitely the Nigerian Labor Unions are not “useless” and “sell-out.”

In Ogun State the first Air-Conditioned pedestrian bridge in Nigeria, or Africa, duplicated from Dubai at a ridiculous price of N260million, located at Sokori/Totoro Road in Ogun State, was a misplaced priority when there is no regular power supply to some essential services in the State. Such project overshadowed the opening up of the Olokola oil refinery which should have translated into unprecedented opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in Ogun State and beyond.

Air-Conditioned Bridge Desecration of OGHA Mace

That notwithstanding, there is every likelihood that most of the road and bridges under construction in Ogun State today, (July 2014) may not be completed during this rodeo style of governance with no compensation to the victims, whose houses were demolished to pave way for the township roads.

SIA once accused the media of poor reporting on his administration. True to the allegation, some cash and carry Nigerian Newspapers went ahead to celebrate another half-baked news about pensioners and ex-political office holders pay, without professional verification.

SIA first attempt of deceitful administration, was the payment of the ex-political office holders’, reported by the National Mirror of December 21, 2012, that the severance packages of all political office holders, who served in the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, between year 2003 and 2011, should be paid; in a circular issued by SIA’s Commissioner for Budget, Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo, without further delay. No payment was made.

Second attempt at fooling Ogun Citizens, possibly misquoted, was on March 31, and April 1, 2014; when several Newspapers authentically reported the release of N1.5 billion for pensioners and ex-political office holders.

The Channels Television, on March 31, 2014, as well as the P.M. NEWS, Nigeria, categorically stated that “Amosun pays pensioners, retired politicians,” reported by Abiodun Onafuyealso/Abeokuta. In his report: “Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, western Nigeria today released N1.5 billion for the payment of gratuities to Pensioners and severance package of former political office holders in the State.” April 1, 2014, Today’s Telegraph, The Nation; Daily Newswatch; News247.com.ng, Premium Times; While http://www.nigeria.varpal.com, reported that the N1.5billion was to pensioners, and retired politicians’.

On April 08, 2014, Vanguard reported, “in a statement credited to, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, the gratuities would cover the civil servants who retired between May 2011 and November 2012 who had filed their papers with the State Bureau of Pensions. The money will be paid to 561 ex-civil servants and former political office holders who had served the State in different capacities. In addition, ex- political office holders who served between 2007 and 2011 but were not paid their severance package by the last administration would benefit from the fund.”

With all the media hype on the pensioners and ex-political office holders’ payment, nothing came out of the publicity.

The Ogun State Government on Monday March 31, 2014, said that it had released N1.5 billion for the payment of gratuities to pensioners and severance package of former political office holders.

Third deceitful attempt was again reported on June 23, 2014, in the Nigerian Tribune that some former political appointees in Ogun State during the administration of Governor Gbenga Daniel, were paid under choreographically styled SIA governance. The payment ought to have been started when SIA he assumed office in 2011, not on his bulldozing vengeance policy, wasting the tax payers money. He now treats them like Beggars, paid ONLY 12.5%.

Another deceitful politically motivated moves, SIA is recalling the 2, 000 employees he fired in 2011 at the resumption of the office. SIA failed to realize that there is no perfect Government anywhere in the world. Each succeeding administration should work on whatever the previous administration left undone, which is part of continuity in Governance. Obama never neglected the poor performance of Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan; he only made some adjustments to complete the mission.

As political spectrum is changing in Ogun State, especially with the feud between Osoba and Amosun, “useless” and “sell-out” Yoruba Royal Fathers, “rig and Roast” APC policies; the pensioners’ plights and ex-political office holders’ unpaid entitlements; civil servants denied entitlements; and other SIA’s political miscalculations would be difficult to erase.

The cracked gate by which SIA got Ogun citizens endorsement is too narrow for him now, July 2014. SIA should pay Ogun State pensioners, the ex-political officials who served in the previous administration, civil servants entitlements, with the provision of needed equipments to work with, especially a steady power supply for services to safe people’s life, added to governance transparency, not political vengeance and sentiments in governance is not the way forward.

With the new slogan in town, ‘AMG’ – Amosun Most Go’, SIA should realize that collective will of people, is the nerve of governance, which translates to electoral victory; not only the construction of roads with unnecessary air-conditioned flyovers.

Reversing some of his unprincipled policies; with the media hype on the N58.1 million outstanding Hotel Managers retirement benefits; paying only 12.5% of ex-political officials’ severance pay, coupled with other foul promises, would not change the Leopard color in Senator Ibikunle Amosun political rancorous gamut in this new song, ‘AMG’.

Femi Ajayi is a Professor of Policy, Management & Conflict Resolution, at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State