6th of April, 2013.
Otunba Gbenga Daniel,
Asoludero Court,
GRA, Sagamu
Ogun State,
Nigeria.
Dear Sir,
Today my heart bleeds for you for so many reasons. I recall with joy and sadness the good old days; the era of your transformational efforts, when the wind of development blew through the 20 Local Government areas of the state. How you touched many lives; how you crossed the much-dreaded Ode-Omi river to take the good tidings of your govt to the almost forgotten folks behind the creek which they hearitly appreciated, saying, 'never in history has any government honoured them that way!'
I also recall how you appeared to have been the only person in the history of Nigeria's democracy to pay unemployment allowance to the unemployed youth through OGUGRADS Scheme. It equally saddens my mind to remember how your immediate past govt emerged best in the survey of 6 SouthWest States conducted by Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG) and the survey's criteria according to CCG included infrastructural development, improved social services, employment generation..
You started and completed 3 international stadiums; built 4 international markets and 10 housing estates. Your administration established OGROMA to restore roads just as OGRUMED restored health and well-being. You built the best NYSC orientation camp and established the first University of Education in Nigeria. You co-facilitated the establishment of the multi-billion Naira OKLNG project with other stakeholders, and on the basis of which you established Gateway Industrial and Petro-Gas Institute, Oni.
You implemented the multi-campus system of OOU by spreading it across the state. Your administration established 4 ICT polytechnics to bring education closer to the doorsteps of common people.
OGEGEP, OSAMCA, Gateway Saving&Loans Limited, Gateway Nigeria Stock Exchange and OPIC are all products of your administration.
This piece is not intended to eulogize or praise you, rather, it's a wake up call to you to be mindful of 3 facts:
- That it pays to do good,
- That people dislike the truth and
- Not to be too confident when people say they're for you, the real question you should ask is, 'until when? Because frankly speaking, just like seasons, people change!
There are many of us out here who genuinely believe your trial is politically motivated. The solidarity visit to you by the likes of Pa Reuben Fasorani, Lanihun Ajayi, Ayo Adebanjo, Dayo Duyile and other 15 Afenifere leaders is a pointer to this fact. If you had been in good terms with the likes of OBJ,your case wouldn't have reached this level.
You could be globe-trotting in a private jet at common man's expenses and still be relevant politically; engaged in massive oil bunkering and even attack a serving governor in public and still be the anointed son of the power-that-be. Chris Uba's case is still fresh in our memories.
However, you still need to thank God, for Atiku's case was worse than yours, when the power that be decided to fraustrate him because of his presidential ambition:
-EFCC and Presidential Panel summoned him severally for questioning over the PTDF fund after which he was denied party re-registration in his home state in October, 2005. He had earlier been suspended from PDP for 3 months before that time.
-Few months after, some of his aides were sacked for inexplicable reasons, leaving him with only two.
-In June, 2006, EFCC invaded the abuja branch of Bank PHB and confiscated Atiku's banking records, same time, his Turaki Campaign office was raided with files and computers taken away.
-Three months after, September 30, 2006, some policemen shot his security aide, Mr Victor Okonkwo, dead, at Uke, Nasarawa State on a highway patrol, and just before this time, his company, Integrated Logistics, had been sealed off!
I urge you to be strong in this seemingly difficult times, knowing fully well that tough times never last, but tough people do.
This dark cloud is passing away!
Saint-Olawale Jimoh
Observers' Reflections International
©2013
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