The bulk of Governor Makinde’s staunch supporters are the youth but the bigger chunks of his government’s pie belong to the oldie goldies. Needless to say, the 56-year-old Governor still prefers the old hands to the fresh and energetic chaps. The evidence of this argument is crystal clear. Repeatedly and consistently, Governor Makinde has shown this penchant for gerontocracy: a form of government where older individuals hold significant positions of power and influence – think of the Governor Advisory Council and its twin Elder Advisory Council.
For someone who has benefitted massively from the youth support to turn against them speaks volumes: if young people are not trusted with power and responsibilities, how do you want to build the next generation of leaders? Or perhaps, Mr. Makinde, unlike some of his colleagues is not interested in building the next generation of leaders: which may explain why he is indifferent to their empowerment.
Take Wasilat Adegoke. In the early days of her stewardship as the Commissioner for Youths and Sports development, she was reportedly spotted by onlookers on a bike in the metropolis of Ibadan – she wasn’t on the bike for fun; rather, that was all she could afford as a means of transport – a whole commissioner! Embarrassed and gutted, those onlookers had to reach out to important handlers of the government to fix the rots in their backyards. Take this away and imagine the number of issues that must have begged for the government’s attention to act responsibly and responsively. Of course, anyone would have assumed that the incident of a commissioner-cruising-on-a-bike was a one-off; unfortunately, an insider reveals that it has become the norm of this administration: the young people don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Except you have the ears of the Governor or those teleguiding him, your expectations of serving the people may quickly descend into the chaos that pervades much of the government. One after the other, Makinde’s government keeps breaking new ground in sidelining young people in power, politics, and influence. Food for thought: How has Makinde’s government empowered the Youth in the state? What has his government done differently in tackling youth restlessness? What legacy will Makinde leave behind in terms of youth empowerment? Take another look at the handling of local government administrations under his watch. Of course, you must have read that Makinde’s government has severally been accused of diverting local government funds. But what you may not hear is the way he has turned council bosses into puppets and toothless bulldogs. In the history of Oyo state, no governor has been so vindictive and callous to the plights of local people. Sure, Makinde’s government diversion of local government allocation may be one reason the N300 billion Ibadan Circular Road is nearing completion and certainly, the regular payment of workers’ salaries. Still, the downside of that audacious diversion of allocation meant for local people will leave the grassroots worse off in the long run.
Apart from the personal benefit that comes with being council bosses, most ‘Alaga Ibile’ will find it difficult to account for their stewardships in their respective councils. The reason for this is simply because Governor Makinde has starved them of needed funds to execute programs and etch their names in the sand of time. Most will leave their offices heartbroken and disappointed that the man who made them also marred them. No name. No reputation. No legacy. Back to the youth. In both elections that propelled the ascendancy of Makinde into the seat of power, the significant contribution of the young people in sharing and spreading the gospel of ‘Omituntun’ can never be overemphasized. But once in power, Makinde’s ideas and ideals have been somewhat favorable to the old order. He came with a promise to destroy the old order but has since strengthened it. As the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum for instance, one would have expected him to borrow a leaf from his counterpart, the NGF chairman and Kwara state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq in advancing the collective interest of both the youth and the women folks in politics.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq is 64 years old but age has nothing to do with trusting the young people to take over leadership mantle. In appointment into sensitive positions, Governor Makinde has always been very clear about who his preferences are – the old order over the youth with energy, creativity, innovation, and enthusiasm. Perhaps, the appointment of the old cartels might be more of a reward for party loyalty or an attempt to consolidate their gains. And candidly, it may be difficult to fault ‘grandpas’ in power if the youths are mere tools for political hooliganism and destruction. Maybe the youth need to earn it rather than have it on a silver platter. Maybe they need to rid themselves of the entitlement mentality and focus on doing solid work that will make a splash.
In a world of ideas and innovation, empowering the youth is simply inevitable. And no Governor in Nigeria is close to breaking the record of Governor Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman of Kwara in terms of youth and women inclusivity in governance. Last week, I weighed in on Governor Makinde’s lamentation of Oyo IGR. I noted that it is utterly unfair and counterintuitive to compare Lagos with any other state in the country. But sometimes, the comparison may be a wake-up call. Additionally, I posited that a serious-minded Governor will not lament exactly what he is voted to do in power. Rather, he will roll up his sleeves and get to work. Instead of lamenting at the breathtaking pace of Lagos IGR, I contended that Oyo state has a huge potential and comparative advantage in agriculture over Lagos – but nothing worthwhile has been done by Makinde’s government in that regard.
As I am typing this, Governor Makinde is reportedly handing 28 buses to all the tertiary institutions owned by the state. Not surprisingly the Governor’s gesture has been lauded and commended by people who should know better. First off, handling buses to student bodies is not the same as empowering them. And apart from logistics purposes, what other significant impact will those buses have? Don’t let us forget that providing buses to student bodies is a routine exercise of the government to student bodies. Late Abiola Ajimobi did the same. Likewise, Late Adebayo Alao-Akala. In fact, former Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide once made similar gestures to students’ bodies in the state. What matters isn’t the buses given to student bodies but the opportunities provided for their career advancement and growth. And in this regard, Governor Makinde’s scorecard is woefully disappointing.
How old was former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola when he served as Chief of Staff to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu? What about Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Mr. Wale Edun, Governor Jide Sanwoolu, Dele Alake, Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, and a host of other eminent personalities? Today, most of them are serving Asiwaju as President. Is the popularity of Governor Seyi Makinde hurting the collective interests and empowerment of Oyo state youths? Maybe the Oyo state youth parliament and beneficiaries of YEAP can hazard some intelligible guesses.
OYO101 is Muftau Gbadegesin’s opinion about issues affecting Oyo state and is published every Saturday. He can be reached via @muftaugbade on X, muftaugbadegesin@gmail.com and 09065176850.
