Awka
Even if every Nigerian, ,Tom Dick and Harry must talk; though in their own limited knowledge and understanding, Governor Seyi Makinde is certainly one of the wrong persons to use the name of the Honorable Minister for Works, Senator David Umahi to shine.
A clip of a video showing Makinde in his element, wrapped in failure and waste of confidence reposed on a leader, the Oyo State governor was using the name of David Umahi to seek relevance which has long left him because of his abysmal performance as a two term governor of one of the country's ancient states, Oyo.
Without giving Makinde the opportunity to gloat over his unfortunate and limited knowledge of road infrastructure, of course, he has not done well in this sector, let me tell him that Umahi is a big name when it comes to performance. In terms of performance, Umahi as a far senior colleague to Makinde rekindled the hope of his people, Ebonyi State as governor for eight years.
Oyo State and her residents especially the ancient city of Ibadan is still grappling with unfortunate bad road infrastructure under Governor Makinde. If a state capital like Ibadan could be in the condition it is today, your guess is good as mine on what the rural areas in the state will be.
Governor Makinde who corroborated Umahi's redirection to Rufai Oseni on the right question to ask concerning the Coastal Highway thought he was mocking Umahi but rather, he was mocking himself. According to him, the question should have been the "average cost per kilometre and not cost per kilometre".
Senator Umahi had earlier on his own, without being invited; visited Arise TV himself and reeled out every information concerning the Coastal Highway, starting form the bidding process, the contract award and sum of the contract. He gave out this figures and the facts are clear. The politics of shoving it down the throat of the Honourable Minister to say the cost of a kilometre of the road which was advertised and bidded for was susceptible to suspicion .
From the beginning of the conceptualization of the project to the contract award, Nigerians were kept on notice and the Honourbale Minister for Works personally held various town hall meetings with stakeholders across the geopolitical zones the road traverses and in the meeting, everything concerning the project was laid bare. The fears of the citizens were allayed and the contract was made open and cost attached.
With the addition of another 100km at the Edo State axis, automatically, the cost of the project has to change, thereby trickling down to the basics of the controversy of cost per kilometre or average cost per kilometre. Which was one of the things the Honourbale Minister was schooling Rufai who obviously doesn't have elementary knowledge of engineering.
It's quite unfortunate that Governor Makinde who ought to know better has joined the chorus of people who take delight in running down their own because of envy. Makinde's unfortunate naked dance becomes very notorious, owing to his state of confusion he has run himself into.
A man who has no clear vision of what he wants is bound to be in the state of circumlocution. In his state of confusion, Makinde who has not performed as governor of Oyo State is pushing a dangerous narratives of leading a war cry against his own brother, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be seen as a good person.
Maybe we need to remind Makinde that a man who sells his own brother won't be trusted by the buyer. The issue of coastal highway is one that every reasonable Nigerian must welcome with both arms. The unfortunate campaigns being launched by opposition elements are mere offshoots of the benefits of the project.
Going on the national television to cry over the cost per kilometre of the road shouldn't be the best, rather, getting involved in day to day supervision of the project as shared and collective social responsibility of every citizen of the country is the best approach.
Maybe we remind Governor Makinde again and his clout-chasing disposition to the fact that majority of Nigerians are happy with the process and progress of work on the project and the competence and capability of the Honourable Minister in delivering the project on time and in specification have never been questioned anywhere, including Rufai and his paymasters like Governor Makinde.
Good enough, some of the naysayers who
stood against the choice of the project in the beginning have recanted and are now darkening counsel without knowledge. It is becoming a free for all, to everyone who could afford data to enter social media to join and shout 'what is the the cost per kilometre? Including those who don't understand anything.
In conclusion, the people of Oyo State deserve better from the man they elected as their governor and not a content creator who sits on the exalted position of a governor with no clear vision of what he really wants. A man who is contesting for both President, Vice President and even Senate at the same time, bringing so much confusion upon himself.
Let Makinde provide the leadership and provide democracy dividends to his people and leave his naked dance at the market square because Umahi is a big masquerade when it comes to development as evidenced in his footprint on the sands of Ebonyi State. Rather than join the data boys, Governor Makinde should join the rest of Nigerian leaders to commend Mr. President for choosing Umahi, a man without competence questions in terms of performance anywhere, any day and any time.
Sir Emmanuel Uzor is a public affairs analyst and wrote from Awka, Anambra State
Post a Comment