Tunde Sanni And Jaiyeola Andrews
23 November 2008
opinion
Lagos — The wedding has been controversial even before it was conducted in the Ogbomoso country home of the new couple. Subulade Olamide Alao, the daughter of Oyo governor and her heartthrob, Jacob Olayode Alabi had got married at the First Baptist Church, Okelerin, Ogbomoso where the crème de la crème in the political landscape of the South West, most especially had been present though there were representations from both Rivers and Delta states where the deputy governor of the latter and the Chief of Staff of the former graced the wedding.
But there is hardly any doubt that it would remain a spectacle in the memory of Ogbomoso residents for many years to come. It was an event of the decade. The government waved aside public resentment and went ahead to organise a 'state of the art' wedding where four key musicians and four other governors joined the joyous bride's father, Akala, to celebrate the event.
Pomp
As for the musical renditions, they were provided by an array of the best artistes available in the land. Gospel pop musician, Yinka Ayefele was on the band stand; King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall on stage severally while both ageless King Sunny Ade and hip hop rave musician, 9ice were on duty on the final day.
Right from the time of the engagement penultimate Thursday, many indices suggested state sponsorship of the ceremony as the paraphernalia of the state were deployed to the occasion with the Governor's security taking over the security aside from the compliments of the security agencies in the state led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police {ACP}. Other security outfits involved in the maintenance of security for the wedding were the Civil Defence, Man O' War, Fire Brigade and others.
Ahead of the wedding, security agencies in the state were drafted to the venues of the wedding to assess the security network on ground. Twice during the week preceding the wedding, the security agencies made a show of their powers by patrolling the ancient town amidst blaring of assorted tones of siren. Beginning from Wednesday last week, the officers drafted their subordinates to the town to keep vigil and ensure that the ceremony was devoid of any security stress. The security agents only left the town on Sunday.
Profligacy
Some days to the wedding, a socio-political group in the state, the Oyo Quintessential Professionals, had raised an alarm over huge financial resources allegedly being committed to the wedding by the state government and demanded for official explanation on such an amount at a time the government was still fidgeting with governance and administration.
The group alleged that an amount above N100million has been committed to the marriage with local councils, cabinet members and contractors of the government being mobilised to contribute to the occasion.
A painful aspect, according to the group, was the system collapse in the state especially power supply. Electricity supply has been at a dismal level with residents staying weeks without power supply. The awaited Independent Power Project {IPP) is expected to take off in 12 months, according to officials.
Oyo Politics
The Oyo State government's responses to the allegations followed expected trend as Dotun Oyelade, Special Adviser to Governor Akala on Public Communications and Hosea Agboola, Commissioner for Local Government debunked the claims stating in separate media chats that no local council was forced to contribute to the marriage coffers while they insisted that the expenses for the wedding were from private purse and not from government till as claimed.
Another intriguing drama associated with the wedding ceremony was the renewed altercations between the ANPP governorship candidate in the last election, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the Oyo State government it refreshed. The ANPP candidate in his reaction to media reports on the huge amount allegedly spent on the marriage rites expressed shock at the regime of profligacy in the state and observed that such money could be diverted such money to service collapsing utilities in the state.
The state government through the Special Adviser on Public Communications, Dotun Oyelade had picked quarrel with Ajimobi position, converting the marital event into another political verbal slugfest. Oyelade had stated, "it is unsavoury for Ajimobi to direct personal attack on the governor when he could not sustain the loyalty of the masses and men of means. Senator Ajimobi is on his own so also is the ANPP that has not held any ward meeting anywhere this year, a clear signal of its extinction, Oyelade said.
The government spokesman accused the ANPP candidate of picking quarrel with all his benefactors including Alhaji Lam Adesina who nominated him as a senatorial candidate in 2003 and former governor Rasidi Ladoja.
Angered by Oyelade's caustic retort against Ajimobi over the latter's criticism of the wedding expenditure, the ANPP scribe in Oyo State, Sola Osotoye, joined issues with the governor's aide as he described him as a political opportunist and a flirt. "Dotun Oyelade was Governor Lam Adesina private secretary while in power and immediately after Lam's exit, Oyelade in his characteristic, parasitic mode of living, led a motley crowd in the name of AD stakeholders' forum to Senator Ajimobi's house to secure his support in waging war against Lam Adesina which Ajimobi bluntly refused. At the end of the day, Oyelade dumped Adesina for a mess of porridge in PDP," Osotoye claimed.
The ANPP scribe insisted that the people of the state deserved the right to know how much of the tax payers' money was expended on the Akala's daughter's wedding and advised the governor's aide to answer the posers rather than trivializing the issue.
Not a man to be boxed into a corner, Oyelade responded maintaining that the opposition party had lost completely the essence of the battle and therefore resorted to loose propaganda. He stated that a popular government receives goodwill from all quarters and that it does not need to fleece the state to celebrate parental success, clarifying that the SSG and commissioners remained on their seats until the last moment while the weekly executive council meeting duly held, "so it is another naivety on the part of the ANPP to say government grounded to a halt just as it is wicked and unfeeling to rope the graduation of the daughter of the governor into a farcical debate".
Daniel-Iyabo Brush and the Undercurrents
Governor Gbenga Daniel's administration has been tagged by critics as the most controversial of all the governments in the state since its creation. Thanks to the bitter rows the Governor has had with personalities like former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye, former Minister of Mines and Solid Mineral development, Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola, Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon.Dimeji Bankole, Senator Lekan Mustapha, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, and host of others. Most of the face-offs have to do with sectional politics and clash of ambitions in Ogun State.
The bitter political rows with the perceived foes of the Governor, has often times heated the polity of the state and has polarised the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
Before becoming a Senator, Obasanjo-Bello had served as Health Commissioner in Daniel's cabinet. Even while serving as Commissioner, the relationship between the Governor and his Commissioner, was said to be far from cordial. The sour relationship between the duo then, THISDAY checks indicated, was not expressed publicly largely because, Chief Obasanjo was in office as the president of the nation, and Daniel was said to have handled his relationship with the president's daughter with utmost caution.
The crisis of confidence between Daniel and Obasanjo-Bello, according to findings, though fragile, was managed by the Governor until the former president's daughter left his cabinet to vie for Ogun Central Senatorial seat which she eventually clinched at the polls.
The bitter rows between the duo, became obvious during Obasanjo-Bello's ordeals in the hands of operatives of Economics and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], over financial scam linked to the Senate committee on Health which she chairs.
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