I wrote this as tribute to Alhaji Lateef Jakande 2 years ago...

 I wrote this as tribute to Alhaji Lateef Jakande 2 years ago...

By: Tunji Aderohunmu

Alhaji Jakande will probably give report to his fellow progressives as thus:

Chief Obafemi Awolowo- "Baba, the Cocoa House you bequeathed to us is still there standing gidigba. However, those who took over from us have refused to be creative, they only use your name and legacies to win elections, their common slogan "restructuring" evaporates as they gain political power. They still run to Abuja to share oil money while the once thriving agricultural sector is left unattended to.

As your last disciple, I made sure I didn't derail from the lesson you taught us about frugality, it may interest you to know that my same Ilupeju-Lagos home was where I took my last breathe despite having one of the best housing scheme in the history of the state. I purposely stayed in that same neighbourhood to teach modesty but unfortunately, a common councillor takes residence on the Island and detach himself from his people as soon as he assumes office. Most worrisome of all these is the security threat the Southwest is experiencing in recent time, farmlands of local farmers are invaded by Fulani herdsmen and any attempt by the farmers to confront the marauders usually lead to bloodletting and arson. A lot happened since you left and if care is not taken, the Southwest will become a shadow of its old self. Bandits now work freely in our region and the self acclaimed regional leaders who are supposed to call them to order are busy doing 'rankadede' because of their personal ambition".

Chief Olabisi Onabanjo- "I don't have much to say about Ogun but since you left, your state has been the most favoured in the Southwest in terms of representation in the Federal Government. Ogun produced the first military head of state that served twice as civilian president of Nigeria; it produced a Speaker of the House of Representatives and of course, your kinsman is the sitting vice president of the nation but all these do not translate to development in the state. In terms of industrialization, I believe Ogun towers other Southwest states but no physical development to show for that; Agbara industrial Estate has one of the most deplorable roads in the state, the revenue the state generates from Ota, Sagamu, Ijebu Ode does not reflect in the infrastructures in those areas. In the area of education, proliferation of higher institution is the only achievement of successive governments, we can talk about funding some other time".

Chief Ambrose Ali- "The mid-west state you superintended gave birth to Delta and Edo states and those two federating units have not been living up to your expectations. Delta state has never had it good in the area of leadership, it has been from fry pan to fire. In the history of the state, an ex-governor was convicted and jailed outside the shore of the country for financial misappropriation and from jail, he enthroned a governor and his release was greeted with fanfare. Delta was agog the day he returned from gaol. 

Edo on the other hand, has been a battle field of political gladiators, they fight tooth and nail to gain political power not for anything but to continue impoverishing their people. One of the said gladiators named himself "Mr. Fix it" but was unable to fix anything instead, his political acolytes, plundered the state into perpetual indebtedness. One of such acolytes as a sitting Governor, bought choice properties around the world and on one ocassion, registered his presence at Buckingham palace to celebrate his father's weeklong birthday in the UK. 

Lest I forget, a megalomaniac just lost his supremacy to a political rebel in the state".

Chief Bola Ige- "Since you witnessed little of the madness in the present democratic dispensation, I'd just tell you nothing has changed, your murderers are yet to be apprehended and neither do Ayo Daramola's, Dipo Dina's, Funsho Williams's. Infact, no politically motivated killing has been resolved since your gruesome assassination. Nothing has changed!

As for the affairs of the federating units that made up the old Oyo state, Oke ogun-Oyo is presently fighting the battle of its life to survive the Fulani herdsmen onslaught but one brave man named Sunday Igboho is leading the battle headlong even though he's being slandered by some of his people as working to bring down government of the day.

As per Osun, nothing has been done about the sudden death of that guy from Ede, his brother who wanted to step into his shoes was schemed out when victory was beckoning. As for the man that once served as Lagos Military Administrator, Yes! that Prince from Okuku, much has not been heard from him lately and the man in the saddle is too laid back. Did I tell you the state was once governed from Lagos? Yes! The penultimate governor was like the proverbial fierce dog that secures two houses at a time, he wouldn't take his eyes off the political happenings in Lagos and Osun, he practically lived in Lagos throughout his eight years tenure as governor of the state of the living spring".

Pa Adekunle Ajasin- "Ekiti and Ondo states are both fine although the former was governed by a fake populist who limited governance to cutting ponmo and launching musical instruments of friends. It's however, presently in the hand of a lettered person who understands governance better. 

As for Ondo, no one ever believed the state could serve as catalyst for the emancipation of the Yoruba nation from Fulani Invaders, not even with the way people of the state carried arms against one another in the aftermath of the Omoboriowo saga. But the Southwest security outfit otherwise known as Amotekun is a brainchild of the sitting governor and funny enough, he proposed this outfit when his second term was at stake. With him, I feel all hope is not lost on Southwest".