A former chief of staff to late former governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Dr Gbade Ojo, has berated the Oyo State government under the watch of Governor Seyi Makinde for not giving due recognition in death to the late two term Governor who he said served the State meritoriously for eight years.
OYOINSIGHT.COM had reported the bad blood generated by the handling of the burial of the former governor.
Ojo, an associate professor of comparative politics at the University of Ilorin stated said this today while fielding questions on the times and life of late Ajimobi on a political programme- BOTTOMLINE on IBR 92.5fm,an Ibadan-based radio Station.
On the outburst of Mrs Florence Ajimobi, widow of the late former governor when the deputy governor, Engr. Raufu Olaniyan led other governors and dignitaries on a condolence visit to the Oluyole residence of the Ajimobis, Ojo said “I want to tell members of the public that she has the right to respond the way felt. She is the chief mourner, her husband died. Every other person, no matter how painful his death may be to them, could’nt be as painful as it would be to the former first lady.”
“On a more serious note, a woman lost her husband, what are you telling me? When you are talking of a sitting governor, that is an official chief mourner. We are talking of a personal loss. So, if she responded somehow, it should be expected because this person lost her husband, you don’t expect her to be smiling. Her expectation will be different from every other person”
“Her husband was the governor of this state for eight years, if the new government has any grouse, either with the former governor or with the family, if I were in their shoes, they were suppose to pretend and do the right thing. Whatever anybody may say, whatever the widow might have said, is that the reason why they could not place newspaper advert (obituary) for a former governor? You see, the truth is that when you are in government, you are expected to be more magnanimous, if you are not really magnanimous, it could boomerang politically. Not everybody will know the private conversation between the governor and the deceased so, if they are unhappy with anything, their relationahip with the former governor does not prevent them from discharging their own official responsibility,” Ojo added.
He went further: “For instance, a commissioner died in Ondo and was buried yeaterday. Imagine the number of days the flag will be in half mast but in Oyo State, one day for an immediate former governor who was there for eight years. You see, so many things. On a more serious note, you leave the dead to go and rest if I were in the new governor’s shoes, you allow the dead to go and rest. Assume that whatever any member of the family do to you, it must have been as a result of the pain and you do your own. There are protocols when a governors die. Afterall, when Chief Kolapo Ishola died, he wasnt a sitting governor, he was a former governor and Ajimobi was the governor and the right thing was done.”
When he was reminded of a publication which reported how Ajimobi’s government boycotted late Kolapo Ishola’s burial, he attributed it to one of the fake news being circulated on the social media. “Go and read Vanguard newspaper, more than 30 million naira was released to the family,” he reacted.
