A former caretaker chairman under the current administration, Mr Yemi Akinlabi, has berated Governor Abiola Ajimobi for neglecting the three Ibarapa local government areas in the scheme of things.
According to the Igboora-born politician, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the breakaway faction of the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Unity Forum, in Ibarapa North and Central federal constituency, yesterday, the zone has suffered more in the hands of the Ajimobi administration.
He revealed how the the governor is usually quick to say that the entire Ibarapaland is less than a local government in Ibadan land, saying that the Ajimobi administration has lived up to this by denying Ibarapa all benefits of his government.
Read the full address as exclusively obtained by OYO INSIGHT.
A MOVE AWAY FROM SHACKLES OF HATRED, ARROGANCE AND POLITICAL FAILURE
BEING THE TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE IBARAPA CENTRAL/NORTH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY MEETING OF rAPC/ UNITY FORUM HELD ON FRIDAY JULY 6TH, 2018 AT METHODIST PRIMARY SCHOOL, OKE AGOGO, IGBOORA. BY HON AKINYEMI AKINLABI, FORMER CHAIRMAN CARETAKER COMMITTEE OF IBARAPA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT
If one looks at the APC within the context of her gestation period and the time it took political parties to evolve in Africa, one will not be able to say out-rightly that it’s a bad party. However, the way and manner the party administers her government and intra party democracy in Oyo state and Ibarapa zone gives a lot to be desired. It shows a party that is not ready to learn from the past or lay the required foundation for the future.
It is very pathetic and unfortunate that the APC administration under Governor Abiola Ajimobi in the state has been too insensitive to the plight of the populace as well as development of the party. All activities of the government as well as that of the party are directed towards the personal and greedy interest of the egocentric leaders.
Winning election is not the only measure of success of an administration. The main measure of a government’s success is in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the populace. This paper will analyse the efficiency of all democratic governments we have experienced since 1979.
Apart from the general suffering and maltreatment of the entire state under Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Ibarapa zone suffered more than any of the seven geo political zones in Oyo state. As if it is a crime to have a small population and land (5.8%) the governor is usually quick to tell Ibarapa that we are less than a local government in Ibadan land and his government has lived up to this by denying Ibarapa all benefits of his government (including our 5.8%) entitlements.
It is on record that throughout the seven years administration of this government, there is no physical infrastructure constructed by his government in the whole of Ibarapa land. Apart from this, none of the contractors from Ibarapa land was awarded any contract for seven years. It has been so bad that even our council chairmen were compelled by the governor to award contracts from our local governments to non indigenes of Ibarapa.
Appointments to political offices are so bad that we have never had up to 2% of appointments made by governor Ajimobi. Out of the present 14 commissioners, we have NONE because I doubt if anybody will consider the Ministry of Liaison matters to be anything. Ibarapa does not have one out of the 14 head of extra ministerial agencies under Ajimobi and none out of about 20 Special Advisers.
Every reasonable Ibarapa man must dissociate himself from anything Ajimobi stands for. I must state clearly that this is not the position of all Ibaranmen or APC about Ibarapa but the outburst of a man who hates us with passion and whom we must vote against as well as vote against anything and any candidate he stands by. 
Since 1979, this is the worst government in terms of treatment of Ibarapas.
The defunct Unity Party of Nigeria under Late (Chief) Bola Ige had the opportunity to govern the old Oyo State from October 1st, 1979 to September 30th, 1983. The Cicero of Esa Oke will be remembered for the followings:
▪ Establishment of Government Technical College, Igboora (Now Defunct)
▪ Establishment of The Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa (Now Ibarapa Poly)
▪ Renovation of Eruwa water works and supply of pipe borne water to Eruwa, Lanlate, Igboora and Idere.
▪ Appointment of First Ibarapa Indigene to be Speaker, (Oyo State House of Assembly)
▪ Fair representation in the state executive
▪ Free Chairs, Desks, Textbooks and Notebooks to all primary and Secondary School Students.
▪ Establishment of Lajorun Grammar School, Igboora
▪ Establishment of Ogboja Grammar School, Igboora
▪ Establishment of Lasogba Grammar School, Igboora
▪ Establishment of Igboora Grammar School, Igboora
▪ Apode High School, Eruwa
▪ Akolu High School, Eruwa
▪ Establishment of Aiyelogun Grammar School, Idere
▪ Okedere Grammar School, Idere
▪ Aiyete Grammar School, Aiyete
▪ Tapa Community Grammar School, Tapa
▪ Baptist High School, Tapa
▪ Establishment of Bioku Grammar School, Lanlate
▪ Maku Community High School, Igangan.
The administration of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) headed by Dr Victor Omololu Olunloyo ran from October 1st, 1983 to December 31st same year. A government of three months is too short and it was unable to execute any project for Ibarapa land. This is excusable.
The defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) administration of Late Kolapo Ishola spent less than two years in office (January 1992 and November 1993). For this period, he left a legacy which includes the followings in Ibarapa land:
▪ Establishment of Oyo state School of Science Idere
▪ Repair of Eruwa water works and distribution and supply of pipe born water in Ibarapa land.
▪ Fair representation in the state executive
Our highly referred Late Lam Adesina ruled the state as the Governor under Alliance Democracy from May 29, 1999 to May 28 2003. He left major hallmarks in Ibarapa land among which are:
▪ Establishment of Oyo State College of Education in Lanlate
▪ Free Education in all our schools
▪ Indigenization of the headship of the polytechnic, Eruwa
▪ Construction of new road to Ibarapa land from Ologuneru/ Ibadan
▪ Ibarapa had fair share of representation in the state executive.
▪ Conduct of referendum towards the creation of new local governments in Ibarapa land (this has just been implemented by Ajimobi)
During the turbulent PDP administration of Governor Rasheed Ladoja which started from from May 29, 2003 to October, 2007. Ibarapa land can talk of the followings:
▪ He conceptualized the Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora but he was unable to complete it.
▪ Ibarapa land had her fair share of representation in the state executive and with recognized and respected portfolios.
▪ The administration continued and invested heavily on Aiyete Water works.
▪ He appointed two substantive commissioners in addition to two Special Advisers from Ibarapa at the same time.
▪ He requested for and initiated the Police Secondary School now in Igboora.
▪ Renovation and resurfacing of Igboora to Igangan road.
Apart from the turbulent era of the PDP administration under governor Akala, he governed effectively from May 29th, 2007 to May 28th, 20011. Listed below are the achievements in Ibarapa:
▪ Establishment of Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora
▪ Completed of long abandoned Ofiki river dam at Idere
▪ Laying of new set of water pipes from Eruwa water works to Emi Adeyanju in Igboora
▪ Asphalt laying on several major roads in Igboora, Eruwa, Lanlate, Aiyete and Igangan.
Starting from May 29th, 2015 to date, the state has been under the administration of the ACN and currently APC administration of governor Ajimobi and Ibarapa land has been very unfortunate to be part of it.
There is no impact of his administration in the last 7 years. His administration did not invest a kobo in the State High Court in Igboora as well as the Police Secondary School, Igboora. There is no contribution of the state to the newly established magistrate court at Aiyete or the Ibarapa Area Command of the Police based in Eruwa. All these were executed by communal efforts and appropriated federal agencies.
While launching the campaign for his second term in 2014, governor Ajimobi promised to establish a State owned Model Secondary School at Obaseku High School, Eruwa. Over five acres of cashew plantation on the proposed site were demolished thereby denying our people their source of livelihood. Up till now, the foundation of the school has not been laid.
I can say it emphatically that the election of Late Micheal Adeyemo as the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly was not planned for Ibarapa by governor Ajimobi . It came as a divine gift because the governor’s intended candidate for the post from Oyo zone lost the general election and for political expediency he cannot pick his speaker from Ibadan or from Ogbomosho where Labour party won over whemilingly.
Late Adeyemo speakership cannot be compared with that of Late Rt. Hon Mokolade Gbolagunte who has the Eruwa Polytechnic to show for his headship of the third arm of government. Rt. Hon Adeyemo was not allowed to performed he was caged from delivering the dividend of democracy to his people. The most senior appointee in Ajimobi’s administration from Ibarapa during his first term is late (Dr) Nuru Olarinde. He served diligently, but the governor did not allow him to have anything to show for it. Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle served ex governor Lam Adesina as P.A and he can proudly talk of Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate as his achievement. The most senior officer from Ibarapa in Ajimobi’s second term is late Micheal Adeyemo. The rest is history.
We cannot continue to serve the greed and hatred of a single individual at our own peril. Ibarapa land MUST break the shackles of arrogance, oppression and intimidation as personified by Ajimobi, his government and all institutions he represent. In the light of this, I will loudly tell my people that Unity Forum is the answer and rAPC is the way. Ibarapa should rise and shine.
Thank you all. God bless
