Confusion continues to reign supreme in the Local Government Service of Oyo State as the desperation of the outgone President of NULGE, Oyo State Chapter, Comrade Sikiru Bayo Titilola-Sodo to install his stooge as the next Leader of the body took a dangerous dimension as some Members who are perceived to be supporting other contenders were posted out to the remotest parts of the State as a final “shut up” to all opposing voices.
Surprisingly, some elected branch chairmen in Ibadan land who are customarily exempted from transfers until the end of their tenure were not spared in what many described as pure vendetta.
Reports also revealed that Comrade Bayo Titilola Sodo, an Oke-Ogun indigene who has an active collaborator in Mr Akin Funmilayo, the Permanent Secretary of the State Local Government Service Commission, may be out on an ethnic and clannish Agenda, as majority of those posted ” angrily’ to remotest parts are Ibadan indigenes.
Sources close to the Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo camp who pleaded anonymity disclosed that by the time he concludes his moves, it might be too late for his unsuspecting collaborator, Mr Akin Funmilayo of Ibadan extraction to realize that it was a ploy by the Oke Ogun born Comrade Titilola-Sodo to use Ibadan against Ibadan after all.
A careful look into the political calculations of Comrade Titilola-Sodo in the unfolding drama in Oyo NULGE Election might corroborate the above assertion.
Firstly, he ensured that the four contenders for the position of President are all Ibadan indigenes and he succeeded in buying Mr Akin Funmilayo into supporting his candidate, Ayo Adeogun, another Ibadan indigene, the least favoured, as the only person worthy of their support.
Secondly, Comrade Titilola-Sodo leveraging on the familiarity between Mr Akin Funmilayo and Gov. Seyi Makinde has kept dropping the Governor’s name to harass the three other contenders to drop their political ambitions or face the untoward consequences.
This turned out not to be a mere threat as he manipulated his way to see to the transfer of Comrades H.O.D Oyewo, Abass Bogumbe and Romoke Opabunmi the three contenders; out of the Local Government System about a week ago to finally disenfranchise them from the forthcoming NULGE Election.
Thirdly, in an attempt to make it look like a routine administrative exercise, a posting instruction allegedly signed by Mr Akin Funmilayo the Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Service Commission was released last Thursday where some NULGE Officers in different Cadres were posted out of their present stations.
However, several complaints have greeted this posting instruction as members of staff were complaining aloud that it was targeted at supporters of the three contenders who are from Ibadan land to put their camps in total disarray and pave the way for Ayo Adeogun, Comrade Titilola-Sodo’s annointed candidate.
Comrade Titilola-Sodo who was recently promoted to the position of Permanent Secretary and as such ceased to be an active player in NULGE politics is said to be insisting on installing his choice -Comrade Ayo Adeogun as his successor in NULGE.
“However, Governor Seyi Makinde has earlier being reported to have declared his intention to work with whoever emerges in freely and fairly contested NULGE election during a meeting with some of the contestants posted to the Office of Head of Service early in the year; making concerned Local Government workers to wonder why His Excellency has refused to call the two public servants to order so as to give assurances to the discerning general public about his untainted democratic credentials”.
In the final analysis, insiders wonder why the desperation on the part of Comrade Titilola-Sodo and some are even insinuating that could it be a plan to cover some of his tracks in his almost seven years reign as NULGE President in Oyo State?
This is the question only time could provide answer to.
Arakunrin Otitolagba Omo-Lagelu,
Ibadan, Oyo State.
