During the time that the late governor, Abiola Ajimobi, was having a live media chat on television, BCOS precisely, the mere mentioning Mukaila Auxiliary by Folake Otuyelu, former On-Air-Personality of Splash fm, got the governor furious.
Of course everyone knew Gov Ajimobi quite well. He, in a stern and unsmiling manner, told Folake, not minding the chat was broadcasting live, to stop glorifying an inconsequential gangster. He made Folake to understand that mentioning a thug’s name in such gathering was an impetus or a driving force that encouraged thuggery in the state.
Ajimobi said there was no need to encourage hooliganism by prompting a governor of a state to discuss a criminal/prisoner on a widely watched television station like BCOS. Ajimobi affirmed that he wouldn’t answer Folake’s question on Auxiliary, who was already in prison, so as not to dignify and add lustre to hoodlumism and breach of peace in the state.
This was exactly one of the principles and styles the late governor, Ajimobi, employed to disarm hooligans and give Oyo state a calm and tranquil environment from beginning to end of his years in office. Ajimobi gave hooliganism no space to breathe in Oyo state during his tenures. He consistently maintained this throughout his eight years in office. He did what his predecessors were afraid to do… Ajimobi’s predecessors were afraid to disarm the NURTW heads, whose activities rendered the state anarchic and unmanageable. During their, Ajimobi predecessors’, tenures, there were uncontrollable and intractable chaos and unrest in Oyo state, especially in Ibadan.
Sen Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, during his tenure, found it difficult to tame Alh Lateef Akinsola aka Tokyo, one of the vicious NURTW chairmen the state ever had. The rivalry between Tokyo and late Alh Wasiu Abubakre popularly known as ‘Tawa’ during Ladoja’s administration subjected the state to a reign of terror. Sen Ladoja could proffer no solution to the turmoil up to the time that his deputy, Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala, succeeded him.
Akala, who inherited the NURTW unrest also found it difficult to curb the hooliganism of the union during the whole of his administration . ‘Tokyo’, who believed he was the heir apparent to NURTW seat, frowned at the appointment of Lateef Salako aka Eleweomo, Tokyo’s deputy chairman, whom Mukaila Lamidi Auxiliary later deputized when he, Eleweomo, was eventually installed by Alao Akala after the demise of Tokyo’s godfather, Alh. Lamidi Adedibu. These NURTW heads created disturbances in the state, and made sure the state was ungovernable for whoever was the governor.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the NURTW violent activities had been around for a very long time. During the time of the NPN/UPN political era in the late 70s and early 80s when Late Sheu Shagari was the civilian president of Nigeria, the barbaric and berserk acts of the union were also difficult to curb. Adebayo Success, the National chairman of the union, wielded power as if he was the president. The union members served as tools that politicians used to achieve their desires. So no one dared challenge their nefarious acts.
In Oyo state then, no one believed these people could be tamed until Ajimobi, in his wisdom, curbed and put an end to the lawless and unbearable deeds of the NURTW in the state. According to a reliable source, Ajimobi knew there was no way the likes of Tokyo would be on the throne without continuing with their unruly activities. This exactly was the reason the governor, Ajimobi, ordered Tokyo to steer clear of the union. Ajimobi brought Taofeek Oyerinde also known as Fele, who was far below in the union ranking. And for good eight years Ajimobi governed the state, Oyo state, for the first time, witnessed unusual peace and tranquility. No soul was lost in any of the motor parks like it was before he became a governor. The rivalry between the members that normally ended in chaos never reared its head.
People thought that the unprecedented peace would continue in the state. But not long after Ajimobi handed over the baton of power to his successor, Gov Makinde, the violence erupted again. Though the current governor initially proscribed and prohibited the union the moment he was sworn in, the state started to witness the long- forgotten hooliganism that had already been trampled by Ajimobi’s administration immediately Gov Makinde brought back Mukaila Lamidi (Auxiliary) to head the newly created Park Management System (PMS).
People wondered why Gov Makinde would take such step. They couldn’t believe that someone who had already been convicted by the court would be appointed to manage that kind of high-profile position. Majority of the members of the union and almost all Oyo state residents cried they didn’t want Mukaila Auxiliary but Gov Makinde turned a deaf ear to their demands. Many could not decode the reason the governor would bring Auxiliary to disorganize the state that was already experiencing peaceful environment. The proposed appointment of Auxiliary was discussed and condemned in the media, but the governor eventually installed Auxiliary and the state, since his appointment, was not at peace.
And like we predicted, Auxiliary and his gang started disrupting peace and causing unrest across Ibadan environs. While the vandalization was being perpetrated, people cried out to the governor but he again turned a deaf ear and blind eyes to Auxiliary’s nefarious acts. Instead of calling him to order, Mr governor went from one radio station to another to defend Auxiliary. He even defended him in a public debate.
At the UI International Conference Hall, the venue of the 2023 Oyo gubernatorial debate, one of the candidates in the last election, Sen Teslim Kolawole Folarin, asked Gov Makinde the reason Auxiliary was appointed to head the PMS. But instead of a direct answer to Sen Folarin’s question, the governor replied by asking why Eleweomo was killed by the senator. Everyone presented at the venue, except Gov Makinde’s supporters, was shocked by the governor’s response. This was what I witnessed live. I expected the governor to feel remorse for making such not-well-thought-out appointment, but he boldly attacked his co-contestant and defended ‘Auxiliary” as usual. Not only this. One of the popular radio presenters asked the governor why Auxiliary was appointed, but the governor asked him to name a person who was better than Auxiliary.
On few occasions, I had an opportunity to witness the first class treatment being bestowed on Auxiliary. He was always guarded by hefty security men who were normally armed to the teeth. Auxiliary gave orders as if he was the governor. The governor, of course, confirmed this in one of his utterances during the display of Auxiliary’s arrogance against him, the governor. The governor said: “There can no more be two governors in the state”.
During the time that Auxiliary was declared wanted and up till now that he was arrested, it’s a surprised that Gov Makinde did not and is yet to apologize to Oyo state residents for appointing Auxiliary to head the PMS. The people, whom Auxiliary, through his unruly behavior, had caused havoc to their lives, businesses and property want to know why it takes the governor eternity to acknowledge his error of associating with Auxiliary. They want to know when exactly is the time the governor will come out publicly to tender an apology to Oyo residents who, psychologically and physically, went through torments in the hands of Auxiliary and his accomplices..
Ademola ‘Bablow’ Babalola
