One of the frontline governorship aspirants in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde is under attack from the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
APC has described him as being paranoid over his ambition and blinded by it, adding that his recent spurious claims in the media are indications of the state of his disturbed mind and level of desperation.
The Party in a Statement by its Director, Media, Research and Strategy, Dr AbdulAzeez Olatunde said that it is only a myopic mind that will describe the 2018 budget of stabilization passed by the State House of Assembly as the Budget of the rich. However, he failed to itemize the areas that specifically targeted the rich. The 2018 Budget, as per best practice is broken into 4 broad segments of Administration, Social, Economic and Transfers, with Programs and Projects that benefit the entire Oyo State citizenry. A State’s Budget cannot specifically target the Rich.
The Oyo APC spokesman reiterated that the prudent way the Abiola Ajimobi administration has been managing and funding previous budgets is manifested in the way the government has reduced its salary arrears from seven months to one month despite the daunting challenges facing the entire country, executing various developmental projects and various welfare packages.
Dr Olatunde said that more than half of the so called debt stock of the state government is attributed to arrears of workers emolument, that is, arrears of gratuities which require no interest payment which predate the current administration.
He said that all the other components of debt are attributable to payment of salaries e.g Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP, salary bail-out of 2015 among others which were accessed by almost all the states, adding, “It is in the public domain that interventions and bail-outs are given to all the states to ameliorate hardship in the country.
“The terms the Federal Government (FG) used to give the States loans are liberal terms with the overriding motive to bring succor to the workers/people and all the States of the federation got it. It is a known fact that throughout the world, organisations, both public and private use debt and borrowings as a cheaper way of funding their operations, hence, the debt leveraging by states.
“For some time now, Mr. Makinde has been ranting in the media to gain publicity and sustain the failed reputation of his party in the mindset of the people. We will like to remind him that his antics of the pull him down syndrome will not sway people’s interest towards him.
“About three weeks ago, we offered Mr Makinde tuition in elementary mathematics but with his recent outburst, we are convinced Mr. Makinde needs additional course in elementary Public Sector Finance, to be offered free of charge by the APC.” Dr Olatunde said.
He said that the humanitarian and welfarist record of Governor Abiola Ajimobi is second to none and no administration in the state has surpassed our achievements in empowerment and helping the needy, stressing “we will not rest on our oars and no amount of distraction from desperate political failures and failed party founders can make us change our plans and resolutions to make the people of the state benefit immensely from our social welfare packages.”
Dr Olatunde stated that this administration has empowered and provided succor to about a million and one hundred thousand people in Oyo State through its welfarist programmes including the Ajumose Food bank, poverty alleviation and other empowerment programmes in the last 7years especially through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation.
He pointed out that 612,000 people have benefited from the 351 wards in the State from the Ajumose food bank as well as 6600 orphanages, 3000 widows and 6000 aged, noting that another set of 100,396 grassroots women have also been empowered with deep freezers, generators and N20,000 investment seed money to make them self-sufficient.
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
