Your presidential ambition laughable- APC chieftain Alao tells Makinde

A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and former gubernatorial aspirant, Engineer Oyedele Hakeem Alao has described Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential ambition as “laughable”, while Oyo State grapples with significant leadership challenges and retrogression under his administration.

Alao, criticized the governor for his poor management of the state’s resources, which he claimed has placed the state on a path of retrogression rather than progression.

He made these declarations via a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Ibadan.

The statement read, “It is true that you are constitutionally qualified to contest the presidential election. However, when your performance as the Governor of Oyo State is used as a yardstick for the presidency, you will struggle to secure your party’s ticket, let alone become Nigeria’s president. As a governor in your second term, your superficial and exaggerated achievements resonate only with your supporters who benefit from your administration, not with the suffering masses in the state.

“In key sectors such as education, agriculture, health, security, infrastructure and others, your poor performance is so glaring that it has significantly set the state back.

“Let’s examine a few instances of your leadership incompetence and its effects on our dear state. Oyo State currently ranks 26th in WAEC exam performance among the 36 states in Nigeria. Many schools in the state are dilapidated, resulting in low enrollment and safety concerns for students. Currently, there are 272,847 out-of-school children in Oyo State.

“The same leadership incompetence is evident in other key sectors. Despite the current food shortages in the state, you have not prioritized agriculture; instead, you are favouring real estate for pecuniary motives. You have overlooked the farm settlement initiative that could have significantly boosted food production in Oyo State and the entire Southwest.

“Let me tell you that your neglect of the nine farm settlements across the state is a major contributor to the food shortages we are experiencing today. Imagine the possibilities if all our farm settlements were in good condition, allowing people to invest heavily in agricultural practices supported by adequate facilities. Even the N7.6 billion loan you took from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2021 to finance the development of farm settlements in the state is not noteworthy. It was only a few months ago that we started hearing about Fashola Farm, which has also been repurposed for other uses.

“We must remind our Governor that it is under his government that Oyo State is now occupying 3rd position in the list of 10 most indebted states in Nigeria.Oyo recently moved from its fourth position in March 2024 to the third position on the list of ten most indebted states in April 2024.

“What is majorly responsible for our economic woes in Oyo sState is among other things ‘misplaced priorities’ occasioned by incompetence and wasteful leadership.

“For the records: Oyo’s all-item inflation rate increased from 37.30 per cent in March 2024 to 38.37 per cent in April 2024, indicating a growing economic strain. The food inflation rate also rose, from 41.83 per cent in March to 43.53 per cent in April. This is what is responsible for rising food costs on the overall inflation scenario in our dear State.

“We must inform our Governor that while he pursues national aspirations for a future soft landing, the people of Oyo State are currently experiencing retrogression in essential services and governance. His incompetence has set us back as a Pacesetter State.”