No amount of intimidation, blackmail, mischief will stop my ambition – Ogo-Oluwa chairmanship aspirant, Olaogo, says
Yinka ADETUNJI
Hon. Chief Afolabi Olayemi Adejare Silas, supervisory councilor for mobilization and inter-governmental affairs in Ogo-Oluwa government of Oyo state, has issued a strong warning to those resorting to threat, intimidation and blackmail to hound him out of the chairmanship race in the local government declaring their shenanigans and mischief will not work.
Chief Afolabi popularly called Olaogo, stated this in a telephone interview with ogbomosoinsightonline.com Tuesday fuming with rage but with assurance he will realize his ambition.
The former aspirant to the House of Assembly in the council area did not mince words alleging the incumbent chairman of the local government Hon Seun Ojo of being behind the intimidation against him and other aspirants insisting he would not be cowed into surrendering his aspiration.
Olaogo further alleged Hon Ojo was boasting around especially telling party leaders at the state level that he alone is in the race for the top seat and giving the impression that others had stepped down for him.
However he said he remains in the contest and will only withdraw if asked to, by the governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The Igbole-Oje ward nine-born politician, entrepreneur and civil servant disclosed the moment he made known his intention to vie for the office of chairman, his boss stopped his salary and other entitlements as a supervisory councilor on the ground he was taking double salary as a local government employee.
He also took time to unveil his plan for the council area and why Ojo is undesirable to continue in the capacity making strong allegations against him especially describing him as anti-Makinde and anti-PDP.
“I am a private entrepreneur and also a civil servant but I have taken my leave of absence. I was once an aspirant for House of Assembly in Ogo-Oluwa local government, now aspiring for chairmanship seat on the platform of PDP. I am presently serving as a supervisory counselor in Ogo-Oluwa local government though the chairman has refused to pay me since April, he has pegged my salary. He said I did not resign as a local government staffer in Ogbomoso South local government whereas I had resigned without him knowing, I had stopped my salary and he only resorted to this persecution after I came out to contest. He is even saying I am not from Ogo-Oluwa but I am from Igbole-Oje ward 9. Yet, this is somebody who orchestrated the attack on TESCOM tutor-general Ogbomoso when the man summoned one of his aides who is a teacher and would not go and teach his students but collecting salary as a TESCOM employee and as his PA. ”
Asked if he supported the ambition of the chairman in his first tenure, he revealed, “I was previously in his camp, in fact, I was one of those who supported him fully, wholesomely, to become the chairman. But now, I am not the only person he pushed out, there are many of us.”
Speaking on why he withdrew support for Ojo for a second term in office and why he is contesting against him, he asserted, “The chairman has not been doing well. He is an anti-government person. Hon Ojo is anti-PDP. He is anti-Makinde but he is claiming to be a Makinde person. But in the real sense of it before the last election all his activities showed he is anti-Governor Makinde. He is undermining the good name of Governor Makinde.
“He collected gratification from SOJ under the platform of Labour Party believing Governor Makinde will not be reelected for a second term but God made it possible which surprised him. And during the National Assembly elections he even instructed we should not vote for our reps candidate, Smato, so, he is anti-PDP. Could you believe he lost his polling unit and ward to the opposition party in the last election? It’s Hon Gabriel who is from his ward who helped to garner the little votes we got there.
“What did he contribute to the elections of PDP candidates in the last elections? On my part without being immodest I built a party house, which is the first ever party secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa local government though we have not inaugurated it because he is blocking all avenues for others to attain limelight. I bought two Sienna buses for campaigns during Governor Makinde’s reelection, which were used for other aspirants too. Also, I organized symposiums for all and sundry in our constituency especially in our local government just to make sure Governor Makinde was reelected.
“But unfortunately, he is seeing me as a threat, all what I am doing to develop the party he sees as a threat. He has ordered the beating of party faithful including Baba Wata from ward 9 and Baba Famakin from ward 2. This is aside stopping my own salary and entitlements such as Ileya gratification from the governor, he stopped it. He did not pay me; my entitlements from security vote he stopped it. Not just that he is targeting me as a major threat. This is someone that compelled councilors and other party leaders to swear with ominous items.”
How many of you are contesting for chairmanship? He was further asked. His response: “I don’t know, I only know of myself. Others are succumbing to his threat but I will never succumb to his threat. I think I am only seeing myself. I am even hearing he is saying he does not have opposition, he has opposition, he is only lying to everybody. He has monopoly of government. All the meetings he is supposed to be calling us to, he has not been calling us, except his loyalists, he rams decisions into them and says he had contacted everybody.”
Hon Silas maintained the party leaders are already pocketed by him, informing, “About four months ago when he sensed party leaders were grumbling he invited them and gave them some gratifications, he has silenced them except few of them who maintain their integrity. He is coercing them, buying them, doing all manners of things to compromise them but I have those among them supporting me and standing by me.”
Olaogo now reeled out what he will do differently if elected chairman? “Hon Ojo has destroyed a lot of things. One, he is spoiling the image of our governor, the governor has a good name but by the special grace of God we will do our best to reposition the governor’s standing in Ogo-Oluwa. Number two, whatever the governor would allow us to do within our capacity we will do. The economy of Ogo-Oluwa is agriculturally based, so, we are going to empower our fathers and our mothers to make sure agriculture is boosted.
“In education, our governor is trying a lot but if l am on ground we will add value to education. We will make sure our people benefit the government, if not everybody but we will ensure the majority have their lot in government. It is not about large things but we will ensure we do things that will boost businesses. In Ogo-Oluwa now PDP is almost finished, but we will make sure we resuscitate the party. Also, this man I am talking of, lacks respect for royal fathers, so, by the special grace of God when we get there we will make sure our royal fathers are part of the government and they will not feel ousted.
“On infrastructures, our roads are bad but we will bring the attention of the governor to these roads and I am very sure we will do better by the special grace of God and with the backing of the governor. Odo-Oba market is one of the most important markets in the southwest, we will go there every day, the market opens every day, so, we will make sure our government is involved; the attention of the local government will be brought to the market. We will rebrand and reposition the market to make sure the people feel the impact of the government.”
What do you advocate as the means of choosing the candidate, is it through primary or consensus? That was the last question posed to him and he submitted, “What I want doesn’t matter, whatever the governor might have said is what I support, fully. The governor’s decision is final. But my own is that if this man continues, government of tyranny continues in Ogo-Oluwa local government and that will be too bad.”
