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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state says it has become difficult to speak truth to power under the current administration, contrasting the situation with what he described as a more consultative approach during the tenure of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Makinde spoke on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, at the 60th birthday celebration of Samson Ajetomobi, president of The Men of Issachar Vision Incorporated (MIV) and overseer of the Redemption Faith Churches.
Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was also in attendance.
Addressing Osinbajo directly, Makinde said he missed his leadership as vice-president.
“Sir, I personally miss you in that position. A lot of people may not know why things are not really the same. This is not a political talk because I’m not on that podium.”
Makinde recalled his early months in office during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying Osinbajo’s leadership as chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) influenced his decision not to impose a total lockdown in Oyo state.
He said he had been barely seven months into office when the pandemic struck in February 2020, describing the NEC meeting at the time as tense.
“We were told to go back and lock down our states. But for Oyo state people, why I did not lock down during COVID was because of his decision,” he said.
The governor contrasted that experience with the current administration’s handling of the controversial tax reform bill, accusing the federal government of shutting out dissenting views.
“We had the same situation in this dispensation; it was the tax bill. We said, ‘Bring the tax bill back; let us all have an opportunity to look dispassionately at it,’ but you cannot speak truth to power in this dispensation. The tax bill will go ahead.”
Earlier, Osinbajo appreciated Makinde and commended his style of governance.
He also revealed that the governor offered him to use the podium reserved for him (Makinde), but he turned it down.
“Let me say that the governor had offered me the use of the podium for my speech but I don’t want to get used to political podiums, gubernatorial podiums, so I think I better stand here. But Your Excellency, thank you so much.”
“I want to say the celebrant is someone whom I have admired for many years. Actually, I never knew that he is 60 years old. I actually thought he was older than myself. His achievement, attainment his composure, his carriage and posture are well above his age. We want to thank God for that.
“I first heard of the men of Issachar Vision many years ago. And as you know, there are many men and women who minister with Pastor E A Adeboye, my father in the Lord every time we have convention, congresses and all that. You hear of Pastor Adeboye and other anointed men of God. Rev Samson Ajetomobi is one of those other anointed men of God.”
The event was attended by Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Bishop Wale Oke, President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and Victoria his wife; Rev Supo Ayokunle, former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), among others.
