For instance, Alao-Akala has rolled out some fresh initiatives and policies that have curiously left more questions and agitation in the minds of the majority of citizens. Among them are the abrupt change introduced into the chairmanship structure of the state traditional council of Obas and Chiefs, the alleged hurried employment of candidates who were believed to be supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party into civil service, approval of the earlier protracted minimum wage for civil servants and many more.
While the out-going administration claimed that its actions were logical and in line with the tenets of the law, some other stakeholders in the state, including the governor-elect, have condemned the actions as not only ill-conceived, but hurriedly taken. According to those who are opposed to the steps taken by the Alao-Akala-led administration, especially in the last three weeks, the actions portray the outgoing governor as one who wants to take undue recognition at the expense of the coming administration.
The state Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Samuel Farinu, for example, noted that the government of Alao-Akala had for a long time been opposed to the payment of the new minimum wage to the civil servants. This, he said, had put his administration at loggerheads with the aggrieved workers.
He therefore asked, “Why has he suddenly reversed his steps to approve the new salary scale? I think he is up to some mischief. If he spent N1bn on anything at this time, he would collude with members of his clan to claim that they spent far higher amount. We all know that he refused to pay initially because he did not want to take responsibility. He did not want to pay it. He had said it clearly to workers sometimes ago that he would not pay. Why the sudden change?
“There is no sentiment attached to this; everybody in the state knows that Alao-Akala is anti workers. He is always having one trouble or the other with them. Let us face the reality. As a governor, Alao-Akala was bent on not paying the new salary. He approved the new salary just to claim his own glory and pass the liability to the succeeding government. It is a cheat and real nonsense.”
Farinu observed that the review of the chairmanship position of the traditional council of Obas and Chiefs in the state was also ill-conceived to spite the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, for not supporting his second term ambition as governor. He expressed concern that the issue if not carefully addressed could breed unhealthy rivalry and discord among the monarchs.
The Alaafin, while responding to the edict, had said that the court should decide on whether the seat should be rotated or not. Oba Adeyemi, who urged his subjects to remain calm and peaceful, said that he would not want to join issue with the outgoing administration and that history would justify his right to the position.
Meanwhile, the governor-elect, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has appealed to Alao-Akala to stop playing to the gallery and to stop passing the buck. Ajimobi, in a letter entitled “Re: The plan to approve a new minimum wage for Oyo State” dated May 8 and written to incumbent governor said, “I am writing to call the attention of Your Excellency to a matter of urgent state importance.
“While I am not averse to protecting the interests and welfare of workers in the state, it is my considered opinion that approving a new minimum wage in the twilight of your administration will not be in order. A new minimum wage will have significant impact on the finances of the state and may involve many considerations among which are ordering of priorities and commitments of the government. It is, therefore, a matter that requires extensive reflection and consultations by the government.”
The governor-elect, who reminded Alao-Akala that his days in the saddle were numbered, advised that the outgoing administration would not be in position “to undertake every step necessary to guarantee unhindered conduct of government business in the aftermath of the approval of a minimum wage.”
However, the state government in its reply stated, “The issue of minimum wage which you seek its reversal is a legal issue which cannot be changed by fiat.
“What is more, I publicly made the pledge, a clear one month before the election with the conviction that I was going to implement it and I will not be associated with policy inconsistency.”
The outgoing governor, who said he appreciated the fact that Ajimobi was passionate about the minimum wage, stressed that there was need to let the interest of the people prevail.
Also, the Senior Special Adviser, Media to Alao-Akala, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said those speaking against the administration’s policies were merely trying to discredit the government. In a text message sent to our correspondent, Oyelade said, “For the avoidance of doubt we owe no bank one kobo in spite of all our enviable achievements. We displayed uncommon fiscal discipline. We have said all to be said on the rotational chairmanship, the same with the minimum wage except to add that the minimum wage is also a product of law which the governor cannot change by fiat.”
Oyelade added, “It is amusing that the in-coming administration in Oyo State will make issue out of the minimum wage which the Akala administration promised to pay workers. We do not need to sign any further pact with the state NLC as being peddled by the Ajimobi people because Akala had pledged six weeks ago during the special prayers for peaceful election held at the parliament ground that he would pay it and that commitment is sacrosanct.”
But as Oyelade insists on this, some people have taken the issue with mixed feeling. Leading the pack is an Ibadan chief, Senator Lekan Balogun. For him, the actions of the out-going government were good but ill-conceived. He explained that whereas the incumbent governor had the opportunity and time to effect good policies, he failed to do so for obvious wrong reasons.
Balogun said, “I am happy that at last the governor acceded to the call for the approval of minimum wage for the state civil service, but I am not happy that he delayed it up to this time at the end of his administration. The question to ask is why the delay if he ever had the mind of doing it in the first place? Already, Governor Alao-Akala has defecated on the stool and he now wants to take his exit. It is a good decision taken ingloriously.
“And if one looks at it very well, one will notice that the action was taken with bad intention to build up liability for the incoming administration. Why didn’t he pay the workers two years back? As a result of his refusal to pay the minimum wage teachers in the state went on strike for a very long time leaving the public schools shut and the school pupils continued to waste away at home for so long while their counterparts in other states were doing well.
“Again, the rotation of the chairmanship position, for me, is a good development, but I see the timing as very wrong. Why should he do it now to make it look as if he was up to frustrating some interests or to retaliate on his foes? As an Ibadan chief, I like to see the position rotated among the selected Obas. Akala also approved the appointment of a new Head of Service barely two weeks to the end of his government. Though most people are happy about the appointment considering the experience of the man in question but the issue is; why this time?”
Balogun, who added that the governor had created an albatross for the coming administration, expressed hope that the governor-elect would take time to address the knotty issues so that the matter does not boomerang and have adverse effect on the state.
He said, “It is capable of straining the relationship between the newly elected governor and those who are affected by the policies.”
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