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Before Ladoja went on leave
By Sola Shittu
Reporter,
Ibadan
Leadership
in different places is often accompanied with a unique feature of every
individual leader at a point in time.
When
in position of authority, it is common for leaders to surround themselves with
people that share their dreams and visions, people with a strong faith that
when the chips are down, when the leader looks back, they will always be there
for him.
Politics,
as we all know, is played actively by fanatical supporters of politicians.
After
spending over one year in the Agodi Governor’s office, Senator Rashidi
Adewolu Ladoja has been able to maintain his own unique style of
administration, with a very tight budget and prudent spending.
Ladoja,
no doubt, has a sense of value and a high taste for aesthetics. As soon as he
was sworn-in, his first major contract was the renovation of the
governor’s office. Within three months, the office of the governor was suddenly
transformed into a glittering apartment, with a new paint coat on the wall and
new floor tiles. Also, some of the furniture in the press centre, reception
hall and exco chamber were changed. The contract was handled by one pretty
looking woman who has among her worker a whizzkid floor tiles technician.
Last
Wednesday in that cozy exco meeting chamber, the governor was busy in a meeting
with members of his cabinet. The meeting had started very early and lasted
close to four hours.
Almost
immediately the meeting ended, the governor went into his chamber, his brisk
movement was definitely faster than that of some of his commissioners, who were
running after him with one file or the other.
Without
looking sideways, he waved to the pressmen who were hanging around the guest
room of the chamber.
About
three minutes later, the Secretary to the state government, Barrister
Sarafadeen Ali, also came out in a manner similar to that of the governor, with
his tie flying right and left. Ali was also being trailed by some of the
commissioners.
The
tradition at the end of such meeting was for the Commissioner for Information,
Mr Moses Ojoawo, to address the press on some of the issues deliberated upon by
the council. But according to him that day, not many issues were resolved at
the meeting, and after entertaining some questions, Ojoawo announced that the
governor will this week commence his annual leave, which will last for three
weeks. The Deputy Governor, Chief Bayo Alao Akala, was to be the acting
governor for the duration.
Also
last week, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state was
defeated by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in a lawsuit challenging the
election of Mr Moses Kolawole as chairman of Ibarapa East Local Government.
It
was not the verdict of the Justice Waheed Olaifa election tribunal that
bothered the audience but the way Kolawole suddenly became a weeping baby in
the courtroom, joined by sympathisers.
The
atmosphere inside and outside the courtroom was charged since the commencement
of the reading of judgment, which lasted close to five hours. Supporters of
both parties, AD and PDP, thronged the Iyanganku High Court premises, venue of
the sitting of the tribunal.
The
streets flanking the court complex had been cordoned off by armed policemen who
conducted security checks on visitors to the court premises. It was not a
surprise to regular visitors to the premises but what was likely to come to
such persons’ mind was whether the trial of Tokyo, the former NURTW
chairman in the state being tried for murder, was in progress. Ever since the
NURTW case began, the police had been very conscious of security because of the
calibre of people involved.
Almost
as soon as Justice Olaifa delivered the verdict, the atmosphere became rowdy as
AD supporters attempted to take over the control of the PDP chairman’s
official car, because the tribunal’s verdict had been in their favour.
There
were wild jubilations outside the court, but inside the courtroom was a solemn
quietness as the chairman suddenly burst into tears. He wept and tears flowed
freely down his cheeks.
It
was the policemen on duty that shepherded him and the convoy of local
government vehicles out of the court premises amidst boos and jeers from AD
supporters. But he has since appealed the judgment.
For
now, PDP is controlling 31 council areas out of the 33 in the state. In the
battle for the soul of Ibarapa East, the number will be reduced to 30 if AD
wins, and the party will control three councils.
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