Sarafadeen Alli, the Oyo South senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the Oyo State House of assembly as a mere puppet of the executive arm of government headed by Governor Seyi Makinde.
The former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) claimed that the Oyo State legislature has not lived up to expectations in ensuring checks and balances in the current government having turned itself into the governor’s puppet by rubber-stamping everything from the executive.
Alli added that the current Debo Ogundoyin-led legislators only sit whenever the state governor, Seyi Makinde, wanted to take loan.
While speaking during a political Radio programme ‘Bosenlo extra’ on Agidigbo 88.7fm, Ibadan, the APC candidate noted that state police being clamoured for by people of southwest region ought to be a great concern to the Oyo State assembly but the issue has not been debated on the floor of the house by the lawmakers.
He said, “They only sit whenever Governor wants to borrow money. Many of them are my people. So, they’re not my enemies. We see it and we know the debt of Oyo State today.
“We know the debt of the eight years of Ajimobi. We know that of Akala in four years. See how much debt we have on ground now. And all they promised to use this loans for, did they do it?”
He stated further that state police is an exigent matter adding that Amotekun – Southwest regional security network – was a good move by the South-West Governors.
Ali stressed that the stance of the Federal Government on allowing governors to arm this state security network with sophisticated weapons needs to be revisited.
When asked of his plans if elected as Senator representing Oyo South, Alli singled out the urgent need for devolution of power among tiers of government.
According to him, unless the exclusive list is removed, Nigeria will not progress, adding that local government administration in Oyo State is dead.
“The issue of local government, we all see it’s dead in Oyo State. Everyone is saying it, though some said otherwise. I was a local government Chairman and some people also did after us. But what they’re doing now, we hear what they tell us in private even though they can’t say it in public,” he said.
“Local government is not like it was before. They (chairmen) can’t run council. We all know this. Local government administration is dead in Oyo State. All what is expected of local government to do, they couldn’t do it again. Someone is running it for them.
“This is the fault of our Constitution. Section 7 says the local government shall be like a grassroots government but to be under state assembly. This made them to be directly under the governor,” he added.
