For close to four years now in Oyo State Government, a dark horse keeps running government activities and living larger than life attitude on all cabinet members, agencies of government and contractors alike.
His words are laws and no one dares question his order or directive even if the State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde felt otherwise? He is notorious and now an household name and in most political arenas nicknamed Senior Governor in the State.
He is Mr. Seye Famojuro, better known as Makinde’s pointsman and man Friday!
He neither holds any political office, nor appointive positions, observes say he is the defacto Governor or if you like, call him Deputy Governor.
A group of political elites under the Progressives Front (PF) in a press statement signed by their Convener, Chief Bashiru Adesokan on Thursday said Famojuro’s legendary larger than life attitude had put some contractors at the receiving end.
Adesokan said, the Agbowo Shopping Complex readily comes to mind. Adesokan alleged that the project awarded as a Lease for 50years in Year 2020 by the Governor, Seyi Makinde for a sum of N4.9billion to Messrs Whitestone Global Limited was frustrated by Seye Famojuro who, according to the contractor, Arch. Woleola Adebowale Oluwole, bullied his men out of the site and terminated the contract via his influence on the Ditector General of the Oyo State Investment Promotion Agency (OYSIPA).
In another instance, Adesokan alleged that Famojuro recently removed and redeployed a Director of Finance in Egbeda Local Government by fiat for reasons best known to him.
Adesokan also recalled that a serving Senator for Oyo South elected under the platform of the Governor’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Kola Balogun had alleged among others that, the guest house people in the private residence of Mr. Makinde led by Famojuro were the brains behind his failure to get the return ticket of the party.
According to him, Balogun said, “At the initial stage of preparation for the coronation of the Olubadan, the Governor was unyielding but a group within his house impressed upon him the implications of having two Balogun brothers as the Olubadan and as a Senator,”.
On Makinde’s former Deputy Governor impeachment, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan, some powerful political elites in the State appealed to the governor to jettison impeachment process against him but it was rumoured that Famojuro told the Governor that Olaniyan must go and he was finally removed from office by a compromised State Legislature.
The cabinet members of Mr. Makinde are also under the yoke and control of Famojuro because no Commissioner in the State today dares look him in the face if he has any interest in their Ministry, even if such request or interest can not be justified by law.
Both the 33 Local Governments administration and the running of the Park Management System in the State are effectively under the firm control of Famojuro whose words are laws on these hapless citizens.
Their matter is like “a case of baboons dey work, monkeys dey eat” as they must curry his favour at every point of their efforts.
Adesokan has therefore asked rhetorically why the Governor has failed to yield his position finally to Famojuro or at best make him the Deputy Governor for the people to know he calls the sorts in the government of the State.
