The Progressive Forum (TPF) in Oyo State has replied Governor Seyi Makinde over his recent statement that “hunger is yet to defect from Nigeria,” describing the comment as careless and self-indicting.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Saturday, the forum said the governor had no moral justification to lament hunger in the country when his own policies had contributed to widespread hardship across Oyo communities.
The forum said that despite the steady rise in the state’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account (FAAC), the Makinde administration had failed to deliver corresponding results in local development, agriculture, and rural infrastructure.
“Governor Makinde should explain how he has been using the billions received monthly from FAAC. Instead of showing transparency and results, his administration has continued to centralise power and weaken local government administration,” the statement said.
The group accused the governor of blocking local government autonomy and starving the councils of development funds, noting that most council chairmen had become figureheads, unable to execute projects or address community needs.
Turning to agriculture, the forum reminded the governor of his unfulfilled promises, particularly the Botswana maize partnership announced in 2019, which has not produced any visible outcome more than five years later.
“Governor Makinde promised Oyo people the Botswana maize project as a landmark agricultural breakthrough, but nothing has come out of it till today, The Fashola Farm Estate, though often showcased, has not yielded the expected results. It remains far from achieving the productivity targets earlier announced” the statement continued.
The forum also lamented the worsening condition of roads in rural areas, saying farmers in Oke Ogun and other agrarian regions could no longer access their farms due to bad roads such as the Agbonle–Saki route, which has remained neglected.
“If the governor truly understands the pain of the people, he will not make light of hunger. Local government workers are struggling to meet community demands because funds are not reaching them. Farmers cannot move their produce. Rural dwellers are completely cut off,” the group stated.
The group urge Governor Makinde to focus on governance instead of playing to the gallery with political metaphors.
“There is hunger in Oyo State not because of Abuja, but because of the governor’s poor management of state resources. The people expected leadership and development, but what they got is propaganda and excuses. Hunger will only ‘defect’ when the governor begins to do his work in truth and sincerity,” the group declared.
