Nigerian politicians seem unconcerned with the health of a
leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Olusegun Osoba, who is
currently on a medical trip to the United Kingdom.
Like his political compeer, the National Leader of the APC,
Chief Bola Tinubu, Osoba was said to have travelled to London for a knee
replacement surgery.
Governor Dapo Abiodun broke the news when he returned from
the controversial foreign trip he embarked on immediately after his father’s
burial.
“Our Baba, Chief Olusegun Osoba, underwent knee replacement surgery in the UK and we thank God that it went well, as he is now fine and in perfect condition,” Abiodun made the revelation during the October 1 Independence Day celebration in Abeokuta.
However, findings by our correspondent revealed that one
month after Gov Abiodun announced Chief Osoba’s knee replacement surgery, no
politician in Ogun State has deemed it necessary to visit the former governor.
Either from Ogun State or other parts of the country, the
octogenarian has not been visited, in their usual style, by politicians,
especially his beneficiaries from his home state.
Though, Abiodun said he had visited Osoba on September 30
after the surgery, our correspondent gathered that no new effort has since been
made, either by Abiodun or the State Government to pay solidarity visits to the
elder statesman.
This, some commentators said may be a way of preventing
“unnecessary” spending.
However, some wonder why none of the many political office
holders has thought of seeing the APC leader where he is recovering.
“Let’s look at Ogun State alone, aside the Governor, we have
the Deputy Governor, the Speaker, three Senators, nine House of Representatives
members, 25 House of Assembly members excluding the Speaker and 20 local
government Chairmen; We also have appointees like the Secretary to the State
Government, the Chief of Staff, the Commissioners, Special Advisers and many
others. Why has none of them visited Baba Osoba?
“If people from other states did not visit our leader, what
stops those in Ogun from doing so? We have former governors here, we have
former deputy governors, we have former Senators and many other politicians in
Ogun. Many of them were made by Osoba. Have they forgotten the man just like
that?
“I remember former Governor, Ibikunle Amosun visited Tinubu
in London. Why has he not visited Osoba. If he could put aside his differences
with Tinubu to go all the way to London to see him, then nothing stops him from
doing something similar for Chief Osoba,” a loyalist of the octogenarian told
our correspondent in Abeokuta.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari topped
the list of over 40 Nigerian politicians and dignitaries who visited Tinubu in
London.
Before his return to Nigeria recently, the abode of the
former Lagos State Governor in London turned a Mecca of sort as top Nigerians
took turns to check on him during his recuperation period.
Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun,
Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Umar Ganduje of Kano, all
visited Tinubu in the United Kingdom.
Just before his return to Nigeria, members of the House of
Representatives from the north also visited Tinubu in the foreign land. The
delegation of the northern lawmakers led by Ahmed Wase, the Deputy Speaker of
the House of Representatives did not just visit the APC leader, they also
endorsed his rumoured presidential ambition.
On why it has not been the same with Osoba, who also went
under the knife for knee replacement surgery like Tinubu, a political leader in
Ogun State, Chief Dapo Adeyemi, berated Nigerian politicians for hypocrisy.
Adeyemi opined that most of the politicians who visited
Tinubu in London believed he was in a position to influence their political
careers, saying they did not see Osoba in that light.
“That shows how hypocritical our politicians are. Most of
them believe that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will continue to influence their
political progression in APC while Chief Osoba is not in that position.
“It is also likely that those who visited Asiwaju in London
and even when he arrived Nigeria might be after his money. Definitely, Chief
Osoba does not have the money to waste for such politicians,” he said.
Speaking on why Osoba’s beneficiaries in Ogun State did not
make any attempt to pay him a visit, Adeyemi added that: “I must confess, most
of those perceived as Chief Osoba’s beneficiaries are few in the State. Another
problem is that even the few are not taken care of in the present
administration despite the support given to Prince Dapo Abiodun by Akinrogun
Osoba. And his supporters believe that he should speak to PDA, which Chief
Osoba that I know will not do.”
In his advice, Adeyemi said: “Honestly, I think Chief Osoba
should reduce his active involvement in the politics of the State. One expects
his beneficiaries like Chief Segun Adesegun and Hon. Kunle Adeyemi to take over
his structure and nurture them. Unfortunately, it does not appear these two are
ready to fit in.
“I will also advise the people to be wary of politicians
during their campaigns. It is becoming obvious that a lot of politicians seek
for positions for their own interest and not that of the electorate. They also
find it difficult to implement most of their electoral promises.”
Also, a lecturer at the Lagos State University, who did not
want to be mentioned because of the sensitivity of the issue, held the view
that Osoba did not possess the political relevance of Tinubu in national
politics, asking how many people the veteran journalist groomed in politics.
“Baba Osoba is not in the same level as Tinubu. How many
people did he build in politics, especially in national politics? Back home in Ogun
State, what we know is that people don’t celebrate former champions. We can
only pray that God grant Baba Osoba quick recovery,” the don said.
In 1999, Osoba and Tinubu were both elected as the governors
of Ogun and Lagos States respectively. While Osoba lost his reelection bid in
2003, Tinubu was reelected for a second term that ended in 2007
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