Society Gists

While trying to process some payments at the Ogun State Inland Revenue Service in Abeokuta a few days ago, I accidentally stumbled on a letter written to the bankers of the Gateway Front Foundation from the IRS requesting for the Statement of Accounts of the NGO. something on the letter that you per chance stumbled upon while trying to process some documents in Ogun State. I became so curious because my wife was a benefit of the Foundation’s humanitarian services about 13 years ago, and I also know some who have benefitted from its scholarship schemes gratis.

On further enquiry, I was told the instructions was passed down from the Office of the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, with or without the approval of the Governor. It was quite a revelation from some members of staff of the state revenue generation agency. According to them, the fear of Tokunbo Talabi is the beginning of wisdom as he practically superintendbover every affairs of the government; to some of them, he is the de facto Governor while the man whom the Ogun State people allegedly voted for. Talabi, it was said is all the Commissioners in Ogun State combined and woe betide the Governor if he ever takes pictures with any visitor without Talabi in the pictures.

Talebearers say Talabi “sponsored” Prince Dapo Abiodun and as a result of that he must be around to supervise his investment and monitor the profit. It also goes that whoever that Talabi “Agbara” or “Ijoba” (as he is variously referred to) is fighting, the Governor cannot but also make enemy of such a person. Talabi “He that must be obeyed” including police, the DSS and other security agencies. He gives orders and Directives at will in the government and he is the “Kabiyesi”, he that no one can query.

Back to the letter to GFF bankers. As an informed but conscientious objector, I tried to seek legal opinions about Not-for-profit, Nongovernmental or charity organisations and taxes. I found out that they are non taxable non-state actors. I am therefore surprised at the propriety of this action and what the Ogun State government could be looking for. And I did ask around.

What came to me was the for two obvious reasons; political and economic, the Government of Ogun State under a Governor by proxy, Tokunbo Talabi wants to take some pounds of flesh from the former Governor and now Senator, representing the Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and they have started looking into whatever they can find even if in the sewage of odious witchunt, they are ready to dirty their hands like Night-Soil-men.

This speaks to the enormous idleness and bitterness of a State’s Chief Executive Officer whose primary responsibility is to improve the living conditions of it’s subject especially as the economy bites harder on the average citizen. One would have thought that the government would rather spend quality time on how to impact positively on the lives of the citizens but sadly has descended into the ignoble sewage of pettiness.

I tried to research further and I was reminded that the same “Governor” (Talabi or Dapo Abiodun) whoever is calling the shot had in the midnight and on a Sunday night directed and supervised the demolition of DATKEM Plaza, a five-storey edifice belonging or the wife of the former Governor, Yeye Olufunke Daniel in Ijebu Ode. This demolition alone speaks to the idea of a witchunt, and now this, the Gateway Front Foundation. I equally discovered that the DATKEM demolition has been challenged in court in Ijebu Ode and the matter was assigned to a newly transferred judge. As a matter of fact, the DATKEM matter was the Judge’s first in the Ijebu Ode jurisdiction and I gathered that when the judge looked at the matter, he recommended that it should be referred to Mediation and Arbitration first before legal proceedings could commence. In the Judge’s reasoning, the building and the demolition thereoff would affect the livelihoods of some citizens and it would be better if an amicable resolution is sought in overriding public interests. This did not go down well with the Governor Emeritus, the grandfather of the ceremonial Governor, and for daring to challenge the premeditated intent of Talabi, I understand that the judge was transferred to one obscure village in what looks like a punishment for failing to do the bidding of the Governor.

Whoever that is the Governor of Ogun State between the wielders and the pretentious owners of the Power in Ogun State, I also learned is already forum shopping for new judges that will do his bidding to put the stamp of Justice on the state government’s illegality.