Oyo State government, today, announced a replacement for Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, aka Auxiliary, as the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the state Park Management System (PMS).
In the place of Auxiliary, the government announced the appointment of Alhaji Oluwatomiwa Omolewa as the new Oyo PMS chairman.
This was as the government also announced the appointment of Alhaji Kasali Ajisafe Lawal (aka Baba Bola) as the secretary.
The appointments were contained in a short statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Oyo State, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
The new chairman was the secretary of the Oyo PMS, until its dissolution some few days ago by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde.
The appointment is part of the reorganisation of the PMS embarked upon by the state government.
The decision by the state government have effectively put paid to the inglorious reign of Auxiliary as the chairman of Oyo PMS.
Governor Makinde, today, also broke his silence on the issue, claiming that he dissolved the Oyo PMS because Auxiliary said he cannot work with other factions of the transport unions in the state.
He said this while speaking at a thanksgiving service in commemoration of the Omituntun 2.0 administration held at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, Ibadan.
The governor urged the people of the state not to panic, declarring that his administration was on top of the situation.
He also assured that the government would do all necessary reforms that are needed to be carried out in PMS to ensure all those fomenting trouble were engaged.
“Before the last elections, it wasn’t as if there were no thugs, but we called them and told them the new Oyo State we want.
“We don’t want them to fight themselves. We don’t want to fight to break from our garages every time.
“We tell them, ‘don’t fight anybody, if we were re-elected, we shall ensure we unite you so that everyone can get what belongs to him or her for people and the government to operate in the atmosphere of peace’.
“But one of them said he can’t work with the others. So I said two governments cannot operate in the state; there will only be one government,” the governor said.
Makinde said it took the grace of God for him to record all his achievements in his first term in office as the governor of the state.
He said the most important thing in Omituntun 2.0 is the upgrade of lifestyle of people of the state.
He assured that the government shall do everything possible to make the upgrade is seamless and provide atmosphere for people to comply.
Recalled that Governor Makinde had, shortly after his inauguration for a second term of office, announced the sack of the Auxiliary-led Oyo PMS.
The former PMS chairman soon ran into troubled waters as the Oyo State Police Command twice raided his Ibadan house.
The police, last Friday, claimed to have recovered 70 rounds of Ak-47 ammunition, 400 live cartridges (62 expended), 13 pieces of 9-mm ammunition, two SMG riffles with two magazines, and one Pump Action riffle during the raid.
Auxiliary, who escaped during the raid, was later declared wanted by the law enforcement agency for alleged illegal possession of unlicensed arms and ammunition.
The police declared him wanted in connection with alleged cases of attempted murder, causing grevious harm, arms dealing, murder, armed robbery within the state and kidnapping at the Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa axis of the state.
However, the former Oyo PMS chairman, speaking on a radio programme from his hideout, Saturday morning, said the police cannot declare him wanted.
He not only denied the allegation of stock-piling arms and ammunition, he also said he did not fight anyone and, as such, he could not be declared wanted.
A seemingly repentant Auxiliary was heard speaking on phone that he would support whatever Governor Makinde wanted to do with the Oyo PMS.
This was as he also warned his ‘boys’ not to disturb the peace of the state, declaring that nobody can ever fight the government and win.
“I am not against what the boss [Governor Makinde] said. I will support whatever decision he takes because he is my benefactor.
“But the allegation of wanted levied against me by police is not my own because I did not fight. I did nothing.
“All the policemen that went to gather guns, please, a warrior is bigger than a hunter. Even if I have such things, will I keep them in my own house? Am I a fool?
“On the issue of transport union, I will support whatever Governor Makinde wants. I am not against him.
“I cannot fight the government. If he says that I am there, and if he says that I am not there, so shall it be. But, I am still PDP to the core.
“I am saying that anyone that fights will be arrested by the government, because I did not tell them to fight.
“Me, as the leader, has said that they should not fight. I told them that I am in support of whatever the governor want,” he had said.