A prominent civic coalition, the Oyo Rising Citizens Forum (ORCF), has strongly condemned Governor Seyi Makinde, labeling his administration “clueless” and “economically ignorant” after the government officially admitted that its highly publicised plan to export maize to Botswana has failed.
The condemnation follows an official acknowledgement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, confirming that the multi-year agricultural export initiative has been completely abandoned.
In a press statement signed by Alaba Adebisi and Owolabi Salam, the ORCF lambasted Makinde for displaying what it described as a profound lack of understanding of international trade mechanics, market realities, and agricultural economics.
“To spend seven years in office promoting an unfeasible export arrangement reveals either a deliberate attempt to mislead the public or a shocking level of economic ignorance,” the ORCF stated.
“A government that genuinely understands agricultural value chains would have conducted basic feasibility studies before making grand, empty promises to the people of Oyo State during an inauguration. This late-stage policy somersault is the very definition of cluelessness,” the group added.
The forum noted that the governor’s desperation to salvage the failed policy led to contradictory actions, including the August 2024 appointment of Ms. Neo Tlhaselo, a Botswana national, as Special Adviser on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and International Trade.
The group argued that appointing international aides cannot mask the fundamental lack of a clear, data-driven agricultural roadmap.
The ORCF demanded that Governor Makinde provide a transparent, line-item account of the public funds expended on the failed initiative over the last seven years.
The forum also urged an immediate shift away from speculative international ventures and called for realistic policies that genuinely protect local farmers from market shocks.