01/06/2025
OEW-01/Jun/2025: Ondo North Senatorial District today.
TWO YEARS OF SENATOR IPINSAGBA: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF UNDERPERFORMANCE.
By: Idowu Matthew Oluwanifemi
Two weeks ago, I wrote an article on the failures of our senator and how poorly he has been performing. This lack of performance is not confined to one particular area but extends to every aspect of his representation. Senator Ipinsagba hardly engages constructively in the Senate. He has not contributed to any meaningful bills or achieved significant accomplishments that add value to our nation. Instead, he appears to be just another member of a lucrative committee without any meaningful impact in the senatorial district he represents.
As the chairman of a procurement committee — a standing committee of the Senate that oversees the public procurement process and relevant government agencies — he has a significant responsibility.
The procurement committee is responsible for five essential functions: purchase requests, purchase orders, invoice approval, vendor management, and contract management. It is disheartening to think that a committee chairman in the Senate, overseeing such critical agencies, is marked by a lack of tangible achievements as a senator.
Recently, the senator released a poorly crafted scorecard, supposedly detailing his achievements, which was written by his chief press secretary. In this scorecard, I would like to evaluate the claims labeled as achievements. Following my first article, in which the people of Owo responded to his false claim of requesting 80 million Naira for a civic center, Senator Jide Ipinsagba has now stated that he has built a civic center in Owo. What a miraculous senator who can complete such a project in just two weeks!
The dishonesty aimed at covering up his poor performance shows that he lacks anything substantial to offer the senatorial district he represents.
Instead of presenting a poorly crafted scorecard, Senator Jide Ipinsagba should focus on working for the betterment of our communities. A senator holding such a prominent position in the Senate should think beyond deceiving the public and let his achievements speak for themselves. He should work through agencies and parastatals to create employment opportunities for our youth, rather than boasting about the few positions he claims to have filled.
I have taken the time to scrutinize the so-called achievements in this scorecard, which is filled with lies and deceit. For instance, the senator claims to have sponsored the "Owo Security Summit." This is a weak statement. If Senator Jide Ipinsagba considers his involvement in the security summit as an achievement, what else will he start listing as accomplishments, such as the 10,000 Naira he distributed to people?
Lastly, his claim of being a billionaire prior to his election to the Senate is not an achievement for the people, as the communities have not felt any impact from him before or after his ascension to the Senate.
I will take the time to evaluate each of these so-called achievements one by one, highlighting how poorly they were executed. I reiterate that the Ondo senatorial district deserves better leadership in the Senate than what we are currently receiving from Senator Jide Ipinsagba.