As the 2019 general elections draw near, the quest of the people of Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State is assuming interesting dimension, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU
Soji Akanbi, the Senator representing Oyo South in the upper chamber of the National Assembly stirred the hornets’ nest in Kishi the other day when, on the occasion of Kishi Day, a celebration of the people of that ancient town in Oke Ogun, in the northern part of Oyo State, he asked the people of Oke Ogun to tidy up their house or, if they are unable to do so, consider him for the governorship of Oyo State instead.
In response to the passionate appeal by Dr Zacceus Segun Ajuwon, President of the Oke Ogun Development Consultative Forum (ODCF), to all citizens of Oyo State to support the people of Oke Ogun in their quest to produce the next governor of Oyo State, Akanbi said no one had any objection to the quest.
But, in a fairly long speech, he delved into what could be deemed a poor coordination of the Oke Ogun agenda especially the fact that there are too many candidates from the region already in the race.
Ile ni e o ba ko tun se, he thundered!
With about 10 candidates, he said, Oke Ogun needs to put its house in order first before reaching out to other areas of the state for support!
And he went dead serious when he added: Just in case you are unable to do that, consider me as one of your own and make me the governor. Speaker after speaker after that, of course, took his statement more than lightly and insisted the Oke Ogun agenda must be fulfilled.
That was a direct jab from Akanbi but, in truth, Oke Ogun region of Oyo State certainly has a herculean task in its hands as far as the 2019 elections are concerned.
Perhaps as a result of the sentiment that the region should produce the next governor, too many persons have come out of that area to struggle for the seat. And, so far, the elders are yet to successfully persuade them all to yield ground to one.
Among them are the current Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, a former permanent secretary and coordinator of the state’s intervention agency, Oyo State Roads Maintenance Agency, OSROMA, My Remi Olaniyan, A former aide of the current governor, Adeolu Akande, current commissioner, Ajiboye Omodewu, Serving deputy governor, Moses Adeyemo Alake and the famous journalist and Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian group of Newspapers, Mr Debo Adesina.
For one obvious reason, however, Adesina’s candidacy has been an intriguing one. Perhaps the least politically exposed of the lot, Adesina is winning the hearts of people as a result of what an insider calls ‘political innocence a persona that public office has not contaminated.’ Hence there is a general talk of looking in his direction because of his non-susceptibility to blackmail and his wide appeal across the state. Apart from serving briefly as a Federal Commissioner in the Fiscal Responsibility Commission under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he has largely been a private sector person, distinguishing himself in his profession.
Very well-regarded at home on account of his service to the people, his humility and accessibility; and supported by many who see in him the combination of brains, hard work and passion for the state, Adesina himself has not only been going round stating his case to the people, his champions are permanently on the move.
He speaks passionately about his plans at every stop and is uncompromising in his stand that the contest should be of ideas and not money or anything else.
The other day, he hosted a few people in his Okaka, Itesiwaju Local Government Area, home to review one of his social and economic plans for Oyo State.
Experts from within and outside Oyo State converged on the sleepy town to discuss ideas and designs for the state. A former Central Bank Governor led a team that both briefed and also queried Adesina on some of his plans as well as how a new government might hit the ground running in 2019.
Questions flew all over. And there was no shortage of fireworks.
How might we do this? Where would the money for that come from? Where is the current government getting it right and where could there be improvements? If you were an investor, would you come here? Where would you go instead, if not here? What would be the attraction? What can we do and what is right? Where are the people in this or that?
With charts, slides and power-points, a review session that was meant for a few hours practically took the whole day. Fiery in his queries or submissions when unsatisfied with a certain point and exultant when he hit what he called breakthroughs on a particular plan, he cut the picture of a man in a hurry to govern.
Whether he would get the chance is another matter. But, certainly, Adesina is in full preparation mode.
The Okaka session was the climax of a state-wide tour by him and his top advisers with a view to having a feel of what the state has and feel the people’s pulse. “I took my friends round for them to verify some of the claims I have made, so the geophysicists can fault the plan if it is wrong, so the economists can burst my bubble if I am being unduly optimistic, so the agriculture experts can tell me what the state’s rich, vast land can be used for.”
And as facts and figures were reeled out, Adesina spoke again of the need to take the government to the people.
“Poor understanding of the job of the leader, misuse of power and lack of vision will automatically breed poverty and underdevelopment. The people have a duty to change the story of our state by getting involved and asking the relevant questions. What kind of state do we want and how do we create it? Once again, being put in office is good, but what would you do with it?”
He insists the next leadership must be one that can meet the immediate needs like paying salaries, building roads and digging boreholes as most governments do, no doubt, “but the future has to begin today.” Therefore, “the foundation for a sustainable prosperous future has to be laid with a comprehensive plan to maximize for Oyo its solid mineral and agricultural resources.”
He then brought out a compilation of the solid minerals in Nigeria and mapped out what abounds in Oyo State, even in his own native Itesiwaju Local Government area, that can be leveraged upon in the immediate, medium and long term. Shaking his head, he lamented that the bulk of these minerals is either not being explored, being illegally mined and exported without any revenue accruing to the people of the state. ‘’This simply has to change.”
“The dependence on free money from the federation account has not helped anyone and will end someday. We have all become lazy in Nigeria, waiting for the monthly handout from the central government. Our job in this state is well cut out for us. There is money in our soil and we must dig it out. I know it is not a day’s job and it is not easy. But we must seriously begin the work today”
He also talked on why the state must look for the resources and invest massively in education of its citizens. “I have said it before and I am repeating it now: When roads are tarred and infrastructure is built without building the minds that will generate wealth and maintain the infrastructure, the future is doomed.”
While he sounds well prepared for the job of leading his state, with the large number of candidates especially from his own Oke Ogun region and within his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, what about the politics of getting the job?
Again, Adesina said it is a democracy and the people will decide. His only plea is that the people should ‘change their own story by changing their attitude to the leadership selection process.’
“I am repeating something I have told our people at every turn, that the people of Oyo State must avoid the curse of failing to see that one man can make all the difference in the destiny of this state.
They must avoid the curse of failing to see a direct relationship between themselves, who they put in power and the decisions that will be made by the government on their behalf. They must avoid the curse of putting so-called experienced politicians and office seekers in power.
They must stand up and be counted on the side of history by doing it differently this time around.”