Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State took time off his busy schedule at Oke Imosan in Abeokuta to go round the state for an assessment of the impact his administration has made on the people in the last three and half years. ERNEST NWOKOLO was on his entourage.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s first major tour of communities and towns in the Gateway State was in 2011 during his electioneering campaigns to solicit the people’s votes. The second was for an inspection of some projects, particularly the roads and model schools being built in each of the state’s 20 Local government councils.
Barely seven months to the expiration of his four years tenure, Amosun has returned to the people on whose mandate he governs the state, this time not to kick-start a campaign for his re – election bid, but to feel their pulse and establish how his programmes and policies have impacted on them.
It is understandable why he embarked upon this facts finding mission. Of recent, there appears to be a curious paradigm shift in how people conceive governance and development.
The concept of “stomach infrastructure” – Amala and Gbegiri politics, seems to be gaining currency in the camp of the unwary as opposed to focus on infrastructural development that would drive investments, creativity, employment and income to the citizenry.
The loss of Ekiti State by Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) serms to accentuate this concept and tends to suggest that the easiest route to win the heart of the people and also make a huge electoral capital is to pander to their immediate needs.
Besides, in the last one or two years, Amosun has also been contending with stiff opposition not so much from the outside but within his political party – APC, fuelling concerns that the Governor would lose a huge swathe of supporters across the state ahead of 2015 elections.
Amosun once admitted that no politician worth his onion would want to go into any general elections with a divided house, and did promise to do everything possible to bring about genuine reconciliation and unity among the aggrieved members, elders and interest groups within the APC in Ogun State. But it does appear the feuding parties are not in a hurry to sheath their daggers.
Again, some of the policies of the administration especially the on – going massive roads and bridges construction across the state did not only leave many in a momentary and biting hardship as residential buildings, shops, worship centres and even burial sites were compelled to give way to road expansion projects, but also serves as veritable tools in the hand of the opposition politicians to launch scathing criticisms against the administration, sometimes unconstructively.
So when the Governor set forth to tour the state two weeks ago beginning with Imeko – Afon Local Government Council in Ogun West, Odeda, Ogun Waterside, Remo North, Ipokia, Ijebu – Igbo, Ikenne and Ewekoro councils respectively, it was a kind of popularity test for him.
But contrary to what traducers, critics and opposition politicians would want the public to believe, Amosun and his administration are not only manifestly popular with the people but also lauded for the bold achievements recorded as the Governor was showered with affection in whatever direction he turned.
In Imeko- Afon Local government, his first port of call, he was received by a massive crowd, including the masquerades. The traditional rulers and opinion leaders from the area rooted for the continuation of his “rebuilding mission” in the state.
The monarchs and leaders of thoughts including the renowned historian, Prof. Anthony Asiwaju, said the governor is providing the courage and leadership required to reposition the state on the path of greatness.
The traditional rulers which include the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Oyekan, the Ooye of Iwoye – Ketu, Oba Joel Alaye, Onidofa of Idofa, Oba David Adeyanju, Oloola of Ilaraland, Oba Samuel Adeluyi, Obaladi of Afonland, Oba Busari Adetona, the Council’s 40 Baales, said Amosun and his administration would continue to enjoy their support.
Oba Oyekan, for example, assured the governor that Imeko – Afon is fertile and opened to him and his administration to transform and develop via his rebuilding mission and infrastructural development for the benefits of residents and private business operators.
Oyekan said:” although, Imeko – Afon is known to be a virgin land but for how long would a maiden remain a virgin? For any virgin, matured and of the right age, she needs to be de flowered.
“Imeko – Afon wants your administration to marry and de flower her. For how long the land would remain a virgin land? Our land is ready for a manly administration like yours to come.”
Prof. Asiwaju in his remarks scored Amosun high, saying he has recorded “phenomenal and unprecedented achievements particularly in the areas of infrastructural development and urban renewal projects.”
The historian lauded the Governor for turning their hitherto over 100 rural communities and villages into towns; making them accessible and interlinked through building over 100km Ilara – Ijoun roads networks in Ogun West Senatorial district.
He said: “he has turned bushes into towns, he changes things from good to better and from better to best. He has all our support. We can only ask for more from him and also appeal to him to finish the dualization of Imeko – Ilara and to reconstruct Imeko road to Owode via Atapele.”
The popularity and acceptance of the governor in Imeko is particularly strategic and significant not only because it is the headquarters of the Local government or of the large size of its population but also the fact that the place is also believed to be the home town of former boss of the Gateway Holdings – the economic wing of the then Gbenga Daniel’s administration, and Amosun’s opponent during the 2011 governorship election, Mr Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka (GNI).
GNI who contested the 2011 polls on the platform of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) but lost to Amosun, is still aspiring to slug it out again with the governor in 2015 if given the ticket by the Labour Party(LP) or any political party that is in alliance with LP.
The experience of popular acceptance was the same all the way in Ipokia, Ewekoro, Odeda, Ikenne, Remo North, Ogun Waterside and Ijebu – Igbo.
Residents and many interest groups trooped out to welcome him, pledging support for his second term bid, and also anchoring their action on the relative peace, clean and safe environment, security of lives and properties among other things that have returned to the state.
In Ijebu – Igbo, home town of the late Afenifere leader, Senator Abraham Adesanya, the enthusiastic crowd of supporters was phenomenal.
And despite the fact that it is equally the home town of the billionaire hotelier and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) financier in the state, Prince Buruji Kashamu, as well as that of Senator Gbenga Kaka(APC), whose relationship with the Governor is less than cordial, Amosun commands not a small following there.
The residents were particularly enamoured by the commencement of work at the ever busy station junction for the construction of the first fly -over bridge in the ancient and populous town in Ijebu North Local government.
Although, construction of the Ijebu – Igbo fly – over ought to have began about a year earlier but people of opposing interest at the time, it was learnt, prevailed on individuals whose properties would be affected by the project not to allow any demolition on their structures until government compensates them.
And Amosun who was humbled by the overwhelming reception accorded him in the places toured so far, pledged his commitment to further development, assuring the people he would not take their support for granted even as he noted that his visit was not to kick -start 2015 campaign but to assess the impacts of his government on them.
Amosun said: “I have come to assess all we have been able to do since you voted us in as Governor and all my other people you voted in, whether at the National Assembly, state level and even at the ward level, you are our masters, you sent us on an errand.
“And you have the opportunity, if you send somebody on errand and he is not doing well, you have the power on your hands, you can send away bad government by your votes.
“There’s something we must do and this is not for APC alone but for all the parties in Ogun State, we don’t want violence, nobody should fight, if you’re running for any office, 50 people can come out but it is the person destined by God that will get the position.
“I am saying this not for APC alone but I am saying it for all our parties, whether you are for this party or that party, but for us in APC, we will ensure that we must not do anything that will bring violence to our people, nobody benefits in an atmosphere of violence, nobody benefits in an atmosphere that is devoid of peace.
“It is when you have peace that we can have development, it is when you have peace that we can achieve huge success, it is when you have peace that you can assist government.”
But the PDP in the state said the tour is a subtle way of kick – starting of 2015 electioneering campaign by the Governor, hoping he would use the opportunity to recover lost ground ahead of time.
The Party’s state Secretary, Mr Semiu Sodipo, said the crowd that converged to welcome him in each of the Local governments so far visited did not show up in those places on their own volition.
Sodipo specifically accused Amosun of “forcing and mandating” the state’s civil servants to join him in the tour whereas, they ought to be “non partisan.”
According to him, the governor should know that the game is up and that the people of the state are thinking a different thing about him and his administration.
Also, aide to ex – governor Gbenga Daniel, Mr Ayo Giwa, said the governor should be bothered by the fact that he is touring local governments without projects to commission there, three and half years after he was sworn into office.
Giwa reasoned that Amosun is jittery because the election time is near and instead of pointing out what he has done, the governor, elected to be cursing one person after another like he did in Odeda Local government as if that is what the people deserved now.
Giwan said: “he stalled Olokola project. Why can’t he revive it? A refinery should have been established there by Dangote. As far I know, he has done only one project and that is Totoro road to Owu. Others are not completed yet.
“The model schools are not ready after he promised to deliver them by 2012. He even promised to put students there by September this year but that is not feasible. Is that the kind of leader the people want?”
