Reminiscence of the days preceding the April 14, 2007 governorship contest in Ondo State, when the coinage – Iroko ravaged the length and breath of the state like an organism infested by staphylococcal contagio, active actors and meticulous observers of political happenstances and developments will concur with the assertion, that barely few months to the November 26 governorship election, the name – Boroffice has become an household name in Ondo State.
Beyond the seeming uniqueness of the name as not many families can claim ownership to such rare identity, the name has been subject of political discourse in the nooks and crannies of the state, on radio programmes, beer parlor arguments, conversations in homes and even unprovoked attacks from the state government and its agents.
While now sounds Portuguese, it is an anglicised yoruba that belongs to the descendants of the prominent Omololu family from the Oka-Akoko part of the state. Interesting, many persons have chosen to codify the name to various versions that suit them. While many people in the state now pronounce Boro-fix-it, some other persons especially, the aged and illiterates, prefer the Yoruba version; Boro fix eee.
Therefore, when a visitor hears Boro-fix-it on visiting any part of Ondo State, it is a reference to the senator representing Ondo North senatorial district, Professor Roberts Ajayi Boroffice. A quick read on this personality will show a man with humble background. He started career as a university lecturer and rose to become acting Vice Chancellor; the highest level any lecturer can attain within the university system. He became Director-General of many federal agencies, which is the apogee attainable by civil servants, where he recorded landmark achievements of global attestations.
And a man presently serving in the highest legislative body in the country, the Nigerian Senate. While this piece isn’t designed to look at his antecedents as only volumes of books can address that, I will be restricted to writing about few instances that portray him as the most influential politician in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, the platform upon which he has launched ambition to govern Ondo State.
Though, Boroffice claims not to be a professional politician, he has a political machinery in the state through which thousands of people have been empowered and gainfully employed. The political machinery has made it quite possible for a lot of people to articulate and accomplish their political ambitions. It is a viable vehicle that has transported people to executive destinations and aided the election of a number of persons who have been sworn in as parliamentarians at both the state and federal legislatures. With the strength and intimidating successes of the structure, only a naive politician will disagree that the structure holds the ace in the Ondo State chapter of the APC.
Some months ago, Boroffice was rumoured to have imposed the incumbent Minister of State for Niger Delta, Prof. Omoyele Daramola, as the minister representing Ondo State in the Federal Executive Council (FEC). At that time, it was clear the sponsors of the rumour were some leaders who crashed out from the ministerial race. Perhaps, they were deeply pained and decided to get at a perceived enemy. They must have forgotten that the President has prerogative powers to appoint whoever he likes to serve in ministerial capacity.
When the rumour hit town, I held and still hold the view that these guys might have appropriated more powers to the senator than he actually has. By the way, whether he indeed influenced the appointment of the minister or not is not what I can confirm. However, it is evidently clear that the senator and the minister belong to same political family and the duo share a cordial relationship that dates back many decades ago.
One will recall that after the failure of the defunct ACN in the 2012 Ondo State governorship contest, many party leaders including the party’s candidate deserted the state. In fact, some of the aspirants had fled before the day fixed for the poll. At about this time, the PDP-led state government, aided by security agencies, launched what appeared to be widespread attacks against members of the ACN. Party members were arrested on flimsy reasons, prominent party members were bullied, intimidated and attacked in their homes, and some persons were shot. Boroffice became the rallying point for venerable members of the party. He organised a summit for party members and encouraged them not to despair. At the summit, he preached hope and spoke glowingly about the future like a prophet. I believe party members are joyous that the same progressive coalition has formed the federal government barely 2 years after those trying period but he who stood by the party in those trying period, he who offered hope and support to despondent party members also deserves applause.
The crises which rocked the National Assembly after its inauguration on the 9th of June, 2015, offered another chance to mirror a senator who has unconditional loyalty to his party, the APC. He had options. Some were quite lucrative. But the actions of Senator Boroffice showed a reliable personality that the APC can trust through thick and thin. His actions have shown a firm believer in party supremacy in no small measures.
One must not fail to allude to the reality of his achievements as a senator. His interventions can be felt from the home front by his primary constituents and by extension, across Ondo State. In the areas of rural electrification, agriculture, education, health, industrial establishments and financial empowerments, his interventions are noble, impactful, people-oriented and landmarks. It is on record that the senator has sponsored the building of blocks of classrooms and toilet facilities in schools in his senatorial district and a gigantic school complex at Christ Pry School, Oka Akoko. He has built Skill Acquisition Centres in Ifon and Ikaram – Akoko. There is an ICT building at Iwaro – Oka, courtesy of the senator. He built an emergency Obstetrics care unit, Iboje – Oka. The hospital is christened emergency care unit, yet massive and magnificent. He has sponsored solar powered borehole at Arigidi and many others communities. He facilitated solar powered streetlights in Ido – Ani, Idogun, Oka – Akoko and other communities. He built Gari processing industry at Iboropa – Akoko and established Cashew nut processing factory in the zone. He has sponsored rural electrification and distributed transformers in many communities in Ose and Owo axis. He also supported farmers in Owo local government with seedlings and gave them financial empowerment. Artisans, hairdressers, vulcanisers and petty traders are not left out. They are beneficiaries of generators, grinding machines and financial supports from the senator. He has distributed scores of tricycles to constituents and empowered APC leaders, drivers and other beneficiaries with over 40 vehicles.
With this flawless, though incomplete, testimony on the impacts of a senator on his constituents, why many groups from Ondo South and Central are working for his election as governor should surprise nobody. It is simply decisions informed by the quest for development. Many people from other zones have confessed. They said if this man can make all these interventions without executive powers, he would make a good governor. I do not disagree. The multitude of delegates and groups that have endorsed his guber ambition are therefore on point.
His portray into politics has not been without controversies and challenges. After he joined the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2012, Governor Olusegun Mimiko deployed all his powers and political arsenal in a bid to declare the seat of the senator vacant. The rubber-stamp state legislature was manipulated to pass a motion to recall him from the Senate. As expected, it held no water beyond the fact that it made headlines in the newspapers. Still on same plot, principal lawmakers were offered bribes in hard currency but the purpose for which bribe was offered was frustrated by the highly-intelligent strategies and political networks of the senator. Lo and behold, he completely his term as a member of the 7th Senate.
One will also recall that when the senator had to dump his governorship ambition to support the governorship candidate of his party in 2012 due to the political exigencies of those times, Governor Mimiko, who was facing re-election campaign, reportedly gloated at his perceived misfortune and celebrated it at Government House.
In the 2015 general election, the machinery of the state government was practically relocated to Ondo North senatorial district. The agenda was simple and straightforward, the re-election bid of Senator Boroffice must be stopped. In the days preceding March 28, the easiest way to make money in Ondo State is to visit the goverment house and parade yourself as aggrieved supporter of the senator, you will not only be offered cash and sovernirs, you will also be honoured with gubernatorial handshakes and sometimes hugs. Not a few known persons exploitated the desperation of the government to make cool money in those days. At the end, the senator floored the governor and the candidate of the PDP at the poll because the governor actually contested the election.
While a fair and transparent primary election is non-negotiable, the party leaders and elders alike must be forthright. They are expected to guide the delegates of the party from repeating the mistakes of the past and also prevent graver mistake.
Without prejudice to politicians who defected to the APC after their party lost the presidential election, they cannot be trusted to implement the party manifestoes on education and industrial revolution. They cannot be trusted to adhere with party’s standards on probity and transparency because they might have only defected to the APC in the body while the soul belongs to the former party. With a history of unconditional loyalty to the party and unchanging commitment to the development of Ondo State and her people, Boroffice has the capacity to implement the agenda of change and progress in Ondo State.
In 2015, the man, Boroffice, severally hit airwaves and headlines as being considered for the position of vice presidential candidate of the APC. At the end of the process, a professor and devoted Christian like him, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was chosen. I believe Boroffice has paid his dues, it is time for the party to compensate a loyal party man. I agree with those groups that have been speaking out and telling whoever cares to listen that the APC can only win the forthcoming election if its best aspirant is presented as its flagbearer. As a threat to the status quo in Ondo State, I believe the senator is well positioned to lead the onslaught against PDP in Ondo State.
Kayode Adeniyi, a political analyst, wrote from Akure, Ondo State.
