Hon. Victor Olabimtan is the former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly. He spoke with DAMISI OJO on his governorship ambition and preparations for the poll.
After serving as the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, you still want to rule the state. What actually motivated you?
It is the desire and passion to serve my people. In the last 16 years, whether on the side of the opposition or in government, I have seen a lot of people in dire need of assistance to survive. We need a governor who is imbued with passion. Our inability to harness all human and material resources has been the bane of the development in this richly blessed state. The present realities of Ondo State are worrisome. The last six year have been very tragic such that people have lost faith in the sincerity of the government.
We now have despair and disillusionment, instead of hope and optimism,retrogressive and backward in place of progress and development. An atmosphere of despondency now prevails because of corrupt leadership.
In spite of over N500b that had accrued to Ondo State from various sources, we are now in a mess with a debt burden of over N100b. Leadership recklessness and profligacy have brought us down from a financially buoyant state in February, 2009 to a present state of abject indebtedness.
However, we need not lose hope. Rather, we must take our faith in our hands, as I believe Ondo State will rise again. For this reason, I offer myself to serve the good people of Ondo State at this critical moment. I want to be your Chief Servant in 2017 through your supports and votes.
Your campaign slogan is “VOICE”. What does that represent?
VOICE means Victor Olabimtan Initiative for Change and Emancipation.It is a vehicle to emancipate Ondo people, we want change in Ondo State as it happened at the federal level, we need a VOICE, clear Voice for that matter and not ordinary one. It is the bedrock of our campaigns, we are placing our integrity before the people not rhetorics, the pact should be between the ruled and the rulers. We want to have trust in the governed and the government. Many believe politicians are liars, we want to bring in transparency in the administration of the state, we want the people to know how they are being ruled. We are moving away from the past. Things must change. There will be new orientation in governance. For example, go to Abuja now, it is no more business as usual. President Muhamamdu is doing things as it should be. We want to have a corrupt-free government. We can not allow any governor to steal our common wealth.Remember, the late Pa Adekunle Ajasin,owed workers nine months salary arrears, before the military took over power, but because of his transparency, after they studied the whole scenario, they apologised to him. So, VOICE is rescuing the state from the edge of the precipe and near total collapse where the inefficient and ineffective leadership has driven it to. We will remove wastages and wage war against corruption so that the citizenry can once again trust and have belief in their leaders and the government.
There are over 20 aspirants on the platform of the APC. What do you think will make you the best of all for the job
What I know for sure is that all of us are qualified to be governor and with the present political situation in Ondo State, APC is becoming popular on daily basis, and this development has gingered many people to come out to test their popularity. If it is integrity and transparency, I am cock sure that the position will be for me. I was once a teacher and had also served as chairman of the state Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) with that position, I have been close to the grassroots to know peoples’ problems. I have been legislator and speaker of the Ondo state House of Assembly which has afforded me deep insight and familiarities with the problems and aspirations of ondo state.
I have equally served as a commissioner representing Ondo, Ekiti and Edo States at the Federal Civil Service Commission. I am therefore not a neophyte in public service matters.
With my good pedigree as somebody who has been sufficiently familiar with the public/civil service which is the machinery through which government policies and programmes are carried out
Many people believed you are a new comer into the APC and this may hinder your chances….
No politician is a new comer as regards the APC. The party was formed three years ago and I joined in December 2014, if you consider this, you will know I am not a new comer. All of us are indigenes of the state. You should understand that many political parties aligned to form the APC and in Ondo State here, the last year presidential and National / State Assembly elections was the first to be conducted under the platform of the party and all of us contributed to ensure that a new party for that matter could attain such feat. It was a collective effort, we were all contributors to the victory. I know clearly that Ondo State people will choose the best candidate that will transform the state for better living
Many people are clamouring for power shift to Akoko. As an Akoko man,is this justified?
First, I believe in only one agenda; that is Ondo State Agenda. Though we have law of natural justice. Justice is justice, fair is fair, equity is equity. If that is strictly followed, it is now the turn of Northern Senatorial District to produce the next governor.
The Southern District produced late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, the incumbent governor Olusegun Mimiko is almost done with his two-term in office and represents Ondo Central,so it is logical for Ondo North in which Akoko land is a major part to produce the next governor.
Are you hopeful that the APC will dislodge the PDP in the election?
Honestly speaking, if a right candidate is picked by the party leadership, the APC will win the election with a wide margin. The APC leadership should allow a level-play ground and give a credible and popular person the chance to emerge as people want. We need to get the right candidate to make the job easier for the party. We need a politician loved by everybody.
For example, the emergence of Muhamamdu Buahri as APC presidential candidate actually gave victory to the party because of his good pedigree and credibility. We need transparency, neutrality, fairness in the conduct of the party primary. Let the people of Ondo State speak. The election will be won and lost with the victory on APC side.
What is your assessment of the APC leadership in the state?
They are doing their best. In the recent past, the defunct ACN was not a preffered party in the state but if within the last two years APC could attain its present feat, we need to praise the leadership of the party, we need to support and pray for them.Nobody is perfect, I noticed in the past that in the Southern District, there was no ACN. But with the effort of APC leadership, the situation has changed. APC is now in place everywhere in Ondo State.
Let there be harmony and free primary election, the progressives party will form the next government as from February 2017.
