Former All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant, Olaoluwa Adeyeye, told Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf that there is urgent need to reconcile Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice. Excerpts.
Although Governor Rotimi Akeredolu-led administration in Ondo State rode to power in a blaze of glory, Olaoluwa Adeyeye, one of the aspirants in the election under All Progressives Congress (APC), is of the view that one year down the line many electorates are having a raw deal of some sort.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Adeyeye said “Governor Akeredolu has done quite a number of remarkable things, particularly the determined manner in which he sought to clear the salary arrears left by his predecessor who chose to build a N14 billion ‘event centre’ rather than pay salaries. This administration has also initiated a number of development initiatives and from the strategic development plans they put in place, should be on track to deliver. However, the people of Ondo State at large are yet to come out of the coma inflicted by poverty of these past years.”
Adeyeye however added that many people that see a Messiah in Akeredolu are currently worried because of what he described as “some anti-people policies of the government in recent times. Rather than alleviate their poverty, the signals coming out of this administration is aggressive taxation, masked as increased school fees, suggestions of Parents Teachers’ Association fees across primary schools, unaffordable university fees and talks about introducing a Lagos style ‘Land Use Charge.”
Much as he argues that it is legitimate for the state government to increase the internally generated revenue, he also holds the view that “such should not be at the expense of the already impoverished masses.
“I believe government can take a different approach to the matter and not to squeeze an already shrunken people. The situation is to an extent that pregnant women who deliver their babies free under the previous administration that we rejected are now being charged almost N30, 000. From zero to almost N30, 000 is not acceptable. Whilst the government has signed various memorandum of understanding (MoU) towards the delivery of projects across various sectors, those MoUs are yet to become substantive agreements that are being executed at much needed speed so that jobs can be created and economic activities in the state can increase. It is only when this is done that the state can begin to see increased IGR,” he said.
Ideally, he would rather the state government takes a cue from its counterparts elsewhere. As he puts it: “Ogun State is worthy of emulation in many respects. Let me say this very expressly; the conversion rate of MoU’s into reality in this country is very low and I’m not just talking about Ondo State, you can check other states, you can check the federal government and I can tell you categorically as a legal practitioner that the practice in that space is that about 80 percent of MoUs signed by the government never see the light of day. An MoU is not a contract, it is not binding, it’s just an understanding that the parties will enter into a substantial relationship; but if the funds are not available and the will to see it to manifestation is not there, the MoU will just end up as paper or a file in a cabinet that will ultimately be shredded and forgotten about. I’m hoping that will not be our experience in Ondo State; I am hoping that MoUs will translate into reality here, that funding will be secured for strategic projects that would improve the quality of life lived by people in Ondo State.”
On plans by the state government to increase tuition fees in the state-owned institutions, he said education should not be the place where government looks to grow its revenue.
The government, he insists, “has a duty to educate the next generation and I think that should always be the starting point of any discussion.
On the recently promulgated Land Use Charge and other tax policies which is drawing a lot of flakes from concerned members of the state, he said the timing was wrong.
“I’m aware that government needs money to run; I’m aware of the role that taxes pay in helping societies to develop but a tax policy that is not married to the current economic realities of its audience will fail, so I would strongly suggest that the Ondo State Government introduce this new tax drive with great care, feel the pulse of the people.
On allegation that his 2016 governorship bid in Ondo State was bankrolled by the Senator representing the northern senatorial district of the state in National Assembly, Robert Ajayi Borofice, who also ran for the coveted seat, he offered some explanations.
Professor Ajayi Borofice, he said, “remains a father figure I met in the run-up to the primary election within our party and he was as always very measured and well-presented on his approach to issues. Fast-forward to the primary election; we realised that we did not have sufficient political capital to execute the primaries successfully, hence the need to align with a more experienced candidate that had a broad political structure from whom we could learn a thing or two and as you are aware that was my first entrance into competitive politics and there is a very huge learning curve in this process, hence the alignment with Prof. Borofice; that was what it was and the alignment ended with the APC primaries. I’ve heard people say that Prof. Borofice may be sponsored the campaign, may be Prof. gave me money to step down and all of that, I’m a politician that prides myself in transparency and sincerity and I’m telling you on my integrity that I did not receive a dime from Prof. Boroffice, there was no inducement whatsoever either directly or indirectly. I respect him as a leader in the state just as I respect Governor Akeredolu but I’m largely unhappy about the wrangling between himself and the governor. I’m hoping they can put differences aside and be sincere and be cooperative about the future of Ondo State. There is life beyond politics and elections. I’m pleading with elders in the state to bring them together and let there be peace in the APC in Ondo State so that we can move together because united we stand and divided we are most certainly going to fall.”
