The Nation Newspaper

Tag: survive

  • Will Nigeria survive another census exercise?

    SIR: Another census exercise is looming in Nigeria.  By law, it should take place one in 10 years. The last population count was in 2006 when Olusegun Obasanjo was at the villa.  As a nation we have defaulted again.  This is by no means the important thing.  What is important and frightening is the incessant problem associated with out head count.  In other climes, even in Africa, population census is the normal counting of those inhabiting a particular political entity.  It is a simple act which does not threaten the break – up of persons or the nation.  In Nigeria we have not achieved this level of comprehension of counting all men, women, and girls, boys, leaving out animals, reptiles, and birds etc. that also inhabit our country.

    As much as I can remember, census taking has consistently threatened the existence of our country.  It is during the exercise that ethnicity, tribalism and regionalism come to the fore.  Census reminds us about every reason why we are not one people.  It pitches the ‘North’ versus the ‘South’, the minority versus majority and so on.

    In Nigeria things have not changed to warrant a peaceful, honest and reliable census exercise.  On the other hand, the political atmosphere is getting more fouled, ethnicity more pronounced, manipulation of vital social statistics more apparent.  Most times we are helpless as the nation hovers on the brink, especially at state and national elections.  The only exception is local government, an election in which the party controlling the state government is assigned 99.99% of the total vote.  In many cases, opposition parties do not bother to contest the election’ the result of which had been written weeks before in the State INEC Office.  Even with such perversity, the existence of Nigeria as a corporate body is not threatened as we have been used to since 1954.

    For population counting it is another ball game.  All the hierarchy of  the society are activated from the president, to  the governor, Emir to Eze, Oba to Baale, presidents and chairmen of town, village, clan ‘development’ association.  Every conceivable leader is geared to play a ‘noble’ role to assure that the population of the community advances to pre-determined figures, “because development depends on the number of people living in our area”.

    The nationwide mobilization is geared up.  Okada riders, Danfo conductors, sex workers all who rarely visit their homeland feel a sense of patriotism, rushing home to register.  Every leader in the community struggles to ensure that his village achieves 100% increase in population.  And the regional upheavals start in earnest.

    Recall for instance that in the 1962 population exercise, the Northern Region with 11million became         30 million; Eastern Region with10.5 million became 12 million; Western Region with 8.5 million became    10.5 million; and Lagos with 600,000 remained 600,000. For exercise which cost a whopping one million pounds, the controversies generated by the declared outcome led to its cancellation.

    Considering today’s heated political astrosphere, such controversy could snowball into more dangerous proportions.

    What, with all these, am I talking about? It is simple.  We should be prepared for the storm ahead.  Leaders, including the super-rich, super exposed religious leaders should start organizing themselves into prayer groups to appeal to the Almighty God to save our country.

     

    • Deji Fasuan MON, JP,

    Ekiti State.

  • How Nigeria can survive, by Abubakar

    How Nigeria can survive, by Abubakar

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that the country will overcome current socio-economic and political challenges.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain made the assertion at the recent the ‘Silverbird Man of the Year Award’ where he received the ‘Extraordinary Achievement Award.’

    He said the solution to the challenges were unity among Nigerians and good leadership.

    The representative of the former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Very Revd Msgr. Francis  Ogunmodede, First Episcopal Vicar of Lekki Region, who received the award on behalf of the renowned clergy, Anthony Cardinal Okojie, noted that the former Vice President is a potential president.

    Speaking after he was presented with the award by Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu, Atiku said: “Recession, depression are economics situations that go through every nation on earth, and I believe Nigerians of all works of life have the capacity to turn around our current economic challenges into prosperity. All what is required is the unity of Nigeria and right leadership to turn around this economic situation into prosperity for most of our people.

    “I believe that every responsible government should emphasis on youth development and empowerment so that our prosperity can return to us”.

    Ogunmodede said that the nation needed a change both economically and politically, adding that “I believe the one who can make the difference is in this hall with us.”

    The guest lecturer, Senator Dina melaye had earlier insisted that unless there is absolute separation of powers among the tiers of government, the nation’s democracy may collapse.

  • How Nigeria can survive, by Ndigbo

    How Nigeria can survive, by Ndigbo

    The Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT) has urged the Federal Government to respect the rights of the people to agitate for a better society, saying the country can only survive in an atmosphere of the rule of law.

    The President of the ILT, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, in a statement, said the agitation for self-determination being embarked upon by the Igbo does not mean secession. He said self-determination was guaranteed by the United Nations charter.

    Nwabueze added that the extreme polarisation of the country along religious and ethnic lines, as a result of the actions of the political parties and the Federal Government, was working against the development of Nigeria.

    He said: “Islamization obtains when the Quran is brought in as part of the law to regulate the lives of the people, as is the case in 12 northern states. These states have thus violated the religious character of the Nigerian state as provided in Section 10 of the constitution.

    “The statement by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, in The Guardian newspaper of 20, August, 2016 that “nobody can Islamize Nigeria” is intended to hoodwink us; the reality, as shown in the actions of the Federal Government, is different.”

    Nwabueze, a constitutional lawyer, criticised the Federal Government for neglecting the Federal Character principle in the appointment of the President’s kinsmen, tribesmen and fellow adherents of the Islamic faith to critical positions in the security services – Chief of Army, Inspector General of Police, Minister of Defence, Minister of Internal Affairs and the National Security Adviser etc.

    He explained that one of the cardinal elements of constitutional democracy was the concept of government of laws and not government of men or personal government.

    Nwabueze added: “The Islamization of the personnel of those institutions means the Islamization of the institutions themselves, and consequently the Islamization of the government and, by reason thereof, the state itself.

    “The activities of armed Fulani herdsmen who kill, kidnap, rape, burn and destroy crops and land with impunity has continued without any real action by the Federal Government to stop them. The herdsmen have been rightly perceived as advance foot soldiers of the Fulani jihadists.

    “The taking of Nigeria into the Organisation of Islamic Congress (OIC) and into the Islamic Bank Organisation as a member thereof is among the actions of the Federal Government designed to implement the Islamization Agenda.

    “We call on the Federal Government to stop the Islamization Agenda being pursued in these brazen manners. Christians all over the country and people of the southern states should be on the alert over these developments.

    “We also urge that the detained leader of IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, should be released unconditionally. In fact, it should be appreciated that his continued incarceration is the factor that inflames the agitation and has kept it alive.”

  • Helping ladies survive in the market place

    Helping ladies survive in the market place

    In the economic scene a lot of young people are finding it tough to survive. In this report YETUNDE OLADEINDE takes a look at how young entrepreneurs were empowered to survive at a BootCamp organised by Business and Professional Women recently.

    IN a few years, the number of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) across the nation has been on the increase. Unemployment also has made a lot of people to put on their thinking caps and in the process they have rediscovered some potential that have turned out to be a goldmine.

    Interestingly, the nation needs the contribution of our SMEs because they contribute meaningfully to economic development and they are usually at the forefront of output expansion, employment generation, income redistribution, as well as the promotion of indigenous entrepreneurship.

    A quick survey reveals that a bigger chunk of SMEs in the country is run by women. Even though the women have put in their best to prove their mettle, there are so many odds militating against the growth and development of their businesses.

    When the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) came with its abundant devaluation of naira most of the SMEs collapsed because of lack of opportunities and access to credit. In addition, they lament the quantum of naira required to purchase the appropriate amount of foreign exchange for their raw materials while the capital for the business had shrunk considerably.

    Unfortunately, many were forced to close shop due to the shortage of working capital required to finance constant importation of raw materials.

    To make things better, a lot of women groups and organisations began to look inwards finding alternatives and opportunities to survive against the odds. One of such initiatives came from the Business and Professional Women (BPW) Nigeria in Abuja, recently, tagged the WE Boot camp.

     So what is the idea behind the WE Boot camp? You ask

    “WE here mean transformation from women to entrepreneurs. The motive for the BPW Nigeria 2016 Boot camp is to support young ladies to scale up their performance in the market place because things are getting very competitive and it is important to have an edge in whatever you are doing. It was also a platform where young women can also share their personal challenges, take a deeper look at the things that are limiting their rise so they can be mentored,” informs Angela Ajala, the organisation’s national president.

    She then talks about the targets and the areas that the training covered. “It was a wonderful experience and an eye-opener for the participants. Our targets are young ladies between the ages of 18 and 35 years. The idea is to catch them young, identify their talents and help them identify the opportunities and their potential. In the area of training we covered, different areas like financial intelligence, etiquette, women’s health and wellness, leadership, entrepreneurship development, environmental consciousness, personal development, public speaking and agro creativity.”

    Apart from the theoretical and practical trainings there would be follow up with the beneficiaries from time to time. “We have plans to follow up because this is part of the monitoring and evaluation process of the programme. To do this effectively, we have set up a whatsapp group for them and we would also be transiting them to our young group known as Young Business and Professional Women (YBPW) for proper follow up.”

    Talking about some of the high points of the Boot camp and expectations from the participants, she says: “The event was a three-day residential camp with no distractions for the young women who participated. They were able to learn a number of new things and understood the issues they face daily from a different perspective. In the process, we found that some positive transformation had taken place and it is actually a continuous thing that would reflect in their businesses, career and lifestyle. Some of the lessons learnt include self-confidence, public speaking, networking, dreams rebuilt, re-strategising and much more.”

    She then goes down memory lane to talk about some of the challenges encountered by female entrepreneurs in different sectors of the economy. “For female entrepreneurs, like others, the challenges are quite numerous. They include access to finance, infrastructure, lack of power, unfavourable policies as well as access to information and opportunities.”

    A lot of SMEs are struggling to survive at the moment and Ajala uses the opportunity to encourage them to be steadfast and hardworking. “The truth of the matter is that the times are challenging. However, it is not enough to fold your arms and expect things to fall in place. What we need to do is to work hard and look for ways to stand out in the crowd.  In addition, women can also go into strategic partnership and collaboration, build conglomerates instead of silos. It is also very important to cut down overhead cost and eliminate wastage in operations. We must be constantly innovative and do things that would make us stand out.”

    Women who have made a mark in their businesses can also help to mentor the young ones thus catching them young and helping to bridge the gap.

    “Mentoring does not just allow you to reinvent the wheel, it actually helps you to move faster and do things better. I think that government should introduce business-friendly policies that would make things better for the average entrepreneur. In addition, there is need to improve on infrastructure  as well as set up an SME bank that can support businesses with single digit interest rates. The private sector is playing her role already.”

    The discussion dwells on the focus of the organisation and how it has inspired women on the national and international scene.

  • That our democracy may survive

    SIR: Nigeria as a political entity was nurtured into democracy after a long period of colonialism which afforded her the opportunity of foundational structure that eventually prepared her for a democratic rule. She was still basking in the euphoria of the long awaited democracy vis-à-vis independence when the military struck in 1966. This immediately truncated the six-year old democratic practice that led to political instability which in turn led to various coups and counter-coups. The military, which is both antithesis and aberration to politics was quick to suspend the existing constitution and replaced it with decrees. Pitifully enough, the return of democracy in 1979 was short-lived with another military interruption until 1999.

    Another landmark recorded in the annals of democracy in Nigeria with the coming of a new democratic dispensation in 1999 which unlike before remained uninterrupted. However, a careful look at our experiences so far has shown that we have not imbibed the democratic culture enough as gross misconducts and malpractices were the order of the day in virtually all the general elections held in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 respectively. The attitude of many desperate electorates and political actors during the elections resulted in the violence which sent numerous Nigerians to their untimely graves.

    As if this was not bad enough, social unrest in different forms such as Boko Haram insurgency, militancy, kidnapping as well as vandalism among others have been rearing their ugly heads in the last 17 years; they have indeed become an albatross for the government and the governed. Unemployment keeps increasing by the day as institutions of learning continue churning graduates out in hundreds of thousands on a yearly basis without corresponding spaces to absorb them. Corruption in high places, especially among leaders who have been siphoning public funds and stashing them is not helping matters either, as a matter of fact, this unpatriotic and selfish act is one of the factors responsible for making an average Nigerian live the Hobbesian life that is “poor, nasty, short and brutish”.

    To check these excruciating conditions,  parochial nature of the nation’s political culture needs to be corrected. The attitude towards participating in political matters or all governmental issues should be upgraded. Citizens should see public property as theirs and not merely public-owned. The “I don’t care” attitude of the people to political matters must equally stop, while ethnic chauvinism, which has eaten deep into the fabric of the country, should be corrected.

    The cost of running government and emoluments should also be reduced, thus, making the offices less attractive. The redemption of the image of t

     

    • Segunmaru Adebayo,

     Abeokuta.

  • How PDP can survive, by lawmaker

    How PDP can survive, by lawmaker

    Apparently worried by the lingering leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a member of the House of Representatives has called for a united opposition party in the country

    Hon. Sergius Oguns, member representing Esan Southeast and Esan Northeast Constituency, said the PDP must put its house in order to provide a viable opposition to checkmate what he described as the ‘excesses’ of the ruling party.

    Speaking in his country home, Ugboha, he said: “I am worried. I was a member of the convention committee. I was there at Port Harcourt and when we returned back from the convention to Abuja, the minority leader in the house of Representative called some of us to go and see Alhaji Ahmadu Sheriff to plead with him that the party is supreme, that he should put the party first, that, if we have offended him as a person ,we are coming on behalf of the PDP caucus in the house to ask for your forgiveness.

    “Ahmadu complained about the injunctions that came and others saying that was the reason he stopped the Port Harcourt convention, he now told us that the governors have immunity ,that he doesn’t have, that he can be arrested, so he needs to obey the court orders, so we now pleaded that for whatever happened he should forgive us in the interest of the party.

    “We left and regrouped that same evening to see Prof. Jerry Gana in his place to also let him know that we have met with Ahmadu Sheriff so that the supremacy of the party can prevail. So the next day,the BoT of the party meet with the caretaker committee, then it was resolved that the stakeholders are ready to work with the caretaker committee.

    He added: “In that meeting, it was also resolved that some of our leaders, should get in touch with Ahmadu Sheriff and his people and it was later reported back that they couldn’t reach him. so, I was surprised when I saw in the papers that Ahmadu Sheriff said nobody reached him,that wasn’t correct. I personally was in his house alongside other caucus members.

    “My prayers is that, His Excellency, Sheriff should, for the sake of the party, do the needful and withdraw the cases in court and let us have one united party, so that, we as an opposition party, can take on the government of the day. As you and I know,things are not working right in this country. when was the last time did you hear someone speak as a united PDP? Nobody. So, I will plead with him that, if people offended him,we say sorry and for the sake of Nigeria,let’s have a strong opposition party to check the government of the day

  • ‘How states will survive hard times’

    ‘How states will survive hard times’

    In this interview, Dr Adebayo Adewusi, who supervised the finances of Lagos State for the 18 months the Federal Government withheld allocations to the state’s local governments, recalled how the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu-led government helped the state to cope with the situation which many states are facing today, reports Bisi Oladele

    Looking back to your days as the Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, how would you describe that period in your life?

    We thank God today. I just resumed as the Finance Commissioner in February, 2004, and by April, federal allocations for local governments in Lagos State were stopped by the Federal Government. It was very sudden because we did not see it coming. We knew we had created additional local governments and we thought the President then, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, would follow the rule of law and challenge that decision in court. I went for the FAC meeting in Abuja only to learn about the stoppage. The challenge was such that we needed to run the government and that means that we had to share the burden of the local governments in addition to that of the state. That was really very challenging. I will say that was a major critical factor that tested our resolve, including the governor who led the way and we all followed him in his agenda of changing Lagos State at his time. It was a test for all of us.

    Can you remember some of the very important decisions you took to sustain the idea of creating the Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs) then to survive the period of seizure of federal allocation?

    The governor believed that our decision to create those local governments was based on the need to take government to the grassroots level where it was more needed. We bought into that vision and for us; it was a ‘no-go-back’ situation. If you recall at that time, a number of states, about six states in the northern part of Nigeria, had to recount the decision to create local governments immediately the announcement was made on the seizure of local government fund for Lagos. So, for us, we had to find means to continue the various programmes of the government, including funding the local governments. Looking back now, it was the most important decision. When you are challenged, you will not only come up with your utmost best, your resilience is most tested when you are faced with some very difficult challenges and we came out well.

    The situation then is akin to what we have in the country now because all allocation received by many states are not enough to pay just salaries.  What advice do you have for the governors and finance commissioners?

    I think the issue now is slightly different from what we had then. What we have today is a national crisis which has affected over 26 states. States are unable to pay workers salaries at different levels. We know what brought us here, the years of the past administration when we failed to save when we had enough money coming from oil. We did not take full advantage at that time. Aside that, today we are in this situation because first, oil price has collapsed internationally, which has also affected Nigeria. There is also a new militant group in the Niger Delta called the Niger Delta Avengers. They have continued to blow up pipelines. So, today we are in trouble. How do we get out of this? I want to say with full emphasis that most states must come up with strategies, short and long term, to combat these crises. If they rely on the federal allocation at this time, it is not going to help. Luckily, every state has areas of comparative strength, an advantage which they can use to generate revenue. There is no state in Nigeria today that does not have either mineral resources or arable land that can be used for agriculture.

    I sympathise with the governors. They are not finding things easy. They are also faced with the labour union strikes. These times are very worrisome. How can they create infrastructure, employments for youths? It is quite challenging. Rather than do nothing, they can do so much by combating the situation. Running away from the situation will not help. All hands must be on deck. Agriculture is very fast.

    You were brought up with progressive’s ideology; from AD, to AC to ACN. Then you suddenly defected to Accord Party. Why are you not in APC now?

    I am in APC now. We had some issues and I left in the past. Like you rightly said I was with AD and all. We had some issues in the past administration. We discovered we were not taken into consideration with all our efforts and the resources we have channeled into the politics and the governance of this state. We decided to move away but we are back because there is nowhere we are going and our people are very happy that we are back with the progressives.

    It is one year into Buhari’s administration, there has been divergent views on his performance. What is your assessment?

    Let me first say that one year is not enough to conclude that this government has done well or has not done well. Every issue we are discussing must have its antecedent. We had a 16-year uninterrupted rule of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). We know where we were and how the PDP government has taken us back. What is important is that he has shown serious commitment and interest in seeing that the Nigeria of our dreams is realised because of some of the things he has done, especially in the area of corruption. We have never seen anything like it in our history. The moment you can combat corruption, every other thing will fall in place.

  • Three-year-old needs N500, 000 to survive

    Three-year-old needs N500, 000 to survive

    One year after he underwent surgery as a result of inability to pass stool, three-year-old Taiwo Ojelabi needs N500, 000 for another surgical operation.

    Taiwo, a twin baby boy who developed the problem during birth, had congenital abnormality with perforated anus.

    When Mrs Doyin Ojelabi, a teacher at a private primary school and mother of the twin was pregnant, she registered for antenatal care at Goodwill Child Welfare Clinic and Maternity Centre; a private hospital located at Mabolaje area of Oyo State.

    During routine ultra-sound screening, Doyin’s womb was confirmed twin gestation.

    Though the hospital’s facility could not detect the abnormality during the screening process, it was detected after delivery, when one of the twins was unable to pass stool. The other twin baby boy had no health challenge at birth.

    Consequently, the baby with abnormality was referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, the Oyo State capital where the first constructive surgery known as colostomy was successfully performed at a cost of N150, 000.

    With the surgery, Taiwo could pass stool through a pipe connected to his abdomen.

    Another surgery has been recommended for the final repair that will enable him to pass stool normally. The cost of the surgery is put at N500, 000.

    While the mother is a teacher, her husband is a cobbler. They do not have such huge amount of money to enable their son to undergo the all-important surgery.

    Confirming the development, the Medical Director of the hospital, Mr. Raheem Olaniyi, who personally mobilised support for the first surgery, appealed to well-meaning individuals for assistance, in

    order to save the ailing twin from premature death.

    Speaking in an interview, Doyin, who looked dejected having wept profusely, narrated how his son went through excruciating pain before he could pass stool.

    She said: “I watched my twin baby reeling helplessly in pain whenever he wants to pass out excreta. He would cry very loud before the stool is passed out. While adjusting the pipe in the abdomen for him, he cries uncontrollably to the extent that veins in his body will be visible.

    “It takes some minutes after the stool is passed before my child can get relief. We have exhausted all our fortunes on this ailment. In fact, feeding the children is a very serious problem, let alone buying drugs for them. My salary every month is less than N10, 000.”

    Taiwo, who wore tattered clothes solicited financial assistance from governments and charitable organisations

    to save the life of her son. She said the surgical operation ought to have been carried out if they money is available.

  • ‘I need less than N2.5m to survive’

    ‘I need less than N2.5m to survive’

    It was with difficulty that  she narrated her ordeal. It took time and effort for her to get up from where she laid down. She looked unhappy. Mrs Abimbola Olasode, 40-year-old primary school teacher, mother of three is living with stage 4 cancer of the breast. She needs six to eight sessions of chemotherapy, with an interval of four weeks in between the courses.

    According to Dr Ebenezer Nkom, the Chief Consultant Surgeon/Medical Director, the Prince Specialist Clinic in Asero Estate, Abeokuta, the Ogun State Capital, Mrs Olasode can benefit from Chemotherapy, radiotherapy+/- surgery. This is because, “she was presented with a left axillary mass. The biopsy was done in January, last year. The histological diagnosis is infiltaring ductal carcinaoma of the left breast Grade 2 Score 6. Since she has commenced the chemotherapy, her condition has improved, but she must not miss or delay any of the courses” he explained.

    According to Dr Nkom, clinically, Mrs Olasode has advanced fungating carcinoma of the left breast, i.e cancer of the left breast. Though she is responding to chemotherapy which is N100, 000 per session,  she still needs to do chest x-ray, blood chemistry, liver panel, haemogram, receptors and urinalysis, the estimated cost of each investigation is N80, 000.

    In pains, Mrs Olasode said she has done two sessions and spent her life savings on her treatment. “I have been forced to empty my savings and even sold some items right from the time the lump was detetected and receiving treatment at the Lagos University teching Hospital  (LUTH). My children education is badly affected as well. My husband is a man of strong will and has gone round looking for money so I can do the other sessions of chemotherapy, so that my condition does not deteriorate, but things are hard. We are meeting blocks,” she explained.

    ‘’And that is why, I am calling on philanthropists across the country to come to my aid. I don’t want to die. I want to be there and for my children and train them. Life is gradually ebbing out of me. If I do not do this chemotherapy monthly, the doctor has warned that the condition will become worse. Please help me,” she moaned.

    Her husband, Mr Afolabi Olasode who works with a courier company, said the experience is agonising for his wife. “Sleeping, eating or doing anything useful is an ordeal. I always feel her pain whenever the cancer is ravaging my wife’s body. I have pulled all my resources together for her to do the two sessions, but now there is nothing left. That is why we are appealing to all and sundry to help us because we need assistance to conclude the treatment. We need less than N2.5m to do that before her condition claims her life,” he said.

    Mrs Olasode can be reached on GSM nos:  07088803632, 08137374491, 08028207100. Donations can be made into Diamond bank, Afolabi Olasode, a/c 0006244429.

  • ‘PDP can’t survive in Ondo’

    ‘PDP can’t survive in Ondo’

    Former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly Hon. Omowumi Olatunji is now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State. She spoke with EMMANUEL OLADESU on the chances of the party at the governorship election in the Sunshine state.

    What is your assessment of the political situation in Ondo State?

    Looking at Ondo State and the structure, we cannot compare Ondo State with Lagos because Ondo State is more of a civil servant state. The larger percentage of the population is the workforce and I think the people are so unhappy about the way the administration is going, how governance is being discharged in Ondo State. The atmosphere is a bit tense because of that unhappy condition and the lack of attention that the government is giving to people in the state. It is affecting the state. You cannot see the enthusiasm the people had when the Mimiko administration came on board. So, I think the state itself and the people are very ready for change and, if you look at the entire Southwest, the APC has gained ground in Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, leaving out Ekiti and Ondo. The election of Edo State is coming up in June. The election of Ondo State is October. So, we have the template that we are going to use in October. We will use it Ondo State. That is going to give enough time to be able to look at the chances of coming to sweep the state. So, I think everything is set for the APC and we have to leverage on the inability of the current government to discharge its duties. I won’t lie to you. People are not happy with the Mimko administration. I think it has really lost its popularity.

    Is the economic problem not also responsible for the bad situation?

    That the salaries are not paid on time, and all that, it is part of it. Don’t forget that the level of the rot is high. The PDP was in power for 16years. The level of destruction, the level of impunity, people were doing things without thinking about the future. Any opportunity people were given to serve under thePDP, they were using it as if it was just about self. Many things have gone wrong. So, you cannot repair a broken wall overnight. The Buhari administration just got into office less than a year. We are not going to expect so much. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. So, for any administration that is still flowing from the PDP, it will be rejected. It is stupidity on the part of any person to say I will vote for the PDP because they have lost ground. They do not have the interest of people at heart.

    Look at this issue of cleansing that is going on the country as regards corruption war because that was the selling point during the campaign of President Buhari; that he was going to make sure that anyone that stole Nigeria’s money is brought to book. And look at it today. You know how much we have been able to retrieve from outside and within the country. You could see the level of heartlessness that has been displayed.

    More than 25 people want to be governor of Ondo State on the platform of the APC. Don’t you see the struggle for the ticket tearing apart the party?

    It is their constitutional right. The constitution gives you room to vote and be voted for. So, anybody that has interest in going for any office, it is his constitutional right. But, I believe the leadership is looking into that and at the end of the day, the number would be pruned down. So, I see that number reducing before the primary. We cannot have that large number; it doesn’t make sense, it does add up to have 25 people going for the shadow poll. I think the party is looking towards that direction to prune down the number of aspirants.

    The aspirants are building their personal platforms, instead of collectively building the party. How do you react to this?

    Well, I don’t think that is correct because I could remember when I came in few days back, one of the aspirants donated buses to the party and I have seen them going round, making visitations, consultations across the state. Contrary to that, I have seen the activities of most of the aspirants and I am impressed. They just need to intensify whatever they are doing.

    What is your reaction to the defections from the PDP to the APC in Ondo?

    In the last one month, we have had a lot of people defecting from the PDP to the APC. That further confirms that the PDP is depopulated. So, they don’t have as much followership. The APC is now a party to beat because we are increasing by the day. Even two weeks ago, one of their strong supporters crossed to the APC and he came with a large number of followers from the PDP. They were not rented crowd. They were known faces in the community. So, I see prospect. The transition from the PDP to the APC in Ondo State is going to be very smooth. The people are really ready. They are receptive to this new change mantra that will come.

    What will Ondo people benefit under the APC government that they are not getting under the PDP administration.

    There are five factors that favour the APC. These are our selling points. One is responsibility. Any government that is not responsible is not worth following. In anything you are doing, when you say a government is responsive, that means they know what to do at the right time. When you give somebody the responsibility and he is not responsive, it’s like today we talk about Fashola’s government in Lagos State. It was a responsive government and the same thing applies. It has become part of you; you cannot be disconnected from the people that voted for you. The party and the government must be accountable to the people. The APC is a government that believes in accountability and that is what we are saying and in whatever we are doing, we are very consistent; we believe in continuity. Anything that we do, we sustain it and that is what we are selling-consistency in governance. We don’t believe in duplication and wasting money. Anything that we are doing and is affecting people positively, we sustain it. Also, in what we do, transparency is important. You must be seen not to only say you are transparent. You must be seen to be transparent.

    What are the mistakes you think that the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) made in 2012 that robbed it of the governorship that shout be not repeated?

    There was no serious competition and we did not prepare on time. Like what we are doing right now, everybody r is on the field working. The last time, the candidate came out, shortly before the election. So, he didn’t really have time to get into details. The people didn’t know him. We couldn’t sell him the way we should because there wasn’t much time.

    You are relocating from Lagos to Ondo. How would you react to the perception that you are a new comer or a stranger in Ondo politics?

    I am not a stranger. I’m not strange to Ondo. When people want to be mischievous, they would talk about that. But, no matter how long you have been away from your place of origin, one day you will return home. People say there is no place better than home. I’m back home. My people cannot tell me that to be a member of that family, you have to create me again. I have been created and I’m happy. I’m proud. Those who don’t know me, they are taking their time and pain to go and know my family house because the story is: where is she coming from? They say I don’t have a root. It is a lie.

    I had my primary education in Akure. I had my secondary education in Ondo State. I went to St. Mathias Primary School and St. Louis Girls Grammar School, Akure. I only had admission to study in Lagos in 1999. That was when I left. So, for somebody to say they don’t know me is just a story that is not going to sell because I am a known face and good enough, I still have an aged father, a 93-yr-old man, who is still very strong, living in Akure. My family dynasty is still very much on ground because we produce the current monarch in Akureland. So, those stories I hear, I discard them because they are not going to add any value to what I am doing.

    To what extent have you impacted on the people of Ondo State?

    With the empowerment that I have introduced, it is going to capture a large number of people. On individual basis, I have been doing that, paying school fees for people and all that. It is what I am used to. You get to hear this family has problem, that one is sick in the hospital. I do that periodically; sometimes on a weekly basis, on a daily basis. So, I touch their lives. But, I want to look at a larger percentage of the people of Ondo State. That is why I am sponsoring an empowerment programme that will cut across the entire state to touch a thousand people-youths, women, old people, widows, orphans. I have given the party that right to go and put that number and names together. So, my own duty is to make that presentation on that 27th of March and I look forward to it, and I know Ondo State people would be happy for this gesture.

    Who are you supporting among the 25 aspirants?

    I support all the aspirants. They are all my candidates. But, the person that would wear the crown would be crowned. I know that the person that God has prepared and who has the fear of God and passion for the people is the person is the person that this thing would fall in his hand. And I pray that that person will take our matter with all passion and commitment so that it will be a better record, compared to the one we are all trying to get rid off.

    How do you think the party should react to the antagonistic agitations for zoning by the people of Owo, Akure and Akoko?

    On the issue of zoning, I don’t think we are seeing it as a problem. It’s common sense revolution. Apparently, the incumbent governor of the state, Mimiko, is from Ondo and Ondo falls within the Central Senatorial District. We have a minister from South Senatorial District. The North  Senatorial District is left without anything. So, that is the rationale. We just need to understand that we have to be fair to all the senatorial districts within the state. I think if a candidate emerges from Morth, it should be a welcome development and then, whatever the central gets at the end of the day, the best could be a deputy governor and I know this time around, we want to flow with other states where you have a male governor and a female deputy governor so that we can strike a balance and be fair to all.