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Dr. Akeredolu O.N
With the emergence of BTO as the minister, coupled with the stingy and wiser-than-tortoise nature of many aspirants from the southern zone of the state, the next governorship is not yet ‘uhuru’ for them. Time shall tell.
One of the Yoruba adages says, ‘You can’t be a stingy man and be honourable,’ meaning before people can be your loyalists, you are expected to have touched their lives during their hard times. Bringing this to politics in an African setting where everyone wants all things to be free, coupled with the hell level of poverty among us, being a generous man with resources at your disposal will make you the people’s leader automatically. In a nutshell, with the current political dispensation, nobody is looking for a corruption-free, astute administrator who is stingy like Pa. Adekunle Ajasin (the first Executive Governor of Old Ondo State). The trending ‘Buje, Budanu’ phenomenon (which means when you have an opportunity, you must steal from the government’s coffers but touch people’s lives with it) is very important and popular among the densely populated Nigerian youths.
The politics of Ondo state is seriously lacking in terms of leadership, mostly because the narrative and criteria to assume the position have changed. In the past, during the early generation of the political class in the country, it was purely based on ideologies of conservatism and capitalism. The popular Awoism of southwestern Nigeria was a Conservative Ideology in which nearly everything was free and sponsored by regional authority. The Sir Amodu Bello and Dr Nnamdi Azikwe of Northern and Eastern Nigeria respectively tilted towards capitalism, in which the free education, free health program, and other regional government-sponsored lives touching Action Group’s agenda, enjoyed by Yoruba people under Chief Obafemi Awolowo, were obviously lacking in their regions.
This great sage from Ikene, now in Ogun state, was challenged by Sir Ladoke Akintola, who had earlier served as a deputy to him. The Ogbomosho-born orator took over the region from Awo’s leadership, had a few Action Group’s breakaway followers like Chief Remi Fani Kayode, the father of the popular Chief Femi Fani Kayode, Sir Olateru Olagbegi (the former Olowo of Owo), and the host of ‘Demo’ party members. The Major Chukwuma Kaduna Ezeogwu-led bloody but failed coup destabilized the entire country and tactically restored Chief Awolowo to mainstream politics, while Sir Akintola paid the supreme price with his life. The return of the second Republic produced Chief Adekunle Ajasin as the Ondo state’s leader, though very strict, selfless, prudent, and accessible to the people. The Sunshine indigenes liked the governance of this Owo-born retired Principal turned executive officer of Ondo state between 1979 and 1983.
The latest dispensation of democracy from 1999 has produced various individuals of different personalities as our governors. The late Chief Adebayo Adefarati of the first four years had a mixed description. He implemented some state-sponsored programs in education, health, agriculture, and other sectors of the economy. These didn’t stop him from falling politically in the replay match of 2003, which ushered in Agagu’s administration of six years. The former University of Ibadan-trained geology lecturer became the state leader for six years. The adventure of Gbasibe’s political ideology, under the labour party, sent the PDP out of power. The Iroko of Ondo state politics held sway for 8 years. As destiny would have it, Aketi emerged as the next governor despite his well-known unpleasant attributes, not befitting of a leader.
The current administration of Arakunrin has further created a widened leadership gap, as evidenced by the unprecedented level of selfishness and nepotism exhibited so far. According to the popular social media platform in Ondo state called ‘Ondo state scholars arena,’ one of the participants couldn’t imagine why a governor from Owo, a local government of the eighteen in the state, would nominate his kinsman as the minister (Mr Dare Aragbaiye)while he is still the number one man in sunshine state. Thank God, Mr president rejected him (Aragbaiye) for this man called Hon. Bunmi TunjiOjo. It should be noted that Owo people are currently in positions like commissioner for works, Chief of Staff to the governor, special adviser on union matters, chairman of the local government service commission, and other positions. This didn’t stop the governor from appointing his biological son as the director of the juiciest agency to oversee all the contracts awarded by the state government. The highest level of abuse of office and executive recklessness exhibited by Aketi makes the vacuum of true leadership very pronounced, coupled with the neglect of party’s faithful members by Arakunrin’s administration.
Hon. Bunmi Tunji Ojo suddenly surfaced from political oblivion in 2019 as the house of representatives’ candidate for Akoko northwest and northeast federal constituency in the ruling party, despite antagonists like Aketi and Ade Adetimehin, he won the general election against Aketi’s shenanigans of AA, which caused the majority of the APC flagbearers to lose. This popular BTO was able to connect himself to then majority leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and keyed into his aspiration of becoming the speaker of the green chamber. Hon. BTO rallied his colleagues in the house under the platform of first-termers, which he chaired. When the aspiration of Hon. Gbajabiamila finally became a reality, he was compensated with the chairmanship of the house committee on NDDC. He ensured several projects were executed in Akoko lands and beyond, now a toast of many youths in the sunshine state. The popularity of this great youth turned honourable made him break the jinx of a second term in his constituency. Aketi and Ade Adetimehin couldn’t work against his second term bid, rather, they aligned and enjoyed the national cakes he brought from Abuja, courtesy of Mama Betty and Babajide Akeredolu.
The recent appointment of this young and vibrant politician as the reputable minister shows that he is very popular and has several supporters across the three senatorial districts, as the celebration among the youths was unprecedented in the political history of the sunshine state. Having the current Chief of Staff to the president, Rt hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as his political godfather, if BTO is able to get a good ministry to touch people’s lives across the state, Ondo 2024 is not yet ‘uhuru’ for the people of the southern senatorial district. It won’t be surprising if youths in the state are rooting for him because the majority of the intending aspirants from these areas are very stingy with wiser than tortoise attitude, not generous like BTO.
Peoplesmind
