The biggest country in Africa that the United Kingdom colonised is Nigeria. The biggest country that the United Kingdom colonised in Asia is India (which then comprised the present Pakistan and Bangladesh).
When the UK came into Nigeria and India, like all other countries they colonised, they brought along their technology, religion (Christianity), a
nd culture: names, dressing, food, and language, among others. Try as hard as the British did, India rejected the British religion, names, dressing, food, and even language, but they did not reject the British technology. Today, 80.5 per cent of Indians are Hindus; 13.4 per cent Muslims; 2.3 per cent Christians; 1.9 per cent Sikhs; 0.8 per cent Buddhists, among others. Hindi is the official language of the government of India, but English is used extensively in business and administration and has the status of a “subsidiary official language.” Interestingly, it is rare to find an Indian with an English name or dressed in suit.
On the other hand, Nigeria embraced, to a large extent, the British religion, British culture – names, dressing, foods, and language – but, ironically, rejected the British technology. The difference between the Nigerian and the Indian experiences is that while India is proud of its heritage, Nigeria takes little pride in its own heritage, a situation that has affected the nationalism of Nigerians and our development as a nation.
Before the advent of Christianity, the Arabs had brought Islam into Nigeria through the North. Islam also wiped away much of the culture of Northern Nigeria. Today, the North has only Sharia courts but no Customary courts. So from the North to the South of Nigeria, the Western World and the Eastern World have shaped our lives to be like theirs and we have lost much or all of our identity.
Long after the Whites and Arabs left Nigeria, Nigeria has waxed strong in religion to the extent that Nigerians now set up branches of their home-grown churches in Europe, the Americas, Asia and other African countries. Just like the Whites brought the gospel to us, Nigerians now take the gospel back to the Whites. In Islam, we are also very vibrant to the extent that if there is a blasphemous comment against Islam in Denmark or the US, even if there is no violent reaction in Saudi Arabia, the Islamic headquarters of the world, there will be loss of lives and destruction of property in Nigeria. If the United Arab Emirates, a country with 75 per cent Muslims, is erecting the tallest building in the world and encouraging the world to come and invest in its territory by providing a friendly environment, Boko Haram ensures that the economy of the North (and by extension that of Nigeria) is crippled with bombs and bullets unless every Nigerian converts to Boko Haram’s brand of Islam. We are indeed a very religious people.
Meanwhile, as we are building the biggest churches and mosques, the Indians, South Africans, Chinese, Europeans and Americans have taken over our key markets: telecoms, satellite TV, multinationals, banking, oil and gas, automobile, aviation, and hospitality industries among others.
Ironically, despite our exploits in religion, we are a people with little godliness, a people without scruples. It is rare to do business with a Nigerian pastor, deacon, knight, elder, brother, sister, imam, mullah, mallam, alhaji or alhaja without the person laying landmines of bribes and deception on your path. We call it PR, facilitation fee, processing fee, transport money, financial engineering, deal, or whatever. But if it does not change hands, no show. And when it is amassed, we say it is “God’s blessings.” Some people assume that sleaze is a problem of public functionaries, but the private sector seems to be worse than the public sector these days.
One would have assumed that the more churches and mosques that spring up in every nook and cranny of Nigeria, the higher the morals in our society. But it is not so. The situation is that the more religious we get, the baser we become. Our land never knew the type of bloodshed experienced from religious extremists, political desperadoes, ritual killers, armed robbers, kidnappers, internet scammers, university cultists, and lynch mobs. Life has become so cheap and brutish that everyday seems to be a bonanza.
We import petrol even when we have crude oil in abundance. We also import rice and beans that our land can produce in abundance. We even import toothpicks that primary school children can produce with little or no effort. Yet, we drive the best of cars and live in the best of edifices, visit the best places in the world for holidays and use the most expensive electronic and telecoms gadgets. It is now a sign of poverty for a Nigerian to ride a saloon car. Four-wheel drive vehicles are the in thing. Even government officials, who were known to use only Peugeot products as official cars as a sign of modesty, have upgraded to Toyota Prado as official vehicle without any iota of shame, in a country where about 70 per cent live below poverty line. Private jets have become as common as cars. A nation that imports toothpicks and pins flaunts wealth and wallows in ostentation at a time its children are trooping to Ghana, South Africa and the UK for university education and its sick people are running to India for treatment.
India produces automobile and exports it to the world. India’s medical care is second to none, with even Americans and Europeans travelling to the country for medical treatment. India has joined the nuclear powers nations. India has launched a successful mission to the moon. Yet bicycles and tricycles are common sights in India. But in Nigeria, only the wretched of the earth ride bicycles.
I have intentionally chosen to compare Nigeria with India rather than China, South Korea, Brazil, Malaysia, or Singapore, because of the similarities between India and Nigeria. But these countries were not as promising as Nigeria at the time of our independence.
Some would say that our undoing is our size: the 2012 United Nations estimate puts Nigeria’s population at 166,000 million, while India has a population of 1.2 billion. Some would blame it on the multiplicity of ethnic groups: we have 250 ethnic groups, India has more than 2,000. Some would hang it on the diversity in religion: we have two major religions — Christianity and Islam; but India has many. Some would say it is because we are young as an independent nation: we have 52 years of independence; India has 65 years. Apartheid ended in South Africa only in 1994.
I am a Christian, and nothing can change me from Christianity. But I think that our country is daily sinking into religiosity to the detriment of godliness. Our land is sick and needs healing. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” is still a saying that is germane to our current situation. We need more godliness than religion; more work and less of hope; and more action and less of words.
Let everyone tidy up his or her corner first and demand fervently that our leaders tidy their areas of governance. Our nation is degenerating at a fast pace and we need to save it now or it may be too late.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
OPEN LETTER TO JAGABAN OF BORGU-BAYO ADEYINKA
My dear Asiwaju, I must first apologize for using this open medium to reach you. I had no choice especially as I know that it may be difficult to reach you personally at Bourdillon. I only have to hold on to a thread of hope, believing strongly that this piece will come to your attention, maybe from one of the numerous ACN online activists.
Recent even...ts in Ondo State in particular and the SouthWest in general have triggered off this letter. Before I continue, I also wish to engage in full disclosure. I am an ACN sympathizer. I voted for ACN at all times except for the Presidency when my vote went to Buhari. I still believe that ACN remains the most virile platform to provide our people with superior service. I can therefore humbly state that this message is borne out of patriotic zeal and is also in recognition of your noble efforts to establish the footholds of the party all over Nigeria.
Now to the crux of the matter. It is pertinent that there should be a holistic review of the recent elections in Ondo State and why ACN turned up so badly that it came third- after LP and even PDP. It has never been this bad for our great party. What went wrong? How come ACN couldn't even win in 3 Local Governments out of about 18? How could PDP finished better than ACN? Is it that the populace are beginning to have a re-think? How come the output was so poor in spite of the massive propaganda and rallies attended by our leaders such as your good self, ACN governors, Chief Bisi Akande and others? What will make ACN lose Ikoyi of all places to Obanikoro of PDP?How did ACN get to this sorry pass?
Please permit me to share a honest analysis of what I believe you should critically consider if our great party is not to suffer even greater losses in the nearest future-God forbid. Please take note that it takes courage to stand and speak up like I am doing but I also believe it will take courage on your part to also sit down and listen.
1. INTERNAL DEMOCRACY- Sir, there is no internal democracy in ACN. Aketi is certainly a good candidate and most likely the best of the lot. However, the method for choosing him caused rancour and the process was less than transparent. You have been accused severally of 'selective' democracy. You have often handpicked Governors, Senators and House of Rep members. I still remember the ruckus in Ekiti between Babafemi Ojudu, Dele Alake and others. Who knows what happened to Senator Bode Ola, the man who spent just about a year and was not allowed to go back to the Senate? I have heard that you said ACN has a special way of choosing your party reps. With all respect, Sir, ACN cannot continue to operate like a cult in the 21st Century. Even UPN, the Party your ACN is modeled around, had better internal democracy or else Bola Ige would never have contested against Emmanuel Alayande, his erstwhile school principal. Please let there be transparent internal democracy. Let people compete as much as possible so that whoever loses does so in a very clear manner. In retrospect, had the process for picking ACN's candidate been more transparent, it may have been easier to retain people like Olu Agunloye in the party. Maybe the outcome of the election would have been different. But that is now history.
2. REGIONAL INTEGRATION- It is my opinion that we can achieve Regional Integration even if all the states belong to different parties. It is the people, the system and the states that are to be integrated and not the parties. I therefore do not subscribe to the fact that it is only when Ondo State is under ACN that integration can be completed. But more importantly, this much touted regional integration has now become more of a mantra as there is almost nothing to show for it among the existing Governors. Dear Sir, time is going.
3. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL LEADER?- Sir, please do not get me wrong. I believe the role of the National Leader is very important but you seem to be all in all in the Party. May I ask, why is there no Board of Trustees? Even PDP in all it's colorless and amorphous system has a BOT. In the Party, no one can challenge you, yet you are called the Opposition Leader in Nigeria. Isn't that a contradiction of sorts? The party seems to be built around you and that is why our detractors call the party Asiwaju Congress of Nigeria. Is it right to build an institution around a single person? Can you always be right? Do you have monopoly of wisdom? Unfortunately, most of your hangers-on will not tell you the truth- some out of fear and cowardice, others out of greed and avarice. I am even surprised that respected men of letters like Sam Omatseye and Professor Adebayo Williams are unable to confront you with the issues under discourse. Rather, I see a lot of praise singers who take out adverts in the papers and praise you in very colorful language to the highest heavens. Please sir, beware. You should be most afraid of people in whose sight you can never do any wrong.
4. THE PERFORMANCE OF ACN GOVERNORS- Sir, I believe the issue of performance of current ACN Governors should be a major agenda to you. There must be a party mechanism for monitoring performance. During the Awolowo era, we were told of how UPN Governors will often come to the party to defend their performance. During that process, many of them were told the home truth. Truth be told, most of the achievements of our current flock of Governors, except for a few, cannot pass the litmus test of superior performance. From the much touted OYES to YES-O, it has been cogent evidence of a flawed thought process. How can that qualify for job creation? When Aketi spoke about 30,000 jobs in 100 days, was he also thinking of this model? It can qualify for some sort of social security but definitely not job creation. Why will Governors advertise freebies such as free train ride during holidays as achievements? How does jogging or walking long distances with civil servants or the populace become of paramount importance that so much media attention is focused on it? I remember we criticized former Governor Akala for distributing Chinese cars but our Governors are distributing Keke Napep! Yes, there are roads being constructed in certain areas and there are some general infrastructural facelifts but the same thing is happening in some other PDP controlled states such as Rivers and Akwa Ibom. So how are ACN Governors different? Some of them have even embarked on meaningless projects. Or how do you explain the setting up of Technical University, Oyo State when existing institutions are not even well funded. Except for Lagos and Edo State Governors, all the rest are under-performers. Truth be told, most of those States don't come near Ondo State in terms of achievements and performance. This is a major issue which demands urgent attention.
5. THE ALIENATION OF CERTAIN SOUTHWEST STAKEHOLDERS- Sir, I read some newspaper reports where either you, Chief Bisi Akande or some other ACN goon spoke derisively of people like Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Olu Falae, late Chief Gani Dawodu and others. It is not part of our culture for elders to throw banters in public. I think you should be magnanimous to draw closer to these Yoruba leading lights as a house divided against itself can never stand. I sometimes wonder what is happening to someone like Jimi Agbaje? There is an uneasy calm in the house of the progressives and our enemies can take advantage of this present state of disorder. Please reach out to aggrieved brothers and let us reach an accord. This is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. You need to learn how to stoop to conquer, sir.
6. THE YOUTH- Sir, the only way ACN can properly propagate its policies and replicate acceptable standards of engagement is by raising up the youth in the party. How virile is the Youth Wing of the party? I recall that at a time, Bola Ige was the Youth Leader of UPN and see how brilliantly he turned out. Our party is filled with yesterday's men or children of political warlords and godfathers. There must be a special development effort targeted at the youth especially in the mould of the Youth Wing of the African National Congress of South Africa. I am sure you know, Sir, that Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma were leaders of the Youth Wing and they earned their rise through the ranks. Please look for brilliant youths and mentor them. Intersperse them among the current crop of leaders. That is the way to ensure that the party lives after you.
In conclusion, Your Excellency, Sir, I see danger lurking around the corner by 2015 if the issues above are not addressed in a timely manner. The clouds are gathering and the vultures are circling. I do not claim to possess powers of clairvoyance but I believe all I have highlighted above show the general pulse of the people. You have a golden chance of galvanizing the SouthWest. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Please don't throw it away. Thank you for reading my piece and be assured of my loyalty.
Recent even...ts in Ondo State in particular and the SouthWest in general have triggered off this letter. Before I continue, I also wish to engage in full disclosure. I am an ACN sympathizer. I voted for ACN at all times except for the Presidency when my vote went to Buhari. I still believe that ACN remains the most virile platform to provide our people with superior service. I can therefore humbly state that this message is borne out of patriotic zeal and is also in recognition of your noble efforts to establish the footholds of the party all over Nigeria.
Now to the crux of the matter. It is pertinent that there should be a holistic review of the recent elections in Ondo State and why ACN turned up so badly that it came third- after LP and even PDP. It has never been this bad for our great party. What went wrong? How come ACN couldn't even win in 3 Local Governments out of about 18? How could PDP finished better than ACN? Is it that the populace are beginning to have a re-think? How come the output was so poor in spite of the massive propaganda and rallies attended by our leaders such as your good self, ACN governors, Chief Bisi Akande and others? What will make ACN lose Ikoyi of all places to Obanikoro of PDP?How did ACN get to this sorry pass?
Please permit me to share a honest analysis of what I believe you should critically consider if our great party is not to suffer even greater losses in the nearest future-God forbid. Please take note that it takes courage to stand and speak up like I am doing but I also believe it will take courage on your part to also sit down and listen.
1. INTERNAL DEMOCRACY- Sir, there is no internal democracy in ACN. Aketi is certainly a good candidate and most likely the best of the lot. However, the method for choosing him caused rancour and the process was less than transparent. You have been accused severally of 'selective' democracy. You have often handpicked Governors, Senators and House of Rep members. I still remember the ruckus in Ekiti between Babafemi Ojudu, Dele Alake and others. Who knows what happened to Senator Bode Ola, the man who spent just about a year and was not allowed to go back to the Senate? I have heard that you said ACN has a special way of choosing your party reps. With all respect, Sir, ACN cannot continue to operate like a cult in the 21st Century. Even UPN, the Party your ACN is modeled around, had better internal democracy or else Bola Ige would never have contested against Emmanuel Alayande, his erstwhile school principal. Please let there be transparent internal democracy. Let people compete as much as possible so that whoever loses does so in a very clear manner. In retrospect, had the process for picking ACN's candidate been more transparent, it may have been easier to retain people like Olu Agunloye in the party. Maybe the outcome of the election would have been different. But that is now history.
2. REGIONAL INTEGRATION- It is my opinion that we can achieve Regional Integration even if all the states belong to different parties. It is the people, the system and the states that are to be integrated and not the parties. I therefore do not subscribe to the fact that it is only when Ondo State is under ACN that integration can be completed. But more importantly, this much touted regional integration has now become more of a mantra as there is almost nothing to show for it among the existing Governors. Dear Sir, time is going.
3. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL LEADER?- Sir, please do not get me wrong. I believe the role of the National Leader is very important but you seem to be all in all in the Party. May I ask, why is there no Board of Trustees? Even PDP in all it's colorless and amorphous system has a BOT. In the Party, no one can challenge you, yet you are called the Opposition Leader in Nigeria. Isn't that a contradiction of sorts? The party seems to be built around you and that is why our detractors call the party Asiwaju Congress of Nigeria. Is it right to build an institution around a single person? Can you always be right? Do you have monopoly of wisdom? Unfortunately, most of your hangers-on will not tell you the truth- some out of fear and cowardice, others out of greed and avarice. I am even surprised that respected men of letters like Sam Omatseye and Professor Adebayo Williams are unable to confront you with the issues under discourse. Rather, I see a lot of praise singers who take out adverts in the papers and praise you in very colorful language to the highest heavens. Please sir, beware. You should be most afraid of people in whose sight you can never do any wrong.
4. THE PERFORMANCE OF ACN GOVERNORS- Sir, I believe the issue of performance of current ACN Governors should be a major agenda to you. There must be a party mechanism for monitoring performance. During the Awolowo era, we were told of how UPN Governors will often come to the party to defend their performance. During that process, many of them were told the home truth. Truth be told, most of the achievements of our current flock of Governors, except for a few, cannot pass the litmus test of superior performance. From the much touted OYES to YES-O, it has been cogent evidence of a flawed thought process. How can that qualify for job creation? When Aketi spoke about 30,000 jobs in 100 days, was he also thinking of this model? It can qualify for some sort of social security but definitely not job creation. Why will Governors advertise freebies such as free train ride during holidays as achievements? How does jogging or walking long distances with civil servants or the populace become of paramount importance that so much media attention is focused on it? I remember we criticized former Governor Akala for distributing Chinese cars but our Governors are distributing Keke Napep! Yes, there are roads being constructed in certain areas and there are some general infrastructural facelifts but the same thing is happening in some other PDP controlled states such as Rivers and Akwa Ibom. So how are ACN Governors different? Some of them have even embarked on meaningless projects. Or how do you explain the setting up of Technical University, Oyo State when existing institutions are not even well funded. Except for Lagos and Edo State Governors, all the rest are under-performers. Truth be told, most of those States don't come near Ondo State in terms of achievements and performance. This is a major issue which demands urgent attention.
5. THE ALIENATION OF CERTAIN SOUTHWEST STAKEHOLDERS- Sir, I read some newspaper reports where either you, Chief Bisi Akande or some other ACN goon spoke derisively of people like Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Olu Falae, late Chief Gani Dawodu and others. It is not part of our culture for elders to throw banters in public. I think you should be magnanimous to draw closer to these Yoruba leading lights as a house divided against itself can never stand. I sometimes wonder what is happening to someone like Jimi Agbaje? There is an uneasy calm in the house of the progressives and our enemies can take advantage of this present state of disorder. Please reach out to aggrieved brothers and let us reach an accord. This is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. You need to learn how to stoop to conquer, sir.
6. THE YOUTH- Sir, the only way ACN can properly propagate its policies and replicate acceptable standards of engagement is by raising up the youth in the party. How virile is the Youth Wing of the party? I recall that at a time, Bola Ige was the Youth Leader of UPN and see how brilliantly he turned out. Our party is filled with yesterday's men or children of political warlords and godfathers. There must be a special development effort targeted at the youth especially in the mould of the Youth Wing of the African National Congress of South Africa. I am sure you know, Sir, that Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma were leaders of the Youth Wing and they earned their rise through the ranks. Please look for brilliant youths and mentor them. Intersperse them among the current crop of leaders. That is the way to ensure that the party lives after you.
In conclusion, Your Excellency, Sir, I see danger lurking around the corner by 2015 if the issues above are not addressed in a timely manner. The clouds are gathering and the vultures are circling. I do not claim to possess powers of clairvoyance but I believe all I have highlighted above show the general pulse of the people. You have a golden chance of galvanizing the SouthWest. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Please don't throw it away. Thank you for reading my piece and be assured of my loyalty.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Fmr Ogun Council Boss And OGHA Member Honourable (Dr.) Sikirullahi Ogundele Declares Intention To Run For Governor in 2015
GOV. AMOSUN IS A BUNDLE OF DISSAPOINTMENT-
BY Hon.(Dr.) Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele
Dr.Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele is one top politician in Ogun State who is popular within the grassroots. The consummate politician began his active party politics during the NRC/ SDP era where he vied for elective office. However, in 1999, he contested and won the seat to represent Ifo constituency in Ogun State House of Assembly under the then Alliance for Democracy(AD).
It was the same story in 2003, when he contested for
the same seat on the platform of Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). He later made an entrance to the executive arm and contested for the chairmanship position in Ifo local government area, where he emerged victorious.
Inthis interview, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele speaks on why the PDP lost to the ACN in Ogun State in the last election, among other sundry issues.
Hon. Ogundele you have been out of circulation for a
while, where have you been?
I have never been out of circulation, I have been much more around both home and abroad. I only travel out on business trips abroad once in a while but i am always with my people.
(Cuts in) but you have been quiet in the political scene for some time?
Yes, it is important to do a critical internal self-
examination after the last general elections, and give the new government enough space and time to settle to perform. So, i deliberately stayed away from the media, but I'm active politically within my party, the PDP and my political group is still bubbling.
Your Party, the People Democratic Party (PDP) spent 8 years in power in Ogun State, but lost in the 2011
general elections. Some people have blamed either
former Gov. Daniel or ex-President Obasanjo for this
failure, what is your personal view ?
No doubt about about that, we had a mismanagement
of our success, and it led to the failure at the 2011 general elections. I strongly believe that we had a collective mistake from left, right and centre, we all committed the electoral blunder. Maybe the joy of victory at all times then was too much on our head, but it was quite unfortunate that we could not manage the success. Philosophically, when you allow things like that to get into your head, you are bound to commit blunder.
Are you now saying that if the in-fighting was not
there, the PDP would have won the elections in 2011?
I want to confirm to you that if the PDP members were in harmony and because of the performance of the immediate past governor who is an achiever per
excellence, the ACN would not have won. Look, there is no single soul in Ogun State that did not feel the impact of Governor Gbenga Daniel directly or indirectly. Look at the activities of the agencies established by ex Governor Daniel, look at OGROMA that worked seriously on our roads, OGSEP that worked on the transformers, OGEGEP trained and provided jobs for the unemployed people and how Ogun state became the darling of industrialists, and foreign investors, to mention just a few. Therefore, I wish to reaffirm it that there was no single soul in Ogun State that did not feel the positive impact of ex-Governor Daniel’s government. So, that would have just reflected in the voting pattern in April 2011, and we would have won tremendously.
People were talking about change, and the
change was sweeping across the South West of
Nigeria?
Let me tell you, it was not that change per say, it was few people that were using the media as a propaganda tool to clamour for change. Change for what? Is it from the good governance of Gbenga Daniel to the disaster we have now? For eight years people did not see anything that Bola Tinubu did in Lagos, despite the huge resources available to him. It was after he was able to install Fashola that people began to appreciate the fact that it was Tinubu that laid the foundation for the successes attributed to Fashola. The Ogun people were feeling the good impact of the OGD administration and would have voted for PDP again if not for the infighting we had. There were so many people saying this your intra party wahala is too much.
Even, up till now, people still give it to PDP when it comes to performance. OGD performed tremendously
well. I have said it at so many times that I am looking forward to see a government that can challenge OGD on performance, I mean you cannot compare the present administration in Ogun State to that of OGD, no way, the legacies are there.
The present ACN government in Ogun State is now a
year old, what is your candid evaluation of this
government?
That’s a good question. I am very happy that you did
not ask me to compare or pass judgment, I would have
said that I am not good at passing judgment, but that does not mean one should not look at the past and look at the present. I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the present ACN GOVERNMENT IN OGUN STATE IS A BUNDLE OF DISSAPPOINTMENT.
The ACN government in Ogun State is vindictive and not a progressive government, and made up of intellectually bankrupt bunch of propagandists. The ACN government that never had the love of the people at heart. So many people have been turned homeless
today. So many businesses have been paralysed, so
many people are now jobless or displaced by this failed government of Governor Amosun. I want to say again, the state that was tremendously lifted from the civil servant state, with viable economic process by OGD has now been criminally turned back or taken back to a civil servant state. The government of ACN in Ogun State is a bundle of disappointment.
But the ACN supporters would say that Gov Amosun is
performing, with the newly dualised Ita Eko Road and
has promised other good things to come?
My brother before you dualise a road, before you
displaced people from their homes, and shops where
they earn their daily bread, you ought to have put into consideration two major things. One, what is the economic value of that road, what is the traffic volume of this place you are dualising, and in the case of that Ita Eko-Sokori road, the place is dualised already, you are now putting extension, displacing people, sending people to uncertain future, destroying many families.
There are other roads calling for rehabilitation and
extension, look at one road beside Madojutimi Food
Canteen along Abiola Way. The road to Asero beside
the Stadium enroute Obantoko, if rehabilitated it would have reduced the traffic congestion at Asero/Moore Petrol Station axis. The road from Idi-aba to link the secretariat was opened by OGD. One would have expected an intelligent governor to embark on people oriented projects. I believe an ordinary extention of road already dualised is a pay back of some political debts.
May be the governor is taking things gradually, why
don’t you give him some more time?
That’s what I am talking about, even 4 years is too
small for a very focused governor to perform but a
governor that has a vision, mission and laudable plans in his blue print ought to have embarked on people oriented project within a year of its existence. This is a government that promised free education, free health programmes, where are they?
(Cuts in) but the government paid WASCE fees for
SSS3 students and distributed textbooks to students
free?
All government do that. As Local Government
Chairman, I did all these when I was there at Ifo local government on quarterly basis, and didn't see it as something spectacular. He promised students free text books and the students are getting the books in their third term. Which parent would wait for such irresponsible government before they buy their children's textbooks. This man would have done some rehabilitation of structures at schools, you can’t make education free, and expect it to be qualitative, even Lagos State cannot handle free education with all her intimidating I.G.R. You only need to subsidize it, you can’t make it totally free, don’t deceive people.
Anyway, I want to believe that the man didn't know
what he was coming to do as a governor in the first
place. The original ACN members are not in the inner
circle of government at the state level. Look at the
structure of the state executive council, how many
original politicians from ACN are there? Non.
I want to say that Amosun has disappointed the people of Ogun State. The forth coming local government will show the diminishing popularity chart of the present government. I have called some of my friends in his government to go back and check the popularity chat of Amosun before he became governor and now. It has reduced drastically within a year in office. This is a government that embark on tour without the mission of going to commission a single project. A government that is stage managing a first year of meaningless administration. It has never happened in the history of the state that a governor would be stoned in just a year in office like it happened in Ijebu-Igbo. In Ipokia, it was
a gun battle between his security aides, and the
people. It is terrible that this is happening in Ogun state. Gov. Amosun had now made people realized
what they have lost within one year after the departure of OGD.
Look within 100 days in office as Ifo Local
Government chairman, I commissioned over 60
projects that are people oriented. Amosun has lost
credibility, the man has disappointed so many people
in Ogun State. I said it sometimes ago that the shoes OGD left in office is too large for this man to wear.
As a very honest and grassroots person, i said it earlier that the people of Ogun State are not getting what they expected from the man. The best way to pay him back is at the next council elections in July. All we see now is a man with large cap, a particular proverb says uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, now a man wearing a crown is adding more metres to the crown, making it larger, and comical thereby adding unnecessary weight to the head. Each time I see Mr. Governor with his large cap like that of a particular jester, it makes me laugh, and think our number one citizen is not a serious man.
PDP is now working seriously to mend fences, and unite. How can a governor spend over N300 Million
Naira to plant flower? I mean you can’t compare the
topography of Ogun state with that of Lagos State.
Ogun State is rocky. Is planting of flowers the next
thing, when people are walking around with empty
stomachs. A very intelligent governor would have been more focused and active than planting flower.
You don’t play politics with the future of the youths. Look at what he did to TASUED, the first University of Education in Nigeria, and second in Africa. You want to scrap it, and spend the money in planting flowers so as to create avenue for friends to waste our money. In just a year in office, Amosun has borrowed about 60 billion naira and we have not seen a single thing he has done.
They were saying that Gbenga Daniel left a debt
burden of 80 billion in eight years of his administration,
let the Ogun people now judge for themselves and
compare. Eight years of 80 billion debt, and one year of 60 billion naira debt. We are in deep trouble in Ogun, and must kick this impostor called Amosun out of power in 2015, but we must show through the local government elections, that he can no longer deceive Ogun people again, with his bunch of political neophytes and brigands.
Hon. Ogundele, lets come back to you, what is your
next political step, after your experience as a two-
termed state legislator and former council chairman?
After a lot of consultations, I have come to the
conclusion that I want to join in the gubernatorial race of Ogun State come 2015, and nothing will stop me from achieving this INSHA ALLAH. I am a politician with experience, and I strongly believe in my ability. That has always reflected in my elections. I lost only during the NRC & SDP days when i contested for the House of Assembly seat under the NRC, but since then, I have been winning all my elections; from my second term in House of Assembly to Ifo Local Government seat as
chairman. The records are there, go to Ifo local
government, go to both constituency 1 & 2, you will see my legacies and foot prints there. I constructed the ultra-modern market at Ifo, and I completed it, the same structures were put in place at Akute, and
Agbado, and no single kobo was taken from the council purse. It was done through my personal initiative and contacts. Each time I travelled abroad then, I used to feature on TV programmes and used the opportunities to call on indigenes abroad to come and join in the developmental process of our local government area, and they responded positively. One major project that nobody can take away at Ifo is the relationship building project. I was able to manage Ifo local government, a volatile council area very well, this won me several awards as the best local government council boss in Nigeria.
I constructed roads and gave out over 100
transformers. My vast experience in politics had earned me credibility within and outside Nigeria. I am still waiting for anybody to challenge me because up till today, I am the only ex-council boss that did not owe anybody, whether a political appointee, staff, or contractors a kobo before I left the council. The issue of whether PDP, my party will give me the governorship ticket or not does not arise, I know they will not deny me this opportunity, and the leaders can attest to my
qualities. I want to serve my people, and we need to do away with these empty headed elements with large
caps, and please help me tell the whole world that I Dr. Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele is set to bring Ogun State back to the good days as established by OGD.
BY Hon.(Dr.) Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele
Dr.Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele is one top politician in Ogun State who is popular within the grassroots. The consummate politician began his active party politics during the NRC/ SDP era where he vied for elective office. However, in 1999, he contested and won the seat to represent Ifo constituency in Ogun State House of Assembly under the then Alliance for Democracy(AD).
It was the same story in 2003, when he contested for
the same seat on the platform of Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). He later made an entrance to the executive arm and contested for the chairmanship position in Ifo local government area, where he emerged victorious.
Inthis interview, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele speaks on why the PDP lost to the ACN in Ogun State in the last election, among other sundry issues.
Hon. Ogundele you have been out of circulation for a
while, where have you been?
I have never been out of circulation, I have been much more around both home and abroad. I only travel out on business trips abroad once in a while but i am always with my people.
(Cuts in) but you have been quiet in the political scene for some time?
Yes, it is important to do a critical internal self-
examination after the last general elections, and give the new government enough space and time to settle to perform. So, i deliberately stayed away from the media, but I'm active politically within my party, the PDP and my political group is still bubbling.
Your Party, the People Democratic Party (PDP) spent 8 years in power in Ogun State, but lost in the 2011
general elections. Some people have blamed either
former Gov. Daniel or ex-President Obasanjo for this
failure, what is your personal view ?
No doubt about about that, we had a mismanagement
of our success, and it led to the failure at the 2011 general elections. I strongly believe that we had a collective mistake from left, right and centre, we all committed the electoral blunder. Maybe the joy of victory at all times then was too much on our head, but it was quite unfortunate that we could not manage the success. Philosophically, when you allow things like that to get into your head, you are bound to commit blunder.
Are you now saying that if the in-fighting was not
there, the PDP would have won the elections in 2011?
I want to confirm to you that if the PDP members were in harmony and because of the performance of the immediate past governor who is an achiever per
excellence, the ACN would not have won. Look, there is no single soul in Ogun State that did not feel the impact of Governor Gbenga Daniel directly or indirectly. Look at the activities of the agencies established by ex Governor Daniel, look at OGROMA that worked seriously on our roads, OGSEP that worked on the transformers, OGEGEP trained and provided jobs for the unemployed people and how Ogun state became the darling of industrialists, and foreign investors, to mention just a few. Therefore, I wish to reaffirm it that there was no single soul in Ogun State that did not feel the positive impact of ex-Governor Daniel’s government. So, that would have just reflected in the voting pattern in April 2011, and we would have won tremendously.
People were talking about change, and the
change was sweeping across the South West of
Nigeria?
Let me tell you, it was not that change per say, it was few people that were using the media as a propaganda tool to clamour for change. Change for what? Is it from the good governance of Gbenga Daniel to the disaster we have now? For eight years people did not see anything that Bola Tinubu did in Lagos, despite the huge resources available to him. It was after he was able to install Fashola that people began to appreciate the fact that it was Tinubu that laid the foundation for the successes attributed to Fashola. The Ogun people were feeling the good impact of the OGD administration and would have voted for PDP again if not for the infighting we had. There were so many people saying this your intra party wahala is too much.
Even, up till now, people still give it to PDP when it comes to performance. OGD performed tremendously
well. I have said it at so many times that I am looking forward to see a government that can challenge OGD on performance, I mean you cannot compare the present administration in Ogun State to that of OGD, no way, the legacies are there.
The present ACN government in Ogun State is now a
year old, what is your candid evaluation of this
government?
That’s a good question. I am very happy that you did
not ask me to compare or pass judgment, I would have
said that I am not good at passing judgment, but that does not mean one should not look at the past and look at the present. I want to say with all sense of responsibility that the present ACN GOVERNMENT IN OGUN STATE IS A BUNDLE OF DISSAPPOINTMENT.
The ACN government in Ogun State is vindictive and not a progressive government, and made up of intellectually bankrupt bunch of propagandists. The ACN government that never had the love of the people at heart. So many people have been turned homeless
today. So many businesses have been paralysed, so
many people are now jobless or displaced by this failed government of Governor Amosun. I want to say again, the state that was tremendously lifted from the civil servant state, with viable economic process by OGD has now been criminally turned back or taken back to a civil servant state. The government of ACN in Ogun State is a bundle of disappointment.
But the ACN supporters would say that Gov Amosun is
performing, with the newly dualised Ita Eko Road and
has promised other good things to come?
My brother before you dualise a road, before you
displaced people from their homes, and shops where
they earn their daily bread, you ought to have put into consideration two major things. One, what is the economic value of that road, what is the traffic volume of this place you are dualising, and in the case of that Ita Eko-Sokori road, the place is dualised already, you are now putting extension, displacing people, sending people to uncertain future, destroying many families.
There are other roads calling for rehabilitation and
extension, look at one road beside Madojutimi Food
Canteen along Abiola Way. The road to Asero beside
the Stadium enroute Obantoko, if rehabilitated it would have reduced the traffic congestion at Asero/Moore Petrol Station axis. The road from Idi-aba to link the secretariat was opened by OGD. One would have expected an intelligent governor to embark on people oriented projects. I believe an ordinary extention of road already dualised is a pay back of some political debts.
May be the governor is taking things gradually, why
don’t you give him some more time?
That’s what I am talking about, even 4 years is too
small for a very focused governor to perform but a
governor that has a vision, mission and laudable plans in his blue print ought to have embarked on people oriented project within a year of its existence. This is a government that promised free education, free health programmes, where are they?
(Cuts in) but the government paid WASCE fees for
SSS3 students and distributed textbooks to students
free?
All government do that. As Local Government
Chairman, I did all these when I was there at Ifo local government on quarterly basis, and didn't see it as something spectacular. He promised students free text books and the students are getting the books in their third term. Which parent would wait for such irresponsible government before they buy their children's textbooks. This man would have done some rehabilitation of structures at schools, you can’t make education free, and expect it to be qualitative, even Lagos State cannot handle free education with all her intimidating I.G.R. You only need to subsidize it, you can’t make it totally free, don’t deceive people.
Anyway, I want to believe that the man didn't know
what he was coming to do as a governor in the first
place. The original ACN members are not in the inner
circle of government at the state level. Look at the
structure of the state executive council, how many
original politicians from ACN are there? Non.
I want to say that Amosun has disappointed the people of Ogun State. The forth coming local government will show the diminishing popularity chart of the present government. I have called some of my friends in his government to go back and check the popularity chat of Amosun before he became governor and now. It has reduced drastically within a year in office. This is a government that embark on tour without the mission of going to commission a single project. A government that is stage managing a first year of meaningless administration. It has never happened in the history of the state that a governor would be stoned in just a year in office like it happened in Ijebu-Igbo. In Ipokia, it was
a gun battle between his security aides, and the
people. It is terrible that this is happening in Ogun state. Gov. Amosun had now made people realized
what they have lost within one year after the departure of OGD.
Look within 100 days in office as Ifo Local
Government chairman, I commissioned over 60
projects that are people oriented. Amosun has lost
credibility, the man has disappointed so many people
in Ogun State. I said it sometimes ago that the shoes OGD left in office is too large for this man to wear.
As a very honest and grassroots person, i said it earlier that the people of Ogun State are not getting what they expected from the man. The best way to pay him back is at the next council elections in July. All we see now is a man with large cap, a particular proverb says uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, now a man wearing a crown is adding more metres to the crown, making it larger, and comical thereby adding unnecessary weight to the head. Each time I see Mr. Governor with his large cap like that of a particular jester, it makes me laugh, and think our number one citizen is not a serious man.
PDP is now working seriously to mend fences, and unite. How can a governor spend over N300 Million
Naira to plant flower? I mean you can’t compare the
topography of Ogun state with that of Lagos State.
Ogun State is rocky. Is planting of flowers the next
thing, when people are walking around with empty
stomachs. A very intelligent governor would have been more focused and active than planting flower.
You don’t play politics with the future of the youths. Look at what he did to TASUED, the first University of Education in Nigeria, and second in Africa. You want to scrap it, and spend the money in planting flowers so as to create avenue for friends to waste our money. In just a year in office, Amosun has borrowed about 60 billion naira and we have not seen a single thing he has done.
They were saying that Gbenga Daniel left a debt
burden of 80 billion in eight years of his administration,
let the Ogun people now judge for themselves and
compare. Eight years of 80 billion debt, and one year of 60 billion naira debt. We are in deep trouble in Ogun, and must kick this impostor called Amosun out of power in 2015, but we must show through the local government elections, that he can no longer deceive Ogun people again, with his bunch of political neophytes and brigands.
Hon. Ogundele, lets come back to you, what is your
next political step, after your experience as a two-
termed state legislator and former council chairman?
After a lot of consultations, I have come to the
conclusion that I want to join in the gubernatorial race of Ogun State come 2015, and nothing will stop me from achieving this INSHA ALLAH. I am a politician with experience, and I strongly believe in my ability. That has always reflected in my elections. I lost only during the NRC & SDP days when i contested for the House of Assembly seat under the NRC, but since then, I have been winning all my elections; from my second term in House of Assembly to Ifo Local Government seat as
chairman. The records are there, go to Ifo local
government, go to both constituency 1 & 2, you will see my legacies and foot prints there. I constructed the ultra-modern market at Ifo, and I completed it, the same structures were put in place at Akute, and
Agbado, and no single kobo was taken from the council purse. It was done through my personal initiative and contacts. Each time I travelled abroad then, I used to feature on TV programmes and used the opportunities to call on indigenes abroad to come and join in the developmental process of our local government area, and they responded positively. One major project that nobody can take away at Ifo is the relationship building project. I was able to manage Ifo local government, a volatile council area very well, this won me several awards as the best local government council boss in Nigeria.
I constructed roads and gave out over 100
transformers. My vast experience in politics had earned me credibility within and outside Nigeria. I am still waiting for anybody to challenge me because up till today, I am the only ex-council boss that did not owe anybody, whether a political appointee, staff, or contractors a kobo before I left the council. The issue of whether PDP, my party will give me the governorship ticket or not does not arise, I know they will not deny me this opportunity, and the leaders can attest to my
qualities. I want to serve my people, and we need to do away with these empty headed elements with large
caps, and please help me tell the whole world that I Dr. Sikirulai Olawale Ogundele is set to bring Ogun State back to the good days as established by OGD.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Opposition Ready To Unseat Gov. Amosun In 2015
An aide of immediate former governor of Ogun state Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Mr Sina Kawonise have made it clear that the present administration of Ogun state under the leadership of Senator Ibikunle Amosun won't spend beyond 2015 in office. Kawonise made this known during an online interactive session organised by the Ogun People's Forum (OPF).
Mr Kawonise while answering questions from participants of the session shed more lights on the policies of the last administration where he served as Commissioner for Information. While responding to the question raised by My Abiodun Adenuga over the decision of the last administration to build four stadia within the state, Kawonise said " The stadia were conceived and built precisely to solve the poverty challenge. And it is simplistic to measure their viability in terms of direct revenue via, for instance, gate-takings. Investment in sports facilities is categorised as both a social and economic spending".
Furthermore, the guest on the session makes a damning revelation that he is ready to work against the emergence of Senator Amosun come 2015. In his words, "My dream for Ogun State is to form a coalition to expel the political merchants and the charlatans that are currently ruining our commonwealth. The goal is to join hands with true progressives that will continue with the giant strides of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the visionary, the brilliant administrator, the inimitable manager of men and materials, who laid the foundation for the greatness of our state. Ibikunle Amosun surely won't go beyond 2015."
Welcoming members and participants to the Session, the initiator of the forum Ms. Tosin Awotesu urged members to keep to the rules of the forum while addressing issues as the forum stands to represent the interest of the State and not of that of any individuals, groups or party.
Ogun People's Forum was described as "A forum for the State, for the people and by the people. This group is created to facilitate discussion on issues affecting our State, proffer solutions and generally help in moving the State forward to a place we will all be proud to call our home.
Mr Kawonise while answering questions from participants of the session shed more lights on the policies of the last administration where he served as Commissioner for Information. While responding to the question raised by My Abiodun Adenuga over the decision of the last administration to build four stadia within the state, Kawonise said " The stadia were conceived and built precisely to solve the poverty challenge. And it is simplistic to measure their viability in terms of direct revenue via, for instance, gate-takings. Investment in sports facilities is categorised as both a social and economic spending".
Furthermore, the guest on the session makes a damning revelation that he is ready to work against the emergence of Senator Amosun come 2015. In his words, "My dream for Ogun State is to form a coalition to expel the political merchants and the charlatans that are currently ruining our commonwealth. The goal is to join hands with true progressives that will continue with the giant strides of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the visionary, the brilliant administrator, the inimitable manager of men and materials, who laid the foundation for the greatness of our state. Ibikunle Amosun surely won't go beyond 2015."
Welcoming members and participants to the Session, the initiator of the forum Ms. Tosin Awotesu urged members to keep to the rules of the forum while addressing issues as the forum stands to represent the interest of the State and not of that of any individuals, groups or party.
Ogun People's Forum was described as "A forum for the State, for the people and by the people. This group is created to facilitate discussion on issues affecting our State, proffer solutions and generally help in moving the State forward to a place we will all be proud to call our home.
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