Jonathan Must Be Neutral In Ondo ElectionSince the 1983 political upheaval that claimed many lives and property, Ondo State has acquired reputation of a flash point for political unrest. Hence, as the state marches towards the October governorship election, aspirants and stakeholders have cautioned against a repeat of what triggered the 1983 problem: declaration and imposition of an 'un-elected' governor. One of the callers is Chief Segun Ojo, a governorship aspirant of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He spoke to ABIODUN FANORO.HOW would you assess preparations for this election, especially at the level of security'Oh, it is very poor; it is very frightening! Sadly, violence has returned to the state; insecurity is progressively creeping in. I think the Federal Government would need to sit down to organise its security agencies, to be prepared for the state and the election.What we witnessed at the recently held (the late Governor) Adebayo Adefarati Memorial Lecture in Akure is a bad signal of what to expect in this run-up to the election and the election itself. The level of violence nakedly unleashed by (alleged) supporters at the ruling Labour Party (LP) during an event that was supposed to be a moment of sober reflection is to say the least worrisome and condemnable.The magnitude of the violence would be better appreciated if you realise that despite his strong security, the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was billed to present the lecture, had to turn back.The general feeling in Ondo State is that if the police, the SSS and other security agencies could display the type of compromise and disillusionment seen that day (at the Memorial Lecture), then individuals in the state should better begin to prepare their defence mechanism, in order not to be caught napping, as it happened to all of us on that day.Unfortunately, the result would not be palatable; it is going to be anarchy. That is why I am calling on the Federal Government to reorganise the security agencies in Ondo State, to prepare them for the election. It should not allow the police to be used by the present administration in the state.The Federal Government must be reminded of what happened in Ondo State in 1983, when the Alhaji Shehu Shagari-led government tried to use the police to subvert the will of the people. The moment you allow the people of Ondo State to take the law into their hands or to seek justice through other (non-legitimate) means, then, the outcome would be unpleasant for all.What exactly should the Federal Government do'It should re-organise the security agencies and make them impartial: impartial for the opposition party to see and for the people of Ondo State to know that the Federal Government is truly neutral. In the event of Federal Government taking sides, it would be very disastrous.The Federal Government should realise that we have more unemployed youths now than we had in 1983. There are militants, which we never had in 1983. Any attempt to use Federal force to perpetuate the stay of Dr. Mimiko (illegally) would lead to unforeseeable terrible situation in Ondo State.We don't pray for this in our state; we don't want anybody to consciously or unconsciously visit this on Ondo State. Our people deserve peace; they deserve the best.'We Want To Drive Mimiko Away'THE horde of aspirants chasing ACN's one slot has become a major issue in the election. Is this not going to be your party's undoing'I don't think so; I think it is okay with the party. Of late, the party has opened its doors to not only aspirants, but also new members in several thousands, who believe in the ideology of the party. It would be very unwise for the party to close its doors against them.The party could also not prevent aspirants to declare interest. I am sure it is setting up a system by which it would prune down the long list of aspirants. The fear that this could cause disaffection in the party is not a big issue; in fact, it's unfounded.The party can boast of many experienced leaders, who have been part of the politics for many years, and who would readily deploy these years of experience to fashion out a rancour-free method through which the candidate would be picked.Could this not backfire, as was the case in Lagos State in 2007, which remarkably ruptured the party'The situation in Ondo State is remarkably different from what happened in Lagos where over 15 aspirants wanted to replace Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. In Lagos, aspirants were jostling for position, but in Ondo, aspirants and ordinary members are joining (the party) to achieve a common goal, which is to drive away Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko. I, like many others, want to contribute my quota in driving him away. Even if it means coming as an aspirant, let it be!Is the struggle just to drive Mimiko away, regardless of his achievements, or is it simply to continue with the state's tradition of one term governor'In the first instance, he (Mimiko) is an apostle of one term and that is what the people of Ondo State want. Whatever you are able to do or you are not able to do, let it be on record. Asking for a second term is just like changing the goal post or the rule of the game in the middle of the competition.Then more importantly, he has not performed. More money came into the government coffer during his tenure. Till date, Mimiko has collected over N500 billion. Tell me one project he has been able to complete in his three years in power!But he is constructing roads in Akure and Ondo, his hometown, isn't he'Can you tell me the level of completion of the three-kilometre dualisation he is doing in Ondo, awarded three years ago and for which over N6 billion has been paid' Not more than five per cent has been completed. If he can do that to his hometown, then what do you expect he would do in other towns in the state'Isn't that a credit to him: not focusing on his town alone' He is massively developing Akure roads at the expense of his community road.What do you mean by massively developing Akure roads' Tell me the project he has completed in Akure' You have forgotten that when Ondo State was created in 1976, it took the then Military Governor, David Ita Ikpeme, only nine months to start and complete the long stretch: Ilesha Road-Oba Adesida Road. The road has remained solid; it has never gone into a state of disrepair.This road you are talking about, has he completed it' Can't you see how the roads and the drainage are caving in' If it rains in Akure, the roads become impassable due to flooding. Is it only road reconstruction he is expected to do in government' It is certainly no!'Ondo Govt Has Damaged People's Livelihood'HOW would you rate the governor in terms of completion of economically viable projects he inherited from his predecessor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu'He abandoned all. The essence of being in government is to make the people happy by attending to their welfare, life-enhancing and security needs. If some of the projects that would turn around the lives of the people have been commenced by your predecessor, but could not complete them, are you not morally, socially, economically and legally bound to complete them' After all, government is continuity; you are supposed to continue where your predecessor left it.Remember that Dr. Agagu had paid almost 80 per cent of the amount of these projects. Agagu's reason then was that he didn't want any excuse for non-performance by the contractors. The incumbent governor, Mimiko, has abandoned these projects.Some of the abandoned projects are: the Akure Ultra Modern Stadium; the 1,500 capacity Banquet Hall in Akure; Idanre Golf Course; the N14 billion Water Transmission Programme for six councils in Ondo Central Senatorial District; Okitipupa Cassava Factory; several roads and bridges in Ondo South Senatorial district, particularly in the Ilaje, Ijaw and Ikale areas; Olokola Free Trade Zone; and the permanent site of the Ondo State University of Science and Technology, OkitipupaTo realise the damage this government has done to the people whose lives and economy these projects were to improve and to the state economy generally, look at what it would cost to restart these projects. To restart them, contractors would come with variations, which could be between 50 per cent and 100 per cent of the initial cost. So, who has lost' It is the people and government of Ondo State.Would it be correct, as some people allege, that Mimiko did not complete these projects for selfish reasons, so that the glory would not go to his predecessor'When the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati came on board, the Oluwa Glass Factory Plc was abandoned; we injected money there to revamp it. We bought back the Ile-Oluji Coca Industry that was sold, for the benefit of the people of Ondo State. Ditto for all the projects that we inherited from the administration we succeeded, because government is a continuum.What were your observations during your tour of the council areas in the state'Most people in the state are disenchanted with the present government; they appear to have been cut off by the administration. Apart from Akure, Ondo town and one other town in the northern senatorial district where you have over-delayed road rehabilitation, no project is happening in most parts of the state.Women are the most disillusioned. When they trooped out to welcome us, you could read it from their faces: that they were crying for urgent relief. It dawned on me that there was urgent need to declare a state of economic emergency for the women, youths and aged in the state.Are you really saying this administration has not reached these people' Remember the same government is reputed to have built markets for women.Is it market that would create jobs' How many of these women have money to buy goods to sell, not to talk of having money to acquire these markets, which prices are beyond them' If women in Akure, who have comparatively better incomes could not afford these markets, how much more the ordinary women in the rural areas' They are not empowered.The issue is not the market; the market is just a structure. Outside Akure, the rest markets in the towns and villages are not only abandoned, but they have also been taken over by bush and reptiles.
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