Hello, Gov. Mimiko!
By Oladimeji Abitogun
It is a wonderful feeling that the majority of the people could get what they wanted without trampling on the right of the minority to have their say.
Now that the right of way has been yielded to the overwhelming majority who felt they were robbed of electoral victory during the last gubernatorial election in Ondo State, we must extend a strange goodwill message, a congratulatory greeting sort of, to the new governor.
So much time is often spent, albeit without any rational justification, on paying solidarity visits to our elected leaders they call congratulatory pleasantries, thereby taking away the much needed focus from the usually fiercely urgent business of life-building and laying good blocks for building the nation.
The new governor of my home state in Nigeria, Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko must wake up from that time wasting honeymoon and get busy now. He should begin to wound down the sail from the party wood and set about the business of building of lasting legacies.
Fortunately, he has some illustrious predecessors; some fantastic, others not so exciting and he can only borrow from their positive examples and resolve to practically out –do some of them. When people of Ondo State, in the future, would exercise the privilege of hind-sight, they should be able to say “yes a boy from Ondo town, came to Alagbaka, and left us with good feelings”
Dr Mimiko has carried a blue-print in his bodily system for at least sixteen years, a tenacious vision of leading the state and providing a transformative leadership. He has nursed the ambition for as long as anyone can remember. So we have heard all the talks. Now is time to walk the walk.
Knowing that he has his blue-print for governance, I am not going to waste precious ink and time on advising him on what he has to pursue as a matter of legacy, I can only remind him of the fact that he must avoid the assumptions and simplistic, casual and often contemptuous approaches of some of his predecessors. Dr Mimiko must know that our democracy is here to stay and that good governance is one sure way of ensuring that survival. Democratic victories are better earned than handed over. Election is better than arbitrary selection.
Therefore, he must always allow things to follow natural progressions, never assume, Sir, that your choice is good enough for the people. The people know what, ultimately, is the best.
Whether under the late sage, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, late Adebayo Adefarati, and most recently, ex Governor Segun Agagu Ondo State leaders play too much pelupelu, arrangee or protectionist politics. We often assume that the power of incumbency could be used to present mediocre at elections and that the people would automatically vote for them.
Repeatedly, the people of the state, whether in 1983 Omoburino / Ajasin face-off or during the macro-crisis of June 12, 1993 or in the most recent Agagu/Mimiko debacle, the people have always demonstrated that they want their feelings to be respected and not that igi Ope or any “animal in human skin” would be rejected at elections. It is the suffrage right of the people to accept or reject dumb choices at elections. Hello, Governor Mimiko if you find yourself in such a dilemma, please respect the wish of the people, if you do, they would know you love and respect them and then your legacy would become tangible.
Another issue that must catch the attention of Dr. Mimiko is the need for us to open new frontiers and break fallow grounds in terms of ideas. We must stop living on past glories in Ondo State. In this age and time, we should invest in developmental imperatives such as portable water and reliable electricity. We must save our civilization ensuring that our cities and urban system are well planned and not over-crowded. What this translates into in concrete terms, is that villages, hamlets and cities are well integrated such that there should be nothing that would make the cities to be more attractive than smaller settlements in the state
Dr Mimiko knows his place as the chief accounting officer and the chief security officer of his state. The role starts with making sure that the destiny of his people are not placed in the care of lootocrats and inauthentic appointees.
Our army of unemployed and under-employed youths, especially graduates of Polytechnics Colleges of Education and Universities are accorded priority and impartial access to available jobs and opportunities
There is no gain in following blind and fake economists, who often recommend cash crunch for economic recession. Role out the money, let our young graduates have access to capital and let them start sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives. The reality is that it is not wise to rely on government for complete care of employable population. The life line of any vibrant economy and democracy would be small businesses and their owners
Already, in Ondo State, there is a culture of appointing illiterates, high school drop-outs into sensitive offices that require highly intelligent people. This culture must stop. It would be foolish to abandon well trained young men and rely on partisan patronage for appointing unqualified individuals whose only qualification is the ability to manipulate the political system. Dr Mimiko must handle this matter of security by providing for the Police under his jurisdiction and having data on his citizens. So that everyone can count and be relevant.
Finally, the new administration must be open to suggestions, advice and ideas, but the buck would always stop with the helmsman, Dr. Mimiko, because some of the people that would want to advise him may be self seeking; so, the administration must always look after the good of the public.
Part of the opportunities that are abound would be to position our people for global competition. The administration must tap into Nigeria’s existing bilateral agreements with foreign nations; especially on education and culture and make sure our students enjoy international exchange programs. The staff of our schools as well. The knowledge acquired would also benefit the state and the nation on the long run.
We should stop building over-sized schools and higher institutions, the best schools in the world, I now know do not even need to displace farmers and villagers to revolutionize things. Our planners must give proper vision.
People have told Dr. Mimiko that now that the court has secured him victory that the battle is over. No Sir tell them, that the battle has just begun and that the days of entering into our place of rest lie ahead. Now is the time to put your hand to the plough. Good Luck Mr. Governor.
RETURN OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE IN ONDO STATE
As someone whose family suffered unparalleled persecution and loss of lives and properties because of politics in the past, I am intrigued and disappointed that our people have learnt no new ways to purposefully disagree.
The so-called thugs and miscreants presently going around to kill and maim fellow citizens for changing parties ought to be ashamed of themselves. What is democracy if people cannot exercise freedom of choice? These elements should not destroy Ondo State and if we have a government, they should know that this people should be tried and made to face death penalty because people can change but the constant factors must be the sanctity of the person’s life and love for the nation.
