By Joe Igbokwe
On Monday October 15 2012, Ondo State of Nigeria witnessed an unprecedented great assembly of the nation’s progressive in Akure, the capital city. It is one great movement I have witnessed since 1999 in any State of Nigeria by the progressives. I have attended great political rallies in Nigeria but the Akure outing remains an extra ordinary one; massive, the biggest one, the great political statement ever known and made in the history of Nigeria . I was physically present in Akure to see things for myself.
Team Lagos, Team Edo State, Team Ekiti State, Team Oyo State, Team Osun State and Team Ogun State all led by their governor and Deputies were fully on ground to put mouths, hands, feet, souls, minds, heads, ideas, momentum, power of critical thinking and everything at its disposal to re-engineer Ondo State into the great hands of the progressives. All leaders of ACN in Nigeria , all the State Executives of the Party and all the well wishers gathered in their thousands for this liberation project in Ondo State . It was the gathering of who is who in the progressive family in the South West and other parts of Nigeria and I make bold to say that Ondo State will never be the same again.Â
From every nook and cranny of Ondo, men, women, children, youth, able and disabled, all trooped in great number to the venue of the rally. It was a great mobilization and each of the local governments in Ondo showed brilliant representation and enthusiasm to make change happen in Ondo.
They know their history, they know where they are coming from, they know where they are and they know where they are going. The desperate, sponsored propaganda by the fading power cult in Ondo can confuse someone outside Ondo but not someone in Ondo who wears the shoe and knows where it is pinching him. This fact Ondo people wanted to demonstrate at that mammoth rally; arguably the largest in the history of Ondo State . They all made their points and are ready to enforce such in October 20 2012.
Some people have been asking questions why the progressives are paying too much attention to Ondo State . They are asking questions why ACN is too much interested in Ondo State politics. They are asking questions why Governor Mimiko should not be left alone to continue to govern Ondo State . They are wondering why all the progressives in Nigeria are routing for Ondo State . They are wondering why all the progressives in Nigeria are routing for Ondo State . They do not understand why the progressives want Ondo State in its fold.
Now you must hear this! Jesus told us the story of a shepherd who owned
100 sheep. One of the sheep got lost and the good shepherd abandoned the remaining 99 sheep to look for the missing one. Ondo State even in the first republic was in the progressive camp. In the second republic, it was in the progressive camp. After almost 20 years of military dictatorship, Ondo returned to the progressive camp. Remember that an attempt to steal Ondo State in 1983 resulted in a serious political crisis that claimed lives and properties.
If Chief Akin Omoboriowo is alive today he would have told a better story.
In 2003 former President Obasanjo stole Ondo State and gave it to former governor Agagu but the thieves could not keep the stolen goods. Through a fierce battle in the law courts and tribunals the stolen mandate was recovered and returned to Governor Mimiko. A book of 300 pages will not be enough to tell the story of how Asiwaju Bola Tinubu became the arrow head, the driver, the ultimate auto mechanic, the mobilizer, the initiator who deployed resources both in local and foreign currencies, mobilized the best lawyers in town, provided personnels, vehicles, institutions like Adaba Radio etc to drum support for Segun Mimiko to claim his mandate from the predators, electoral robbers and nest of killers. Governor Segun Mimiko got his mandate after a long battle.
Now the progressive camp of Nigeria led by our own Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu thought that Mimiko who won the election on the platform will gradually begin the process of returning to the great family of the progressives as a way of showing gratitude to them for helping him in times of trouble. One would have thought that Segun Mimiko will show loyalty and love to those who did the struggle for him. One would have thought Mimiko will leave no stone unturned to prove that he can be trusted. One would have thought that Governor Segun Mimiko will not be in a hurry to forget the fingers that fed him. One had reasoned that Segun Mimiko is educated enough to understand the meaning of the big picture in every project. One had reasoned that a medical doctor like Segun Mimiko would have underscored the power of team work and the spirit of brotherhood but not governor Segun Mimiko.
The moment he grabbed power he kicked away the ladder he used in climbing to power. He turned his back on the progressives, his supporters, his financiers, his brothers and sisters etc. those who know Mimiko very well say this is his life. Former President Obasanjo told the world that Segun Mimiko is a traitor who cannot be trusted. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was also told this. Those who know Mimiko told BAT too that Mimiko does not have the world loyalty in his lexicon. Asiwaju BAT ignored all this until it was proved beyond reasonable doubts that a leopard can never change its skin. Segun Mimiko has proved that you can only know the true character of a man when he is given money or power. But trust and loyalty is what makes a man. Integrity, honour, character, culture, content, respect, principle are the greatest attributes of a great man.
Segun Mimiko rather demonstrated a desire to be an active PDP man. He was always the first to record his presence in PDP activities and was always the first to support anti-people policies like fuel subsidy removal. In the entire South West, it is only in Ondo that active protest against this inhuman policy failed to take place-thanks to Mimiko and his government.
Again June 12 is held sacred by mosy Nigerians especially South Wessterners and progressive. It is only in Ondo State among the South West States that June 12 is not marked as Democracy Day. It is only in Ondo among the South West States that people do not observe June 12 as a public holiday. Governor Mimiko shuns all South West governors’ meetings and would rather attend a nebulous PDP meeting in Abuja, in great disservice to his people.
Now why are the progressives interested in Ondo State ? Why do they want Mimiko removed? What is the motivation? What is the goal? What is the agenda? What is the drive? What is the primary objective of the Action Congress of Nigeria and the progressives? What do we stand to gain?
My friend Dr Jimanze Ego-Alowes wrote in his book, IS NIGERIA IN RUINS?
That it is the intellectuals all over the world that set the agenda for politicians, show the way forward for politicians, push the political leaders to think, hand over growth templates to them and drive the process of development. Jimanze says a nation fails when intellectuals fail to do their work. Throughout history societies have always been moved forward by the unique discoveries of few men.
Democracy Park , Akure on Monday October 15 2012 were there to make a statement that Ondo must join the human race. Ondo redemption rally on that great Monday was an idea whose time has come. It was a gathering of great minds and souls. You can ignore this to your own peril.
The next reason why Ondo State is needed in the ACN family is for the monumental project called Regional Integration of the South West Nigeria, an economic integration blueprint, well conceived idea and a serious development initiative which is now being copied by South, South East and other zones in the country. It is bigger than governor Mimiko and even hundred Mimikos. Ondo State is too important to be left to stand alone in the South-West. Governor Fashola, Aregbesola, Fayemi, Oshiomhole, Amosun, Ajimobi, former governor and House of Assembly Speakers, their Deputies, their Commissioners, Special Advisers, LGA Chairmen, Councillors, and the well educated and articulate youths I saw in Akure cannot deceive 30 million Yoruba in Nigeria. They are great leaders that can be trusted judging from their antecedents and track records. Those who think Mimiko will remain in Akure as Governor on October 28 2012 do no know when the train left the station.
I therefore urge the people of Ondo State to think. I urge them to trust BAT and his moving train. I urge them to vote for Chief Akeredolu (SAN) to complete the circle. It is a task that must be done. I urge Ondo people to vote for ACN as a mark of respect for the late Chief Micheal Ajasin, the leader of NADECO who stood up to face IBB and Abacha in the days of the locust. Chief Ajasin paid the supreme price to return democracy in Nigeria . Find your history books and discover how one Commodore Onyearugbulem took troops to the old man’s house to intimidate him and how he never recovered from the shock. Ondo people must not betray their leaders at a time like this.
Ondo people are being deceived that our leader is targeting Ondo wealth.
Please perish the thought! This is one of the lies of a drowning regime.
You may wish to ask how much of Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Edo, Osun and Oyo wealth is CAN leaders siphoning? He is one man God has touched in Nigeria. MO Ibrahim Foundation set up few years to fish out, recognize and reward committed leaders in Africa says governance has eluded Nigeria since 2006. He came short of saying that Nigeria has not had leadership since 2006. This is food for thought for leaders and followers in Nigeria.
By Joe Igbokwe