I HATE BEING LABELLED ADEDIBU -DEJO RAIMI, PDP ELDER
Dr. Dejo Raimi is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State and a member of the elders caucus. In this interview with GBENGA ADESUYI, he talked on different national issues, the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Excerpts:
Oyo workers strike and minimum wage
Look, many people do not understand the politics of this minimum wage. The Federal Government that agreed with labour knows exactly what it was doing. The government used a formular to work out the entitlements and passed same to the states. What the states are expected to do is to generate more internal revenue to be able to meet their developmental commitment.
What do you expect a state to do when it has spent more than 50 per cent allocation from Abuja on other things, like paying salaries of its workforce? Such situation has made some state governors to be weak and very lazy. Because of the monthly oil revenue from government, they do not know how to introduce ideas to generate revenue. There are lots of ways through which revenue can be generated.
For instance, a state that is lucky that has a big town like Ibadan, the population can be an advantage. If the government can concentrate on refuse collection only in Ibadan, they can make lots of money. But I cannot offer an unsolicited advice, I am sure he will need me one day.
2015
Many people in the state will not vote Ajimobi in 2015. I have not seen any special thing that this government has done. It is almost a year now, what can we say is the specific achievement of this ACN government? If you say peace, it is a graveyard type of quietness. The roads that Adebayo Alao-Akala constructed are the ones that are being mended by Ajimobi. Can you tell me the success of this administration? Those clamoring for change must have seen that they have made a big mistake.
I am sure if Akala should decide to contest again in 2015 he will defeat Ajimobi. The Yoruba people have a saying that if a woman does not try two husbands, she would not know which of them is better. The people of the state want a change and they have seen a change indeed. They now know that ACN government cannot be compared with PDP. The people have started complaining that Akala's time was better. Let Akala declare that he wants to contest for the governorship, many of those people who initially voted for Ajimobi would return to Akala.
The labour strike
Let him (Ajimobi) go and pay workers their dues, there is money in the state. He should not push the PDP to expose him on some money he is receiving from Abuja. We know he can pay that money, if he wants to pay it. There is a lot of indiscipline in the country; the Federal Government has signed the new wage into law, since it has become a law, no state should negotiate to pay below what the Federal Government announced.
But he has increased the money to N19,987
Let him make the money across board, then there will be no reason for the workers to go on strike. These people are not fighting for allowances, they are fighting for their basic salaries.
If he says there are opposition parties are fueling the crisis, let him pay and see if anybody is fueling it or not. Ajimobi will enjoy them if he can pay them their money.
You and Adedibu
After many years in politics, many do not even remember that I am a medical practitioner. I have forgotten myself because in the last 20 years, I have not practiced. I have been practicing politics, whereas I am one of the very few chest physicians in the country.
Some people are calling me the garrison commander of Ibadan politics, some people call me another Adedibu. But I will not accept because Adedibu was not educated. I am educated. He used brutal force which made him popular, I do not, in fact, many people come to me to seek advice. So, you cannot call me another Adedibu. But if they call me garrison commander that may be acceptable. When I talk people believe me even when they think politicians do not say the truth.
Parallel congresses
These factions are normal; no faction would be able to produce all members of the executives. The factions will still reconcile and make sure that everybody is carried along so that we reposition ourselves for 2015. We are happy that the congress comes earlier before 2015 so that whatever divisions that occur would be corrected before 2015 election. We are going to reconcile and harmonize; we have always been doing that but to prove that you are relevant you have to show your muscle.
A third faction is still coming; Rashidi Ladoja is coming back to PDP. He has no other place to go, nobody can claim to know Ladoja than me, I brought him into politics. I know at the appropriate time when I give him the signal he would come. He has his own people that he is bringing. Won't you accommodate them in the executive? So, those fighting now are just fighting for nothing. We won't even make attempt to resolve it now until Ladoja is completely re-admitted and whatever is due for him and his followers would definitely be given to them.
Nobody can stop Ladoja, he cannot join the ACN. He delayed his return to the PDP because of the two factions. He has to be very careful because he has his followers. As soon as Ladoja returns, he's bringing such a big followership. Whichever group he joins becomes the authentic PDP. With the return of Ladoja, he can become a minister, since Oyo State has one minister which is even a minister of state. We also have ambassadorial position, if the position of the party secretary is gone to Osun State.
His return will definitely boost the chances of my party in winning back Oyo State.
What other proof do you need to confirm that Ladoja is already in PDP? His wife (Mutiat ) has been made an ex-officio member at the national level. The party is ready to give him a waiver. The constitution says, you must be a member of the party before you can contest for any position in the party. He has concern for his followers. Those who are not comfortable over the return of Ladoja are people who are naturally wouldn't have been at the top. They found themselves there because Ladoja was away. Now that Ladoja is returning, it is natural that they would not be comfortable. These are people whom Ladoja was their former boss. Akala refers to Ladoja as my boss and now that Ladoja is returning, Akala cannot be comfortable.
Factions
In a political party as big as the PDP, you do not expect everybody to think alike. Some must think upside down. No matter how they think. Three things are important in politics; you must have intellect, foot soldiers who will do the mobilization and of course, you must have the financial muscle. The combination of the three will go and deliver the goods. For example the political tsunami of the ACN could not sweep Oyo State completely. The only state that produced a PDP senator in the entire South-West. It was possible because of the combination of the three.
Jonathan and second term
If Jonathan can perform very well by fixing all the problems confronting the country, nothing stops him from contesting for second term. We have given him a target from the beginning of the administration that he should fix the energy problem. If he succeeds in that, Nigerians do not really mind who rules them, all they want is result.
We have told him at the party level to stop saying that he will only contest for one term, why can't he contest for second term, which the constitution permits? In the American constitution that we say we are following, it is almost automatic that you must contest for two terms. The North has ruled this country for about 40 years, what do they have to show for it, even in the North itself, let alone the whole country? The North should stop clamouring that power should shift to the North; Jonathan will go beyond 2015. He is going to contest.
Olgunsoye Oyinlola's emergence as PDP secretary
There was no imposition in the party, every position was zoned. Bamanga Tukur campaigned vigorously before eventually emerged. There are groups and factions within the party. There is a committee of governors and ex-governors. You should expert that when this group meets, they are meeting for their own advantage and to some extent to the party's advantage.
So, when the issue of Tukur came up and the Presidency presented his name, the governors' forum told the Presidency that we will support Tukur, but you must also support one of us. That was how Oyinlola emerged national secretary of the party. Oyinlola emerged through a very powerful group, the committee of governors and ex-governors within PDP. Fortunately enough, Oyinlola is not a stranger; he came from the South-West where the position was zoned to.