OGUN 2011: YEWA / AWORILAND GUBER QUEST, AN ASSESSMENT
The current agitation of Yewa/Aworiland for Governor of Ogun State come 2011, cannot under any circumstances be seen as immoral, neither can it be viewed as being self-centered by any fair-minded individual in the state.
It can also not be described as selfish by any of the other zones in the Ogun State project, going by the historical antecedent of WHO gets WHAT, WHEN and HOW'., since the state was created by military fiat of Murtala/ Obasanjo regime.
The agitation is now almost at the all time high. We must thank God for the good people of the state, in anticipation of allowing good reasoning to prevail and in the process right the wrongs of the past. The various political parties have commence something close to serious preparation to this effect. The PDP seems to be the leading light in this regard.
The party had come out with its zoning arrangement, that the governorship candidate of the party can come from Ogun West Senatorial zone comprises of Yewa/ Aworiland. Though, this came with a caveat, that Ogun Central can also contest.
The Action Congress (AC) is still busy strategizing. One hopes the party and other mushroom parties in the state will tow the path of honour and justice by zoning their governorship candidates to Ogun West. But just as the legendary English legal luminary, Lord Denning asserted that, you cannot place something on nothing. Thus, who are the real baston of hope for Yewaland?
Who among the aspirants especially within the fold of PDP can we pin our collective hope on? One can be so sure that Yewa/ Aworiland is not lacking in quality personalities that can bring that hope to reality. So far, some of them can be identified, at least going by their achievements their contributions to humanities, their pedigree, body language and show of public display can also be said to make them serious contenders for the governorship seat of the state.
There is Senator Felix Kola Bajomo, who is representing Ogun West Senatorial District. Before joining the murky water of politics, the senator had always been in the private sector. A Chartered Accountant who rose to become the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN).
He is presently the Vice-Chairman Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions. But that seems to be where all the accolades stop, as the senator has not achieved much at the political level. His impact as a senator has not really been felt by the people and the perception of him by the same people he is representing is not that encouraging. Beyond all that, age is not on the side of the senator.
Another prodigy and financial expert, is Mr Gboyega Isiaka. He is until recently the MD of Gateway Holdings the investment arm of the state government. He has also been in the private sector. He is said to be a first class brain, at least academically. One of the major achievements associated with him is that he has been able to increase the investment portfolio of the state. Though questions are being raised on this said great feat. Just few days ago, a World Bank Group rated the state first from the rear in the area of investment operation in the country.
This has cast not a small doubt on his 'great feat.' Besides, on the political level, he seems not to have too much of experience. Another capable hand and dependable personality, that the state can look up to not just because he is from Yewaland but because he can actually do the job at hand like any good candidate from anywhere in the state is Mr. Abiodun Akinlade Isiaq. He also had a stint in the private sector, where he rose to the pinnacle of his establishment as the General manager.
Upon venturing into the unpredictable political turf, he was elected into the House of Representatives in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He is presently the Chairman House Committee on Science and Technology. Akinlade has done well for himself and people he is representing. There's hardly any locality in his constituency that has not felt the impact of this dynamic member. His employment generation drive is unequalled in the history of Yewaland. Infact, his dynamism and adequate representation was adequately captured sometime ago by a professor of note from the state who said that, had it been that those who have been holding positions of authority have done half of what Akinlade has done, all the hues and cries of maginalisation would not arise in the first place in Yewaland.
As the Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, that is constitutionally empowered to oversee all the agencies under the Ministry of Science and Technology, he has not been found wanting in the discharge of his responsibilities. With this kind of experience, he is not alien to how government, ministries and departmental agencies works, especially since he also belongs to various other committees as member in the House. Ogun State would not be doing anything new by electing somebody like Akinlade, as we are being told of the good works of Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State who was chairman of various committee in the House before he was elected governor.
We don't need a trial and error governor neither do we need one that will learn on the job. We actually need a governor that will hit the ground running upon assumption of office at least to demonstrate to other zones that we can.
However, who ever emerges as the candidate and eventually elected governor, should be magnanimous in victory and the losers too must be gallant in defeat. There should be no victor, no vanquish in this collective project at hand.
•Oyekanmi wrote in from Ifonyintedo in Ipokia LGA of the Ogun State.