When Ajimobi asked: ‘Who do people say I am?’

From Dalmanutha he travelled to Bethsaida, where he healed a blind man. Afterwards, according to the Gospel of Matthew, as he walked North towards Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Recently, the executive council chamber of the office of the Oyo State governor transmogrified into the biblical Caesarea Philippi when Governor Abiola Ajimobi asked men of the fourth estate of the realm who the people of Oyo State thought he was. The governor looked worried and wanted some clarifications on variegated views about his person and his administration in the past six years.

‘‘Why the usual fuss about every statement I make, for example, my saying that I am the constituted authority? Why the disconnect between my government and the citizens on some policies, for example, the crisis that greeted the public/private partnership idea in the running of schools? Why does my government get a barrage of backlash on social media despite my strides in different sectors that won me an epoch-making second term? Haven’t I done enough in Infrastructure, Security, Commerce and Industrialisation, Health, Education, Agriculture, Sports, Security to deserve more accolades? Why do some say I am conceited? Why do some say I have done well in one sector and woefully in the other, and others say my second term has been uneventful so far compared to my first four years. Why don’t the majority of citizens see me the way I want to be seen?’’

This rare opportunity for journalists’ assessment of Ajimobi and his government, especially those on the governor’s press crew, came after Ajimobi had walked into the press centre to express his admiration of a gentleman journalist, and, in that spirit, other journalists requested for a meeting with the governor, which was granted. And, members of the make-or-mar arm of government, that which sets the agenda and moulds public opinion, were called upon to clearly paint the picture of the situation to the governor.

No journalist could exactly determine what shape the meeting would take, knowing they were up against the smart, witty and intelligent Ajimobi. The permutations were over when Mr Constituted Authority came in at 5.30 pm in striped ‘agbada’ with brown ‘fila’ to match. Ajimobi did lay the course for the two and a half hours meeting by identifying sectors which he wanted journalists to assess: Infrastructure, Security, Commerce and Industrialisation, Health, Education, Agriculture, Sports and Security. This was serious business as Ajimobi put pen to paper and outlined the rating scale as, A- Excellent, B- Good, C- Average, D- Poor.

The assessment of many journalists who spoke on the government’s strides in constructing roads and other infrastructure, over the past six years, ranged from A to B. Many acknowledged the attention given to some entry roads into the state, a number of linking roads and the prospective completion of recently awarded roads like Ibadan-Eleyele-Eruwa, Oyo township road, Idi Ape- Basorun –Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Junction, Saki Township Road. There was the argument that Ajimobi’s government was closest to that of Jemibewon in terms of erecting physical infrastructure. However, journalists were also quick to point to some congested roads and dilapidating inner roads across the 33 local government areas of the state, praying for the empowerment of local governments to fix roads.  Specifically, some journalist mentioned the poor state of roads from Ologuneru-NIHORT-Elenusonso, Gbekuba-Apata, Ojoo-Arulogun-Igbo Oloyin and Amuloko link roads. Ajimobi argued that government could not touch all roads owing to inadequate resources, while pointing out that roads attended to or being attended to were also top on the clamour of residents of the state.

The epistles in health rendered by journalists were so palatable. Their responses oscillated from A to C. On the one hand, some journalists observed that a silver lining of improvement was obvious in the institution of endowment fund to get fund to revamp the state’s hospitals. These set also made mention of the recently launched health insurance scheme as a move that would guarantee citizens access to affordable and qualitative healthcare, which Ajimobi acknowledged. On the other hand, journalists who scored the sector C spoke about some dilapidating facilities at the state’s hospitals and morgues. However, Ajimobi held on to prospects to include the planned establishment of a cardiovascular screening centre at Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, and plans to revamp the health sector, as evidences of its vision for a virile health sector in the State.

Journalists who spoke on the education sector scored the sector C. They pointed to the challenges in the education sector like the crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso, the crisis that greeted the policy of public private partnership in running and management of schools and the correlation between the introduction of Students’ Governing Boards and Oyomesi. At this point, Ajimobi decried that the intent of his policies were being misconstrued. He avowed that his public/private partnership stance in education was being vindicated by the involvement of old students, alumni and other stakeholders in erecting school buildings and other structures. He stressed that the state government’s efforts in education was evidenced in the state placing second in the federation in the last National Examination Council (NECO). This is just as he noted that the technical university billed for takeoff in October would enable the state have a more robust entrepreneurial base.

The media men identified the potentials of the state in Agriculture and scored the sector between the A and C range. Those who gave the A and B score noted the large arable land and agriculture potentials that the state government had shown keen desire in exploring through the Oyo State Agriculture Initiative, the Songhai farm integrated farming initiative at Awe and distribution of tractors and other farm implements. However, the C score was attributed to the fact that state needed to do more to tap into the capability of the sector to greatly impact upon the state’s Internally Generated Revenue. Commenting, Ajimobi expressed optimism that the result of the state government’s strides in reviving the agricultural sector was bound to yield results.

All hands were up when the governor asked for assessment on security. The responses were unanimous; it was a loud A. Pointing to the fact that Ibadan was renowned for brigandage before 2011, Ajimobi’s strategy to stamp out violence and sustain peace, through Operation Burst, was lauded by the respondents. Special mention was made of how the Ajimobi government calmed the usual crisis fomented by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The journalists however noted some incidences of robbery, in recent times. Ajimobi asserted confidence in the ability of security agencies to stamp out the skirmishes of violence. To up the ante in security, he said the state government would soon embark on the installation of Closed Circuit Television Cameras in hotspots, adding that the Oyo state Security Trust Fund would also provide the needed support to sustain a peaceful state.

It was A or B for government’s strides in Commerce and Industrialisation. The journalists reckoned that the state’s Public/Private Partnership stance had continued to attract investment and business practices that have modernized the lifestyle of dwellers in the state. According to Ajimobi, the recent launch of Pacesetter-Polaris free trade zone and industrial park would make the state the hub of commerce and industrialisation in the country.

The state was scored poor in Sports. They noted that the state government had not devoted enough attention to the Sports sector. A sports journalist who spoke said the lack of attention to sports may be responsible for the unimpressive fortune of the state football teams, Shooting Stars Football and Crown football club. Ajimobi did not dispute this. His bane was that the state government had devoted a lot of resources to sports overtime with little result to show.  Consequently, he pointed out that the state government desired private sector involvement in the running of sports teams and would not shy away from privatizing its teams.

In the end, Ajimobi’s priorities were clear: Infrastructure, Health, Education, Agriculture, Sports, Security, Commerce and Industrialisation. As the Ajimobi administration was scored well in Infrastructure and development, Ajimobi assured that he was committed to being scored excellent in other sectors, by majority of Oyo citizens, by May 2019. While assuring of his commitment to improving the overall welfare of citizens of the people, he decried inadequate resources to be addressed by rigorous drive to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Suffice it to say that the journalists’ assessment of the administration’s performance in the past years may inform some decisions and actions of Governor Abiola Ajimobi in the coming days, like a cabinet reshuffle. But, Ajimobi is concerned about the vagaries of responses by journalists, which confirm the different notions that the people of the state have about him. The interactive session ended with Ajimobi saying: “I want the people to see me the way I want to be seen. I know I have limited time left before my tenure as governor expires but I will leave lasting legacy that I will be remembered for and I am committed to it.”But the journalists’’ assessments represent the views of the majority of the people of Oyo State?