The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Chief Ade Adetimehin, speaks with IMOLEAYO OYEDEYI on the performance of the party in the last seven years in the country and its chances of retaining power in 2023 among other issues.
Being a state chairman, what is your assessment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and performance in the last seven years?
When this administration came onboard, the situation of the country then was pathetic and worrisome. I could remember that seven or eight years ago when we were going into the election period like this, nobody thought we could conduct elections successfully in North-Eastern and North-Western part of Nigeria as virtually about four states in these regions have been taken over by Boko Haram. But we did and when this administration came, the issue of Boko Haram insurgency became non-existent. Unfortunately, other challenges rose up afterwards and have been confronting the government such as kidnapping, banditry and others. But you will agree with me that the way the government has been tackling the insecurity issues has been giving us progress. And we can also talk of infrastructural developments such as construction of railway lines, bridges and major roads in different parts of the country.
Also, before President Buhari came onboard, there were a lot of state governments that were owing workers’ salaries; some were owing seven months and for some, it was eight months. But the president quickly came to the states’ rescue as labourers do have rights to their wages. The president gave the state governments bail outs funds to foot the backlogs of salaries owed in their respective states. With this, some of the problems of the state government were reduced. But as you know, human wants are insatiable, and that’s why the country is still facing some challenges, which I believe by God’s grace, it will get over them all.
You will remember that when this administration came onboard, one of the three cardinal agenda it sold to Nigerians was proper security. Then, many Nigerians thought that with President Buhari being a former military general, the security challenges bedeviling the country will be completely curtailed, but seven years after the president came into power, it seems the security mandate hasn’t been delivered as the rampaging terrorists have now become more strengthened with daylight attacks on even military formations and key government entities across the country, what do you make of this?
Well, in your question, you have somehow provided its answer. Like I said, when this administration came onboard, the attacks from Boko Haram terrorists were alarming, such that they have their flags implanted in no fewer than five states in the North. But the Boko Haram insurgency has gone down since this administration came in, but sadly another dimension has crept in, which include banditry and kidnapping. But trust me, the president is worried about the development. And I can assure you that gradually, the challenges will be a thing of the past. Take for example, about five or six weeks ago, the tension and apprehension was very high in the country with kidnapping everywhere, but the trend has since then been subsiding. So, I believe that it will also phase out gradually too, because the president is determined and ever ready to tackle the crimes.
But let me quickly add that some of these problems come from our different homes. We need to properly educate our children right from the homes, because most of these notorious criminals, especially the kidnappers reside in our different homes. So, we must expose them and give vital information to the security agencies for them to nab them. People in different parts of the country know where these criminals are. So they need volunteer information.
In the olden days, there were what we called civil duties. It was taught in primary schools. But all these things are no longer there. We must go back to those eras, because in those days, it was an abomination for you to commit a crime. Take for example, in my town, if you rob, the whole family would be in trouble. But these days, we celebrate robbers and yahoo. We even buy laptops for them and refuse to question or chase them away when they bring exotic cars into our compound. We keep encouraging them. So, I believe the problem is for all of us to tackle.
But, there have been insinuations in some quarters that the presidency has been handling the bandits and terrorists in the country with kid gloves, how true can this be?
We are still recycling ourselves within this question on insecurity. When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power, the tension in Nigeria was so high that it was difficult to even live comfortably in the country then as people faced many problems. Before this administration, the PDP had been in the saddle for 16 years and all they have been after is to share money and distribute our common wealth. What you and I know vividly is that the PDP and the APC are incomparable in terms of performance, because in the days of the PDP, you can’t have a free and fair election. It was daylight robbery then, where people at all costs would vote for them. They pocket even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) then. But this administration has given everyone the freedom and liberty to practice their democracy.
Coming to the area of economy, anytime people compare the performance of the Buhari’s administration to that of the PDP/Jonathan’s administration, the prices of essential commodities such as rice, fuel, oil and the Dollar exchange rates often come up considering the fact that their prices have gone up astronomically, making some people to say that the current administration has not done well for Nigeria economically, what do you have to say on this?
Thank you, on the economy we all are talking about, people do say that Rome was not built in a day. Looking at the price of oil, is it the same now as it was during the era of the PDP? The price then was well over 100 dollars per barrel, but when president Buhari came, he did a lot to stabilise the oil price. The issue there is that when a problem is being created, people will start asking for quick solutions. You will agree with me that it is easier to demolish a building, but it is always difficult to build it. In my own view, I believe the president has been giving us the best in the way he has been handling the economy. Don’t forget that for a whole year that COVID-19 prevailed, almost all the economy of the world broke down. You cannot buy and you cannot sell as everyone was on lockdown.
Again, in the area of rice production that you mentioned, you will agree with me that it is always good to have home-grown commodities. And if we were able to produce enough rice, buy and sell here, it will pay us better than importing rice and all the commodities. Producing our own rice will also make our youths engaged, because farming is the best business that can employ many people. So, we must encourage the government to diversify, look inwards and develop the agriculture sector, so that we can produce more and sell more.
So are you saying categorically that the Buhari’s administration has done well for the country in the last seven years economically?
Well, in terms of where we are coming from, the administration has done well. In terms of comparison with the previous administration, the Buhari’s government has done well. In the area of agriculture, he has improved; in the area of road construction, he has also improved and in the health sector too, he has improved.
The only area that is looking for attention is that of security, banditry, kidnapping and creation of employment for younger Nigerians, because the rate at which new graduates are being poured out into the country is alarming. So, the government needs to engage them with employment as we have in my state, which makes us five years plus in governance of the state. In fact, since the exit of Adebayo Adefarati in the state in 1999, the state has failed to employ one teacher.
But so far, the government of Rotimi Akeredolu has employed 2000 teachers, 500 civil servants and 600 medical workers, including doctors, pharmacists, and dentists. In the area of employment too, Amotekun, which is the state security outfit, has employed more than 1500 operatives, all of which have contributed to the state economy too. All these didn’t happen in the preceding administrations.
In view of the current state of happenings in the country and some of the things you have so far attributed to the All Progressives Congress administration under President Buhari, do you think the APC government has done enough to convince Nigerians to vote in their candidate, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 general election?
Well, just as you know that in Nigeria, we have only two leading political parties, the APC and the PDP. But the APC candidate, Tinubu, is the man that is being celebrated today. Why are we celebrating him? It was because of his previous performance. When he was in charge of the governance of Lagos, what he did among the 36 states of the federation is second to none. Look at the way he improved the economy there. He raised the state economy to one that you can compare with anyone in the world.
You will recall that during that period, the man was choked when he created local government councils in the state. Almost for a year plus, federal allocation didn’t go to the state. And the man looked in-ward and even paid the salary of workers as at when due. He even employed more workers. That shows that the man is knowledgeable enough to know how to lead, govern and tackle situations when you are in crisis.
Again, in all sectors, be it economy, private sector, any other sector, the man has been tested and trusted. You can only give what you have and can’t give what you don’t have. In the area of governance, the man has the capacity and wherewithal as he has worked, governed and knows where the shoe pinches for the downtrodden in the masses. I believe people are different. Just as you have Buhari, you also have Tinubu. They differ and so is their capacity. And Nigerians know this. But looking at the two options presented before them which is Atiku and Tinubu, I believe the two of them are incomparable.
In what sense?
It is in the area of capacity, intellectualism and performance. As I have told you, when Tinubu was strangulated with no federal allocation, he looked in-ward. Have you ever placed such a task before Atiku? It is a capital no.
But don’t you think the followership of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, is becoming more of a threat to the chances of your party in 2023?
I have said something and I told you that you can only give what you have and you can’t give what you don’t have. Obi has governed Anambra for eight years. And he didn’t go close to what Tinubu did for eight years in Lagos. Again, people are talking about strike or no strike, have you forgotten that during the time of Obi in Anambra, the state university went on strike for eight months and he couldn’t do anything about it. Perhaps that was why he quickly withdrew his words when he was criticizing the present administration’s efforts on the industrial actions being observed by the university lecturers across the country. So you cannot give what you don’t have.
And I have told you the area where APC has performed; I even compared it with my state, such that if you were to bring Akeredolu onboard now to govern the country, he would do well because of his current strides in the state. Same thing with Asiwaju. And I can boldly say nobody can match what he did in Lagos, which was why his successors have all been building on his achievements. He has laid a good foundation for Lagos and I am sure he will do the same for Nigeria. I strongly believe that the moment Asiwaju is voted in as Nigeria’s president, all of us should forget about things like banditry, kidnapping and unemployment, because he has the magic wand to take care of these things.
Are you saying that Tinubu’s presidency will address the entire challenges confronting Nigeria now?
Yes, I am sure he will change the narratives and do things for the better. He will improve the economy to the admiration of all Nigerians. More so, I believe his choice of vice presidential candidate will work in favour of the party in 2023, because we have to do away with religious bigotry in Nigeria. We must do away with putting religion into governance, because there is a difference between governance and religion. We have to try as much as possible to separate the two and look at ourselves as one Nigeria. What we need most is good government and leadership. What I think we should be asking ourselves is who can govern this country to our collective satisfaction and benefits, because we cannot be sharing this country across religious lines. It will not solve any problem or lead us anywhere. If it is a Christian that we can find at this point in time to lead us, let the person lead and solve our problem. Religion is not our problem, but what we need is an end to banditry and kidnapping.
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