Honourable Mayowa Akinfolarin, a two-term member of the House of Representatives, speaks with HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, on his aspiration to govern Ondo on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Excerpts:
The Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration appears to be making life more difficult for Nigerians. Why is this so?
Let me appreciate Mr President for taking the right steps since he assumed office on May 29, 2023. He has demonstrated that he understands issues affecting every Nigerian and he is attending to them with a lot of commitment. I am not surprised and I am sure many Nigerians are not surprised that the President is meticulous in implementing key elements of the renewed hope agenda. This is because bearing in mind his antecedents as Lagos State governor, Nigerians will soon start smiling. I can assure you. I don’t envy the president at all because he inherited a struggling economy and why I respect him is that he is not complaining. Rather, he is working day and night to ensure Nigerians enjoy the dividends of democracy; that is the number one quality of a good leader. If we don’t reform now, we will suffer for it later. Let’s make the right sacrifice for the sake of our children and our children’s children.
But Nigerians are becoming more impatient with the administration because nothing seems to have changed.
You can’t say nothing has changed. In about six months, the president has displayed a purposeful leadership by reinvesting the money saved from fuel subsidies in health, education, job creation and infrastructure. For the first time in a long time, states received almost double of their allocations and none of them is complaining about the payment of salaries. They can now do more at the state level, which is taking governance close to the people. Nigerians just need a little patience because some of the plans on the renewed hope agenda have long-term goals while some positive results will begin to manifest very soon. The good thing is that the president is aware of all these and he is addressing them one step at a time.
What is your relationship with President Tinubu?
The president is my benefactor. His leadership prowess is immeasurable and his knack for excellence is second to none. One thing you must know about the president is that he listens and you must have seen it from the way he listens to Nigerians and addresses issues swiftly, regardless of ethnic and political affiliations. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a compassionate leader who means well for Nigerians. God has brought him at this time to come and rescue us and we must not distract him. All we can do is start praying for him, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. The president needs our prayers and support.
Why are you interested in the governorship race of Ondo State?
I have been holding public offices for a while and in all the elective positions I have occupied, I have always advocated for policies, projects and programs that directly and positively impact the ordinary man in the society, especially in Ondo State. I know every administration in Ondo State inside out. So I can tell you that over time, there seems to have been a lot of gaps between government and the people of the state. Don’t get me wrong, I did not say those who governed before now did not have their own impact. But I am a practical person, I relate well with the grassroots, young and old people and even high flyers across Ondo State and I know where the shoe pinches. I have some home-grown solutions to our problems. What works in Lagos, Abuja, Rivers and the like may not work in Ondo state because we have our own peculiarities and I speak the language of the masses.
There are rumours that you’re being sponsored by some forces or a cabal in the presidency.
Cabal? This is an overused lexicon in the Nigerian political dictionary. Don’t forget I was in the national assembly for eight years as a member representing Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo federal constituency of Ondo State, and you must know that one of the key responsibilities of a federal lawmaker is lobbying and networking. To the glory of God, I served without blemish and this endeared me to many influential individuals from all walks of life. All I can say is that I am sufficiently close to the people at the top either at the national or sub-national level and they can attest to my competence and capability.
Considering the number of aspirants, including the incumbent governor, what are your chances in the race?
You and I know only very few of them are serious. APC is a progressive family and so it is within the fundamental human right of every individual within the party to vie for any office. But we know those who are serious and those who want to run just to mark register that they were once aspirants. Of all the people jostling for the number one seat in Ondo State, I can tell you that I am the most experienced and the one with the strongest grassroots appeal. Like I said earlier, I have been a political player of note for a while in this state. I was twice deputy Speaker of the Ondo state House of Assembly and for two consecutive terms, I was Honorable member representing Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo federal constituency of Ondo state in the national assembly, among others. The records are there in the public domain for everyone to see. I am a people’s politician and I have earned the trust of my people over time.
Are you saying you’re in a better position to win the party ticket and the election?
Every major stakeholder in APC in Ondo State today is on my side and 90 percent of them have been my friends for decades. They all know that I do not promise and fail. Otherwise, you will not see the calibre of politicians that were present at our last stakeholders’ engagement meeting that happened within a very short notice. These are politicians who command a very large following in their respective domains. They are all looking for someone they have access to and I am no stranger to all of them and indeed to the people of the state. At every point, my doors have always been open.
What is your programme of action and how is it different from other governorship aspirants?
My approach to governance is quite different and those who are familiar with my trajectory will tell you this. I believe in a bottom-up approach to governance. My plan will be to assemble a creative team of technocrats and politicians and we are going to be delivering programs that address businesses at the local level, call it micro-economics, you are right, because those small scale businesses that are often neglected are the bedrock of every developing society and ours is no exception. We will be focusing especially on farmers, artisans, traders, entrepreneurs and the like. When elected, our government will create an enabling environment for them to thrive. We are going to deliberately empower our young people to be job creators and not job seekers, our market women will be given access to loans and grants in a very coordinated way. Let me also say that the young people are like the driving force behind every one of my projects and this is not exempted. They have taken ownership of my governorship project from day one. So, I am familiar with their thinking and for the first time, the government will be attending to their needs in practical terms not just on paper. The civil service will be repositioned for productivity and the welfare of all workers will be the best you can get anywhere in the country. We are in a hurry to make our people trust government once again. Under my watch, education, healthcare and infrastructure will flourish.
What exactly is your vision for Ondo State?
Food security is key on my agenda. I am a son of a farmer, I am also a part-time farmer and most of the farmers at the grassroots in the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State are people I relate with regularly and I know their plights. I know what they need to grow and produce in large quantities and
quality. We must be able to feed ourselves before talking about industrialization. Government must be deliberate and invest massively in agriculture. As a matter of fact, America, which happens to be one of the greatest countries in the world today, has millions of people who are farmers and they contribute greatly to food production. We cannot be doing the same thing every year and expect a different result. This time, we are doing it differently with the common people at the heart of it. I am a practical politician and I want to do things that will impact positively on the lives of our people.
So are you not going to industrialize Ondo state?
First thing first, we must prioritize agriculture in all ways and find a better way of improving on the techniques through partnerships and exposure. We are going to do agriculture on a large scale and even export. We must critically look at infrastructure, security, education and healthcare even power, among others. We don’t want to pay lip service to industrialization. Those before us had failed in this regard because they also failed to answer the critical questions before jumping into industrialization. Are we going to industrialize? Yes, but we are going to take it one step at a time and definitely get there.
How do you think the economy of the state can be best managed?
I have said it before and I will repeat it that Ondo state money will be used for Ondo state people. Every penny we make in this state will be spent in this state. No capital flight, I can assure you of that. We will also discourage wastage and ensure that our people come first. Those who know me can attest to the fact that I am not extravagant and the office will not change me. We will prioritize things that matter to our people and not waste money on elephant projects that have no positive impact on the people of the state. What is important is that we will be transparent and accountable. We will spend Ondo state money on Ondo state people. With this, expect nothing less than accelerated development and an inclusive government. We are going to run a government that has something for everyone in the state
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