Dr Eddy Olafeso is one of the leading aspirants for the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State and aims to pick up the ticket of the PDP for the poll. In this interview with HAKEEM GBADAMOSI, speaks on his ambition, the PDP primary and the chance of the party in the forthcoming election.
THE governorship primary of the PDP holds next week. How prepared are you?
We are prepared; we have gone round the 18 local government areas to visit our people and our message is clear to the people collegially that we are after progressive ideas, welfare support for the teeming poverty-ridden population of the state and ensuring that we focus our campaign on issues rather than individuals. We have come a long way; we started this campaign about a year ago. The people know what we stand for. I have been a member of this party for the last 20 years. I have never wavered. My commitment to the people is total and I will continue to pursue that for the rest of my life. We are more than ready for the July 22 primary election.
There are eight aspirants jostling for the PDP ticket, what stands you out among them?
I have just mentioned it. I am the longest serving party member. I served as the secretary of the party in the state, I was commissioner for information and served as national vice chairman of the party. I understand the plight of our people; I’m committed to it. My heart, my soul is about Ondo State and its development. I served under one of the best leaders in this state, Dr Olusegun Agagu; I’m friend enough with Dr Olusegun Mimiko who took over from him. But we need to do more; we need to begin to harness our resources. I am better served because of my private sector experience to be able to harness the private sector in building an efficient government that can bring about dividends of governance to the ordinary man on the street.
What’s your stand on the argument of some people that the governorship candidate of the PDP should come from the southern senatorial district of the state?
It is the yearning of the people; it is not about where Eddy Olafeso stands. For me, geography does not count. Competence, capacity, integrity and character are those things that you look for in the governor of a state. I want to provide leadership; I have been trained in the act of leadership. In my years as a corporate sector player, what is most important is a leader that is driven by ideas and visions to encapsulate the needs of his people and bring them to a practical reality. We want decentralised education for our people; we want healthcare system that will serve all; we want infrastructural development; we want to build the economic base of this state and these are germane and important to building a 21st century society.
We had a roadmap to progress under Dr Olusegun Agagu. Most of the dreams are yet to be met; it is an unfinished project of Dr Olusegun Agagu and I believe I can accomplish them in no given time and I am far more than ready. I am an old Olympian, an old horse. I understand the terrain far better than anybody and none of them can contest the fact about my resilience, commitment, perseverance and total loyalty to my party. This marks a critical step in the journey to redress the nepotistic and fraudulent kind of governance which has resulted into decayed infrastructure, education, social and human capital and capacity development that have dogged every sphere of Ondo state.
The political experience in Ondo State as presently configured is skewed in appointments and infrastructure development abandoning a sizeable chunk of the state in abject disrepair. Education, which is the focal pillar on which the society rests, has gone comatose as students in tertiary institutions across the state are dropping out of school on daily basis due to government’s insensitivity in an astronomical increase in fees. This is not only limited to the higher institutions of learning as primary and secondary schools have their own share of the increase in fees, making education an IGR point.
Our roads have become death traps and points of kidnapping, especially in the northern parts of the state where criminals enjoy a field day of criminality without let or hindrance. Ten years have passed like a bad dream for those who live in the southern part of the state in their continued stay in an absolute blackout. All of these call for urgent, drastic and decisive intervention to redeem a once-thriving state of a well-orchestrated blueprint for social and economic reengineering standing on a six-legged agenda for redemption.
Governance is a serious business. It is not a place for learning the ropes particularly, because of the demeaning state of human and capacity development as it operates in our Ondo State of today. This is why we have developed our blueprint to stand on these agenda human capital development, agriculture infrastructure, security and job creation. We are not going to pay lip service to these critical aspects of development as our collective existence rests on them. Our resolve is to identify areas of funding to enable us to give life back to our people through serious revenue drive that will not be a burden on our people, but will yield responsible finances to the coffers of government through, mostly God-given resources; through tourism and other nature endowed resources. Our very fertile land and forest reserves will help in generating enormous resources for use for the state as we look inwards to better the lot of our people other than waiting for crumbs from the table of the Federal Government. We will run an all-inclusive government to access ideas and contributions from within and without the immediate environment. We will partner international agencies of development to enhance the economy of Ondo.
The tragedy is that the Ondo is too blessed. All the resources you can ever imagine in this country are all there. But then why have we come this far and this poor? The reason is about leadership, to be creative, to be innovative, and to be able to develop the economy so that it can serve the people better. From the southern senatorial district to the central senatorial district to the northern senatorial district, we have all it takes to actually be rich. It is tragic that we are still a state waiting for federal allocation when we should actually be helping the Federal Government in its own deficit. So, I believe that having worked in so many capacities in the state, at no time did I betray their confidence, made promises that I have not delivered. I know full well that they will have confidence in me and that they will do better in terms of voting for me than all the other aspirants. Besides, in terms of maturity and longevity, I think that they will have confidence that this man will do the best for our state.
Ondo used to be a stronghold of the PDP before the wrangling that scattered the party. Is the party now speaking with one voice?
We have worked so hard in the last four years and we have done everything possible to build the party, from a party that cannot win an election to a party that can win elections. Remember that in the 2019 general election, we won two seats at the Senate; we won three seats in the House of Representative and two state assembly members. So, we are ready. Besides, there are certain things the party did not do well in the past which we are trying to do right now. What happened in 2016 election was not because we were not popular, but then I think the leadership at that time ran against the current. That is why we are asking the party at this moment to please ensure that they do everything to listen to the people. I think what is far more important is that people’s power is far more important than any other power.
What are the chances of the PDP in winning the governorship election in October?
The chances are very high. All we need to do is to be united and ensure that we do things the way it should be done. Leadership must ensure that the candidate that emerges is not a controversial one. We must pick someone who is committed and who understands the terrain. I fit the cap totally and no matter the crucible you use in picking the candidate, I know for sure that if I am picked as the candidate of the PDP I will win this state for my party and for the people of Ondo. For us, we are strong, we are capable and we will continue in our journey of producing the next governor for Ondo State. I am very confident and I can assure you that we are going to win the governorship election by the grace of God.
Do you have the financial war chest to go into the governorship election?
There is no financial war chest more than the people. The people that are going to vote for you, the people that you are going to serve are the people that are going to ensure that these resources are made available. If with the coronavirus pandemic, we can pay N21 million for forms, then we can equally risk a couple of billions to make sure that we take the government to the people. The beauty of it is that we have a track record of integrity and honour. A lot of people will invest in you when they know that you are someone who says what he means and means what he says. You too have a role to play; you must begin to engage with the people to ensure that we minimise the role of money in politics. I lived 20 years in America. When people are coming, it is individuals that contribute money to the candidate they believe in not the candidate giving money to those people that are going to vote. But you see, it is a gradual process and I know that we shall get to the El Dorado.
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