Senator Yele Omogunwa is representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the Eighth Assembly. In this interview with TUNDE BUSARI, he speaks on the current state of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu among other issues.
what do you think of the recent appointment of Senator Bola Tinubu by President Muhammadu Buhari to reconcile all warring interests within the APC?
I think it is a right step in the right direction. Every organisation needs reappraisal, especially for a political party like the APC with large numbers of political giants, some with diverse interests. A party, which gathered its membership together in not too long a time before the 2015 general elections and took over power from the then ruling party must definitely experience what could be called learning period. And with the 2019 elections in sight, it is just appropriate to put the party in order.
What are your thoughts on the arguments over the appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari instead of the party chairman, Chief Odigie-Oyegun?
In a democracy, the government is a product of the party. Therefore, most of all what happens in government should be as a result of resolves between the party and government. This appointment is not different. If for the weight of the assignment and the importance of purpose, in agreement with the national chairman of the party the president, being the number one leader of the party, can offer to make such appointment.
Again, I must reiterate that the APC is lucky to have a chairman such as Chief Odigie-Oyegun, an astute administrator with commendable pedigree. He is a man to be taken seriously at all time. And for democracy to thrive in the land, government must endeavour to strengthen relationship with the party and her leadership. For Chief Oyegun to deliver again in 2019, the president should work in alliance with him, his team and the National Assembly.
This appointment seems to confirm the enormity of the problems within the party especially in your state and with the 2019 elections around the corner, what do we expect from this reconciliatory moves?
No doubt, it was intentional that the personality of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu played a key role in the president’s choice. And considering his influence and experience, I think the president is right. With cooperation from every quarter, the reconciliatory move would deliver unity to the party generally and at the end of it all the party would come out of it stronger and better.
Can the ongoing reconciliation affect the barrage of court cases among different interests within the party in Ondo State?
I do not want to lay much emphasis on this point, since I am still being affected by this kind of litigation. However, the right of everybody to seek redress in a court of law is fundamental, and with the intervention of well-meaning people, hurt nerves could be calmed and we can all sit together as one family to move the party forward.
Is this reconciliatory move not in contradiction to allegation that forces within the presidency want to upturn the leadership of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki?
I am not aware of such a move by the presidency, but with sincerity of purpose, peace would reign to have a united assembly to plan better towards 2019.
Is the move a panic measure caused by the relative progress being achieved by the opposition party, the PDP or the Third Force Movement initiated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo?
By my humble assessment, I don’t see any serious threat from these two organisations. And if you may agree with me, every party needs conflict and perhaps interest management scheme. With APC government at the centre and looking at the 2019 election, the right time for reconciliation is now.
Is the APC afraid of handing over to youths in Nigeria?
It is of a fact that the youths are usually in two categories, the educated and privileged few, and the uneducated and voiceless majority. It is the duty of the government at all levels to make frantic and deliberate attempts to reduce this larger class of youths. But I must reiterate that no sane society at this age should be afraid of incorporating the youths, aside being the leaders of tomorrow, more youths should be encouraged and be incorporated into the system for we the elders to know what to expect in the future and for us to monitor their activities while in position of authority and advise where need be.
Now that the electioneering season is near, what have been your ‘thank you’ deeds to your constituency so far?
I have had three big empowerment programmes for the people of my constituency. The first one came just eight months into the 8th Senate. I have ever had elaborate empowerment programmes for my people, taking care of all the different categories of the needy in our society; the school children, youths, the vocational skills people, the farmers, the widows etc. Aside from three hard board speed boats, I have given out motorcycles, sewing machines, pepper grinding machines, hair dryers and a lot of all such items for the vocational skilled people in my district. My direct reach out in the area of paying hospital bills, school fees, and solving people’s housing challenges is endless. In the turf area of employments, I have helped in securing gainful employment to a commendable number of people and it is still counting. My desk top services to the people of my district is getting very favourable feedbacks as the people who come for recommendation letters get the attention they deserved. In fulfillment of another of my electoral promise, I bought a N43 million grading equipment to deliver motorable graded roads to both township and rural farm settlement roads. These, I have been doing free of charge and successfully in four local government areas and we are cooperating with our people in order to cover the entire senatorial district with this free service of mine.
What advice do you have concerning the challenges confronting the country such as security, economic issues and threat to national unity?
The 2018 budget in its full functionality should be able to ameliorate the economic hardship of Nigerians. I think our security outfits are rising up to the challenges the more now, and the authorities should always try to improve on areas that will improve the promptness of our officers to distress calls and emergencies. I will want our leaders to equally know that a genuine show of empathy is a great form of therapy to bereaved families, and their society and a huge sign of honour to the deceased.
What influenced your decision to decamp to APC?
I joined the APC on the singular purpose to support Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), then a party aspirant. And despite the fact that the APC had close to 30 aspirants, and Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was not the preferred choice of some formidable forces in the South West zone where we come from, I received the directive from God to join him.
Looking back now, I can’t thank him enough for his impressive take off. The people of Ondo State are better off. The civil servants experience prompt payment of their salaries. He has even been depleting the inherited backlog. Besides, the roads he constructed and commissioned are all with functional drainages as evidenced in Ifon through to Akoko and around Akure to my own Southern Senatorial District. He flagged off in partnership quite some numbers of industrial projects across the state to engage the unemployed youths.
Are you saying Ondo State wouldn’t have got anything better?
Well, the political world is a stage, but I am a complete grass roots person, very familiar with my people, served in quite a number of administrations in the state before my current position. As a legislature, I have no budget that can provide these further infrastructural needs for the people. But here comes Governor Akeredolu fulfilling on some of these vital needs of my people, and for those who probably were skeptical of his abilities to deliver, and those civil servants who had genuine reasons for their anxiety over the fate of their salaries at the inception of his administration a year ago have been swayed by the deliverables from the noble governor. I am convinced that if given his maximum constitutionally allowable tenure, his ratings would surpass that of late Pa Adekunle Ajasin.
and then