Osun 2018: ‘If elected gov, I’ll create wealth for the people’

Mr Olugbenga Akintola, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Osun State, speaks with OLUWOLE IGE on his ambition and how to redirect the economic future of the state for prosperity. Excerpts:

WHAT is the driving force behind your ambition to become governor of Osun State?

Constructive dissatisfaction. Growing up and with all my entire schooling in Osun, I noticed how our citizens are of the most evolved character with a strong pride of self-reliance. From my days at Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School in Ile-Ife through Methodist High School in Ilesa to the University of Ife, the hope for a better future and values imbibed in me were that of uprightness and selflessness.

More recently, and living in the state, I realised that there is high degree of hopelessness as our people are being compelled to a condition of dependency on handouts. We now appear like a society that has lost its core values of Omoluabi. Can you imagine the hopes and aspirations with which we took off in the 1960s, and if our development trajectory had continued in an upward swing? Today, we talk of how Osun’s equatorial climate makes our land very fertile for agricultural cultivation with two major ecological zones of rainforest and savannah; we have over one million ounces of gold under our land as well as talc not to talk of water resources for the generation of hydroelectricity. All these remain a potential and I begin to wonder when they will become viable reality to create economic opportunities of jobs, industries, and wealth for Osun people.

How would you describe your acceptability among the people of the state level?

I am not clear on how to measure “acceptability” but I have passion and love for Osun people and know that they desire to be wealthy in good health. Past failed promises have left them jaded and their cynicism is a manifestation of a deeper and more diffuse malignancy: poor governance. So, this malignancy can be corrected by honesty in governance and an effective government that addresses the welfare of the citizens. I, therefore, look at it this way: the people have a lock; I have the key; why will the people not open the door when they hear my plans and development agenda? I have trust in our people to make the right choice when they hear my message of solutions to our collective problems.

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With this your proclaimed pedigree, what is your blueprint for the development of Osun?

The blueprint will be fully unveiled in due course. However, my vision is that of an Osun State that is capable of creating wealth for its people and my goal is to contribute to Osun State’s ability to fulfil all of its obligations towards its people through a capable workforce for industrialisation. To achieve this goal, I will work assiduously on an Àtúnse [rebuilding] Agenda of economic development and human capital investment. My focus will be how to maximise the human and natural resources for Osun State to prosper. More specifically, we will follow the cardinal agenda of our party’s manifestoes with the following programmes, which includes gainful employment to all with our priority on workers’ welfare by ensuring that they are paid in full as at when due.

We will link agriculture to manufacturing and provide incentives to SMEs to upgrade their capacities. Secondly, we would integrate economic development by shifting our budget emphasis for industrialisation. Our solid minerals will be explored and developed to create jobs. We will increase funding for technological advancement in equipment manufacturing and accelerate the development of Omoluabi Free Trade Zone. Thirdly, we would provide effective education by improving the standards and quality assurance as well as ensuring better management and utilisation of funds while also improving the relevance of curriculum for the 21st century. We will improve teachers’ welfare for motivation and ensure that our tertiary institutions move from theory to application of knowledge, while we would ensure quality healthcare with an increase in budgetary allocation for primary healthcare services and shift emphasis to preventive healthcare. Our primary healthcare centres will have the appropriate supply of medication and adequately staffed with medical service providers. More importantly, my ultimate plan is to focus much attention on human capital investments with a particular attention on making human beings the determinants of all economic and social change.

Do you have the political clout to emerge as the governor of Osun if you clinch the ticket of your party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) for the gubernatorial race?

I am a democrat who firmly believes that the decision rests with the people. Further, I trust that our people are competent to make a right choice and I will be insulting them to postulate that their choice will be based on ‘political clout.’ On September 22, I believe that they would remember the good old days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and compare it to what improvements, or lack thereof, they have seen in their lives under the PDP and APC governments. I identify with the aspirations of our people and our ‘Atunse’ Agenda is about them and not about ‘political clout.’

As a politician from Ijesa axis of Osun, don’t you think your ambition may be threatened by the fact that the outgoing governor is an indigene of Ilesa and from the same axis as you?

This is an issue that needs to be examined from two prisms: equity and political expediency. As a democrat, I believe a lot in social justice and representation. However, I am aware that politicians raise all sorts of argument that really are more in their interests and not the citizens’.

If our people are given the choice between political zoning and competence, they will make the right choice; I can’t fathom the thought that our people would opt for political expediency over competence. All candidates, regardless of zone should bring forth their development programs and convince the voters that they are purposeful; the people will judge on September 22.