“Ekiti State needs someone who can provide leadership that would create wealth opportunities and welfare. Presently, there is no wealth being created. Whatever that is going on there is capital flight, out of the state and the little that is there, the governor goes about sharing it to the people on the streets, N200 and bread (Stomach infrastructure), which cannot work in an egalitarian society which we are looking forward to.
“The good people of Ekiti State are yearning for somebody that is fresh, someone without political baggage, somebody who comes in from the private sector with experience in developing people and an entrepreneur that knows how to turn one naira to one naira, fifty kobo. If you look at APC states, you’ll see appreciable progress. I’m not saying everything is perfect, but you’ll see development of the people and the state. Everyone can see that APC governments grow the people. “I have the track record, I have succeeded in the private sector, so, working for the people won’t be an issue. “Yes, we’ve seen people come in from the private sector and disappoint in government, but what is missing in them is compassion.
“I have always said that if we do not have someone with compassion, who is his brother’s keeper, we won’t get governance right. “My life is not about me. It’s about others. That’s how it has always been and that’s why I’m in this race. I’ve looked in the eyes of ordinary people on the streets of Ekiti, and I feel for them; I know that their lives can be better. “All we need is a person that knows how to utilise resources, how to make sure that the funds that come in are not just consumed. We can’t continue to consume and consume, we must produce our way out of poverty.
“The state has to be creative and latch onto new initiatives because the federal allocation is too meagre, it is very small. By the time the salaries of the workers, ranging from civil, tertiary institutions, statutory deductions etc are being paid, the monies would have been exhausted. It means that for anyone to do these, you have to create or find the money. As a result of robust discussions with different groups within the state, a lot of ideas were the order of the day. But most of the ideas are not something we want to throw open so that there won’t be plagiarism.
“When I speak, I like people seeing the practicality. Are you aware that Gossy Water belongs to the state government? When that venture was started by Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the then governor of the state, he had the foresight to start that initiative because he wanted to diversify and generate revenue for the state. What he did, at that time, was partner with UAC as a company and generate a payment schedule from the sale of Gossy Water. Unfortunately, the Gossy Water seems to be a missed opportunity. This is because ever since Gossy Water started in year 2000, it has remained the same. The brand has not been improved, the packaging is still the same and then you don’t find it anywhere anymore. You would realise that there is money in the state, but nobody is willing to pursue it. So, those are some areas that we will look at to raise revenue. We are not going to do something in that area, it is something that is already there.”
He promised to make Ekiti State an industrial hub in the South West Region of Nigeria. Engineer Ojo stressed his competence via his personal accomplishments in the private sector, through his professional private practice which has helped him to impact on people positively. The politician, who said his advantage to clinch the ticket of his party and rule the state is that at 47, age is on his side and that he has tremendous energy to drive his ideas and bring about the much desired development the state needs.
and then