Chief Adewale Omojuwa, a former leader of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Ondo State and an ex- Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), in this interview with PLATFORM NEWSWIRE, spoke on why he defected from PDP to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), as well as on other important issues:
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| Chief Adewale Omojuwa |
Excerpts:
Sir, you used to be one of the frontline leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in your local government and the state, why have you decided to leave the party for the Action Congress of Nigeria ( A C N) now that some of the leaders of the party said they were making effort to rebrand it for better performance in the forthcoming governorship election in the state?.
Thank you so much for that question. It is true that I have been one of the prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo state but you see sometimes in 2009, I had an accident and was on the hospital bed for a long time moving from hospital to another. It was a ghastly accident but I thank God for sparing my life. That is why I am alive today and that is the reason why I will continue to appreciate God.
However, when I left the hospital bed last year, I looked round and discovered that PDP was in disarray, things were no longer at ease in the party. When I realized this, I made effort to call some leaders of the party together to see what we can do to salvage the party. So, I started consultations, I called on Hon. Ayo Ifayefunmi, D.I Kekemeke, Chief Olusola Oke, Chief Tayo Alasoadura as well as Dr. Olusegun Agagu, the leader of the party to tell them of my observation. During the consultations, I emphasized to the leaders the need to reconcile our differences and come together to a round table as one family to address the problems facing the party. I told them very frankly that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
The discussions I had with them was positive. Thereafter, I called Hon. Ayo Ifayefunmi to come to Abuja where the three of us, Hon. Ayo Ifayefunmi, Chief Olusola Oke and I met at the legal office of Chief Olusola Oke in Abuja. At the meeting, we had lengthy discussions during which we resolved on the names of those that will be invited to a meeting we scheduled for Akure.
However, because of the state my state of health at that point in time when we had the meeting as it was not long after I was discharged from the hospital, I told my leader Chief Olusola Oke to take over the reconciliation process. As soon as Chief Oke took over, we had about two, three meetings before we were able to reconcile. As we made progress in the meetings, we however discovered that some people who were in the party were not sincere; they were not honest with what they were doing. So, from there, there was infighting and insincerity in the party leadership. This led to divisions and in that situation, there is no way the PDP can win any election in the state because a house that is divided against itself can never stand. Again, couple with what is happening at the centre especially at the national leadership of the party and the presidency it appears it will be practically impossible for the party to win. In fact, the presidency is not helping the situation because what belongs to the PDP has been given to the ruling party in Ondo state couple with crisis in the party, up till now there is still crisis as there are two parallel executives in the state. When I looked at this situation and the inability of the party leadership in the state to resolve the problem, I conclude within me that there is no way the party can win any election in this type of situation. After many persuasions and they refused to listen to the words of elders, I felt it is the right time for me to leave the party. Election has been slated for October 20 and from the look of things, it appears PDP is not prepared to unseat the ruling government in the state that is why I decided to leave the party.
Sir, when one examine the PDP and other political parties in the country, one will see that inspite of its loss of the states in the South-West, the party still controls the greatest numbers of states in the country and the Federal Government. Don’t you think that your decision to leave the party for the one that controls lesser states at this crucial time would amount to political miscalculation?
There is nothing like political miscalculation in the step that I have taken. What I have done is a divine call by the Almighty God. Let me tell you, PDP in its present state in Ondo State is not prepared for the 2012 governorship election in Ondo state neither is it ready to take over the government in the state. In fact, I can say without any fear of contradiction that things have gone wrong in the state but the PDP is not prepared to correct the anomalies that are going on in the state. Everything is standing still in the state, it is motion without movement. So, when you look at the whole situation, you may be forced to ask yourself a question as to which party is ready to take over the state from the ruling government, my answer to that question is that the Action Congress of Nigeria (A C N) is the only alternative that can do it. It is the only party that is ready to challenge the government; it is the only one that is ready to take over the affairs of the state in order to correct the anomalies in the state. That is why the ideology, the regional integration policy and so many things being put forward attracted me because I know the policy would help to move the state forward and this was my reason for joining the party. My decision would not amount to political miscalculation. It will never, I have taken the right step.
The Labour party administration is presently controlling all the 18 Local Government in the state including those at the Ondo South senatorial district where you come from, how popularly is the A C N in the area?
Before now, the A C N was not popular but let me tell you that things are changing drastically in Ondo South senatorial district in Ondo state as people are trooping in and moving enmass into the party every day. You will see what will happen on May 28 when I will do my declaration at Igbokoda. You will see the hands of God. You will also see how God is moving and working on that day.
Sir, you have expressed optimism that your new party the A C N would unseat the incumbent government in the state, don’t you think your dream could be affected by the fact that the incumbent government has some factors at its advantage mostly the power of incumbency which could work in its favour ?.
Let me tell you today that the ruling party in the state and even Mimiko himself who is the governor knows that he is going to be defeated. Having seen the handwriting on the wall, I am sure he has started preparing his handover notes. He knows that he is going. Let me also state that the people of Ondo state are highly intelligent, educated and they know if you are performing as a governor or not. That is a fact. They know that this government is not performing. Go to Ilaje Local Government and see what I am talking. I was a former Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC). I knew what we did when we were in government but now we know what is happening. I know 40 percent oil derivation that is available to OSOPADEC, where is the money?. There is no development on ground, nothing is moving in that place. So our people understand what is happening and they know that this government cannot take care of their interest. They are worried that the government cannot develop the oil producing communities; they are also worried about the neglect of the people of the area. In fact, some of the people who feel aggrieves about the situation were of the views that they are not part of the present government in the state. As a result of this, they have realized that it will be better for them to go to where their yearnings and aspirations can be met and that is why people are moving in large numbers into the A C N. You will see what is going to happen, God is at work and by his grace the party will triumph in the forthcoming election.
Now that you have dumped the PDP for the A C N, if eventually the party wins, what plan do you have for the people of your area and Ondo state in general?
Thank you very much. As a politician who knows what the people need having lived and dined with them, I believe in development. Because I have been in government as Chairman of OSOPADEC for two years, I knew what I did as the chairman of the commission. During my tenure, I was part of the initiation, planning and execution of Igbokoda / Aiyetoro road. When the project was initiated I was among the commissioners on the board of the Commission but I completed it. Similarly, I also initiated and completed Abutu / Olokola road as well as the electrification project from Igbokoda to Ugboland. I also awarded electrification project from Ugbonla to Igu. We awarded the project at the rate of N3billion and the contractor was mobilized to site with the total of 50 percent of the contract sum. We gave him N1.5billion as I am talking to you; the project is yet to be completed. When we were there, the contractor after receiving the mobilization fee brought his equipment to the site and went the government the equipment was left there and up till now no job has been done. The N1.5billion is with the contractor as I am talking to you. So, nothing is moving at all. I am sure by the special state of God that if we get into power development will be our target. We have a vision and mission for our people. We want to develop that area and the entire state. People are jobless; the applicants are roaming about the streets looking for jobs. We want to establish industries so that our youth can have employment. We hope to harness the agricultural potentials of the state and provide portable water for the people of our state because there is no water in the state. We are going to have a road map because the present governor do not have a road map, the man will just wake up one day say this thing occur to me in the night let me go and do it without planning or stating how he wants to achieve it. We will not do that kind of government, we will sit down, plan and draw a road map to progress and systematically we will be following it.
Sir, there is this common saying that too many cooks spoil the broth, with the A C N having more than 30 aspirants coming forward to contest its primary election where a candidate will be chosen to fly the banner of the party in the governorship election , don’t you think the process could result in crisis?.
Well, thank you for that question. However, what I want to say is that if somebody is aspiring for an election and that person is from a particular village or a community, definitely, his people will have sympathy for him and that is the beauty of democracy, the more the merrier. I am very sure there is no problem at all because when the time comes, the leadership of the party will know how to address the matter. Similar scenario once happened in Osogbo where many people came up to participate in the primary election for the governorship seat but at the end of the day, somebody was chosen and all others who competed with him later supported him, that is Aregbesola. The same thing also happened in Ogun state, the present governor in the state was in ANPP before he joined the A CN but because they wanted to win, the leaders of the party called all other aspirants who wanted to contest with him and talked to them at the end of the day the man was given the ticket and he won. So, it has been done in so many states in the South-West, hence Ondo state will not be an exception. The same thing is going to happen in the state. That was why I said the more the merrier. Members of the A C N are working tirelessly that is why you see the membership increasing by the day because they believe the party is going to capture power in Ondo state.
By October 20 this year, election will be coming up in Ondo state, what advice do you have for the people of the state?
My advice for the people of Ondo state is that they should remain peaceful. The people of the state as we know are very educated and I want to advise them to vote wisely because the state is stagnant now .We have got to move forward by joining others in order to make progress in the state. In the light of this, I want to advise that they embrace the only party that can move us forward and take us to the desired Promised Land which is the Action Congress of Nigeria (A C N).
What about the youth?
I want to advice the youth that there shouldn’t be violence. We should try to educate them that we don’t need violence in the state. I also want also to advise parents not to allow their children or wards to be used as thugs to forment trouble. That is why in our party, A C N, because we don’t believe in recruiting youth for thuggery , we have told our members to go to their various communities and work and ensure that they defend their votes during the election.
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