Mimiko, Aregbesola and our integration plan – Gov Fayemi

Former newspaper reporter and editor, lecturer, management and development expert, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is now firmly settled as Governor of Ekiti State. Elected on the plank of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Dr. Fayemi’s present position was won after a challenging battle in the judicial arena. Almost midway into his stewardship , Governor Fayemi, during a recent visit to Lagos spoke with newsmen on recent developments pertaining to his party’s plans and challenges arising  from  the face-off between two of his fellow South-West governors, Segun Mimiko and Rauf Aregbesola of Ondo and Osun states respectively. Excerpts:

HOW will you describe what happened at the venue of the botched Adebayo Adefarati Memorial lecture in Ondo?
It is a worrisome development. If it is an ugly event, I hope it is not going to become a process and it will remain as an event. I was surprised by what happened.

In my party I am seen as the closest link to him (Dr. Segun Mimiko). Even when some of the leaders in my party are not necessarily very cordial in their relationship with the governor, I have always maintained that relationship that I have with him which goes beyond the personal.

We have very strong personal bond. We were in the trenches together. We fought together, even though, he was on the other side (the Labour Party), but we were both the underdogs when we went into our elections and necessarily, we exchanged notes, we did many things together, even now, particularly developmentally. He was one of the first people that I spoke with when the Adefarati family came to me that I should come and give a lecture.

Partisan matter
I told the family when they came that since this was not a partisan matter; it was a memorial of somebody who had been governor of a state, who had been a leader of the progressive movement.

I don’t think it should be partisan, and I asked the family pertinent questions: who are the people that are coming? Have you told the Governor of Ondo State? What role will he play at the event? The family members made it clear to me that they have informed the governor, even though they had difficulty in seeing him but they handed over the letter to his Chief of Staff. About two days to the event, I called him and confirmed to him that I would be coming for this meeting, that is to deliver a lecture at Baba Adefarati’s 5th Memorial lecture.

He said that he didn’t like the way the lecture was being handled, that he felt that there was a political undertone and all that, which is natural. Any of us could come with any impression of this matter and I said to him well as far as I am concerned, this is an important thing to do. It is the 5th Anniversary of a man, he himself was very actively involved in his administration as commissioner even more than someone like me.

I had no real personal or direct relationship with Chief. I couldn’t have laid claim to know him the way Governor Mimiko or any of our other leaders could lay claim to, but I told him that I will come over to him and we will go together to the event. But before I left Ado Ekiti, I received the first warning shot that there was problem between Labour Party supporters and those of the Action Congress of Nigeria,  at the venue of the event, but at that time they had not attacked Dr. Olaiya Oni. It is not impossible that he (Mimiko) may not even know the activities of some of his men but I have it on very good authority that at least three of the drivers of the fracas were key officials in his party.

I am an unapologetic advocate of regionalism I do not necessarily believe that we all must belong to the same political party for regionalism to take root. I give you example that in our life time Chief Kehinde Sofola came from the same community as Chief Obafemi Awolowo and he was Attorney General of the political party, the NPN governing this country. There is nothing that says that we cannot even belong to the opposing side. Let us market ourselves to the people. Let us sell our ideas to the people and it is on the basis of that that we should ask for their votes and for legitimacy. None of us should be indulged in any attempt to force ourselves on our people.

Have you made any attempt to speak with Governor Mimiko after the incident?
I called him when I was leaving Akure. After the event? No, because I was shocked by my findings. I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that. I will try. He is my brother and will not cease being my brother and I will still like to give him a benefit of doubt that there are things that our lieutenants do, things that elements within our own structures do that we as leaders may not necessarily be aware of. That room must still be created.

How will you describe the present development in Osun State and its effect on the image of your party?
We all have our style of governance. It may be easy for me because of my nature and individual to relate with an Ayo Fayose who is my brother regardless of whatever his political position is or Oni or any of the other people in my state in a manner that Governor Aregbesola may find  difficult, if not impossible to relate with Iyiola Omisore or even his predecessor; Governor Oyinlola. That is personal style but we must not elevate that personal style to the level of fiction because that exactly is what is happening with the so called security report.

It may be difficult for some to believe who he is because he is a shy person, his own mental defence mechanism may be to put a wall between himself and those who he doesn’t want to relate to. We had a flag before Osun had a flag. Lagos had a flag 20 years ago. It was the only state that stayed back when the other states were balkanized. We have an anthem. If you come to Ekiti, we don’t sing just National anthem, we recite our own Ekiti anthem and if you come across any document from Ekiti State, you will see that it is not the Federal Government coat of arms that we have in Ekiti State.

We don’t even have the Federal Government coat of arms on our documents. That is not to say that we are not a constituent part of the federal state called Nigeria and we are proud to be but we believe that we need an identity to speak to the core value of our state.

What about Omisore’s threat to stop and search the convoy of Aregbesola?
How is it going to be done? Some of the people fighting him, where are they in the politics in their state? You have my brother (Segun Oni) who claimed to be the Southwest Chairman of their party.

Is he doing a wonderful job?
It is not for me to say whether he is doing a wonderful job or not. They have put him there as their chairman but have you asked yourselves, where does he derive the legitimacy to be that because if you go back to his home front, I am sure you know what is happening within his party.

Resolving the conflagration
It will not be news to you that he has no place at home. He couldn’t even go home. He is settling quarrel all over the South West, he could not go home to his party to resolve the conflagration that is there.

It is alleged that you are responsible for the crisis rocking PDP in Ekiti State?
But they say I am not on the ground that I am a governor imposed by the judiciary. How can somebody who is not on the ground be the one responsible for the problem in your party?

Why this focus on Aregbesola?
The time for governance is for governance. It seems to be in their own views which are being parroted by the media, that Aregbesola is the most recalcitrant of the lot. If you can crush him, Fayemi is easy, Amosun used to be with us we can get him back, Ajimobi is a nice man, Fashola is a technocrat. That is their own estimation and that is what is driving what they are doing. Unfortunately for them, they are on the wrong track.

Is regional integration possible with the altercation between ACN and Labour party in Ondo?
What is wrong, if Aregbesola, one of the leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria wants his party to produce the Governor of Ondo State? I have already told you about style and language. Will he be promoting other parties?

Source: Vanguard.