ASIWAJU ETO WANTS GOVERNOR AMOSUN’S JOB Fassy Trent(PSN) They are both from Owu, the legendary Yoruba clan, who are known for their inimitable courage, military prowess, deep sense of loyalty and commitment to noble causes. They can trace their ancestor to Ajibosin, the progenitor of Owu people who is a direct grandson of Oduduwa. One is the governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Toyin Amosun and the other is Asiwaju Engineer Anthony Ojeshina, gubernatorial aspirant. They are brothers from Owu kingdom. However, Ojeshina wants to take over Amosun’s job in 2015. As Chief Anthony Ojeshina, Asiwaju ETO begins his journey to the Oke Mosan Governor’s office of Ogun state, surely, there must be no doubt in his mind that he has a formidable opponent in the current tenant of the governor’s office in Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Amosun or SIA as his supporters call him is a veteran of many political battles and has the scars to prove it. He is simply not going to go down without a fight. Amosun believes that he deserves a second term because of the numerous road construction projects which his administration has embarked upon. However, Asiwaju ETO has set in motion the measured but steady expedition to the governor’s office and he took another significant step a few days ago when he delivered a thought-provoking lecture at the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalist’s (NUJ) Guest Forum Lecture Series in Abeokuta. Ojeshina used the opportunity to lay out his grand vision for the industrialisation process of Ogun state; a process most economic experts agree must occur if the state truly is to become the gateway state to economic prosperity and social harmony for the people. The audience appear to have been sold on the coherent strategy that Ojeshina laid out judging from the enthusiastic applause he received intermittently as he spoke. Ojeshina, who is a U.S. trained environmental management expert of international repute, was careful not to resort to acerbic broadsides on governor Amosun at the lecture. However, he was able to demonstrate, precisely and concisely, the clear distinction, between his vision, policy wise, and that of the incumbent governor. Asiwaju laid down a marker for the people of Ogun state; they can opt for real change, the kind of change that will end four years of economic underperformance and drift, stop the terrifying accumulation of debt, and reestablish a secure fiscal foundation that will allow Ogun state fulfil its vast economic potential. Asiwaju’s comment reminds one of John Adams’ observations that “There are two ways to enslave a nation. One is by the sword, the other is by debt”. The debt profile of Ogun state since Amosun became governor has increased by as much as 100% in two years and still rising. If there is one valid criticism against the incumbent governor, it is the fact that he has accumulated so much debt than all other past administrations, combined in Ogun state for projects that are largely concentrated in a section of the state and that are essentially of low redeeming economic and social values. The gist of Ojeshina’s lecture is that there are so many avenues for Ogun state to become truly a thriving hub of industrial activity in the West Africa sub region without incurring heavy interest payments from bank loans, which the Amosun government has been piling up and the over reliance on the monthly allocation from the Federal purse.. Ojeshina pointed out that all the states in the country except Lagos depend on Federal allocation for survival from the sale of crude oil which is Nigeria’s number foreign exchange earner and accounts for 80% of federal revenue receipts. According to him, given the immense natural resources of Ogun state, the state has the unique potential of becoming independent of the federal largesse, which may drop significantly because of declining global demand for oil as many countries continue to look for sources of energy. Ojeshina outlined a comprehensive road map for Ogun state’s industrialisation with emphasis on harnessing the natural and mineral resources of the state in partnership with foreign investors and technical experts. His plan would also ensure that indigenes of the state benefit from these investments through employment, creation of other support services, and transfer of technology. During the Q&A session, many of the journalists at the talk shop were impressed with Asiwaju ETO’s deep knowledge of the complexities of formulating and implementing an Industrial policy and his keen grasp of the inherent challenges. Indeed, as one of them remarked to this reporter at the end of the parley, “Ojeshina looks like the kind of transformational leader Ogun state needs at this time unlike the incumbent who is more of a transactional leader; one who is obviously catering to special interests. Ojeshina is someone who appears ready and willing to make the necessary sacrifice for something greater than his own personal interest”. That “something” of course is “the interest of the entire people of Ogun state”, he concluded.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:52:22 +0000
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