Former Commissioner for Special Duties in Ondo State and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in the state, Hon. Niran Akinsuyi, in this interview with BABATOPE OKEOWO, speaks on lack of succession plan in the state and APC’s chances in the November 26 election. Excerpts

What are the chances of the APC in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State?

APC is at the centre of the game in Ondo State in terms of strength and content. We are populated by strategic personalities in Ondo State, people who are concerned and believe that we can do more than what we are presently doing.

To a large extent, we represent the collections of the feelings and aspiration of the people of Ondo State. Since election is all about numbers and politics is about people, we have a group collection in that regards.

Are you not worried by the large number of aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket?

It depends on your interpretation of it. Yoruba will say you don’t compete for what is bad. If something is good and of benefit to the society, you will find it difficult to limit the number of ideas that you will get or number of people showing interest but I think the party will use its own internal mechanism to look into that.

We are not disadvantaged as a result of the large number of people showing interest in the governorship.

Don’t you see the present challenges facing the country in terms of security, high cost of living, among others, affecting the chances of your party as most Nigeria have blamed the APC-led Federal Government for the problems?

The lesson of history is very important in our quest to serve the interest of our people. The issue of subsidy removal and the fraud associated with it have been on the table for a long time.

The decay in the economy and in our financial system; the level of corruption in the system will also be on the table as well. What is coming out now is that past government treated these vital issues with kid gloves. So, this is the very first that we are having a leader with the courage to do the right thing, courage to take a decision and stand by it.

Happily, majority of Nigerians are beginning to show understanding. Initially, the opposition tried to fight back in order to distract the present administration. At a time, they were talking about frequent foreign trips but everybody have come to the realization that the President should not permanently sit down in Nigeria, he needs to go out there because half of our rechallenge sources are stashed away abroad.

So, he needs to take the battle to those countries because today, we are faced with the challenges of payment of workers’ salaries and challenges of foreign exchange to activate the economy.

What are your chances of clinching the APC’s governorship ticket?

We are relying on what we are bringing into the system and we are going to establish an enduring political system under which a lot of our people can maximize their potential. I want to empower talents and also ensure that we solve the problem of Ondo State which is capital flight. Ninety per cent of our earnings never stay with us. As soon as they are received, they develop wings and disappear.

So, we are coming with policies that will stop capital flight and ensure that there is fair and equitable distribution of resources in the state. In days to come, we are going to unfold our programmes, our policies and the reasons why we are coming into government. We have been able to identify that part of the reasons why the economy of our state has not been opened to the outside world, is the problem of leadership.

What do you think is the problem of leadership in Ondo State?

The major problem is greed and avarice and that is what is responsible for the failure of structure that has now put us at a very disadvantage position. I will give you the example of Lagos State, and let me say this; from 1999, we have been having an epileptic political structure in Ondo State.

We took off from 1999 with Afenifere structure through the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and unfortunately that structure was relinquished by the leadership when they engaged in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term project, thereby giving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) an opportunity.

The structure that was put in place was also through a popular revolution dismantled by the people and Labour Party (LP) came into the picture and you are a living witness to what happened to LP structure. It was abandoned to seek another system in the PDP. So, the problem is that people who are supposed to be in these structures, leaders who are supposed to acquire training through the structures and move up the ladder like their counterparts in other states especially Lagos have been relegated because the system is not enduring.

I am talking about Lagos State because you can feel and touch the benefit of enduring political system in the state. On the economy, you can see the continuation of policies and programmes.

You can point today to more than five successful Public Private Partnership (PPP) programmes in Lagos state. You talk about Lekki concession arrangement with a South African firm that constructed Lekki/ Epe express way. You also talk about the rail system in the area of transportation. In the area of housing, Lagos State has been able to establish a good successful PPP model. On the political side, you will see a persona assistant in 1999, who has moved up to the position of a commissioner.

You will see a chief of staff, who had been governor; you will see a member of House of Assembly who has gone to the House of Representatives, now special adviser to the President. You will see chairman of a parastatal, who is now in Abuja replicating what he has been able to do successfully in Lagos State.

So, success comes from a long time of association with what you are doing. It is a learning process. For us, we need a visionary leader now to take us out of these political and economic woes. I say that because Lagos State is moving up to a position that should encourage other states in the South-West to connect to it.

For me as governor, I believe if we should look at how Lagos State can provide financial assistance to us. We should look at how we can borrow from Lagos State if their Internal Revenue Generated (IGR) is now 13 billion per month instead of looking for foreign funds to borrow. We should look for investors in that area instead of going abroad to seek foreign investors who are not there.

The reality on ground now like the dwindling resources that is a challenge to most of the states and has resulted to their inability to pay salaries should be a good a lesson for us in South- West to see how we can connect with Lagos State for economic and political integration.

The governors of the South-West at a time mooted the idea of regional integration but political differences crashed the programme. How do you think can be achieved?

We should be able to rise above party differences because the rechallenge we are facing today does not wear the name of PDP or APC, it is about our people.

We are concerned; all segments of the society, the media, judiciary and legislators, everybody is worried about the state of the Nigerian economy because it affects each and every one of us, not as politicians but as a people. I believe that the time is ripe for us to come together and see what we can do together economically.

What are the things you are going to do differently from what Governor Olusegun Mimiko has done if you win the election?

Not from what this government is doing, but from what has been happening in the state. For example, I know that in the area of oil and gas, I will bring about a successful Public Private Partnership. Lagos State has joined the league of oil producing states and they have already gotten a company and exploration is almost taking off. They have been able to know that they are capable of producing 40,000 barrel of crude oil per day.

For me it is about vision and capacity and I have the understanding to know how to actualize that vision and build capacity that will bring most of the advantages we have gotten, especially in the area of mineral and natural resources. We had the privilege to have the Dangote Refinery in Ondo State but I know that there were reasons why the refinery found its way to Lagos.

It is a lesson that we must run with our vision very quickly and the vision can best be actualised by the visionary leader. The difference between Lagos and Ondo is leadership. I know that the Lekki Free Trade Zone is a challenge to our own Olokola. I know that I must begin to work if possible 25 hours to bring life into that place because I will be dealing with a state that already has enormous advantage over us.

Don’t you think that imposition may shatter these dreams?

That is not APC; the party believes in internal democracy, it believes in transparency in the conduct of its business because we have a President who had been adjudged by the international community as a transparent person, so anything under him will be transparent.

You used to be a close associate with the incumbent governor; at what point did you fall apart?

He chose to go to the PDP and I pitched my tent with APC, it is a matter of choice. It is difficult sometimes to monitor the belief and ideology of your own children. It is normal political difference.

I hold the belief that APC holds bright future for Nigeria and that influenced my decision to join the party when the LP platform crashed. Politically, the governor and I are not in the same political party but the Bible and Quran enjoined us to relate well with our neighbour.

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