Elder statesman and former Commissioner for Information in the Second Republic administration of late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin in Ondo State, Chief Segun Adegoke, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would reclaim the state from the ruling All Progressives Congress because of alleged non performance.
The Afenifere chieftain criticised the administration of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, saying: “Our educational system is dying. It’s still as bad as ever. Our tertiary institutions in Ondo State are collapsing. The health system is in shambles. Agriculture in Ondo State is zero.
So what is left? There is no improvement in education in Ondo State. There is no improvement in health system in Ondo State. There is no improvement in Agriculture in Ondo State. So what do you have left? The exorbitant school fees levied on tertiary institutions students.
He spoke in an interview with The Radiance in his Ondo chambers, where he reeled out what he described as the people oriented programmes the PDP would implement in office if elected.
His words: “I don’t know what APC is doing now; probably the road in Owo, probably that’s what they are referring to; and probably the narrow bridge, cross over bridge in Ore. I don’t know what APC is doing in Ondo State. I see many things that are left undone.”
Adegoke, who also served in the same capacity in the administration of the late Chief Adebayo Adefarati, said: “It’s not only tarring of roads that make a good government. The people must feel that a good person is in government; that a good government is in power; not tarring roads, not building bridge across the sky; not that.
What do the people in Ondo State need economically; how do they feel; what is the income of an average Ondo State person; what do they do for a living; how much do they spend on a child in the hospital; how much do they spend on a child in the primary school, in a secondary school, in the university; what are the prices of food in the market? That is what matters.”
He said: “Infrastructure do not end in roads in a place where you tar roads, thousands of roads and children are dying in hospitals because there is no medicine in the hospital, there are no drugs in the hospital, there is no proper treatment in the hospital; in a situation where a classroom is like … I don’t know.
It is sad to say that somebody is tarring roads and the people are not living well in the state. They cannot send their children to school.”
Following is an excerpt from the interview”
Now let’s go to your party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. What are you doing to reclaim power at the national level and at the Ondo State level?
At the national level? Yes, we have not lost yet. We are in Supreme Court. It is the Supreme Court which would tell us what to do next. But at the Ondo State level I am sure we would get back Ondo State come 2020. I am very positive about that.
What gives you that confidence?
We are stronger in Ondo State. We demonstrated it in the last election. We are stronger than any other party if we don’t mess up ourselves; if we don’t allow minor little things to divide us; if we are united and we move into the election like that, I am sure that it would be landslide.
But you have 17 governorship aspirants?
It doesn’t matter. The 17 would not contest. Only one would contest and when we pick a candidate, we would all unite, we would all key behind that one and we would be united with him. If we are able to do that, that’s the end of the matter. You should forget about APC in Ondo State.
The APC says that its administration is rebuilding Ondo State, building roads, doing a lot of projects; what are those things that the party is doing now which your party would do better?
I don’t know what APC is doing now; probably the road in Owo, probably that’s what they are referring to; and probably the narrow bridge, cross over bridge in Ore. I don’t know what APC is doing in Ondo State. I see many things that are left undone.
Like?
Our educational system is dying. It’s still as bad as ever. Our tertiary institutions in Ondo State are collapsing. The health system is in shambles. Agriculture in Ondo State is zero. So what is left?
There is no improvement in education in Ondo State. There is no improvement in health system in Ondo State. There is no improvement in Agriculture in Ondo State. So what do you have left? The exorbitant school fees levied on tertiary institutions students.
It’s not only tarring of roads that make a good government. The people must feel that a good person is in government; that a good government is in power; not tarring roads, not building bridge across the sky; not that.
What do the people in Ondo State need economically; how do they feel; what is the income of an average Ondo State person; what do they do for a living; how much do they spend on a child in the hospital; how much do they spend on a child in the primary school, in a secondary school, in the university; what are the prices of food in the market? That is what matters.
Infrastructure do not end in roads in a place where you tar roads, thousands of roads and children are dying in hospitals because there is no medicine in the hospital, there are no drugs in the hospital, there is no proper treatment in the hospital; in a situation where a classroom is like … I don’t know.
It is sad to say that somebody is tarring roads and the people are not living well in the state. They cannot send their children to school.
But APC is saying that Governor Akeredolu has performed wonderfully and he should be reelected…
What do you expect them to say? What do you expect a party to say about a candidate they are featuring for an office? That’s politics. That’s campaign. As far as APC is concerned, Akeredolu is the best Governor that has ever occupied that seat in Ondo State.
That’s what is expected of them to say. You want them to say bring a PDP candidate. No. you see, the problem is that Akeredolu was not prepared for the job. That’s the problem.
If the people of Ondo State elect your party into power, what would you do for them?
I would give my usual advice. I can lay claim to the saying that I’ve seen it all. I have a lot of experience. I have been in government before. I have virtually known intimately all the Governors that traversed the landscape of Ondo State Government.
So I would be able to speak the truth to power; I would be able to tell them what I think is right, what I think is wrong, what they should do right, what they should not do. There is no substitute for experience. So I would be very ready to give advice.
What programmes would your party implement for the people of the state?
It’s clear. I’ve told you. I said the four cardinal programmes that any party needs to build its people up have been destroyed in Ondo State. That is Education, Health, Rural Integrated Development, and Employment.
These are the four cardinal programmes that are necessary to pursue good governance. None is beeing pursued in Ondo State. None.
So the new Government would establish that. We would build up the educational system in Ondo State to a very high standard to be at par with any good institution, any good country or any good state in Africa, even in the world.
There is no single university in Nigeria that is among the one to 1,000 good universities in the world. So we would do a lot in the fields of Education, Health, Agriculture which nobody is doing now.
Look at what the former Governor Olusegun Mimiko did. It is in shambles now. The Trauma Centre which was the cynosure of all eyes, which was being patronised from all over Nigeria, is down now. It’s in shambles. If you go there you would regret.
Look at Akungba. Look at the university in Okitipupa. Look at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic. There is nothing good to write home about. That is the position. Go and look at our hospitals. All these institutions have collapsed. People have resorted to Herbal Medicine.
You can hardly find a well equipped hospital in Ondo State. Everybody is living on concussion. There are lots of things to revamp if PDP gets to power.
What’s your birthday wish for the people of Ondo State and Nigeria as a whole?
My birthday wish is that Nigerians should be patient. They should not only be patient; they should be working hard. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They should like a Latin phrase which says…, that is perseverance overcomes everything. I am one of them. We are really suffering in Nigeria today. We are suffering.
So my wish is that it would not continue to be like this. God will come to our rescue. We will triumph. We will overcome. So Nigerians should not do anything that would damage their health, or damage their reputation. They should be law abiding. They should work hard. A better government would soon come to power very soon. They should be patient.
