In a recent media chat at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, BCOS, outgoing Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi bore his mind on politics, governance and legacies of his administration. The interactive session is reported by Gbenro Adesina. Excerpt:
Q: Why did you review the Ibadan Chieftaincy law which has led to the ancient city having many Obas as against the only one that the city was known for?
A: First, let me point it out that the greatest form of godliness is service to humanity. I am glad that I have been given the opportunity to serve. We are practicing democracy which is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. I believe the more the merrier. I came up with a tripod philosophy of restoration, transformation and repositioning.
On the issue of Obaship, first and foremost, it is the responsibility of government, both at the state and local government levels, to organize and restructure the Obaship in any state as spelt out in the relevant sections of the Oyo state Chieftaincy law and Ibadan Chieftaincy declaration. Taking it from there, there is nothing that government does without first talking to the people and getting their inputs. Government gets advice from people. You listen to them. You can modify and adjust to take aggregation of the views of the people that you govern. In the case of Obaship, the moment I was sworn-in in 2011, I had preponderance of suggestions, write-ups and papers from all the interested parties from all the zones that make Oyo State: Ibadan, Oke-Ogun, Oyo, Ogbomosho and Ibarapa, requesting for expansion of the traditional chieftaincy system. Till tomorrow, I am still getting requests from those who want to be promoted and all sorts.
In the case of Ibadan, the first person that called me was Otun Olubadan, late High Chief Omowale Kuye. He said this chieftaincy declaration and this system must be looked into. I asked why do I have to change the tradition? He said the innovation of today is the tradition of tomorrow. What we practice today, in another 10 years will become the tradition of that time. And tradition is about evolution, practice and changes with time. I asked baba and said can you give me a write-up? He said don’t worry about any write-up, just go and read the book written by Chief Akinyele, who incidentally is still alive today. He said that I should read some other relevant books about the need to review that chieftaincy declaration. I read this book and many others. And so many elders in Ibadan, who are accomplished professional men in Ibadan and are not elders by age alone but by achievements, came to me asking me to review the chieftaincy declaration. I considered all opinions and interests and felt that I should review it and I did so.
Q: How will you describe that decision with the benefit of hindsight?
A: The review is fantastic and I love it and it is going to remain.
Q: So, you don’t have any regrets for reviewing the chieftaincy?
A: Not at all. I don’t have any regret about it at all. One of my major achievements is the review of that chieftaincy document.
Q: But you have been taken to court over the matter?
A: People will always take you to court on anything. Even when you want to build a house in your area people will want to take you to court. The fact that people take me to court doesn’t mean anything. I am happy about it. I want to be known for reviewing it.
Q: Critics will say that when it comes to cultural chieftaincy all over the world and even locally, people tend to preserve what obtains because that it is who we are, it is our history. Reforming and innovating will change who we are. Critics will argue further that it is only in Ibadan in South West that ascension is peaceful because of the system adopted to pick Olubadan and that your review could complicate the ways and manners that Olubadan emerge now. What do you have to say?
A: I think I must correct you. Your first assumption or presumption is wrong. There is nowhere in the world where tradition doesn’t change. Even tradition changes in England. For instance, even here in Ibadan, before there was no Oba. While other towns and cities had obas, Ibadan had Baale. It was the government of General David Jemibewon that changed it from Baale to Oba in 1976. Why didn’t the people then say that they didn’t want Oba but the Baale that has been in the system? The system you are talking about is the ascension to Olubadan, which has not changed. I think you people (journalists) should read the reviewed document. The problem we have in Nigeria is that people don’t have information. They don’t take time to read before jumping into conclusion. Go and read that paper. What did we change? I disagree with you that tradition doesn’t change. They change all over the world, whether in governance or in democracy, whether it is chieftaincy or Obaship, it changes and it will continue to change. The only thing that is permanent in life is change. What we have introduced is simple. After 1976, every government that has been there has attempted to change this system. My younger brother, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, my elder brother, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, Chief Bola Ige, my leader, late Alhaji Lam Adesina and Chief late Kolapo Ishola. Why? Because when you look at this chieftaincy declaration, you will discover that the first stage is Mogaji. What is Mogaji? Mogaji is simply a family head. That is still there and nothing has changed. The next thing is that there must not be fight over ascension.
Q: (Cuts-in) Your Excellency, you are yet to answer the question?
A: You told me I have one hour. Let me plead with you. There are issues you must educate people on. If I have other issues you can still call me tomorrow, I am ready to spend 10 hours here but this particular one, if somebody like Isaac Brown, very intelligent, very educated, doesn’t understand this issue, then there is a problem. Your role as a journalist is to educate, to enlighten and explain and when people don’t know, please help us explain to them. If you say the system is working and my leader, Lam Adesina tried to change it, my own egbon, Ladoja tried to change it, then something is wrong. Everybody tried to change it and I came in and said let us look at what the past government is trying to change. So we now said what are the disadvantages or the weaknesses of this particular system that is being agitated to change? In Ibadan, by the time people get to Olubadan, you are in your 80s. Is it not ironic that those that become Olubadan at 40s die within three or four years while those who get there from 70 years upward live longer? Considering series of factors, we reviewed that we should have one Imperial Majesty and that is Olubadan of Ibadanland. The remaining monarchs are his obas.
Q: This Obas, do they have the opportunity to become Olubadan?
A: We have only nine or ten Obas maximum in Ibadan. These Obas still maintain their chieftaincy titles like Otun Olubadan and the Osi Olubadan. One of the reasons we reviewed is that Ibadan chiefs that are bigger than Obas of some smaller towns are not respected outside Ibadan. There was a time I was in Lagos. Obas were invited to where I went. Our own high chiefs went along with Olubadan. When the Obas were invited to the high table, our high chiefs that were bigger than many Obas, whose domains are not more than Beere, were not accorded due respect. They respected the Obas that are not up to our chiefs, then my government felt that we should review the chieftaincy laws to make some Ibadan chiefs Obas but we do not remove their original titles. Their elevations have not removed anything. It doesn’t change the ascension to the throne. They are over their local government Areas.
Q: Sir, do you believe that education is a social service?
A: Yes, education is a social service.
Q: In that wise, access is very important. The First Technical University, Tech-U, is one of the legacies that you are leaving behind. It is far from the reach of the ordinary indigenes of the state in terms of the cost. Is it accessible to average Oyo civil servants that you pay salary to? Is it true that local governments are forced to sponsor people to that school?
A: Education is not free. Tell me anywhere in the world where education is free. Tech-U is a university. It is not free. It is a university that caters for the intermediate man power development. We founded it on the basis that indigent students will be sponsored with scholarship. What does it cost a local government? For instance, what is the fees of that university? It is a University that you pay at most between N850, 000 and N1m a year. The LGs decided, with our support, that they will sponsor the best five indigent students. Now I pray with you, particularly, you media men, always go and do your research. Have you been to that school? Have you seen the composition of the students there? Basically, they are indigent students and they have five per local government. At the time we started it, I think we started with about 165 students and all on scholarship, best students, not every student. The place is not meant for every student. It is made for the best students. The state government did not force the local government to sponsor students in Tech-U.
Q: Is that sustainable after your government?
A: Why is it not sustainable? If my successor doesn’t continue, it won’t be a problem for me. But, I expect them to continue. It is a good programme.
Q: In the South West, virtually all the states have their state universities. Why can’t we have one here with the problem we are experiencing in LAUTECH?
A: Can you afford it? We can’t afford it. We have got a technical university. For me, that is enough. As for cost, education is not free. If you want quality education, you pay for it.
Q: As a new governor in 2011, you paid a courtesy visit to this station and you saw the state of things then. Looking back, will you say that you have taken this station to the dream place that you envisaged when you came here seven years ago?
A: You yourself should be able to answer that question. Basically, when I came here, it wasn’t like this. It has improved both in equipment and in personnel and the overall quality of production, rendition and information. This same BCOS is a place where some people were using cutlasses to chase people around. Since the past seven and half years, going into eight years, nobody has come here with gun and cutlasses. That to me is an improvement. There is peace and security of the people who work here. The quality of personnel here has been improved upon. There was a time we did structural changes. When you want to change any system, you go through the fundamental changes first and that is the people. The people make the station. I can boldly say that the quality of people here are better than before. There was a time I came here, I met some directors and I told them that they were not the modern day directors the station need. I have changed them. Secondly, we’ve improved on the equipment. We have bought some and we are trying to buy some. We brought a world renowned consultant which has done the necessary repositioning. We have done face-lifting. I am just dualising the road in front of this station. It is a holistic approach. It is not just to pick one thing. Even these decorations that you see here, they were not here when we came. Now I need to say that the amount of money required to run this place must be generated from here. Gone were the days of all these subventions, government giving this or that. Lastly, I must commend openly the Yanju Adegbite of this world, Yomi Layinka and all the staff here. They have improved on this station. We don’t give them much money as we used to because we have to stop mismanagement of funds in this state. Money you don’t have, you don’t spend. They must generate their money.
Q: Some people said that standard in the area of constructing roads is not followed in this state. Some alleged that there is no human face about the road you are constructing and that some people have been down with various diseases because of the dust and other inconveniencies. What is your reaction to these?
A: This road we are constructing now, I gave a promise when I became a governor that I would dualise it. I am fulfilling my promise. There will always be dust. In Europe, there is what is called self-help. Where I am living in London, when they were dualising its road, we, the residents every morning, each of us, will fetch water and pour it in front of our own houses to make sure there is no dust. The construction company will also come and wet the road. The individual also living in that area, the community will come together and agree that let us be wetting. Can’t we do the same here? Construction of road cannot finish in one day, it takes time. While construction is on-going, vehicle will pass and there will be dust. The government is constructing road for you and you can’t fetch just a bucket of water and pour it in front of your house? Is that too much? In some areas, the rich will contribute money and do something. People should learn to also contribute.
Q: Secondly, you mentioned a Public Private Partnership, PPP arrangement between the government and some organisations in building a structure around Premier Hotel. That structure has not come up?
A: It is a private development. When an investor came up with the proposal, we asked them if they have money to execute it and they said yes. We told them that we would not put a dime down because the state does not have money to build an hotel and that our contribution will only be the land that we will give them to build the hotel. So, we gave them the land worth N350 million and that will be our own share. They came and started. They constructed the fence. Subsequently, they started giving one excuse or the other. It was supposed to be a Sheraton.
Q: There was a time you did streetlight that is powered by solar energy. It was such a beautiful thing at night. Some of those things were vandalized.
A: Who vandalized it? Your people.
Q: We should ask government and security operatives?
A: No. we put a beautiful light there. This is the problem. My own style is to begin to change this paradigm that government must do everything. We put streetlight there, beautiful. Some people sent thugs to go and remove the batteries. We arrested them and took them to police station. We went there the next day, they had been released. So what do we do?
Q: Violence against women and girl child in Oyo State is very high. What is your administration doing to stem it down?
A: This government is the first government to pass legislation as to crime against women and particularly the girl child. The legislation was passed about two years ago and it has been functioning and applicable to all cases of crime against the girl child. I have four girls and one boy. I am very protective about girls. My wife has been playing a major role in this respect including adoption of children that have suffered mishandling by parents or raped. We have a home where those children reside and they are going to school under the guidance of my wife. We have been doing a lot when it comes to women and girl child and crimes against them.
Q: This day, every governor wants to go to the Senate and because they are the incumbent, they have the power, the resources of the state under their control. They really never get to tell the people what exactly they plan to go and do there. You were in the senate between 2003 and 2007. Is there anything in particular that you felt if you are given the opportunity to go back you will do differently?
A: If you go and check the records, as far back as 2012, I spoke at a religious outing where I said I have been a Senator, I am now a governor. After being a governor, I don’t want to take on any other position. Alhaji Arisekola Alao and Baba Muyideen Bello were there. When we finished, Alhaji Arisekola called me and said have you read about Yūnus in the Quran? And he said that is Jonah in the Bible. I said what about him? He said you’ve always been saying that the greatest form of godliness is service to humanity. Do you know that this governor you are doing is service? I said that I need to rest. I only sleep three hours a day as a governor so I need to rest after my tenure. Alhaji Muideen said don’t be selfish. Don’t think about yourself alone. Try to serve for as long as you are alive. Let God meet you serving human beings. I said that is a point. I finished the first term. When the second term was coming, I repeated the same thing. I didn’t even want to do a second term. That is the truth. There is nothing you do that people don’t complain. They complain at everything. We did everything we could to make Oyo State clean. We removed people who make Ibadan dirty from the streets and they started saying that I don’t want them to eat. We want to raise IGR and they are saying don’t raise IGR because people don’t have money. We built market for them and said go there and they are saying they don’t want the market. I told them I don’t want to run again. Again, they prevailed on me saying don’t be selfish, think about others, serve people. It is all about service. By the time I am finishing my second term, I looked around, with my experience, prior to politics and in politics, I am one of the most experienced public and private servants. As a result, I feel I have to continue to serve and I am going to serve until I die. What do they do in the Senate? It is about legislation, discussing national issues and legislating accordingly. You need experienced people, quality people, materially qualified people and I believe, going there I will be one of the most qualified persons in age, in profession, in knowledge and in requisite experience. I am going there to serve and I am going to win.
Q: Do you reward loyalty?
A: Yes, I reward loyalty.
Q: What is your response to those who frown at Adebayo Adelabu, “an outsider” becoming APC candidate? What happens to the hardworking ones, who have toiled and worked for and with you and the party for eight years?
A: I don’t want to begin to fault your understanding of loyalty. What do you call loyalty? What do you call reward for loyalty? I am asking you. What you are referring to as loyalty is not loyalty. That is not rewarding loyalty. Loyalty or rewarding loyalty simply means compensating people adequately for the work they have done. It doesn’t mean they have to be governor.
Q: Are you saying there is nobody in the party that is competent to be the governor after you?
A: When you are trying to choose a governor, you chose “winnerbility”, you chose requisite experience, you chose ability to deliver. If I had single handedly chosen somebody from the party, you are the same people that will say Ajimobi is imposing. So must I impose to reward loyalty? Is that what you call loyalty, my brother? Then, you don’t understand loyalty. My first loyalty is to the people of the state. My first loyalty is to pick the most qualified that can run the state well. It doesn’t mean if you work with me for 100 years I will pick you. You are the same people that will say that he picks people because they were his commissioners. So, my brother, I have been a manager of men for the past 40 years in big companies and multinationals. I know what loyalty is. I know what compensation is and I know the meaning of competence, of deliverability. All that have worked with me, I have compensated accordingly.
Q: In your first term, you publicly declared your asset. Will you publicly declare your asset after eight years?
A: I think that question is irrelevant because the law says when you are leaving you declare. So why are you asking me if I will or I will not. You don’t need to ask me, please! It is like asking me if I will marry another lady tomorrow. How do I know?
Q: Sir, we need to know your worth after serving this state for eight years?
A: Why don’t you wait till I leave?
Q: That is why I am asking you?
A: Don’t ask me! Wait till that time.
Q: Will you be a godfather or consider yourself a liability or an asset to Adelabu if he succeeds you?
A: I think I will be an asset to him in the sense that we saw where we started. We see where we are. When you look at all the KPIs of measuring achievements and performance, this administration has succeeded and surpassed all others before it in Oyo State. Therefore, that is a platform for me and the incoming to make sure he succeeds. We have what we call a 25 years plan. When he gets there, if he finds it suitable, he will use it. Don’t forget this guy is not a fly by night professional. He is a first class student in Economics, Accounting. He rose to the top of his career. He is better than anybody competing here. He has his brains. He has his job. I don’t believe in godfatherism. I will be helping him. I will be supporting him if he requires my assistance.
Q: In the course of this interaction you mentioned Lam Adesina and referred to him as your leader, do you have plans to immotalise him?
A: When I decide.
Q: Have you been a mentor to the party’s governorship candidate?
A: I think like anywhere in the world, when you influence or you assisted one way or the other in someone’s emergence, you have a role to play. As the governor in that party, I have a role to play to make sure that everybody works together. The man that I see, Adelabu is 48 years old. He is competent, I will give him advice. I will mentor him. What is mentoring? Mentoring is basically assisting to say look, these are the options, these are the reasons why this is this and that is that.
Q: How do you think the pensioners in Oyo State will remember you?
A: I think those who have good memory will remember me as the first governor to ever give them 142 percent increase and I made majority of them millionaires. They came on television saying that I am the best governor. The problem with these people is that they have short memory. They even gave me award as the best ever governor. I still have it. You know what happened? Eventually, somebody, now a pensioner stole N6.5b of their money.
Q: Could you mention the name of the person?
A: I have passed that level where I will be mentioning people’s names. He stole N6.5b, went to court and the same pensioners took Ankara, took musicians and went to meet the person in the court, dancing and singing that they should release the person. You all know the person. You should do your homework.
Q: Talking about election, some people hold that this election is going to be a referendum on the performance of the president and of course, some challenges at the national level like weak economy will influence the election. At home, one will expect that the next election will be on your score card, your achievements. The feeling I get is that people are going to the polling booths based on perception of your style. Do you think that people should be influenced by your achievements or some hard choices taken in terms of decisions?
A: The world is a binary world. God create people and we have opposite: man/woman, tall/short and fat/skin. I am saying it, as an educated person that you are, do your analysis and you will see that Ajimobi’s administration has outperformed any other administrations before it since 1999 in all areas, in terms of roads construction, productivity, health, education, infrastructure and environment. There is no governor or government that has spent so much money on our people, particularly the low income group, the widows, the less privilege than this government. We spent an average of N600m in the past seven years to helping widows and the under-privileged. My wife started a foundation without money from the government, people donating money from Europe. Today, we are treating 600 people on a daily basis, free of charge. Lastly, in that same place, an NGO, even UCH today and some other health facilities don’t have some of the machines we have in that place donated to us by the UN, Japan and it is all free. If you go there today, you will wonder about this country. In terms of welfare, in terms of helping, this government, more than any government, has done a lot. We have treated, through our free medical programme, close to two million people free. We have introduced insurance scheme. For N650 a month, your health is taken care of.
Q: Do you have any regret?
A: My only regret is that I wish I was younger. During this service, I used to tell myself that I wish to live to be 70. I have always prayed for 70 years but having come into public service, I discover that our people need help. We need to sacrifice. Now I have asked God instead of 70, I want to be 96.
Q: Why did your administration sack Olamiju, the son of the erstwhile governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala as the local government chairman and replaced him?
A: I want to first thank God for giving me the opportunity to be the first governor out of the 37 governors in this state to serve two terms of eight years. As regards the question, one should be responsible in all ways. What is law and custom? These two elements hinge on the principle of “Omoluabi”, good person. When Alao-Akala joined APC, the son also joined and we were both APC members. Later, Alao-Akala came to me and said that he wanted to be governor and I told him that it is not possible. I said go for primary, if the party picks you fine and if not, anybody picked, we will support. He said he would leave the party if he is not picked and I said no problem. He later left. His son came to me. Olamiju is my son. I made him local government caretaker without his father’s input. During the LGs election, he contested and won through APC. Later, he came to me again, he told me that his father is making life difficult for him and he is confused about what to do. I told him that if I were him, I will listen to my father but he is also mature to decide for himself. That was the last discussion we had. I told him that if he wants to join his father in his party, he has to resign as council chairman. Before God, four days ago, some people came to me and asked if I have been told that Olamiju has left our party. I said nothing is wrong. The following day, commissioner for local government brought around eight councillors from the council that they wanted to see me. They told me that Olamiju has gone to another party and they have decided to impeach him because they will not allow him to use his office he got through APC to promote another political party. I said they should do what is lawful. They also accused him of improper spending of the council’s fund.
Q: But, according to what we read in the newspapers, he alleged that he was forced out of office?
A: Who forced him? I said the other time that you journalists are liars. You write what you don’t know.
Q: Fola Akinosun alleged that you bribed and rigged to win the senatorial ticket and that is why he left the party. Hon. Temitope Olatoye alias Sugar also left because the party’s primary was not credible. What do you have to say?
A: You need to investigate those that you mentioned. Please investigate whatever you are told before you make it an issue. Temitope Olatoye was formerly in Accord. He was brought to me that he wants to join APC. I said going by his record, we should not accept him into our party. Those that brought him said that different people are in politics. They said that in politics, there are gentle and descent people as well as thugs, indecent and other terrible people. Some said that “were ile la fi n wo were ita”, that we need thugs who are party members to confront thugs who are not our members whenever they attack us. If you say that we should open the party to all sorts of people, no problem but you will know that later “Aja ti e fi sile ko ma bu awon eniyan, lojo kan, o n bo wa bu eyin na je”, that your dog that you keep at home to bite people, one day it will bite you too. He was a member of House of Assembly. He said he wanted to contest for House of Representatives, I said no problem as long as you know you can win the election. He contested and won. He didn’t do anything for the party. Some people, once they get the party ticket, off they go. The next time you will see them is when another election is approaching. They will buy all sorts of things and start distributing as their constituent project to empower people. How many laws did he sponsor in the house? Is he an active member? What is his performance? He later came and said that he wanted to contest for governorship and I told him he is premature for that. I said no problem, go for the primary. Later, I advised him to go back to House of Representatives. He said no problem. Later we heard that he was hobnobbing with another party. I would have loved to ask you to go to his constituent and ask his colleagues about him. For Akinosun, you need to ask from him if he is a member of APC. He jumps from one political party to the other at short intervals. He said he wanted to contest for the senate and we didn’t discourage him. He got some votes at the primary. Honestly, I don’t want to abuse people again now that I am about to be 70. Akinosun lied. We are not close at all.
Q: Your people are campaigning with free education. Have you tutored them to stop lying to people with free education because it doesn’t exist or do we. say that it is now that you are about to exit the governor’s office that you now feel you should tell the truth that there is nothing like free education?
A: Nothing is free in this world. To make heaven or hell, there are conditions set by God. Could you tell me the nation that is operating free education at secondary school? Awolowo’s free education is limited to primary school. That is what we are doing till date. Primary school is free in Oyo State. After primary school, Awolowo did not make secondary school free. You have not been born then. I witnessed it. I paid in Lagelu Grammar School. What I am saying is that the concept of free education to Awolowo is the same with me.
Q: Oyo State is yet to implement the autonomy of local government like other states. Now the question is that if you go back to the senate, will you not go against the autonomy of local government if it is raised?
A: I think local government should be granted autonomy. The only thing is that they must have money to run the government. States are not even viable. They don’t have money to run the government properly. For instance, Oyo State doesn’t owe pensioners but local government owes. They have stolen their money. I support local government autonomy but marrying a woman is not the problem but having the financial muscle to meet up with the responsibility of a marriage is the issue.
Q: Why have you not completed the Orita Challenge-Odo-Ona-Apata uncompleted road constructed by Alao-Akala’s administration?
A: That is not the only road that Alao-Akala didn’t complete. We completed some roads that Alao-Akala did half way. Alao-Akala started UCH road and we finished it. It is not possible for a government to finish all the projects it started. All the roads that I am constructing, I can’t finish them. My successor will continue from where I stopped. That is why governance is a continuum. When we came to power, we wanted to complete the road but the residents of that area went to court that we should not continue. Court granted their prayers. If the court gives us the go ahead, we will finish the project.
Q: Is it true that the on-going Iwo Road construction is awarded to the Lebanese who will give you returns?
A: The road was first awarded to a Chinese company but because they were not doing it to our satisfaction, we revoked the contract and re-awarded it. I will not mention names. Our people that we gave the contract to, sold it to foreigners. There was a government that did that Iwo Road, it didn’t last four years. We are also constructing at Oke Iru. If you are doing what is good, people will look for something to say. We gave it to our people, they sold it. They couldn’t do it. We asked them to bring the name of their offices, five contractors wrote the same office. Investigate very well. Some said that he has demolished our houses. The question is that how many houses did we demolish?
Q: All roads have designs. Road construction from Oke Adu to Iwo Road, around the water corporation seems not to follow any particular design. At a point it is narrow and at another, it is wide. What is responsible for this?
A: There are some people whose houses were at the middle of the road. If not that I am strong, it would not have been easy. Could you believe that people put sacrifices, “Ebo”, in front of government house where I live but that didn’t stop us from demolishing the houses? We demolished before they came from court so that we will not be disturbed. I demolished Kola Daisi’s fence. Along that road, there is a filling station that belongs to somebody close to me and even bought a vehicle for my campaign. We have to clean up this state if we want to attract foreign investments. In short, I award roads construction to the competent companies.
Q: Assuming Adelabu wins the forthcoming governorship election, have you tutored him on what to do?
A: We’ve not done that because we are yet to hold election and he has not won. After the election, I have three months to tutor him. If a child has gotten to a marriageable age but he has not married, you can’t teach him how to live with a woman. At best you teach him how to toast a lady. After he has married, you will start to teach him how to be responsible at home.
Q: There is peace in the state but since the commencement of campaigns, the security situation is no longer as good as before. People are killed during political campaigns among others. When you leave will the state not go back to the era of thuggery?
A: It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that there is peace in the state and that is what we are doing. Oyo state is among the three states in Nigeria that is most peaceful, according to the Federal Executive Council, Abuja.
Q: During your first term, Ibadan was clean but now Ibadan is dirty again, what happened?
A: Ibadan was the dirtiest city in Nigeria before I came to power. Today, Ibadan is no longer among the dirty cities again, though it is not as clean as I want. When I started, I built markets across the city. Afterward, we started driving people away from the road asking them to go to the markets we built for them. People started maligning me that I am wicked and that I am driving them away from where they were making their business. An old woman even came to me and told me “Akanji, ma je onroro omo o”, that don’t be stubborn. I got tired and I don’t want you to say that I am wicked because I know that it is you journalists that will write it, I relaxed. If you want to sell on the roadside, continue. There was an old man who came to me and was praising me for driving people from doing business on the roadside. He said that his area is congested and that I should help him to drive people away from the roadside in his area. I told him that I will not do it because I am tired of people abusing and cursing me.
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