Ondo deserves pragmatic leader as next governor – Akinfolarin

Former member of the House of Representatives Mayowa Akinfolarin, is one of the aspirants seeking the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Ondo State. In this interview with ADEWALE MOMOH, he spoke about what he will do differently while commending the reformative decisions taken so far by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Why are you interested in the governorship race?
I have been holding public offices for a while, and in all the elective positions I have occupied, I have always advocated for policies, projects, and programmes that directly and positively impact the ordinary man in society, especially in Ondo State. I know every administration in Ondo State inside and out. So, I can tell you that over time, there seems to have been a lot of gaps between the government and the people of the state, and please don’t get me wrong. I did not say those who governed before now did not have their own impact, but I am a practical person.
I relate well to the grassroots, young and old people, and even high flyers across the state, and I know where shoe pinches are. I have some home-grown solutions to our problems. What works in Lagos, Abuja and Rivers may not work in Ondo State because we have our own peculiarities and I speak the language of the masses.

What are your chances of winning APC ticket, considering the number of aspirants, including the incumbent?
You and I know only a very few of them are serious. APC is a progressive family, and so it is within the fundamental human right of every individual within the party to vie for any office, but we know those who are serious and those who want to run just to show that they were once aspirants. Of all the people jostling for the number one seat, I can tell you that I am the most experienced and the one with the strongest grassroots appeal.
Like I said earlier, I have been a political player of note for a while in this state. I was twice deputy speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, and for two consecutive terms, I was an Honourable member representing the Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo federal constituency of Ondo State in the national assembly, among others, and the records are there in the public domain for everyone to see. I am a people’s politician, and I have earned the trust of my people over time.

What is your blueprint for developing the state?
My approach to governance is quite different, and those who are familiar with my trajectory will tell you this. I believe in a bottom-up approach to governance.
My plan will be to assemble a creative team of technocrats and politicians, and we are going to be delivering programmes that address businesses at the local level – call it micro-economics, you are right – because those small-scale businesses that are often neglected are the bedrock of every developing society, and ours is no exception.
We will be focusing especially on farmers, artisans, traders, entrepreneurs, and the like. When elected, our government will create the enabling environment for them to thrive. We are going to deliberately empower our young people to be job creators and not job seekers; our market women will be given access to loans and grants in a very coordinated way.
Let me also say that young people are like the driving force behind every one of my projects. They will take ownership of my governorship project from day one. So, I am familiar with their thinking, and for the first time, the government will be attending to their needs in practical terms, not just on paper.
The civil service will be repositioned for productivity, and the welfare of all workers will be the best you can get anywhere in the country. We are in a hurry to make our people trust the government once again. Under my watch, education, healthcare, and infrastructure will flourish.

Every aspirant talks a lot about young people during campaigns only for them to forget them once elected. How will yours be different?
They forget them because some of them just go on Google to copy ideas from all over the world and probably say a lot of things during campaigns that are not realistic. Talk is cheap, they say. I have walked the talk before, and I will do it again.
I feel so worried seeing Nigerian graduates roaming about the streets after NYSC, and that was why I sponsored a bill to establish the National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund to ensure that these young people who have acquired one skill or another during their service year are able to get enough resources to stand on their own and become employers of labour rather than looking for jobs.

Ondo State is known as an agrarian state. What are your plans for farmers?
Food security is key to my agenda. I am the son of a farmer, and I am also a part-time farmer. Most of the farmers at the grassroots in the 18 local government areas of Ondo State are people I relate to regularly, and I know their plight. I know what they need to grow and produce in large quantities and quality.
We must be able to feed ourselves before talking about industrialisation. The government must be deliberate and invest massively in agriculture. As a matter of fact, America, which happens to be one of the greatest countries in the world today, has millions of people who are farmers, and they contribute greatly to food production.
We cannot do the same thing every year and expect a different result. This time, we are doing it differently, with the common people at the heart of it. I am a practical politician, and I want to do things that will have a positive impact on the lives of our people.

Are you saying industrialisation is not part of your agenda for the state?
First things first, we must prioritise agriculture in all ways and find a better way of improving the techniques through partnerships and exposure. We are going to do agriculture on a large scale and even export. We must critically take a look at infrastructure, security, education, healthcare, and even power, among others. We don’t want to pay lip service to industrialisation.
Those before us had failed in this regard because they also failed to answer the critical questions before jumping into industrialisation. Are we going to industrialise? Yes, but we are going to take it one step at a time and definitely get there.

How do you think the economy of the state can be best managed?I have said it before, and I will repeat it. Ondo State money will be used for Ondo State people. Every penny we make in this state will be spent in this state. No capital flight; I can assure you of that. We will also discourage waste and ensure that our people come first. Those who know me can attest to the fact that I am not extravagant, and the office will not change me.
We will prioritise things that matter to our people and not waste money on white elephant projects that have no positive impact on the people of the state. What is important is that we will be transparent and accountable.

The renewed hope agenda of Tinubu’s administration seems to be making life more difficult for Nigerians. What’s the way out?
First, let me appreciate Mr. President for taking the right steps since he assumed office on May 29, 2023. He has demonstrated that he understands issues affecting every Nigerian, and he is attending to them with a lot of commitment. I am sure many Nigerians are not surprised that the President is meticulous in implementing key elements of the renewed hope agenda.
Looking at his antecedents as Lagos State governor, Nigerians will soon start smiling. I can assure you. I don’t envy the president at all because he inherited a struggling economy, and you know why I respect him? He is not complaining; rather, he is working day and night to ensure Nigerians enjoy the dividends of democracy – that is the number one quality of a good leader. If we don’t reform now, we will suffer for it later. Let’s make the right sacrifice for the sake of our children and our children’s children.

Nigerians are becoming more impatient with the present administration because nothing has really changed in the country?
You can’t say nothing has changed. In about eight months, the president has displayed purposeful leadership by reinvesting the money saved from fuel subsidies in health, education, job creation, and infrastructure. For the first time in a long time, states received almost double their allocations, and none of them is complaining about the payment of salaries. They can now do more at the state level, which means taking governance close to the people.
Nigerians just need to be a little patient because some of the plans on the renewed hope agenda have long-term goals, while some positive results will begin to manifest very soon. The good thing is that the president is aware of all these, and he is addressing them one step at a time.