Ahead of the November 26 election, the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo has been the leading voice clamouring that the next governor of Ondo State should be an Akure indigene. But in this Interview with ABIODUN BADEJO, the monarch explained why he decided to shelve his agitation that the next governor must come from his kingdom. Experts
Kabiyesi, you have been on the throne for about one year now, how is the journey so far?
I can’t deceive you, I love it! There is peace in Akure and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on the throne so far.
What moves are you taking to make sure the traditional institution become more relevant in government and unite other communities under your kingdom?
I even started before the Ooni of Ife, but being that I am of a low cadre, that is why you don’t hear about it. I have been going round within Akure Division, visiting all the Obas in my division so that we can come together and have a formidable voice in this oncoming regime. The way traditional rulers are being treated in the country is as a result of the bane in our constitution. There are no substantial provisions for us in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Supposing I want to travel out of Akure today, I must inform the chairman of my local government. The chairman must give me permission, which is not supposed to be. We are proposing that in pursuit of any amendment to the constitution, all the traditional rulers should come together and ensure that we are parts of governance.
How will you rate the development in the Old Akure Division with what we have now in modern Ondo State?
There is no doubt about our tremendous development; I have to commend the present regime. It has transformed Akure to be a quintessential capital city. I must commend Governor Olusegun Mimiko: Akure has become a Mega City within the state, so to speak. The transformation has been great and he can still do better.
If an Akure indigene had become the governor, would you have rated him better than the incumbent governor?
He might, but if he does what this present government does, we are still going to commend him as an Akure man. You have been leading the voices that the next governor of the state must be an Akure indigene but your recent comment during the visit of one of the PDP governorship aspirants to your palace, where you said any zone can produce the next governor, created confusion in the state, can you simply clarify yourself?
Yes, like I said, in all my interviews before, I was agitating for Akure Division for governor, but when I realized that this present governor, Olusegun Mimiko is not even from Akure and he has performed wonders, I now changed my mind that anybody can be governor provided he continues with the works of this present regime. Anybody from any part of the state can succeed Mimiko as long as there is continuity of the Caring Heart policies. Now, because of his efforts, the way he transformed Akure, I now realized that anybody that will keep on with the work of the present regime could be governor, and that is Akure indigene inclusive. We have our sons and daughters too who could be governors and follow the footsteps of the incumbent governor.
Are you withdrawing your support for the Old Akure Division to produce the next governor?
No! When I considered the fact that the present governor is not from Akure, if we put another non-indigene there, he might as well do good; what I am looking forward to is somebody that will continue with his programmes and not derail his programmes. So, that is why I said that even the person is not from Akure, let him continue with his programmes and transform Akure better than the present regime. But I will still prefer to see that an Akure son or daughter is the next governor.
Akure was chosen out of the 18 Local Governments to be the state capital; do you feel the Akure people are still being marginalized?
So, all we should have now is the state capital? Everybody enjoys the state capital; all over the state, they all come here to enjoy all the amenities. If you go to Ijapo, Alagbaka: they are non-indigenes. What I am saying is: if Akure becomes the next governor, there will be some kind of impacts within the communities and division at large. Even, for us to be the next governor will be a pride that Akure Division eventually becomes elected as a governor. We have been neglected for so long; we are part of the state. Idanre, Ifedore, Akure North are not the capital but they are parts of Akure division; but the state capital belongs to everybody, it belongs to the state at large. Nevertheless, if we have our man there, we will experience some impacts: he will give us pride and bring some more development to the state.
What does Akure lack apart from the agitation to have their indigene as the next governor?
What about the traditional rulers being upgraded? Since the state was created in 1976, we had four first class Obas: two from this division, one from Ondo Division and one from Owo Division. But now, we still have two first class obas in Akure Division whereas if you go to Akoko Division, they have about 10 first classs Obas; and in the Ondo South, they have about 13 first class Obas. All these things bring development. If they want to distribute wealth to traditional rulers, 10 will go to Akoko, 13 will go to the south but only two will come here. We have always had two since 1976 while the north and the south that had one each then have had tremendous increases. This is what I am saying; it is because we never had a governor. When late Governor Adebayo Adefarati was there, he promoted all the traditional rulers; Governor Agagu was there, he promoted all his traditional rulers. This is part of development.
What efforts are you making in getting all the monarchs in this division promoted to First Class Obaship grade?
We have been going around, holding meetings so that the next governor will listen to our yearning. It is when we have one voice that we can achieve this. Whether Akure man or Akoko man or whosoever becomes governor we will go to him, tell him our problems and if we have one voice, (remember we in the central have voting strength), we will tell him this is what we want, will you do it for us? Even if the governor is from Akure, we are still going to ask him. The traditional rulers have been lacking and they have to be upgraded.
What are the steps you have taken so far to ensure an Akure man becomes the next governor of the state?
For the Akure man to be the next governor, like I have told you, it is not a do or die affair. I have already shelved that because when I compare Mimiko with others in other states, Mimiko has been helping us. Like I said, it is just for the pride, because it looks like we are being cheated. Whatever belongs to you, whether it is one naira, if it is not given to you, you can fight for it despite the fact that one naira would not do you anything, but for you to be carried along. I know if the next governor should continue on the programmes of the present regime, everybody will enjoy him whether he is from the north, central or south. But it should be our pride if an Akure man becomes the next governor.
We have major political parties in the state and if none of the three fails to pick any of Akure indigene as its candidate but a minor party gives its ticket to an indigene of your domain, will such indigene still have your support?
I don’t want to waste my vote. I will better go with a party that I believe can win the poll. Mimiko has been great, so I will support him.
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