Ogun: Ripples Over Abiodun’s ‘Inclusive Government’
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s plan to incorporate opposition parties in his cabinet has been generating ripples within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. In this report, Daily Trust on Sunday captures the silent protest by some party stal
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s plan to incorporate opposition parties in his cabinet has been generating ripples within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. In this report, Daily Trust on Sunday captures the silent protest by some party stalwarts.
I want to be the most inclusive governor this state has ever had. I have extended a hand of fellowship to members of the opposition parties, especially those that contested with us, to join hands with me in taking the state to a greater height.
“I know that some people in our party are not favourably disposed to my decision to run a participatory government. But I think everybody should be given a chance to contribute their quotas to the development of the state. It is a win-win situation for all of us because we are all working towards making the state great,’’ Abiodun had said in July when he met with journalists.
Understandably, his victory during the March 2019 polls was a product of cross-party alliances. About 48 hours to the election, former Governor Gbenga Daniel’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) group declared for Abiodun, a move seen as a masterstroke.
Those who did not openly align with his candidature subtly whittled down their political machineries to earn Abiodun victory, findings showed.
Despite being a candidate of the ruling party, Abiodun had to court other parties following a stiff resistance by the immediate past governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who backed the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) candidate, Adekunle Akinlade.
Shortly after the poll, Abiodun set up a transition committee, comprising party leaders from the APC, PDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), apparently setting the tone for his planned government of inclusiveness. The move was largely seen as payback to the opposition parties.
Interestingly, a number of the opposition leaders who worked with the governor during the election have crossed to the ruling APC. In August, Daniel’s loyalists officially joined the APC from the PDP. The defectors, led by the former deputy to Daniel, Alhaja Salmot Badru, declared for the ruling party at an enlarged meeting in Abeokuta.
The defectors, under the aegis of Gateway Movement, hinted that their decision was arrived at after “due diligence on the condition of the state, vis-avis the resolve and direction of the current administration. The defectors vowed to deploy their political machinery to support the Abiodun-led government and ensure maximum delivery of dividends of democracy to all nooks and crannies of the state.
Last week, the ADC candidate in the March 9 governorship poll in Ogun, Prince Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka, hinted that he would be leading three members of the state House of Assembly elected on the party’s platform and other party leaders to join the APC. Isiaka, a three-time governorship candidate, held a closed-door meeting with Abiodun at the governor’s office in Abeokuta.
However, some APC stalwarts have been questioning torrents of defections coming when Abiodun is said to be putting finishing touches to the list of his commissioners. He had repeatedly vowed to cede some cabinet appointments to the opposition.
In October, the governor met with members of the state caucus of the APC on the list of his cabinet members and other pertinent issues in the party. The meeting, which held behind a closed door at the APC state secretariat, had in attendance a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba, serving and former political office holders, as well as prominent chieftains of the party.
But briefing reporters after the meeting, Abiodun said he shared with the party leaders the process that would require them to also contribute to the nomination of candidates for the cabinet.
“Yes, I informed the caucus that very soon, our cabinet would be formed. I also shared with them the process that will take place. And because I said that government would be participatory, I shared with them the process that would require them to also contribute to the nomination of candidates for commissioners,” he said.
Two weeks after the APC caucus meeting, Abiodun separately met with Daniel, some PDP leaders, as well the former ADC candidate over the list of commissioners. Daniel, however, told newsmen that he discussed many issues with Abiodun, but added, “I can assure you that the issue of commissioners was not part of what we discussed. That is the prerogative of the governor, and I am sure he knows what he is doing.’’
However, findings by Daily Trust on Sunday revealed that there have been growing rancour and silent protest over the nomination of commissioners and cabinet members of the governor.
Apart from the battle for “who nominates who’’ in the delayed cabinet, insiders told our correspondent that party chieftains feared Abiodun’s inclusiveness would block their chances in the yet-to-be constituted cabinet.
Besides, the governor’s directive to APC leaders to nominate candidates for commissioners across the nine federal constituencies was greeted with controversies.
In Ijebu east/north and Ogun Waterside, there was an allegation that party leaders nominated the “highest bidders.’’ Out of the three candidates nominated, it is expected that the governor would pick one.
Aggrieved party leaders said that already, the APC faction led by Osoba had lost two plumb jobs - ministerial and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) executive commissioner appointments to Amosun, who is leading another faction of the party.
The Minister of Mines and Steel,
Lekan Adegbite, was Amosun’s commissioner for works for eight years, while the newly appointed executive commissioner at the NCC, Leke Adewolu, contested Ifo/Ewekoro federal constituency on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the 2019 elections.
While noting that Amosun had “cornered” federal appointments, the APC leaders said it would be inconceivable to cede some commissioners’ slot to opposition parties at the expense of party leaders who laboured to ensure the party’s victory at the polls.
“Certainly, people will disagree with such decision (inclusiveness). I can tell you that there are dissenting voices here and there,’’ a party leader who did not want his name mentioned told Daily Trust on Sunday.
A group of APC youths in Remo had equally raised the alarm over what they called the “hijacking of key political appointments in the state by opposition parties.’’
The youths, under the aegis of Remo APC Youth, equally warned party leaders against compromising the interest of its loyal members for the interest of opposition.
Speaking at a parley of APC youths in Remo land in Sagamu, the coordinator of the group, Adebayo Adetowubo expressed concern that members of opposition parties “are buying their way into positions that should be held by loyal party members.”
Adetowubo added, “There are serious feelers showing that some party leaders are compromising the interest of loyal party members for their selfish interest in the area.”
However, an APC chieftain in Sagamu, Alhaji Isiaka, Salami told Daily Trust on Sunday that, “There is no way he (Abiodun) would not concede some positions to those parties. As a matter of fact, many of them have joined the APC. And the only opposition party you can refer to is the APM.
“During the election, there were alliances here and there. Many of the opposition parties’ leaders sacrificed much to be sidelined.’’
Also speaking, the publicity secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, said it was natural for people to feel threatened over such move to include opposition parties in the APC-led government.
According to him, an inclusive government was part of Abiodun’s campaign promises, and it is honourable for him to fulfill the promise.
“There are more than 1,500 positions in the state; it is not all about the appointment of commissioners. Even if the governor appoints commissioners from each local government, people will still complain.
“I want to urge all the party leaders and members to trust in the leadership of Governor Abiodun as everybody will get due compensation,’’ Oladunjoye said.
Also, some party chieftains who craved anonymity said the governor’s decision would make or further mar the ruling party in the state.
I was a Minister. I would go to the office seven times a week. I used to arrive in my office latest 7.20am.
Did you have any issue with Babangida before he overthrew Buhari’s government?
Yes. He might not remember but I keep records. When he deployed me to the Ministry of Steel and Mines, he thought he was punishing me but he was blessing me. I visited Ajaokuta Steel and it was a fantastic place. They wanted to use the project to get more funds from government but I said, ‘no, I cannot be part of it.’
I wrote in their Visitor’s book that I would not ask for more money for Ajaokuta from the government. Babangida had in one of our executive council meetings said that if we had any contract that was up to N20m, we shouldn’t bring it to the council meeting. He said we should discuss it across the table, to which I said, ‘Never, all contracts must be discussed at the council meetings. It is Nigeria’s money not any individual’s’.
He may have other reasons for which he wanted to punish me but these are what I suspected as reasons. I have documented what he did and I don’t want to embarrass him by publishing them, but one day they may find their way into a book. What Babangida did to me is very sad. Barma Prison for nine months? Terrible place! Even Amnesty international said, ‘Nigeria’s Oil Minister has been jailed without doing any evil.’
If you would be an objective analyst rather than a friend of the president, how would you assess the Buhari government?
I will be talking about Nigeria and not as his friend. I am not happy about the economic situation in the country. There is a lot of suffering in the land. The sufferings are not caused by Buhari; it is as a result of bad management before he assumed office as President. Now that he has come to power, he needs to change the abnormality because government is a continuous business. We have to tell our leaders when they are doing wrong things. Many state governors cannot pay salaries now and this is because there were free hand-outs to everybody during Jonathan Goodluck’s time. We have heard the story of a former Group Managing Director of the NNPC who buried hundreds of dollars in his compound. Nobody can try that with Buhari. People in government take advantage when they see that the leadership is weak. If they know that the leadership is the serious type, they won’t try such nonsense. Those that worked with Babangida and Jonathan can get away with corruption. They knew that their leaders were also corrupt.
Buhari needs to work more to ensure that the economy improves. I am not happy with the economic situation. How can I be happy when many states cannot pay the salaries of their workers? The governors also need to check themselves. How did they use the bailout money that was given to them? What do you see as the greatest impediments to a successful Buhari administration?
Even before his wife cried out, I had already cried out that some of the people working with him would ruin him. That some of his aides are corrupt does not mean that Buhari is corrupt, but I want to advise him again that when corrupt people have been identified, they must be punished. He should kick such persons out completely.
How can the government stop ethnic agitation in the country?
To me, the way to stop it is not by resorting to arms. We should find a forum for dialogue. The agitators cannot all be mad. They must have reasons for their agitations. Government shouldn’t see them as enemies. It should call them together and dialogue with them. It should call their elders in different communities, with their boys, and talk to them. What we have at stake is Nigeria, which we don’t have to allow our personal agitation to destroy.
When I was Minister of Petroleum, I told the Niger Delta militants that I knew what their problems were and I felt the pain with them. But I also cautioned them that we cannot resolve it by blowing up oil installations, because once they blow up the oil installations, there won’t be money again. So, the only way to deal with agitation is through dialogue and sincerity of purpose. Unfortunately some leaders are fuelling the agitation because they are gaining from it.
What do you think government should do with the 2014 confab report?
They are making too much noise about it; there is nothing particular about that document, nothing in that document that has not been said before now. We don’t need any confab again. All the President has to do is to set up a committee of trusted people. Let them go to the archives and bring all the recommendations that have been made for Nigeria to move forward and work on them.
My grouse about the last confab they are talking about is the huge resources that were wasted on it. How can you say you want to do something for Nigeria and you are collecting millions of naira? That alone disqualified them all in that confab. I was among the 50 people that drafted the 1979 Constitution and we were not paid a kobo. In fact, the people at that last confab should be ashamed of themselves.
How can you be paid millions to talk about your country? We even heard they grumbled about the food they were served, saying it was not big enough.
So, there is nothing special about that document that had not been said before now. We like glamorisation in Nigeria. They are talking about implementation of that report as if it is enough to solve our problems in Nigeria.
Our problems can only be solved when we are serious. We are not serious yet.
As a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, what is your opinion on the Petroleum Industry Bill?
If they pass it, most of the oil companies will leave Nigeria. The first time they introduced that bill, a friend send a draft to me. The first heading had 40 words as title and it was rambling all over. I said a bill that has 40 words cannot be a serious bill. I was actually doing a write-up on it before I put it aside.
If you look at it carefully, there are certain policies that are directed to favour certain individuals. The bill gives the Minister of Petroleum so many powers.
The oil companies will need to pay more taxes. We have the Petroleum Institute in Efunrum in Delta State which has not been properly funded and the bill is proposing another one in Kaduna. This is not good for us as a nation.
Whatare your thoughts on restructuring?
That is another thing Nigerians has blown out of proportion. If you ask 10 Nigerians about restructuring, they will give you different definitions. Some people are confused on the issue of restructuring and devolution of power.
I believe in restructuring because what you have today may change in the next 10 years, and that means you need to look for a way to adjust it again. Even God restructured. The theory of organic evolution by Darwin is a good example of God restructuring. God created certain animals in a particular time on earth and when the climate changed, they could not survive again and He then chased them away and brought other animals that can survive. That is restructuring by God. God who created us restructured, so who are we not to restructure?
But my grouse with restructuring is that most of the advocates are dishonest. We need to see unity in diversity, as propounded by Tafawa Balewa. Nigeria is a great nation. God has a reason for bringing us together. Let us sit together and channel a way out of our current situation. Of course, there are some selfish politicians who hide under advocacy for separation and for their evil gains. Some people are even of the opinion that certain parts of the country are a parasite. But, in truth, no part of the country is a parasite.
I will be talking about Nigeria and not as his friend. I am not happy about the economic situation in the country. There is a lot of suffering in the land. The sufferings are not caused by Buhari; it is as a result of bad management before he assumed office as President. Now that he has come to power, he needs to change the abnormality because government is a continuous business.
Is there hope for Nigeria?
There is hope for Nigeria. But hope never comes by accident; we will have to work towards it. If we are expecting hope to fall like manna, we are wasting our time. We must identify what we want, agree on it and work towards it as a nation. This interview was first published November 26, 2017