How Amosun Pulled It Off Olusola Balogun
Recounts some of the factors responsible for the re-election of the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun
The INEC, on the Monday following the governorship election of April 11, announced the re-election of the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Ogun State. He polled 306,988 votes to defeat Gboyega Isiaka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 201,440 votes. The race initially thought to be a four-horse race was eventually narrowed down to a two-horse race.
Amosun, who endured a torrid time with former governor Olusegun Osoba over the control of the new party, also equalled the 17 House of Assembly seats won in 2011 by the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
However, not many would have placed a wager on Senator Amosun securing a second term given the groundswell of opposition, the suicidal crisis that engulfed the APC soon after the birth of the party in the state and the desperation of the Presidency to clinch the home-state of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo to spite him for not supporting President Goodluck Jonathan.
No sooner after the emergence of APC in Ogun State, had a splinter party emerged from its ranks. A key figure in the party, Olusegun Osoba, led a group of politicians out of the party to form the Social Democratic Party (SDP). But the governor was able to stabilise the party and with sheer determination, steered the party to victory at the polls.
Isiaka’s Dodgy Emergence
The dodgy manner through which Isiaka emerged as PDP's standard bearer contributed in a big way. It alienated not a few members of the party, particularly aspirants, who felt they were shortchanged by some forces in the party and that they weren’t treated fairly. Three of such aggrieved persons were former deputy Governor, Rafiu Ogunleye, former speaker House of Representatives, Rt.Hon. Dimeji Bankole and ex-Abeokuta South Local Government boss, Yanju Lipede, who all eventually directed their supporters to vote for APC's Amosun at the polls.
Last Minute Endorsements
The last minute endorsements and support by Ogunleye, Lipede, Bankole and another PDP stalwart, Biyi Oyegbeye coupled with the crisis that engulfed the state chapter of the Labour Party, boosted the chances of the incumbent. The crisis in the LP, apart from stopping them from effectively campaigning also accounted for the departure of its 2011 gubernatorial candidate, Otunba Awosedo to the APC.
Isiaka’s Romance with Kashamu and Daniel The open romance by Isiaka with former governor Gbenga Daniel and controversial businessman, Buruji Kashamu also created huge image problem for the PDP man. If he had planned to use the last-minute public identification as a joker, the move backfired. Many suddenly saw through the smokescreen of initial lies that Isiaka is at odds with Daniel, his erstwhile political godfather. Isiaka must have suspected the strategy had backfired when callers on a Radio call-in programme kept carpeting him and concluded that he would be a sad continuation of Daniel’s notorious government.
The tainted image of Kashamu didn't assist him either. During the campaigns, several prominent indigenes of the state avoided being seen with Kashamu openly due to his alleged involvement in drug cases in the USA. Indeed, the Awujale of Ijebuland, HRM Obama Sikiru Adetona, was so passed with Kashamu that he openly lampooned the choice of the Ijebu-igbo businessman as senator to represent Ogun East district. But Isiaka saw it differently.
Amosun's Performance Sheet
The performance of Senator Amosun was the major factor. The governor had massive dream of where and what he wanted the state to be. He was always quick to tell his audience that "My plan is to make Ogun State what New Jersey is to New York (in USA). We intend to exploit the proximity of our state to Lagos to our advantage".
Although he might not have fully attained the goal, Ogun is well on course. Senator Amosun was undeterred by the huge economic and social deficit he inherited. He soldiered on with uncommon determination erecting policies and programmes aimed at placing Ogun State among the top-drawer states in the country.
It was the BusinessDay newspaper that first announced the new status of the state. The newspaper declared Ogun State as the fastest-growing economy and first choice for industrialists and entrepreneurs among the 36 states in Nigeria.
To the newspaper, Ogun State, won the award “because it has the highest number of businesses established in its domain and that the government has made the environment more attractive to investors. Ogun also has the highest Gross Domestic Product in the last one year..." SecurityWatch magazine followed suit. It named the governor as the most security conscious governor in West Africa.
If those were national and regional recognitions, the report of the World Bank, 'Doing Business in Nigeria 2014', rates Ogun as one of the top five states in Nigeria “that made the biggest strides towards the national frontier of good practices”. The biennial report was released in October 2014.
This iconic feat by the incumbent governor can be better appreciated when juxtaposed with the situation in the state before the advent of Senator Amosun. The World Bank in the 2008 and 2010 reports had ranked Ogun State among the lowest overall performing states in Nigeria in terms of ease of doing business. Put bluntly, doing business in Ogun State that time was a high-risk venture.
But Senator Amosun has confined that to history. According to the World Bank, "thanks to concerted effort...Ogun improved on three of the four 'Doing Business' indicators benchmarked.” The report observed further that in Ogun State, “The construction permitting system was radically overhauled, with the state government... decentralising the approval system and a new committee monitoring delays. Building permit applications and payments can now be made simultaneously in district offices. Private professionals issue environmental-impact assessments in accordance with the conditions and templates set out in a framework agreement.”
The digitalisation of the Property Records by the state Bureau of Lands also introduced a refreshing edge into property acquisition and documentation in the state. The effect was the 'Home Ownership Charter' which, apart from the speed of availability of property document, slashed the fee payable on land titles by as much as 70 per cent.
But Ogun State didn’t just move from zero to hero to draw the World Bank kudos. It was the fallout of series of strategic and deliberate actions. For instance, at inception of the Amosun administration, redtape and porous security were key headaches. Robbers practically held the state by the jugular. Banks were invaded with effortless ease as security men were helpless due to poor and obsolete equipment. But the government responded gamely by investing in security. The state government purchased 14 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), bought 500 patrol vans fitted with communication gadgets, 500 bullet-proof vests, 500 bullet proof-helmets, 1000 AK-47 rifles as well as two million rounds of ammunitions for policemen to get them ready to face hoodlums.
The result was instant. Crime statistics in the state crashed as armed robbery took flight out of the state after realising the futility of plying their trade in Ogun. Political thuggery occasioned by intolerance also became history as the governor allows constructive criticism and liberalised the media space for dissenting voices.
The era of ritual killings equally became history as the government consciously gave special attention to the various dark spots and relaxation centres across the state for policing. Cult-related wars ceased as officials of the government were not encouraging and or financing cultists as was the case before his advent.
Suddenly, Ogun State, once notorious for its high crime rate, became one of the most secured states in the country. The new security status encouraged investors to view the state as investors' preferred destination. Out-going President Jonathan, during his recent campaign stopover in Abeokuta, indeed confirmed that 56 new firms have berthed in Ogun State within the last 40 months. The figure has since risen to 62.
The relentless theft of Nigeria's oil in the Niger-Delta, the dip in crude prices at the global market and the poor internal revenue of the state nudged the governor to introduce prudence into public financing and accounting system. He blocked leakages in the financial system and put his experience as an accountant into bear as he unfurled an innovative financial re-engineering plan.
Governor Amosun enthroned measures that increased the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state from the paltry N730m he inherited to over N5bn under 40 months. He also slashed salaries and allowances of political office holders to free valuable fund for developmental projects.
The surge in the income in the state afforded the government to embark on an ambitious urban renewal programme during which 16 roads and 12 bridges sited across the three senatorial districts were constructed. The Urban Renewal programme is perhaps one area the Ogun government has drawn most applause. The government kicked off the programme with the reconstruction of the 2.4 km Ibara-Sokori-Totoro road which it used as model for what is now known as the ‘Ogun Standard’ roads.
The agriculture sector also witnessed remarkable turnaround. In a single intervention, eighty-six pieces of multi-million naira land clearing and preparation equipment were launched by the governor. To further prove that the state is serious with the idea of reclaiming its glory in the agriculture sector, the state government enthroned a policy where investors – local or foreign – interested in agriculture will only need to pay 20 per cent of the cost of agriculture land.
Voters in Ogun have suddenly realised that with Governor Amosun on the driver’s seat, the state is in safe hands and therefore saw no reason to change him. -Balogun is a media aide to Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun