The president general of Orisun Igbomina, a socio-cultural association for the predominant ethnic group in Kwara-south, Chief Gbenga Awoyale in this interview with selected journalists speaks on governance in Kwara and ruling APC. UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB was there.
Nigeria would have another round of elections in 2023 to elect new set of leaders. What’s your perception about that election?
Without mincing words, the forthcoming general election cannot be easy as the ones we had in past. The political dynamics are not constant and there is tension in virtually all geopolitical zones in the country due to insecurity. The security threats in some parts of the country has great implications on our forthcoming elections. Desperate politicians might take undue advantage of the ugly situation.
The spate of kidnapping, banditry and civil unrest in some parts of the country is alarming; however, it is important to note that President Muhammadu Buhari is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the threats are nipped in the bud. The results of our military formations in recent times are cheering.
They are decimating them and it is hoped government would do more to rid the country of enemies within and beyond. Whichever way one looks at it, President Buhari has committed our resources judiciously towards fighting insecurity. We were not oblivious of humongous amount allocated to fight insecurity during President Goodluck Jonathan’s era and how it was allegedly squandered. Probably, if such funds were judiciously used, the situation would not escalate to this level we are faced with now. Notwithstanding the insecurity issue, I feel strongly that 2023 would be a horse race with only one starter for All Progressive Progress (APC). There’s no doubt about that. If you look at the leading opposition party – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention, it speaks volume of how their touted comeback bid is dead on arrival.
Majority of the stalwarts within the party don’t agree with the zoning of the party’s national chairmanship position to the north, because of personal ambitions of some of the leaders from the north. That’s why you’ll realise that despite having a national chairman from north, a number of them from northern states are still hell bent in their bid to contest the party’s presidential ticket even from the North-central that produced the chairman.
The political permutation and negotiations doesn’t appear like the party is serious. PDP has set a time bomb that would explode before 2023 because some of their major contenders are from the north, while those from the south would also not concede presidential ticket to the north, having zoned chairmanship there.
Ordinarily, as an organised party, the presidential ticket would have been expectedly zoned to the south to douse tensions within the party, but because of the selfish interests of the likes of Atiku and Saraki, that was not done. Out of the six geopolitical zones, apparently north produced the incumbent President Buhari and the national chairman for PDP. This is a pointer to how infeasible a presidential candidate would emerge from north again. So, if the likes of Saraki and Atiku further their presidential ambition, it would be a walkover for APC.
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has been in government for quite a while. What is your assessment of his achievement so far?
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has set developmental milestones since he assumed office on May 29, 2019. He has touched the nooks and crannies of the state with different masses oriented initiatives.
He has completely deviated from the ills and sharp practices that characterised the deposed political dynasty in the state. It’s in this same Kwara that we had people helping themselves and their cronies with public funds at the detriment of building infrastructure and delivering good governance to the people. Very recently, billions of naira linked to yet-to-be- identified persons speaks volumes of where Kwara was coming from. Till date, no one knew who domiciled the huge amount of slush funds in the bank account discovered by the anti-graft agency.
Kwara has never experienced this spate of development and growth before now and it is not centered just in the state capital but across various communities in the state. Even those who have lost hope in government have now found it under AbdulRazaq. Do we talk about the impactful Kwara Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP) that has helped to raise and sustain lots of vulnerable Kwarans, fixing major water works like Oyun, Igbaja, Lafiagi, among several others or expunging the state from the blacklist of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) which manifested in fixing of hundreds of classrooms across basic schools in the state? It has actually been so far, so good under AbdulRazaq. When he assumed office, he disbursed money to complete the state secretariat which the former administration abandoned.
These are what Kwarans have been yearning for. He also completed some of Gov Lawal’s water and infrastructural projects abandoned by the duos of Saraki and Ahmed for almost 16 years. So, it appeared comical to me when I heard that Kwara PDP zoned governorship to the same Kwara North they neglected for decades and where Gov AbdulRazaq had concentrated developmental projects to ensure their marginalisation is a past tale. I am wondering the basis upon which Saraki and his co-travelers would go back there to campaign.
How would you rate the performances of state House of Assembly under a relatively young man?
The set of lawmakers we have in our state House of Assembly as presently constituted are resourceful and conscious of their legislative responsibilities. These are people working relentlessly with the governor to ensure physical and human capital development. The thorough scrutiny of annual state budgets has paved ways for administrative creativity and GIGO that used to be operational in the past. They have also passed several bills with significant impact on social security like KWASSIP. They have to their credit the Kwara State Sports Commission bill which has changed the structure and tune of sports development in the state and some others like the amendment of public procurement law and enactment of public audit bill to strengthen public institutional transparency and accountability.
Notwithstanding their excellent delivery in primary functions, we have seen a number of them who organised empowerment programmes for the their constituents and also float youths and students support programmes. Look at Hon Razaq Owolabi from Share/Oke ode, for instance, he has done no fewer than three rounds of massive empowerment programmes for youth, women and the aged. Federal lawmakers are also making giant strides, for instance, Sen Lola Ashiru in Kwara-south. As a Senate president, Saraki couldn’t match what Sen Ashiru has facilitated. Kwara-north and central senators are not also doing badly. They have actually upped legislative business in Kwara.
With the reality of economic downtown in the country. How sure is 2023 election?
I am so much optimistic that the election would hold. A critical look at what happened in Anambra is a pointer to the reality of electioneering process. It’s the responsibility of government to provide adequate security and it’s constitutional to also change states and national leadership every four years. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has been very proactive in harnessing tendencies.
With the crisis rocking APC in Kwara state and Nigeria at large. Do you think the party can attain victory in 2023?
Let me use Kwara as an example. Those who are at the helms of affairs in APC are experienced and with integrity. I can assure you they will mend fences and come out stronger. PDP that created Nigeria and Kwara’s socio-economic and political problems can’t feign sainthood or being solution-driven now; there’s crisis in PDP. What makes APC crisis more popular is not farfetched; it’s because it’s the party in power. The opposition would want to ensure they do everything possible to relegate them from power.
In the case of Kwara state, different stakeholders within the party had been consulted by leaders of the party. Among them is Prof Oba Abdulraheem and they’ve made us to realise that PDP is not an option for them. Majority of the warring members are ready for reconciliation. Let me quickly remind you that if we are not settling the internal crisis, Sen Gbemisola Saraki would not be among APC national convention committee.
PDP is planning to take over leadership position in Kwara state. What’s your view about this?
Let me tell you that PDP agitation is just a mere wishful thinking. It can never work out well after their 16 years of misrule. What has been their achievement when they were in power? This is very essential question we should ask them.
