How prepared is your party, (YDP) for the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State?
Just like other political parties in the state are preparing for the November governorship election, also is my great party, YDP is well prepared in each of the local government. We have our machinery on ground and we have our strategy.
The youth are well mobilised from the ward to the local government levels. We have also been talking to market women as well as meeting different groups such as the students' union government in all the institutions in Ondo State.
We have equally been educating traditional rulers, most especially those in the rural area on the forthcoming election in the state. Honestly, we are 100 per cent prepared for the election and don't forget that during the last general elections
Do you think your party has what it takes to win the governorship election?
Absolutely yes! Alliance for Democracy has come to stay in Ondo State and God willing, Governor Olusegun Mimiko is handing over to me come February 2017. Looking back to the history of Ondo State since 1999, when Nigeria returned to civil rule, no leader has achieved what late Adebayo Adefarati-led AD government achieved in the state.
Most of the infrastructure that are bringing money to the state were put in place by Adefarati and that is why YDP as a party has a manifesto and most of the programmes in this manifesto are for masses and development of our people.
Ondo people have tested Labour Party (LP) and it failed. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) equally failed and the so-called All Progressives Congress (APC), which has 50 aspirants, is made up of the same set of people, who are running from PDP to other parties for their selfish interest.
You can imagine one of them in APC was saying he will sink 5,000 boreholes across the state if elected as a governor when Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State just signed a contract worth N844 billion for the Fourth Mainland Bridge.
You can see that our socalled leaders in Ondo State are so blind without ideas. It is quite unfortunate that we still have some youths who still follow these set of agbada politicians, who stole our common wealth and still fight the people one way or the other. So as a party, AD has a track record when it comes to election in Ondo State and that is why our manifesto is quite different from other political parties.
Would you say Governor Mimiko has met the expectations of the people of Ondo State in the last eight years of his administration?
Governor Mimiko has tried his best but failed woefully. Why do I say so? This is a man who told us openly in Akure that whosoever that knows then Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, should go and inform him that investors were coming and that Lagos State will run after Ondo State.
Where are the investors today in Ondo State? How many companies and investors are in Ondo State today? Most of the projects former Governor Segun Agagu put in place were abandoned by Mimiko. One of them is the first road in Ilaje, the oil producing area.
For the past eight years, there is no electricity in Ilaje, Ese-odo, Okitipupa, Irele and Ore. In fact, Ore is the worst town in Ondo State with bad road. And don't forget that in the same Ilaje Local Government Area, we have some leaders who were in PDP but are now in APC in their desperation to become Ondo State governor. With natural resources and federal allocations, Ondo State still owes civil servant salaries.
What motivated you to show interest in the governorship race?
I came about the decision as my passion for leadership through state apparatus increases. Looking at the condition of our people, we don't need to be driven to act. I have seen the problem in the administration of the state and I believe with the level of intellectual endowment that I have been gifted, it is right for me to take the leap of faith by expressing my ambition to lead my people to the long awaited land of fulfillment. When Agagu was a governor of the state, I wrote a proposal on how to create 50,000 jobs in Akoko on tomato processing.
That proposal was approved and I brought six investors from Italy. It was launched in 2006, when Dr. Olufemi Awani represented the state governor at the event but unfortunately the governor was thrown out by the Court of Appeal. It is quite unfortunate that the project died.
What are the major programmes you plan to implement if you get elected?
First and foremost, we will look at the state of the infrastructure in Ondo State. Don't forget that we are starting afresh. There is no single infrastructure in Ondo State that can encourage or motivate investors to come in; no good road, no electricity; to make it worse our airport is not functioning. We will send a bill to Ondo State House of Assembly and the bill would be called Ondo State Investment Bill.
The bill will create an enabling environment for major local investors. As I am talking to you, we are bringing in 170 companies from Europe, North Africa and South America and we are also building the largest international mall in Ore, which will create over 60,000 jobs. We will make Ore a business district in Ondo State.
In Ore alone, we can generate about N5 billion. We are bringing what we call Ondo State Infrastructure Agency. Akoko will become an industrial region and most of the moribund industries would be privatised. Eighty-five percent of my projects would be private sector driven.
We are bringing in what we call Ondo State Yo u t h Entrep r e – neurship. This project will create over 100,000 self entrepreneur jobs. We are coming on board to create jobs and put infrastructure for the future of children and of our state.
As part of our programmes, there would be free education from primary to higher institutions. We will also build 50,000 mortgage houses for civil servants and private citizens. We are also bringing what I call Ondo State Fishing Agency.
We will look into our natural resources as source of revenue and Ondo people should expect greatness. My government will have mostly youths with strong mindset who are hungry to see a great Ondo. They should expect the kind of leader who will listen to them and cater for their welfare. They should expect Ondo State, where everybody will be somebody and everybody will count. They should expect an Ondo Statem, where we will examine all ideas and see the ones that are best for us.
Looking at the arrays of gladiators in the governorship race, do you have the financial muscle to battle other candidates at the poll?
If you look at it that way, most youths would be running away from contesting for positions because financially they are not stable or balanced. Even in the ruling party and opposition party, they are not giving youths the opportunity to express their ideas and they end up being used as thugs.
But in my party, we look at those who have the potential for a role of leadership. I have travelled across the 18 local government areas of the state, selling my manifesto to the people; telling them why I am the best candidate among the aspirants.
Don't forget that Ondo people don't vote because of money; that was why Mimiko was given 100 per cent support when he came some years back. I believe that where PDP or APC would spend N100 million, I will spend N2 million and I am going to win the election. So, I am encouraging our youths to come out and express their ideas to people who care to listen and they will buy into it.
What is your take on the issue for zoning in the governorship poll?
For those who are calling for zoning, I will say that they got it wrong. We want the best candidate to govern the state in the next four years, not politicians, who stole our wealth and are using the resources to fight the masses as well as calling for zoning.
Do you have confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), considering how recent elections ended on inconclusive notes in some states?
Absolutely, I have 85 per cent confidence in INEC. Edo State governorship election will hold on September 10 and that would be a test for INEC ahead of Ondo State election in November. President Muhammadu Buhari should allow INEC to run its show because an inconclusive election would not be accepted by the people of Ondo
