Ondo 2020: Rethinking Jegede’s economic plans
-Bayode Alonge
Ondo State is in season, and it has thus become the focus of political watchers, and of the news writers and analysts. Like Edo, the state is holding its gubernatorial election in a matter of weeks from now. It has thus been a particularly eventful season for the Sunshine State with political players now speaking and seeking diverse prayers. The two main political parties, the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, have been fiercely at it. The incumbent governor Rotimi Akeredolu is seeking reelection on the platform of APC and so struggling for the party’s ticket alongside other notables. Within the PDP fold, the party’s candidate in the 2016 gubernatorial election, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, is hoping to pick the ticket, just as other aspirants for the election already stated for Saturday, November 26, 2016.If Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party, inspite of the ensuing controversies on zoning arrangement, eventually picks the party’s ticket, and governor Akeredolu survives the internal seismic storm afflicting his party to win a return ticket, the two juggernauts may be in for a nearly similar show to the 2016 electoral outing. But with new differences too. However, while the jostle endures, the place and preference of the electorate, and debate on the performance question of the incumbent governor are more serious concerns.Meanwhile, where good care is not taken, the concerns may not receive the right attention until the ballots come. And that is why the whole affair, nowadays, is wrongly shrouded, reason only few egg heads dare to do. Players prefers perfidy, and that is how the people are conveniently compromised. That is how the acts have turned so bad it now appears the prerogative of con artists. It is such that its present coloration seems to have distanced nobles from the art.This is one undoing has not helped matters. It has rather hampered growth and distanced the people from quality leadership. Worse still, it has even complicated things for constituents and constituencies alike. Like a sore paraphlegia, it eats at the sole of a state, making bad governance to thrive and plauging the country entirely. In any case, Akeredolu has been on the job for awhile and the people appears to have seen his best. His party men and women lament poor party administration and abandonment of party faithful, which is possibly why the party has reaped repeated crisis. While the governor did score some goals on infrastructure, the state continues to wallow in want and struggles on the fiscal front.A lot has been said on the need to deal head on with the economic concern of the state, since it’s true that only little can be achieved in terms of development of the state unless its economic potentials receive serious attention. Experts have since held the stance that Ondo State holds great deposits that could change its face for good and push the country to the next wrong where creative governance is in place. But the state, despite its avalanche deposits of resources as in Oil, gas, Quartz sand, Clay, Granite, Limestone, Talc, Kaolin, Coal, Columbine, Rock, Tin, Mineral deposits, 2nd largest Bitumen in the world, Ocean fronts and the largest Coastline in Nigeria, continues to trudge under the weights of debts and achieving so little in the comity of states. Could this be the mindset of Eyitayo Jegede, the guy who in 2016 said his first three goals in government is economy, economy and economy? Jegede was a stout part of the government of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the immediate predecessor of governor Akeredolu who arguably recorded great strides. As Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, and Chairman, State Tenders’ Board, his concern must have been an informed one. For those who know, Jegede does not answer the regular definition of today’s politician. He would not tell you that he will do what he won’t do. Yet he carries those ideas change the economic fortunes of the state and take it to the next level where the people agrees to choose him. He’s in a distinct class of his own. It’s true that politics, in this part, has become nearly convoluted but the guy represents different ideas. Whereas the business of governance is supposed to be about attracting best brains since good performances begin in the head, but it has not been so nice a narrative around here. Politics, as it were, has been more of a matter of worry, which, in no small ways, disabled it essence from worthy attainments. Yet it is very unlikely that any difference would happen soon unless citizens are courageous enough to cause a decisive change.Even now, another opportunity presents itself in the forthcoming election. The people of Ondo State may have to learn and unlearn sundry issues on governance, particularly those bothering on the economic liberation of the state, and per force take seriously the intentions of the man who cares so well about this theme, who appreciates the place and potentials of the state and who is willing to walk the way out.
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