By Sola Ebiseni

It’s no gainsaying that for the greater part of the second term of Rotimi Akeredolu which began on 21st February 2021, as Governor of Ondo State,  things have not been at ease. The centre has not held for the state having been dogged by the state of health of the governor and the ill-advised schemes to impeach his equally deliberately bearded but younger Deputy,  Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. 

The statement that politics as a means of attaining power is war by other means and using Paul-Michel Foucault, French philosopher, historian and political activist as reference, is a truism which perfectly fits the situation in our state. 

In the Nigerian situation generally, even in a democracy, it is now rather axiomatic that no means is illegitimate and power derivable therefrom no less  potent.  

The means include deliberate incarceration of truth, permissive interpretation of the constitution and power derivable therefrom no less potent as that which Mao said flows from the barrel of the gun.  No length is too far to go, new precedents daily created and legitimised. 

The invocation of the doctrine of necessity in a situation such as we presently find ourselves is not without precedent in Nigeria,  this variant of it however leaves a curious thought in the mind mixed with the fear that answer for crime has neither expiry date nor is it statute-barred. 

In other words, the  transfer of power by alleged e-signature as the ailing governor is too weak to sign any document only lend credence to the allegations of signature forgery which may leave acts of governance susceptible to interrogation.

 Nonetheless,  the anxiety imposed by the months of stalemate and leadership vacuum appears to make  the traumatized state overlook legal niceties so that the Sunshine State might just move forward. After all, according to Plato “our need will be the real creator” which statement,  according to  Wikipedia, was moulded over time into the English proverb ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.  

In all, while you will be on point to say it is not yet uhuru, we must resolve to continue to pray for our state and its outgoing actors, notwithstanding partisan political differences. This is in line with the psalmist’s injunction that we  pray for the peace of our own Jerusalem.  

On a personal note,  I have not hidden my commendation for  Akeredolu on his advocacy for restructuring of the Nigerian federation in line with the foundational principles of true federalism in spite of the Buhari administration’s unhidden disdain for such imperative national endeavour.  In one of our private discussions Aketi, as the Governor is loveably addressed, expressed his love to return to his Chambers,  after his tenure until the age of 75 when he hopes to retire from court appearances. 

We both recalled several of the leading lights in the profession who did not let down the wig and gown after such high political office including our own Cicero, Chief Bola Ige, who became a Senior Advocate in 1997 having left office as Governor of the old Oyo State 14 years earlier in 1983. May God grant Aketi his heart desires and like the eagle, may he, from his current medical vacation to shed worn feathers, return with renewed vigour in his flying ability. Like he is wont to do, we look forward to a new song of praise from the canary concerning his experience.

By the way, Ondo State was nicknamed the “Sunshine State” in 1991, in the 15th year of its creation by then Military Administrator, Navy Captain Abiodun Olukoya. While other Governors of the Babangida era preferred the sobriquet linked to geography or culture for  their respective states the highly cerebral and religious Olukoya, now of blessed memory, peeped into the universal realm for the sun which is not only the centre of the planetary order but which shining light is the source of life and  proclaimed Ondo the Sunshine State. 

I was, in the previous year, elected Chairman of the riverine old Ilaje/Ese-Odo Local Government, (now Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Governments) barely three years after my youth service and still imbued with the aluta spirit from Ife, galvanised the youths in agitation for the recognition of Ondo State as an oil producing state on the undeniable fact of the operations of the international oil companies in our Local Government. 

First,  we sought to put on record the correct narrative of the history of the oil industry in Nigeria by showing that it was in 1908 at Araromi in our Local Government that oil was first discovered in Nigeria and perhaps in the gulf of Guinea which activities were only truncated by the world wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 at the end of which, encouraged by the Araromi eye opener, resumed exploration led to the exploitation and shipment of oil at Oloibiri in 1957.

 Secondly, we insisted on the abrogation of Decree No.113 of 1970 through which the Federal Government exclusively appropriated offshore oil revenue. The Decree which was promulgated 22 years earlier to assist the Federal Government in the post civil-war efforts of reconciliation,  rehabilitation, reconstruction had actually outlived its objective and was only being taking undue advantage of by the Federal Government and the oil companies to the detriment of some littoral states  including Ondo and newly created Akwa Ibom state. 

In the era where the independent private newspapers were few and all radio and television owned by governments, we employed the available ones to good effects with powerful editorials that the Babangida administration could not ignore. The agitation became so serious that the Federal Government muted the idea of dissolving our Local Government but for the favourable security reports that it was the collective will of the people saved the situation.

The elected Bamidele Olumilua administration which  came on board in January 1992 and buoyed by the experience of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, a renowned geologist, the state became unstoppable in our legitimate agitation. The effect was the promulgation of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission decree N0. 23 of July 1992 which not only removed the unjust onshore-offshore dichotomy but thereby readmitted Ondo State and including Akwa Ibom which are largely offshore producers.

The attendant benefits to the Sunshine State, either in the employment of its indigenes in the oil companies and their services agencies, membership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), benefits under the PIA and the overriding upsurge in the revenue of the state from the federation account cannot be over emphasised.

The fact that the foundation of the state was laid on Afenifere philosophy and pioneered by its indefatigable leader,  Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin is very significant as virtually all the governors thereafter not only subscribe to its ethos but strive all to implement its enunciated programmes. Chief Adebayo Adefarati, a foot soldier of the Organisation eventually became Ajasin’s Commissioner and later governor; Dr. Olusegun Agagu, even as a lecturer in the University of Ibadan was one of the volunteer young resource persons in the team of Afenifere for the computation of votes for the successful prosecution of Ajasin’s Election Petition in 1983. He became governor.  

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, tracing his political trajectory from being Commissioner in the Afenifere SDP Government of Olumilua and of Adefarati leveraged on the Afenifere philosophy for his  programmes as Housing Minister and populist projects as Governor of the Sunshine State. The trend will continue in 2024.

The Sunshine State  craves the return of the humane Afenifere programmes of Free Education, Healh Services, full employment and integrated rural development, complimented by massive rehabilitation and upgrading of schools, including access to advanced information technology, making affordable health services available everywhere including the Mother and Child Health services, opening up the rural areas for sustainable infrastructural development,  revival of the innovative neighbourhood markets in every part of the state, focus on sporting activities including its international dimensions  as a veritable centre of youths empowerment. 

These and more are no tasks for learner politicians. It is for the groomed and not the groping.

Nigeria, we hail thee.

•Sola Ebiseni is Secretary General, Afenifere