Why we are all out for Osinbajo — Hon. Obafemi, Convener ‘PYO For President’

Hon. John Obafemi is a former two term Chairman of Remo North Local Government Area and ALGON boss of Ogun State. The reputable Quantity Surveyor was also at Ogun State House of Assembly between 2011 to 2015. In this interview with Bankole Taiwo, Jobaf as he is popularly called in the political circle, speaks on why he is leading other Remo indigines to prevail on the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to as a matter of urgency declare for 2023 presidential race. Rooting for a second term for Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, he affirms the Governor’s achievements would get him the mandate.  Excerpts:

Many will think you have left politics since much has not been heard about you after leaving office as a lawmaker representing Remo North constituency at the House of Assembly in 2015.

Not really, I am a professional in politics and not a professional politician. By the grace of God, I am a Quantity Surveyor, so I have a second address as we use to say. You remember that I served as the Executive Chairman of Remo North Local Government for two terms, from 2004 to 2010 under the awesome leadership of Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration. And from 2011 to 2015, I was also the lawmaker representing my constituency at the House of Assembly. After my tenure at the Assembly, I felt the need to allow younger ones occupy the space while we are doing bits of encouragement and mentoring by the sidelines, and of course attending to other things in my professional calling as a Quantity Surveyor.

What strikes your heart when you look at local government administration as we speak?

Honestly speaking, things have gone sour because during the administration of former Gov. Gbenga Daniel, all the Chairmen were given free hands to operate and demonstrate their capabilities. I have said this at several fora and I can still shout it from the rooftop that during the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as chairmen of local governments, our allocations and other Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) were fully administered by us and so we had resources to improve on the welfare of the rural dwellers. Unfortunately, from 2011 when the administration changed, several things changed with it one of which is the state paying salaries of the local government workers. Local government cannot perform again because the allocations seem not to be going to them directly again. We must address this undesirable change because local government administration remains the bedrock of democratically elected government. You really don’t built from the top but from bottom to up. Except we retrace our step, we can’t have much of the development we all clamour for because all politics is local. Mind you, this challenge of local government administration is not peculiar to Ogun State, it is all over the country. I sincerely hope and pray that the amendment being proposed to our constitution to ensure that local government allocations go directly to them with the state not having any jurisdiction over it becomes very successful. This is part of the reasons why the call for restructuring should be taken very seriously. Some sectors like agriculture and education, among others, should be left for the local government to manage. The revper cent to the local government, 45per cent to the state and 20per cent to the Federal Government. The government at the centre should only focus on the military, foreign affairs, and currency. Most of the insecurity challenges we have will fizzle out because there will now be state security apparatuses, which are very familiar with the environment and know where to go and what to do to unravel any insecurity challenge. Honestly, restructuring is the way forward..

Let’s look at governance under Gov. Dapo Abiodun, what is your take?

I would not want anyone to see me as being partial because of my answer to this question, neither does my comments too have anything to do with my long standing relationship with the governor, far from it, I am just saying it as it is. When you look at governance under Gov. Dapo Abiodun, I really want to give it to him, he has really been doing so much, only that it has been with less noise. He is a perfect example of a silent achiever. Yes, some people can say Jobaf, what you are saying is that after using your ATM card to make withdrawal from the machine, you must thank the machine. It’s a lot different from that, because of the way and manner we play our politics in Africa. There is this Yoruba adage that says ‘when you are roasting corn for the blind, you must be whistling or else you would be suspected to have been having nice time with the corn’. With all due respect, the proverb should resonate with the governor because he is doing so much. We all can see it but not much is being said about his numerous achievements cutting across infrastructural development, agriculture, health, education, and housing, among others. For instance, look at the ongoing Agro-Cargo Airport project at our end in Remo land; that project is huge and the turnaround such project is capable of bringing excites me a lot. Look at the impact of Muritala Muhammed International Airport on Ikeja, Agege and its environs. You can imagine the number of employment that the airport will generate. If for instance Ikeja Airport is not there the massive development and economic prosperity along that axis won’t be there. The Governor is also making huge investment in roads, like the Epe-Ijebu Ode road commissioned recently by President Buhari. He has also been a good example and reference point in continuity in governance. Prince Dapo Abiodun has ensured that he continues with the project either initiated or abandoned by the previous administration. Look at the several road projects that he inherited which has been completed. Seriously, he has done really well and his second term is already guaranteed by the special grace of God. He has convinced us of his wonderful leadership and so one good term deserves another.

Last week, you led hundreds of  Remo indigines under the auspices of “PYO For President” round Sagamu, calling on the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo to declare his interest for the 2023 presidential race, you even went as far as presenting letter on your request to the Akarigbo and Paramount ruler of Remo land, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi begging the royal father to assist in getting the letter across to the Vice President, what is informing all these?

Let me first of all clear the air that the patriotic Nigerians who came out to demand that Prof. Yemi Osinbajo should declare interest to contest 2023 presidential race are not being sponsored by anyone, no! These are lovers of greater and very prosperous Nigeria who having sat down and considered the present situation in the country concluded that, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has all it takes to move the country to higher level. And we are not even going to be the first set of Nigerians making this patriotic demand, people from the north, east and south have also been making similar call. It just goes to show that there must be something spectacular about this our son, our brother from Remo here. And when you consider the pedigree of Prof Osinbajo, he is someone I have even known right from my days at Igbobi College, Lagos where he was a year my senior, he had always been a shining star. By His grace, his achievements as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for eight years in Lagos are still there, they remain unparalleled.  As the Vice President, he has supported President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed this far. I must even at this juncture thank President Buhari for giving Prof Osinbajo opportunity to represent him here and there, for it was by this means that many Nigerians were able to recognise the grace that God has given unto this young man. I use to say it that as far as I know, I still stand to be corrected, it is only Prof Osinbajo that I will see talking for hours without holding any paper just like former American President, Barack Obama. I have only seen just these two people performing this feat in the world. So, Prof Osinbajo knows the fact, he is quite abreast of all that we need to do to fix this country. And even when the Vice President was given opportunity in the recent past to hold forth for the President, he acted so faithfully. He is never ambitious; all he wanted is a country you and I could be proud of. And as I have earlier said, he knew nothing about our coming out, but because we want a better tomorrow for us and our children as well as all Nigerians, we have decided to come out and beg this gift from God to come out and continue where President Buhari would be leaving it off next year May. We have equally decided to send our Paramount ruler and Akarigbo of Remo land to him because he is his father; he knows where his son lives in Abuja, we don’t know. So, our highly respected royal father should please help us beg his son to take up this responsibility and we have the assurance that God will help him to turn things around for the good of this country. Prof Osinbajo must heed this call of well meaning Nigerians — thank God he is a Pastor and so he knows that if one fails to use his God’s given talent for the benefit of mankind, it is a sin. Many Nigerians have recognised this God’s deposit in his life and they are saying he should please come to the Macedonia and help, if I may use that allusion to go the scriptural way. Prof Osinbajo is young, agile, brilliant and means well for this nation. And I have said no one is sponsoring us. This is just a group of concerned citizens of Nigeria who want the best for our children and tommorow. Let me also use this medium to thank notable APC chieftains like Aare Jimi Olatunji, Otunba Fatai Sowemimo, former lawmaker representing Remo North State constituency, Pastor Kolade Segun Okeowo, Asojuoba Michael Adesanya, Mr Erinfolami Onajole, Mr. Deji Solaja, Otunba Korede Okusanya, Alh. Lamidi Odulawa, Arc. Abiodun Adesanya, Mrs Josephine Makanjuola, Hon. Kunle Adesanya and several others helping to push this vision for a better Nigeria.

What is your call to other Nigerians?

They should join us to make our demand for Prof. Osinbajo louder. He is a detribalised Nigerian. Nigeria is at the centre of his heart.