Ondo State Must Hold Mimiko Accountable

Dr. Wumi Akintide

“Once beaten twice shy” is an old British adage that Ondo must not forget as we all celebrate the return of the stolen mandate of Mimiko. In 1983 after the stolen mandate of Pa Adekunle Ajasin was returned to him in similar circumstance, the need to hold Ajasin accountable for what he had promised was never as grave and as urgent as what we faced today with Mimiko as Governor. Why? Because we knew Papa Ajasin very well and we knew what he stood for as one of the foundation members of the old Action Group and the UPN and AD under whose platform the old man had run for Governor.

We all knew Papa as a man of principle from his days as the pioneering Principal of Imade College a nd as Owo Community leader for many years. We cannot say the same thing of Mimiko who ran for Governor as a candidate of the so-called :Labor Party, in large part because his Party, the PDP and their President would not let anyone challenge his preferred candidate while totally ignoring the wishes of the silent majority of the PDP voters in Ondo State.

The Labor Party in Ondo State could therefore be viewed as a break-away faction of the PDP and some disgruntled elements of the old AD who had probably decamped from the old AD to join the octopus PDP because they saw the PDP as the power base of Nigerian Politics regardless of their notoriety as a one Party dictatorship with little respect for the Rule of Law as demonstrated by their imposition of Agagu on Ondo State through blatant rigging of election..

Agagu and Mimiko were best of friends and birds of the same feather when their journey first began. Things only began to fall apart between them because of their own individual ambitions. It will be recalled that Mimiko was a one-time Secretary to the Agagu Administration before he chose to run against him That was point number one.

The Labor Party was virtually unknown in Ondo State before Mimiko emerged as their candidate. So we are talking of a Party that does not have any strong root or track record in Ondo State, as we speak. Yes, the Party has a colorful, popular and tenacious candidate in Mimiko, but there is very little to say for that party beyond that. If the push comes to shove, that party can easily metamorphose into something Ondo State did not bargain for. The PDP is already making overtures to bring Mimiko back to their fold now that Agagu has suddenly become a huge liability and embarrassment. If Obasanjo and Atiku can quickly kiss and make up, so can Mimiko and Agagu and so can Mimiko and the PDP and even Obasanjo. Very few will trust Mimiko not to swallow the bait, hook, line and sinker, if the move advances his future ambitions and agenda. Ondo State voted for Mimiko with the hope he is going to lead them in different direction from Agagu. If all we get in return is sheer box shuffling or an Administration worse than Agagu’s, Ondo State will have herself to blame. I am not too sure that Mimiko will be able to resist the temptation to take Ondo State back to the PDP fold, if only to enjoy some of the undeserved indulgence or patronage his predecessor had enjoyed from Abuja. Mimiko had initially left the AD, to share out of the national pie at the federal level. For how much longer can he resist the temptation? It is a legitimate question to ask.

Before you know what is happening Mimiko could turn out to be no different from or worse than Agagu when the chips are down... That is why Ondo State needs to hold Mimiko fully accountable for all he has promised now that he has reclaimed his mandate.

The only Head of Government in Nigeria to ever ask the nation to hold him accountable, you will recall, was Murtala Mohammed. He was by far the best of our military Heads of State even though he ruled the country for only 200 days . We must all remember that the first black President in American History, Barack Obama has so far operated on the same wavelength with very positive results, as we speak. We have to find some ways to hold Mimiko responsible and accountable for all he has promised as a candidate.

I am able to say this without fear or favor be cause I am one of his earliest supporters even though I am not a card-carrying member of the Labor Party. I am more of a technocrat than a politician but I know a good Government when I see one, and I am a loyal citizen of Ondo State. I was the pioneer Director of Rural Development in Ondo State under Governor Okhai Mike Akhigbe I know Ondo State very well, and as a retired Federal civil servant for 25 years and as an Akure indigene who currently lives abroad, I follow events in my home state and do my best to make positive contributions and to ensure that our state is not short-changed in the scheme of things. I joined forces with others to that Agagu does not get away with his stolen mandate. I am happy that the will of the people has finally prevailed..

I was an early supporter of Governor Agagu in 2003 when he ran against Adebayo Adefarati on the platform of the PDP and won because I believed he was going to do a far better job than the man he defeated. Agagu has turned out to be worse than Governor Adefarati, and I see some possibilities that Mimiko could turn out the same way or worse if he is not closely monitored and held accountable..

I recall how Dr. Agagu used to complain about Adefarati’s refusal to let the OSRC and TV station air any of his commercials and campaign jingles as the opposition candidate in PDP.. You would have thought that Dr, Agagu was going to set a better example after he won that election. He did not. Not only did he make life difficult for all opposition against him as Mimiko and his supporters would tell you, he made sure that the voice of the opposition was totally suppressed. He was corrupt. He rigged elections without any conscience and he squandered Ondo State revenues and resources like a drunken sailor. He would be lucky if himself and his Deputy do not end up in jail now that they have both lost their immunity from prosecution..

I was in Akure in December 2007 to launch my latest book, “The Lion King and the Cubs, A special tribute to Deji Afunbiowo Adesida, as the pioneer Architect of the Golden Century of Akure History from 1897 to 1997”. I was to have a review of the book, free of charge, at the Ondo State Television studio on December 18, 2007 a day before the Book Launch at the Federal University of Technology on a Yoruba current affair program titled “Alejo Wa” The moderator of the program, Oluwole Akinbo, a first class moderator did a marvelous job.=2 0But the program would not have been allowed to air if Governor Agagu and his Deputy were made aware, because they counted me as an enemy of Government for supporting Mimiko.

The General Manager of the Station, Soji Alakuro took a chance by allowing the program to air and Wole Akinbo the moderator took a chance because they both understood the historical and the educational import of that book to Akure, the State capital. Not even the Deputy Governor, Omolade Oluwateru, the representative of Akure in the Agagu cabinet was willing to show any accommodation out of respect for the star of the book. If you do not support their Government you have forfeited your right to be patronized by a station sustained and financed by Ondo State taxpayers. Omolade Oluwateru would not even honor his invitation to attend the launching of the book at the Federal University of Technology on December 19, all because the author has been very critical of their Government in the book and elsewhere.

I specially had to be very careful not to say anything critical of the Agagu Government because I did not want to jeopardize the jobs of the General Manager and the moderator who could be fired for allowing the p rogram to air in the first place. It was that bad. If a Government led by a an academic like Agagu could do that, you will understand why it is often said that “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

I admire and respect Mimiko but he must be held accountable every step of the way.

I rest my case.

Dr Wumi Akintide