ONDO STATE: MAINTAIN YOUR DIGNITY * THE ANSWER IS CHANGE

I am not a fan of any political party neither am I a supporter of any gubernatorial candidate but I’m a student of history and as such, in full support of the maintenance of the dignity of my dear state - Ondo state.

A brief history and review of the state as a whole will be of great importance and could effectively serve as a point of departure of this logical piece of

write up.

Ondo State, whose slogan is ‘’sunshine state’’, was created on 3 February, 1976, from the former Western State. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was carved out in 1996, and has Akure as the state capital.

Ondo State is made up of eighteen Local Government Areas, they are:

Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-East, Akoko South-West

Akure North, Akure South, Ese Odo, Idanre, Ifedore, Ilaje, Ile Oluji/Okeigbo, Irele, Odigbo, Okitipupa, Ondo East, Ondo West, Ose and Owo. The majority of the state's citizens live in urban centers.

The ethnic composition of Ondo State is largely from the Yoruba subgroups of the Akoko, Akure, Ikale, Ilaje, Ondo, and Owo. Ijaw minority (such as Apoi and Arogbo) and Ilaje populations inhabit the coastal areas; while a sizable number of the Ondo State people who speak a variant of the Yoruba language similar to Ife dialect reside in Oke-Igbo. These people are also Yorubas.

Ondo State contains the largest number of public schools in Nigeria - over 880 primary schools and 190 secondary schools.

List of some higher institutions in Ondo State are:

Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko

Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa

Achievers University, Owo

Federal University of Technology, Akure

Wesley University, Ondo

Federal School of Agriculture, Akure

Adeyemi College of education, ondo

Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo

Democratically and militarily, the sunshine state has been governed by distinguished leaders in the past who have actually displayed their unflinching support towards moving the state to the next level.

The List of Past Governors and Administrators of the State:

Name	Title	Took Office	Left Office	Party
Michael Adekunle Ajasin	Governor	1979-10	1983-12	UPN
Michael Bamidele Otiko	Governor	1984-01	1985-09	Military
Michael Okhai Akhigbe	Governor	1985-09	1986-08	Military
Ekundayo Opaleye	Governor	1986-08	1987-12	Military
Raji Alagbe Rasaki	Governor	1987-12-17	1988-07	Military
Bode George	Governor	1988-07	1990-09	Military
Sunday Abiodun Olukoya	Governor	1990-09	1992-01	Military
Bamidele Olumilua	Governor	1992-01	1993-11	SDP
Mike Torey	Administrator	1993-12	1994-09	Military
Ahmed Usman	Administrator	1994-09	1996-08	Military
Anthony Ibe Onyearugbulem	Administrator	22 August 1996	7 August 1998	Military
Moses Fasanya	Administrator	1998-08	1999-05	Military
Adebayo Adefarati	Governor	1999-05	2003-05	AD
Olusegun Agagu	Governor	2003-05	2009-02	PDP
Olusegun Mimiko	Governor	2009-02	Till Date	LP

Ondo state is among the few states in the country blessed with abundant man power and so many natural resources such as bitumen and other resources that can be mined and shipped out at viable cost. OIL & GAS, Ondo state produces 12% of Nigeria’s output, other mineral resources found in the state are; quart sand, clay, granite, limestone, talc, kaolin, coal, columbine, rock, tin, river, mineral deposits, bitumen which is the 2nd largest in the world, ocean fronts and the largest coastline in Nigeria.

 Extensive fertile soil suitable for agriculture with sub- savannah forest suitable for cattle grazing in the northern fringes, vast forest resources, variety of timber species e.g. teak, gmelina, manzonia e.t.c. Ondo state is the largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria, other cash crops grown in the state include rubber, cashew, kola nut, oil palm etc. The number of great brains and talented individual in the state is arguably compared to none in the country. That an individual is fortunate to grab any leadership position in the state is absolutely a question of luck and relative competence, because there are thousands of better once out there highly gifted and capable to do it better.

It is an undisputed truism that since the inception of democracy in Nigeria, Ondo state is one of the few states in the country that have not been governed by an individual for two consecutive terms and also one of the few states that have not been governed by a political party for more than a tenure. It is a simple arithmetic, do your best and leave the rest, because there are better brains, more reliable and committed individual readily available to take over from you either at your slightest display of flaws or incompetence or not.

When democracy started in Nigeria in 1999, after the very first election, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, candidate of the then Alliance for Democracy (AD), won the election and became the governor. He governed the state with great political tutelage, discipline and maturity; it was during his tenure that the now Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko was founded. He refused to move the university to the acclaimed permanent site hoping to use that as a campaign strategy for his ambition to run for a second term. He was so shocked to find out that the people he called his own, I mean the Akokite were the first to antagonize him, when they bluntly voted against him by casting their votes for Dr Olusegun Agagu in the 2003 general election – the gubernatorial candidate for the People Democratic Party (PDP). When he came on board, Dr. Olusegun Agagu did his best and also founded the Ondo state University of Science and Technology Okitipupa, but followed the path of his predecessor by refusing to move the university to it permanent site, saying that he would do that if re-elected for second term. I am not saying that the relocation of a university to its permanent site is the yard stick for running for a second term in Ondo state. I was not surprised when the same people Dr Olusegun Agagu called his own people, I mean the Okitipupite this time, gave their mandate to a stronger and another intelligent candidate – Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. He however thought he could manipulate the set of intelligent citizens of the state by forcefully imposing himself on the people through rigging the election that brought him back to office but he was disgraced and was given a marching order out of the government house when the tribunal court sitting in Benin threw him out from office for rigging the election that brought him back to office.

Now came another Doctor into the system, Dr Olusegun Mimiko aka Iroko, doing all he can to maintain sustainable growth and development in the state, constructing new roads, rehabilitating and dualizing the old ones, building modern markets, schools and others. Nevertheless I will never fail to forget that, Ondo state, is a state that extremely believes in positive and constant change, there is always a better candidate waiting to take over, that will perform more and do better things than the former. The whole idea that breeds the change is simple which is: contribute your quota and leave the rest for somebody else to contribute. I have no doubt that the present Governor will want to remain in office and contest for the second term and may employ the gimmicks of his predecessors, that is leaving project partly completed and using that as a political propaganda and campaign strategy for re election but at the same time, I will not be knocked for six, if what happened to his predecessors happens to him.

The fact that so many political gimmicks are employed presently by the present administration to deflect strong political members from other political parties in the state to the ruling party- Labour Party, is never a guarantee that the present governor will re emerge in the coming election.

This is neither a campaign article for any political party nor a support piece for any gubernatorial aspirant but it is solely a support for the maintenance of the dignity of the state which I proudly belong.

 You will agree with me that chief Adebayo Adefarati, during his term as the governor of the state performed well because it is not easy ruling a state just immediately after long era of military administration which shattered the system, rendered it underproductive and underdeveloped . He was faced with so many challenges and difficulties trying to re structure and re position the state after the military devastation, thus, he should be applauded. However, there is no doubt that his successor – Dr. Olusegun Agagu perfomed better than he did, this success could be attributed to positive change. It is also clearly seen today that Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has performed better than his predecessor, thanks to change! How would we have gotten these great achievements today if not for change?

Hence, I do not have any doubt in me that a new Governor will perform better than the present one, if and only if change is achieved.

 It is so germane to note at this point in time that, second term is a great influencing factor for assuming the position of godfatherism.

An objective analysis of other states governed by a single governor for 2 terms breeds the fact that, second term paths way for imposition, the fact that the present governor is struggling to win the sit for the second term makes him less powerful but if he eventually succeeds and re emerge, there is no doubt that he will surely impose the next governor and other political position on the state while leaving.

The indigenes of Ondo, do we allow this to happen? This is just the right time to reject, prevent and fight against it completely, the only way out and the answer to this is CHANGE!

Thank you Mr Governor, the ovation is high, therefore, the best time to take a bow is now.