BY BAYO OLUPOHUNDA
Bayo Olupohunda
Every time I ponder on the fate of Ondo State and its people, I am always left in a state of depression. It is hard not to be. My grief stems from the stunted economic, industrial, and infrastructural development in the Sunshine State in the 14 years of democracy. Every Ondo man and woman at home and in the Diaspora should be concerned about the plight of the state especially in the Fourth Republic. Any observer, familiar with the state’s socio-economic and political history will not but agonise at the arrested state of development since the demise of the First and Second Republics—the two periods in history that I consider as the glorious years in the life of the state. The tragedy of development and governance in Ondo, a state that was once a showcase of the progressive politics of the late Obafemi Awolowo, is indeed a tragic metaphor of the crisis of leadership in our country today.
Having taken a critical and dispassionate look at the political trajectory in the state, I have come to a painful conclusion that the present is bleak and the future is uncertain. Before I proceed, let me declare my interest as I try to situate the tragedy of Ondo in the context of the general malady of governance in our country. First, Ondo is the land of my birth. More importantly, as one of the 36 states of the federation, it is also strategic to the economic development of the country. Indeed, to understand the uniqueness of Ondo State, a brief historical journey will provide some insights into how its current status is an affront to those who fought for its creation and contributed to its development in the early years. The state was created in 1976 from the former Western Region. It originally included what is now Ekiti State, which was split off in 1996.
During the First Republic, Ondo State formed what was then known as Western Region. As a direct beneficiary of the famed Awolowo regionwide development footprints, it also contributed to the economic and industrial development of the region through its cocoa and palm kernel produce. Its cocoa especially became the mainstay of the region’s economy. The educational and economic developments of the region were partly driven by this single product. Awolowo, the Premier of the region, utilised the proceeds for the development of the state.
Enduring infrastructural and industrial developments became the hallmark of governance. At its creation, Ondo became one of the LOOBO states comprising Lagos, Oyo, Bendel and Ogun states. In the Second Republic, one of Awolowo’s protégées, Adekunle Ajasin, became the governor. Ajasin, a true disciple of Awo, continued the developmental projects of the Action Group which had changed to the Unity Party of Nigeria. The Universal Primary Education policy of the First Republic was replicated. New roads and industries were built. Today, all the industries have become moribund.
In Okitipupa, where I grew up, I attended a good public school, the hospitals had enough drugs and qualified doctors. The roads that linked the major cities—from the riverine Igbokoda to Okitipupa, Ondo, Akure, Ado Ekiti to Akoko and Owo were well-tarred. Akure, the state capital, emerged into a metropolitan city due to the sustained urban development by Ajasin. All the major cities and towns had functional public water works. Today, Ondo people make do with boreholes and stream water for their domestic needs. The quality of public schools cemented the status of old Ondo as an intellectual powerhouse. But those schools have become a shadow of themselves. The roads that were built in the First and Second Republics still endure but those of the Fourth Republic have started crumbling. For example, the Ore-Ondo road has not been dualised several years after it was built. Other examples abound. Apart from crude oil which has long increased its federal allocation, Ondo is also home to the untapped and neglected bitumen, a major component for road construction. During the dark years of military dictatorship, the state became the target of greedy military heads of state who milked its resources dry through their proxy administrators. The thriving industries of the First and Second Republics have all collapsed. The public schools, hospitals and public utilities are still in a bad state.
Now, the public school system which for long distinguished the state in educational endeavours, has suffered a terrible decline. The coming of the Fourth Republic which was welcomed with relief has since become a disappointment. The dream of re-enacting the Awolowo and Ajasin years has since been dashed. The Alliance for Democracy government headed by the late Ade Adefarati did not record any visible achievement. The government of the late Governor Segun Agagu was also lost in the maze of the Peoples Democratic Party’s deceptive politics. His government could be seen in the context of the widespread failure of the PDP to deliver democracy dividends to Nigerians after more than 14 years of democracy. The imperial presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo who had an overbearing influence on his “appointee” governors in the South-West ensured that the Agagu era was wasted.
The emergence of the incumbent Segun Mimiko who succeeded Agagu was considered to have had the potential to make a difference in the state. But after five years, the dream has also evaporated. Many had thought that his manner of emergence having been “persecuted” by Obasanjo would make him see the need to serve the people of the state who voted for him in his first and second term. Sadly, the governor has not made the needed difference. Like others before him, he has failed to see the big picture of harnessing the state’s vast potential for its economic and industrial rebirth. As the current governor, Mimiko bears the responsibility for the sorry state of infrastructure and moribund industries. The development has largely been cosmetic. Tokenism and patronage have taken the place of reviving industries and empowering of SMEs. Deliberate propaganda has become an effective tool of governance.
No doubt, Ondo has the resources, both human and material, for economic, infrastructure and industrial growth but successive governors have mismanaged its affairs. The sad part is that no government has even built on the legacies of Awo and Ajasin. Worst still, the legacies have been bastardised. A frightening dimension is how the state has recently become an orphan–battered, bruised and raped by politicians. The strong political ideology that once defined Ondo is long gone. Now, the state is in the hands of political buccaneers who are plundering its resources at will. The current governor’s deceptive politics where he cavorts with Abuja under the guise of mainstreaming the state for federal perks is a self-serving agenda detrimental to the development of the state. Ondo people are too politically sophisticated to fall for this politics of self-preservation. Ondo people need real leaders. They will never be pawns in any politician’s chess game.
Follow me on Twitter: @bayoolupohunda
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