In 2011, Gboyega Nasiru Isiaka (GNI) contested the number one seat in Ogun State under Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN but lost to a more organized Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. In this interview with Sulaiman Fasasi of Abeokuta Bureau, GNI, as he is popularly called, talked about his current aspiration under Labour Party, state matters and other sundry issues. Excerpts:
You lost in your bid to govern Ogun state in 2011, what informed your aspiration this time around?
It’s is because the principle is constant and because the principle is constant, it will come up any time, but this time around, that of the governorship is there because we have seen that the government at the helm of affairs now needs to be reshaped because I’m convinced beyond doubt that they do not appear to have a clear vision where they want to take this state; they think it’s is all about embarking on projects that can be used to boost people’s ego all over the place and I don’t think that is fair enough for the people of the state and I also believe that if we continue along this line, it might not be too well for now and for the future. I’m convinced that most of the urban renewal projects which is the only thing that is going on now and I even heard that a 60-storey building is being planned around somewhere in Abeokuta, I hope some of these things are not true, and I hope that people are just mentioning few of these things because like I said if somebody is in government and all you just are interested in is that you want to be seen to be the first to do this, to be the first in doing that even when those things are not required are not needed will even do more harms to so many other sectors of the state, I think that is not fair.
I’m not too sure that people give you mandate only for you to go and promote yourself or to go there for personal aggrandizements, I think that is most unfair on the people and it is almost ungodly and that is exactly what I see around; you go all around demolishing people’s shops, demolishing people’s homes, demolishing all manners of things to put roads that really even if you want to do, you can do it in phases, even if you have the money of the resources to do it, whereas you don’t even have the resources but because you want to prove a point that yes I can do or that you want to be seen the first to do a few things and I think that is unfair, that is the thing and I know that when some of these kind of things happen, like I said my result to serve is constant and then you now look at what are the possibilities and I now feel that there is a major hole that we need to fill in this governorship of the state and I think that I have what it takes to fill it so, that is the major driving force?
What is the relationship between you and your former boss, Otunba Gbenga Daniel?
Well the relationship is good. The relationship is out of a boss or whether you want to say a former boss and somebody that worked under him. One thing that is constant is that I will continue to be grateful to Otunba Ggenga Daniel for giving me the opportunity to serve during his government even while I was not part of the process that brought him into office then and I will also continue to be grateful to him for giving me the room to express myself during these years and I will also continue to be grateful to him for leading a government that I am certain and convinced that it is yet unbeatable in terms of having a vision especially in the economic development of our state and all that we have also learnt and pick from that.
But, to govern a state especially a complex state like ours determine somebody who is personally convince that he can do it, personal conviction that you really can do it and what it takes to do it and that is the stage I am. What I’m doing now, yes some of the things I have learnt from that has added to me and also some the things I am also bringing from my previous establishment that I have been to and my experience all over this period so, the relationship remains constant but the assignment now is about people, my relationship with Otunba Gbenga Daniel remains there, the assignment is about the people so, the priority now is the people of the state because at the end of the day all we are saying is that you know there is economic challenges all over the country, after 23 years, this is not where we should be but at the same time even here in this state, there are still things that we can do to make things a lot better for our people than we are doing and that somebody should not occupy the number one position of the state only for you to be using it to promote personal issues, to fight personal wars or to promote himself all over the place it’s unfair and I think that we have to put a stop to it. This is not even about party if you are doing well, we will say, there are still one or two people around that are not even in the same party but you can see them that they are being driven by vision, they are being driven by what they want to achieve.
How on earth can somebody tell me he wants to build a 60-storey building because he wants to build the tallest building in Africa? What is the direct impact of that of the economy of the state? What is the direct impact of that on saying that you want to turn the road from Sagamu to kobape to 10 lanes now. I have been plying that roads, even if you want to make it beautiful so that when you are entering Ogun State, you’ll know you that you are entering a serene place, no problem there are certain things you can do along the axis to make it neat and all that but, to say you want to begin to demolish houses only because you want to show even when what is bringing traffic to that place is about six lanes coming from Lagos, that is taking traffic to the entire 36 states of the federation, only the five per cent that will now turn off to Abeokuta you now want to make that one ten lanes, where is the sense in it?
Was your 2011 agenda personal, or that of some people?
Well, the 2011 agenda was a programme that was designed to ensure continuity in an administration. There was an administration that was around and we felt that we need to continue that programme and of course there was this idea then that one of the promises of OGD when he was campaigning was that they were going to give it to Ogun West after his eight-year tenure even when I was not in the political scene. They had all those things and I happened to have worked in the government and therefore, along the line it was thrown open that anybody that was interested, off course, the government was going to throw its weight behind whoever they decide to follow so, everybody was trying to work to get that attention to get that weight thrown behind and they happened to have thrown it behind me even when I have indicated my interest personally. I think that is the difference because there was the incumbent power that was be thrown behind someone that they believe, apart from so many things can continue with some of the things that have been done.
Of course I was not the only Yewa man in government, we were like ten or so and about three of us came out so, to that extent we can say that personally we decided to come out because we believe we can do it on our personal level but over and above that is that again we knew everybody was clamour to get the incumbency support because there was the primary, the government then had their representatives all over the 36 wards, there are people that were in the government who were going to do one thing or the other so that was the difference so, of course there was a bit of personal decision there but after personal decision now everybody was running after getting the support of the government so that you can enjoy all the support that the incumbency has to win the primaries and then win the general elections so that is the difference.
But in this case, there is nothing like that, it is an open field and like I said, I had personally, even when the family quote and unquote now had not decided what they wanted to do, I moved on to Labour Party because I saw that the way PDP was going and all of that was not going to lead us anywhere, I moved on there before anybody so, I think that is the difference. It is because I looked at everything I now decided to go into it. The difference is that this time around there is no major thing to lash up and therefore you have to pursue it yourself.
How have you been able to address the issue of unity amongst Yewa people?
What I can comment on is unity in Yewa land. Like I mentioned a few times in the past, it is not as if that is where we have the most disunited anywhere in the world or anywhere in Nigeria or maybe in Ogun State but because that lack of working together has not been exhibited in one or two or three instances in the past is a cause for concern and therefore I agree it calls for concern but that is being addressed and we are looking at ourselves very well internally and trying to address that and I’m convinced that this time around it will be better.
I think that my appeal to our people in Ogun West is just that the aspirants should let the interest of the entire community and the entire state supersede individual agenda and individual interest and therefore even if anybody has a tendency for inconsistency, nobody cares about you that much what you care about is that your action should be in the interest of the people whether consistency or inconsistency, let it be in the overall interest of the people and don’t let it be a personal agenda.
I think that is just my appeal, what you have said is a call for concern but I can also tell you that at various levels in the community; the five local governments, it is being addressed and I’m hoping and praying that this time around the situation is going to be a lot more different to the interest of the people.
What are your chances of making it, considering Sina Kawonise appears to be a favoured aspirant by Otunba Gbenga Daniel?
Otunba Gbenga Daniel, to the best of my knowledge and I think that I can say that with authority is the father of all, everybody, all the aspirants; Sina Kawonise, Gboyega Isiaka Abiodun Akinlade, Tunji Sarafa Ishola. He is the father of all and I think, he has said it many times that it’s just for the best man to come up and clinch the mandate at the end of the day and therefore I am convinced about that.
In terms of my chances, you know that out of all these people you have mentioned I am the only one that has contested into the 36 wards of this state and therefore I think I have an advantage and also we are putting everything in place. At the end of the day, they are all going to work for the GNI aspiration. We are all together; we are just trying to let ourselves know that this is about the people and not about individual. I think we will settle it and then we move on but if anybody is claiming that he has the advantage in terms of he is from OGD, I don’t believe that and I know it is not so. OGD is just trying to make sure everything works out well. We are all on our own, the thing this time around is what people call OYO(On Your Own) everybody is on his own so, we are all pursuing this thing based on what you are all convinced about and that is all about it.