Otunba Henry Oladele Ajomale is the immediate past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State Chapter. In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI of Independent Nigeria, he speaks on some developments in the state as well as other issues of interests. Excerpts:
What have you been doing since you left office as the longest serving chairman of the APC in Lagos State?
I am into fish farming now. I am also into property business and of course, I am still into politics.
The governor- elect of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu will be sworn-in in few days’ time. What are your expectations from him?
I believe that he will certainly fulfill all the promises that he made during the elections. I know him very well. He is a man of his words and he has been a part of the government. He has been a commissioner and a finance man. To me, he is round peg in a round hole and he knows what he is set to do and how to achieve it.
If you are able to get funds; that is the only time you can do a lot of things but if you don’t know where that money is and you don’t know how to get it, then to fulfill your promises will be very difficult. But if you have money, there is nothing you cannot do. I believe anybody that is chosen as the governor of is competent enough to get out the money wherever it may be. The money is there, it is hidden somewhere, it only takes an intelligent person to get it out. It has been like a competition in Lagos State.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu started it by raising the IGR of Lagos from N600m to N5b monthly before he left. Now it is over N30b monthly. Like I said, the way of finding that money is there but it takes a brilliant and highly resourceful person to find it. When the military was ruling in Lagos and were making N600m monthly, they thought that was the best they could come up with but when other people like Tinubu, he believed he could generate more and he did that successfully.
So, I think Sanwo- Olu will take that figure higher and he will fulfill all the promises he made and he will do better than his predecessors because he has gained experience over the years working under them; from Tinubu to Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode. As a hardworking young man, I also believe that he will hit the ground running on the first day of his assumption into office. Lagosians are lucky to have him as their governor-elect.
What will the outgoing governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode be remembered for?
Ambode will be remembered for a lot of things, especially for all the projects that he has been able to do. Nobody can take that away from him. He excelled in the area of infrastructural developments in Lagos State. For example, if you go to Alimosho, there are several roads that have been tarred by the Ambode administration. If you go to Oshodi today, you will marvel at the level of work going on there. The transport system has been enlarged to accommodate for effective system. Even in the health sector, he has done well. So, to me Ambode has done well and I believe his successor will improve on what he has done and even want to do better because he will not want to do less than his predecessor.
Governor Nasir El- Rufai of Kaduna recently came to Lagos and said there is need to retire political godfathers in Lagos. What is your take on that?
That is his own business. Let him go and retire godfathers in Kaduna where he is the governor.
But he claimed he has already done that in Kaduna and now it is the turn of Lagos. Do you see that as mission impossible?
Ok then! Let him come to Lagos. We are waiting for him. We want to know how he wants to achieve that. This is Lagos and we respect our godfathers here because they have been very relevant, supportive and they are playing their leadership role well which explains why Lagos is where it is today. So, that is why when younger people like El-Rufai comes and they feel that the older generation should be sacked, I just laughed because they too will get there one day and somebody will also say the same thing to them. So to me, I don’t think El-Rufai is talking sense.
Some believed that El-Rufai is only speaking on behalf of some powerbrokers in the APC who are not comfortable with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s rising profile. Do you also share that view?
That is their business. Asiwaju is rising politically and we are all happy for him. If some people are disgruntled because he is doing well politically, then that is their headache. But to me, that is expected because as humans, when you see somebody doing well, you will always find some people who will be envious of his achievements. If El-Rufai as an adult now allows himself to be used, then the consequence is on him.
How do you think leaders can make themselves more accountable to the electorates?
If you are consistent in what you do and you make promises and try to fulfill them, it will help you a lot. The people are not asking for too much. What they want is a leader who will empathise with them and cater for their basic needs. I think that this is something the government should provide. All over the world, electricity is the most important thing to the people because even those in the small scale industry like barbers, tailors and so on depends on electricity to work so as to generate their daily needs. Nigerians are not asking for too much. If they can get somewhere to go and work so as to get something to feed their family, they are okay with that. Electricity can only be provided by the federal government. There is little the state governments can do and that is why it should be decentralised. If they decentralise it today, within one year, we will see some states that will be having interrupted power supply. But since the federal government is still keeping it to themselves, that is why we are here we are today.
Are you saying the Buhari administration should give priority to restructuring?
Of course! It is very important. I am happy that the President is talking about True Federalism. Let the federal government decongest itself by leaving certain things for the states. The Federal Government can be in charge of the military but they should allow state governments to have state police where the governor will be able to exercise authority. Today, Commissioners of Police receive instructions from Abuja and yet, they are referring to governors as Chief Security Officers. What is he securing? So, they should decentralise the police and give governors the freedom to equip them and exercise control over them in the interest of the state.
What will be your advice to Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is challenging the outcome of the 2019 presidential election in court?
It is only God that gives power. If God says Atiku is going to become President, he will. If God says no, no matter how Atiku tries, he cannot get it. Buhari contested thrice but he didn’t win. When God said it was time for him to win in 2015, he won. Throughout the period Buhari lost, he did not create this kind of problem. So, my advice to Atiku is that he should leave everything to God. He alone as human being cannot do anything for himself unless he is destined. If he is destined to become the President of this country, he will be, no matter what. Since he is Muslim, he should be a true Muslim. True Muslims believe that it is only God that gives power.
Source: Independent Nigeria