Amosun; Isiaka
In this piece, SAMUEL AWOYINFA examines the challenges ahead of the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, as he begins his second term
Since he was declared winner of the April 11 governorship election, divergent views have continued to trail Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s landslide re-election victory.
To some political observers, Amosun had performed well in his first term and thus deserves a second term. Those in this category had catalogued the infrastructural developments in some major towns in the state as evidence of performance. One of such towns is the capital city, Abeokuta, which has witnessed an unusual transformation in terms of expansion and reconstruction of roads and bridges.
The economic hub of the state, the Sango-Ota axis, also benefitted immensely from this turnaround development. The Ilo-Awela Road, which used to be a one-lane pothole-ridden road, is now a modern dual carriageway, linking the major Ota-Idiroko Expressway at the Oju Ore area of Ado Odo-Ota Local Government Area.
The Amosun-led administration has almost completed the Ijebu Ode – Benin-Ore Road flyover in Ijebu Ode. Generally, it is believed that the construction of the flyover was long overdue as many precious lives had been lost at the Ijebu Ode intersection over the years.
Though the flyovers being constructed at Iyana Mortuary, Sagamu, Ilaro, and Akute have not been completed, residents of these areas wished that Amosun returned to complete the works. Little wonder, he got massive votes in some of these areas.
A resident of Akute, Mrs. Sade Osuntade, said the residents came out en masse to vote for Amosun because of the bridges and roads he was constructing in that locality. She said they did not want to gamble by voting for the opposition, which might not see the project as a priority.
She said, “We are happy the governor was re-elected. We had entertained fears that the construction of roads and bridges here might stop. If any other political party or candidate should win, these projects might not be their priority. That was why many of us trooped out to vote for him.”
Security
Some residents scored his administration high on the issue of security. They had argued that before he became governor in 2011, some banks had to shut their doors against customers in the Ijebu axis of the state due to incessant robbery attacks. This was an era when residents lived under the fear of attacks by hoodlums.
The state government inaugurated a security trust fund which enabled the governor to empower the police in particular and other security agencies in general. To this end, the government bought Armoured Personnel Carriers and vans to enhance policing and reduce crime in the state.
Ogun PDP
Everyone had thought the governorship election in the state would be a very close call as the bigwigs of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party loomed large before the election. However, bickering and power tussle among the three power blocs in the Ogun PDP later worked in Amosun’s favour. The power blocs were the senator representing the Ogun-East senatorial district, Buruji Kashamu; a former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; and another leader of the party, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye. The lack of unity was seen as a major factor that accounted for the loss of the PDP in Ogun State.
Critics fault Amosun’s projects
However, some of the critics of the Amosun’s administration, especially the opposition, argued that Amosun did not deserve a second term. The PDP had noted that most of the projects embarked upon by his administration were “misplaced priorities.” One of such projects is the pedestrian bridge at Sokori area in Abeokuta, which is rarely used by residents. The bridge is fitted with an air conditioner. The opposition also claimed that some of the flyovers were not needed, stressing that the volume of vehicular traffic in the state did not warrant such facilities.
Not many residents applauded Amosun’s model school project. They said some of the primary and secondary schools in the state are derelict and deserve renovation or reconstruction. In particular, they called on him to ensure a total overhaul of schools across the state instead of concentrating efforts on some model schools.
The Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in the election, Senator Akin Odunsi, had said that the state government neglected the rural areas in his first term. Specifically, Odunsi alleged that rural areas in the state lack amenities such as roads and electricity. Indeed, the opposition used this in their campaign messages to slight the Amosun-led administration.
Probably realising the neglect of the rural areas, Amosun undertook campaign tours to 236 wards and the three senatorial districts in the state. He has, however, promised in his second term that the rural areas would receive attention.
Another project which the opposition had berated was the light rail project which the governor had planned for his second term. The project, Amosun said, would be completed in three years. Shortly after he resumed in May, he signed a $3.2bn light rail project contract with the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company for the intra-city and intercity rail network in the state.
The state governor, while signing the contract in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the presence of the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Kan Liu, said the project would cover cities such as Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu Ode, Idi-Iroko, among others. According to Amosun, when completed, the project would take pressure off the roads as well as open up the cities for further development.
But the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Gboyega Isiaka, did not see any reason why the state government should undertake this project at the time when the health and educational facilities were in decay. Isiaka noted that there were many things the governor did not tell the people of the state about the project.
He said, “One wonders where and when the government conceptualised the project. Was it debated at any state executive council meeting or budget retreat? Was it advertised or bid for? What is going to be the economic and environmental impact on the economy and the geography of the state respectively?
“How would such a humongous project be funded and what were the repayment terms?”
However, the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, defended the government.
He described the views expressed by Isiaka as a “reflection of his ignorance and narrow world-view about developments, even within the country.”
He explained that any economy, where goods and services could not be easily moved from one point to another, was doomed, adding that the rail system had proved to be the best means of mass movement.
Apart from complementing the network of roads being constructed in the state, Olaniyonu noted that the project would allow the state to key into the light rail project of Lagos State and that of the Federal Government.
He said, “With the federal and neighbouring Lagos State governments commencing the construction of a light rail network, Ogun State needs to quickly key into it so as not to be deprived of the resultant benefits.
“Ogun State, by signing the contract with the CCECC is only joining a network that both the federal and Lagos governments are about to create. That is why we are using the same contractor. This will save money, time and ensure compatibility.
“We publicly signed the Memorandum of Understanding in 2013 so that the contractor could prepare the design for us. The design was in fact featured prominently in the 2014 state calendar and other publications of the state government.
“We are a forward-looking, progressive administration. Our plan is to create a modern, agro-based, industrialised and developed state. The light rail project is central to achieving this.”
Although Amosun does not owe workers salary, the issue of unremitted deductions of loans and cooperative dues, may cause crisis if not properly handled, given the dwindling allocation from the centre. Currently, a civil servant stated that the deductions are in eight months’ arrears.
The civil servant who pleaded anonymity said, “The governor only paid one month with the N1.6bn he released a few days to the governorship election in April.”
Amosun’s new cabinet
Another sensitive issue before Amosun is the constitution of his cabinet, which was dissolved last month. He has to apply political equation which will not leave out any of the three senatorial districts in the state –Ogun-Central, Ogun-East and Ogun-West. He was accused of leaving out some areas in the appointment of commissioners during his first term. While some had two or three, some had none.
The tribunal hurdle
Another hurdle before Amosun is the petition by Isiaka, challenging the results of the April 11 governorship election. Among other claims Isiaka made at the Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal was that he (Isiaka) won in 14 of 20 local governments in the state, citing the field reports from his party agents.
He accused officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission of conniving with some leaders of the APC in the state to manipulate the results of the election which he said was in his favour.
He said, “On the night of that election and as results filtered in across the state, I had a clear lead in 14 local governments while the gap was very close in the six other council areas of Ogun-Central senatorial district and Ado-Odo-Ota in Ogun-West senatorial district.
“Let it be stated that I have obtained copies of the complete results and we have done our due diligence on it. We have got briefs from our officers on the field that day and I must state that the result is a manifestation of unprecedented manipulation, falsification of results, usage of uncollected PVCs by unauthorised and unaccredited APC supporters, usage of fake polling booths and several other infractions. In a few weeks, events will begin to unfold at the tribunal.”
Essentially, apart from also completing all the ongoing projects, which he had promised to do, and engaging in massive rural development, Amosun, must scale the legal hurdle at the tribunal, that is when it will be uhuru for him.
Source: punch
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