By Wale Adelaja
THE assumption, if you relied on social media platforms, is that the Ogun State governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, has either not done anything in the last four years or has done extremely little, particularly in the area of roads. To validate their submissions, the naysayers, at least the ones I have seen on platforms such as Nairaland, have often pointed to the state of some federal roads in the state, particularly in the Sango/Ota area (Those roads are being attended to, by the way). However, having been privileged to travel round the state and seen the amazingly high level of work done in the three senatorial districts last year, I was left nonplussed at the cheer chicanery and dishonesty of the critics. With the reality of more than 80 major roads totaling some 400 km, the creation of technology hubs, the agric revolution that has seen the governor win back-to-back awards, among other landmarks, it is difficult not to link the acerbic criticisms to pure mischief. I am not a member or sympathizer of the APC, but I will never shy away from the truth where I see it.
The naysayers must learn that there is a limit to propaganda. Travelling through the Ijebu, Egba, Remo and Awori parts of the state, I saw massive road projects in various places and was left wondering whether the critics were talking of the same state that leads to my hometown, Ikorodu, or another state located on Mars. If, as is most likely, the Ogun State governor wins next Saturday’s governorship election, it would not be strictly on the basis of the APC wave at the February 25 presidential election which he largely engineered. Rather, it would be principally on the merits of two factors: (a.) his record in the last four years and (b.) his deft political moves.
Let’s take the latter first. It is no secret that since becoming governor, Prince Abiodun has succeeded in bringing nearly every politician of note in Ogun State into the Ogun APC fold, and will therefore be extremely difficult if not impossible to unseat. With a stellar cast of political titans including ex-governor Gbenga Daniel, ex-Speaker Dimeji Bankole and other notable ex-opposition bigwigs like Gboyega Nasir Isiaka behind him, Abiodun can count on the robust APC machinery in the state to lift him well above the finishing line, and cannot be begrudged his embrace of political titans of different persuasions as a way of consolidating his hold on the state. It amounts to sheer crudity to accuse a politician of playing politics. In any case, winning over opposition politicians is much better than running the state like a warlord. Proverbs, as Soyinka says in A Dance of the Forests, to bones and silence. Regardless of their reservations about his leadership, even the bitterest critics of the governor cannot deny the atmosphere of calm that has pervaded the state since his election. He is one of the few governors that would keep quiet while a predecessor holds rallies across the state, running him down. In most cases in this country, a former governor cannot even visit his state, let alone holding anti-establishment campaigns.
As a writer, however, I am not interested in the Abiodun government because of its classic political moves; my interest lies in the projects that I have seen with my own eyes; life-changing projects that certain political buccaneers have tended to dismiss because of their allegiances. Science, data and logic support Abiodun’s bid for another term of office. If in doubt, take a trip to the Ogun State capital through the Sagamu Interchange where the Gateway City Park, an iconic structure that encapsulates the core values of the Ogun people, is situated. By any standards, this is one of the best roads in the country. Yet it cannot, in my view, compete with the Ijebu-Ode-Epe expressway. Travelling from Ijebu Ode and linking many communities right into the border town of Mojoda, I couldn’t help thinking how extremely suitable the expansive, enchanting locale would be for filmmaking, and how members of the communities connected by that iconic road have been elevated by the change in the value of real estate along the stretch.
In August last year when I visited Ogun in company with some senior media professionals, work had reached an advanced stage on the Agroallied Airport at Ilishan; my February visit saw high-level preparations for the inaugural flight at the airport, with the state Commissioner for Works, Ade Akinsanya, literally working his socks off to ensure timely delivery of the project. As I have said before, Adesanya’s office is on the road and project sites. That is understandable because he works for what the Niger Delta people call talk-na-do (talk and do) governor who never fails to keep his word on projects. If Abiodun tells you he will finish a road project in six months, he means exactly what he says. I have seen that twice. Ask the media men who complained about some roads in their areas and who are not enjoying the roads Abiodun promised. Do not take my word for it: Go and verify.
The Ilishan aerotropolis (airport city) is a beauty to behold and it is no surprise that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has already handed the state a hefty sum for an extensive parcel of land on the facility. On another level, the housing estates built by the governor, including the Prince Court Estate in Kemta, Abeokuta, the King’s Court Housing Estate also located within Abeokuta and the Prince Court Housing Estate at Kobape, are strategically designed to cater to the needs of different socio-economic groups. I am particularly impressed by the design of the two-bedroom flats sold at N5.8m: you can, if you so desire, expand it into a three-bedroom facility and approval for that venture is, I am told, completely free. By the way, I am told that another estate is to spring up in Sagamu. This, may I point out, is not even the place to talk about the strides in road transport, including the pleasurable ride in wifi-enabled luxury buses. I have seen evidence of quality thinking in Abiodun’s projects and I hereby urge investors to put their money into the Ogun economy. The reward promises to be bountiful.
-Adelaja is a Top Columnist in Tribune Newspaper
