The Ogun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Dayo Adeneye, speaks with MOSES ALAO and SEGUN ADEBAYO on the transformation of the state by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his ambition to represent Ijebu Central Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and how the people of the state would reward the All Progressives Congress (APC) with their votes in the 2019 general election.
It’s been almost four years now, since you became a part of this government. For somebody, who is preparing to leave this position, to embark on another political journey. What can you say you are taking away from this position?
Sincerely speaking, going into politics was not something that happened overnight for me. It took me quite a few years, to firm up that decision and execute my vision. I believe also, that the time has come again to move up to another level of my political career, but as I always say that man proposes, God disposes. One thing that is very important is that if I knew then, what I know now, I might have joined politics earlier, but everything comes in its own time. That said, having held this position of Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Ogun State for almost four years, I can boldly say that I have a better understanding of how governance works. When you are outside government, you are quick to criticise and throw stones at those running the affairs of governance. And, we all know that human beings are generally receptive to bad news; it travels fast and sells. So, we tend to forget the good parts and good jobs done. Having been part of this administration for the past four years, I can honestly tell you that I have a better understanding of how government works; its constraints and its achievements, despite those constraints. I have the privilege to be privy to the efforts being made by this government, led by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, to rebuild the state, through its five cardinal programme and move it forward, by attracting investments, that have transformed the state. As the governor would say, “money is not sentimental” and “always try to get maximum output with minimum input. If you wait for things to be equal, nothing will never get done.” Get started and get moving. Once you get moving, things will fall in place. If you believe in your vision and goals, and keep taking one step at a time, you will get there eventually. You can see the difference, when you move around Ogun State. That’s the kind of vision I bought into, which made me to choose this platform, All Progressives Congress (APC). It is not that I didn’t have my chance to join politics earlier, but because I didn’t find a platform that was suitable for me. In the last four years, I have been privileged to learn how government works, as the spokesman to the governor and for the state. By letting the citizens know the government’s agenda for them, its constraints, policies and plans. My job description also entails taking back information from the same people back to the government.
As Commissioner for Information and Strategy, are you not worried that quite so often, the opposition, which is angling to take over power from your party, raises issues, with virtually everything the government has done so far. An example is the criticism of the recent flood in the state. How bothered are you, that despite the physical development, people still think your government has not done enough?
Let me correct that impression. It is not that the opposition parties don’t see, they see, but just find it hard to commend. If you score nine out of 10, people will point out that one and complain about it. They will never acknowledge the fact that this person has done nine things well for them. If you build a 15-storey building, opposition will still say you haven’t built anything. It is expected, I mean that’s why it is called opposition. That being said, Ogun citizens are aware of the governor’s giant strides; the opposition can see how he has transformed the state in the last seven plus years. When you drove into Abeokuta, you must have seen the transformation that has happened in the state. It is not the same Ogun State that existed 11 years ago. You see, one of the things that make my job easy, is because a good product sells itself. I have a very good product on my hands and I have to thank His Excellency for that. The amount of projects this government has commissioned in the state, is there for all and sundry to see. You can drive around Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ayetoro, Ota and places in the three Senatoral Districts, to see for yourself. I am not just talking about the bridges and road networks, you can see the schools, malls, markets, hospitals and even talk to the citizens. Yes, they might say that more work still needs to be done, but they will readily confirm that Ogun has changed for the better.
Now going back to the flood, if you ask indigenes and citizens what would have happened, if this flood had happened 10 to 15 years ago, as Abeokuta’s terrain is very peculiar; it’s hilly, so, when it rains and water comes cascading down, it collects into a valley, where many of our residents live. That is what mother nature does, but looking at the infrastructure, that we have put in place in the past seven years. The expanded road networks and drainages. The amount of money this government has spent to make sure that the roads are expanded to take care of both traffic and water, I can tell you that’s why the flood was not as bad as it could have been. What happened was just a flash flood. The water dissipated within two to three hours, because the drainage systems, government prepared worked. Ask the people of Abeokuta, if that rain fell 15 years ago, we would probably have suffered much bigger loss of properties and lives, but we thank God. We will continue to sensitise our people, who tend to dump garbage into drains and rivers and build on or close to canals, to desist. Those are some of the things that caused the mishap and not that this government was unprepared. All the 20 commissioners and special advisers went out and continue to do so as led by the governor for this exercise. We went out with our equipment, to clear the silt, garbage and free the drainage. As a matter of fact, heavier rains have fallen since then, but you did not hear of any further floods.
You talked about a good product selling itself. Opposition parties are regrouping and coming together in coalition with a view to taking over power from APC. In Ogun State, are you not worried about this coalition?
Look, you and I are both journalists. If you do your research, you will see that when this administration came in 2011, Ogun State was rated 35 in most indices in terms of security, ease of doing business etc. The best rating the state had was number 26, but, at one point, we were rated 35 out of 36 states. Before Senator Amosun came in, nobody wanted to touch Ogun State with a long pole. Giving what his administration has done since then with it’s five cardinal programme, it has taken the state several steps forward and we have been able to attract investors and more industries into state. We have become the industrial hub of not just Nigeria but also West Africa. Ogun is now rated among the top four in just about all indices, including ease of doing business. There was a World Bank report that came out in 2012, when the state was rated number 35, four years after we took over, the state was rated number two. That tells you how far we have come. Two years ago, I think the Commonwealth undertook a study to see the viability of Nigerian states and it was discovered that Ogun State attracts 75 per cent of all Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nigeria. That tells you that we must be doing something right. But, if we hadn’t put in measures, infrastructural development and an enabling environment, those investments will not come. Power, they say, belongs to God, ours is to do our work and I can honestly say today, that we have done that. Ogun State voters are sophisticated and enlightened. They can see what we have done over the years. When this governor walks the street, people clap and sing for him, because they know the transformation Ogun has undergone since he took over the affairs of the state. We have done the work and the voters can see it. They will reward us with their votes, come 2019.
This position you are occupying is not what you bargained for, when you set out to join politics. You have made your intention to go to the House of Representatives public. But looking at what you have right now, do you really think you have what it takes, going forward?
My late father would always say “if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” I refuse to be an arm chair analyst. Most of us tend to sit in our homes and complain about what the government has not done right or what they have not done at all. People love to complain, but most do not proffer solutions to the problems. We complain every day, go back to bed and wake up, with the same complaints. John F Kennedy once said it will come to a point in life, when every man should “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” God has blessed me, but you get to a certain age that you have to begin to ask yourself; ‘what am I going to give to my community in return? What am I going to give to my country? What will I be remembered for? What contributions have I made?’ One of the reasons, we still remember the late Papa Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe etc today, is because of the legacies they left behind. What is our generation going to be remembered for? Yes, I attempted to go to the House of Assembly and I did that for a reason; I wanted to learn. You cannot just jump up and say you want to be the coach of the team, when you have never had a chance to learn the game as a goalkeeper, a defender, a midfielder or a striker. But then, I found myself in the position I am today and as I said earlier, man proposes but God disposes. God will always fix you where He wants to use you. I believe that with the experience that I have, both in the corporate world and in government now, it is time for me to take it to the next level to continue to proffer solutions to the problems that ail Nigerians. I think people like me have proven in private practice what we can do. By the special grace of God, I don’t think the history of broadcasting or entertainment in Nigeria can be written without a mention Dayo D1 and Kenny Ogungbe. However, I continue to ask myself, how we can bring to bear some of those experiences into government. We can make a difference and that is what is driving me to aspire for that next step in my political journey.
You will be contesting against some individuals in your party for the ticket. With some of these people probably more experienced as members of the House of Representatives. What do you think are your chances in the race?
The Yoruba say “A kii wo ariwo oja.” For those who can’t discern that, it means you don’t pay attention to the noise in the market place, you go for what you want to buy. Like I told you, I don’t jump into the fray; my moves are well-thought out and strategic; I think about what I want and go for it. They say aim for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars. That is the way I approach life. When we came back to Nigeria, over a decade ago, Kenny and I said we wanted to do 24-hour radio and TV, but people were sceptical. The same applied to the entertainment industry. When we brought the innovations into music, some said “what are they doing?” But today, the foundation for the platforms for what the likes of D’banj, Wizkid, Davido etc are enjoying today, was set by outfits, such as Raypower, AIT, Kennis Music, Prime Time and what have you. So, when you say I am coming in afresh and someone is experienced, of course, you have to come from somewhere. Nobody is born a politician; you learn as you go. Having said that, my co-contestants are well-appreciated, but I believe the voters will check our pedigrees. Ogun voters are sophisticated; they are discerning and know who Dayo Adeneye is, where I am coming from and what I have contributed, not just Ogun State but Nigeria. So, if I am asking for their votes, to represent them in the House of Representatives, they have the right to ask why and they can see why. They can see what I have done with my life in the last 20 to 30 years and what service I have rendered to this nation, while offering myself for more. So I don’t look at what anybody else is doing, but continue to put my best foot forward. I know God has good plans for me as I have nothing but good intentions, for the people of Ijebu Central Federal Constituency, in wanting to represent them.
Already, I can tell you that the response and support we have been getting, from our people have been tremendous and I have no doubt that by this time in 2019, I will be representing my people in the House of Representatives in Abuja.
You appear so calm that one would wonder if you are really the Commissioner for Information and Strategy. Have you always been this way or being in government has caged you?
No. My personality has always been that of someone who speaks softly but carries a big stick. I don’t speak much, but let my work speak for me. People say I talk on radio and TV, and I tell them that is just my job. In person, I do not speak that much, but let what I do speak for me. In any case, I can talk and talk and do all the razzmatazz, but at the end of the day, the question will be, what have you been able to do? You all know that what Kenny and D1 have done in this country, in terms of entertainment and broadcast. You can also check what my track record has been in government in these last four years. I can say that God has been faithful, in my attempt to come home and practise politics: My people have received me warmly. The Yoruba will say “ile ni abo isinmi oko,” people call us “World Famous D1, World Famous Kenny” and all that, because we have presented on the world stage. But at the end of the day, I asked myself, if I am going to retire to Ogun State, I am going to retire to Ijebu, what am I going to be remembered for by my people? Is it just the Grammys and the music? What else would I do for my people? And today, I thank God that the people of Odogbolu Local Government, Ijebu North-East and Ijebu Ode Local Government and the people of Ogun State, have received me well. I really do also want to thank His Excellency, the governor of Ogun State, for giving me this opportunity, this platform. When you have over 7.2 million people in Ogun State and you are picked along with 20 others, to sit in the cabinet, it is a huge privilege. It is a huge privilege I do not take lightly. It makes me think of others more than myself. When you come from the broadcast and entertainment sector, it’s not same as now, where you will have to wake up and think more about others, then you will appreciate the privilege. You think of people who can’t go to school, people who do not have good roads, people who lack potable water and access to other amenities. This administration has exposed me to that area that we need to work more on helping the underprivileged. So, today, I sleep much better. Though the governor, being a hard worker, makes us all work hard, at the end of the day, I am able to sleep better, because I know I am doing something to help humanity, to help Ogun State and Nigeria and I am really grateful to the governor, who has given me this opportunity to serve the good people of Ogun State. I ask the same people of Ogun State, especially the people of Ijebu Central Federal Constituency, to support my aspiration, given the track record that they can associate with me. I assure them that I will not let them down but I will represent them well and our constituency will be the better for it.
Some people see you as one of the governor’s foot-soldiers, who is quite close to him. Are you banking on this to get the party’s ticket?
Yes, I am one of the governor’s disciples; I believe very much in his vision. I buy into His Excellency’s vision and cannot be commissioner for information and strategy if I don’t. But as I told you earlier, joining politics, at the time I did, was not an accident; it was a product of deep thoughts. I waited for the right moment, the platform and the right people to associate with, politically. If you say I am one of his foot soldiers, I accept it, because I buy into his vision, not only for Ogun State but also for Nigeria. Will that translate into my getting the ticket? Like I said earlier, that is in the hands of the voters. I don’t take anything or anyone for granted. God will always send people to help and that is why I am always grateful to the governor. God has used the governor to help me take my aspiration to the next level and I know that God will still use him for more. God will send helpers to you when you need them; the governor has been good to me, he has put me on a platform, where I can achieve my political aspirations and I am grateful for that. I won’t shy away from it.
Good thought!
Good thought o!