Ex-Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Chief Olayide Owolabi Adelami (mni) says he plans to harness the vast agricultural potential of Ondo State and unify the warring factions in the All Progressives Congress APC, among other reasons for aspiring to the governorship position in the poll slated for November. Excerpts:

* Vanguard’s Question: What informed your decision to go into politics and why APC and not others?

• Adelami’s Answer: It was not my intention to go into politics after my retirement. After retirement I was invited by the presidency to help as the coordinator of Ondo state presidential task force, during the presidential election. It was a call from APC to help reconcile and complement the efforts of the leaders of the APC in the State.
The presidential support committee, was the creation of the APC government and were structured in all the 36 states of the federation and I was made the coordinator.
That was my first exposure in politics. At that time, we coordinated all the 18 local governments, especially the aggrieved members to reconcile them. So that it will not affect the election, we did that during the presidential election. And because we were relating with all the coordinators from the 18 local government we invited them at our office, it was a big opportunity for us to have contact with the people. In our discussions, the people were really begging for intervention in the area of poverty eradication in the rural areas. After the presidential election I started having a reflection, even though by nature I am a philanthropist, I have been doing it in my small community in Owo where I come from. I had a thought that if I am privileged to run the affairs of the State I can do better than what is happening now today.



* Vanguard’s Question: What’s your agenda for the people and which areas will your government focus if given the mandate?

• Adelami’s Answer: I have about 10-point agenda for the state and this agenda are borne out of genuine needs of the people. They are not superficial. By my training, I have been taught how to carry out things we call implementation strategy. So, I have strategy for implementing all my agenda. My first agenda is on agriculture, one of the things that define Ondo State is agriculture and afforestation has been neglected, we have the largest forest reserve in Nigeria but everything has been run down because of bad policies of previous governments.



* Vanguard’s Question: Comment on the view that the incumbent, Gov Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has done very well and should continue?

• Adelami’s Answer: He has done well within the limit of capacity. I am not saying he has not done well, but he can do far better than what is happening now in Ondo State, talking about afforestation I mentioned, the focus should not be felling those trees for economic activities alone to generate revenue. When you cut a tree, it takes about 20 to 25 years for a new tree to mature. They are just falling the trees, that is why each time there is rain there is devastation in the state. I will come up with a policy that if you fall one tree you plant 10. That will be part of my policy.




* Vanguard’s Question: What have you done for your people and Ondo State in general that would make them trust you with their mandate?

•Adelami’s Answer: God created every individual to have positive impacts on our world. At any level we find ourselves, we are meant to impact on our world. I take it as a challenge. When I was in service, any opportunity I have, I made sure I impact on my environment, and it is not until you spend millions that will make you a philanthropist. We have a family foundation over the years, run by my wife and we are co-founders of the foundation. The focus is on impacting on widows and orphans and we have been doing this for many years. Every year we gather together people, we invite medical teams, the federal medical teams. We partner with them, they examine the women at the end of the day, they give them health talk, and we distribute food items and clothes to them. By extension, in my nature I don’t like to see people suffer and that is part of my drive. I think this are part of the things that propelled me to see what I can do at the state level.




* Vanguard’s Question: As a former deputy Clerk of the National Assembly (NASS) many would have thought you would want to go into the NASS, why governorship?

• Adelami’s Answer: I saw the people and their yearnings and by all standards I have what it takes to turn Ondo State around. I have been properly groomed in the area of finance, resources and people management. I have the temperament to manage people, you ask me why APC, APC is a progressive party.




* Vanguard’s Question: As an indigene of Owo, don’t you think you will limit the chances of Owo to produce the next governor of the state?

• Adelami’s Answer: As we speak there are five aspirants from Owo, and mind you, it is not only Owo vote that will produce a governor, it is the people of Ondo State that will determine who they want as a governor this time around. I think it is good for people of Ondo State to have choices. About 10 governorship candidates have emerged. It is an opportunity for the people of Ondo State to be able to choose the best from any one of us.
So, we are presenting the people of Ondo State with many good choices to choose, so, five candidates coming out from Owo will not affect the portion of the governor if he is popular. He has been there for three years, we have not been tested yet, if the people so love him there is no way they will not return him, but I think the people need a choice from the grassroots. If you look at all the nook and cranny of Ondo State you will know that the people are not happy and that is the gap we want to fill to bring fresh blood into the scene and do what other people thought is not possible in Ondo State. Ondo State has human recourse.
And with what is happening in this few month- COVID-19 pandemic that is staring every body in the face, I am telling you is not going to be business as usual.
This pandemic is going to usher in a lot of challenges in governance, therefore Ondo State needs candidate who can do a lot with little resources and turn the fortune of the State around.
And not depend on the monthly allocation from federal government alone. Somebody who can think out of the box, and create wealth and opportunity in the State so that the internally generated revenue will over the period sustain the State, Just as we have in Lagos. Our leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has performed that feat in Lagos State. He looked inwards and created opportunity, that is what Lagos State is enjoying today. We can do same in Ondo State because we have the human resources to do it.




*Vanguard’s Question: Ondo APC is factionalised, which one do you belong to and explain how to help restore unity?

• Adelami’s Answer: This is a bit of a challenge. Right now we have a Unity Forum. It is the group of APC members that are not happy with how the state is been governed especially with many of them having made attempt in one way or the other to correct and offer advice, but when your advice is not taken you have no option than to speak up. By the grace of God, by the time we are there as governor through the mandate of the people, we are going to ensure that there is party cohesion and one of the ways to achieve this is through the local governments. We have 18 of them in the state. We are going to work at the grassroots level and there would be party meetings at wards and units level often. And if there is any aggrieved member, we will bring them together, we will ask what their grievances are.
The one we can fix, we fix it, the one we cannot fix, we apologise. There is going to be a new APC and I know we are going to achieve a lot in the area of party cohesion and our party will be stronger to face any election any day. The Unity Forum is very strong. We are made up of about 80% of APC members in the state.




* Vanguard’s Question: What the chances of the party in the next election in the state?

• Adelami’s Answer: Our chances are very bright, like I said there might be factions but it is not factionalisation per say. APC members are still intact but they are outside and not with the current government and that is why they are waiting for the next election to change the government, to make sure that APC being a strong party will occupy leading positions in Ondo State.



Culled from:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/05/ondo-2020-why-i-want-akeredolus-job-adelami-ex-nass-deputy-clerk/