₦airaland Forum

Donald Ojogo is the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Ondo state. In this interview with select newsmen, he speaks on the people’s expectations and government’s desires for 2020; he equally reacts to some claims of the main opposition party in the state ahead of this year’s governorship election. Excerpts:

This is an election year in the state, what should be people’s expectation from the government in this 2020?

The year 2020 is the year of so many expectations. It will be year of expectation from electorate and the people of Ondo state. It is also the year of desires on the part of government because there are several things that are ongoing that should be taken to the destination of our minds.


There are so many things that government are trying to initiate in form of projects. This year, 2020, is promising on all sides. The first and most important thing we desire from God is long life and peace for all to witness those good things in 2020.

Governor Akeredolu will inaugurate some projects to mark his third year in office ahead of the governorship election , will people not see this as political or coincidental?

Well, if you say it is coincidental, you are correct and if you say it is strategic on the part of government to complete them as you have said ,yes. We ought to have completed them before now because our desire was not just to keep them in abeyance, No , i don’t think so but if you say so, you might not be totally wrong. What is even wrong if we commission them and make them our campaign points? Fine, because one of the reasons this government came into power is to be able to bring development closer to the people and if there are one or two things that have been initiated by the government in form of projects and they are likely to be commissioned in an election year, so be it. It is a plus to any government to have tangible things to point out when it is the time to campaign . So we thank God that we have a lot of things to point out during our campaign period.

But the opposition PDP in the state urged the people not to expect any miracle from your government, because your government has failed the people of Ondo state. How will you react to that ?

Well, i never expected anybody in the PDP to say anything different from what you have said he reportedly said. I wouldn’t expect anybody to say anything different. The government that has within three years taken very courageous steps in terms of developmental initiatives that have surpassed the previous years of PDP government that was in place, how would any PDP person commend such? No right thinking PDP man will clap for this government. That is the truth.

So if they are not clapping for us, we won’t be angry and we are not even taking it in any negative form. That is the duty of the opposition and if they are not saying that, who will say it? But the truth of the matter is that whoever is saying that is just trying to echo the mindset of the frustrated minority. Whatever they are saying is the voice of the frustrated minority.

The PDP spokesperson was emphatic about the level of transparency of your government in the execution of projects. What is your take on that?

If he acknowledged the fact that projects are executed, that’s fair enough of him, but the other leg where he intends to know much about, if the projects executed are transparently done, the books are there. Why do we have the ministries of Budget and finance ? Let them go and verify.

They can take maximum advantage and leverage on the freedom of information law. Let them come out with facts and figures. Our books are clean and transparent enough. This government is courageously accountable to the people, so if they feel some projects have been done, i salute their courage for saying that.

Where they feel there was no transparency or accountability in the course of the execution of those projects ,it is left for them. We are very serious in delivering good governance and we can not add the burden of trying to get facts for the opposition; that can’t be added to the duties of government, they must do that, they should not be lazy.

Governor Akeredolu will be so busy attending to more state and political engagements this year. Won’t that affect governance and his health ?

I can assure you that no government activities will be affected in any way. Since 2016 that government came into place alongside major political activities in 2015 and 2019, nothing was affected in governance and 2020 will not be different. Payment of salaries will not be affected in 2020. Governor Akeredolu prioritises the welfare of workers in the state and that resolve is unwavering in him and we have all inculcated the belief that the welfare of workers is paramount. Politics can not take the shine of the welfare of workers in the state. I can assure you that.

On the health issue, unless someone is still trying to play the role of the Governor’s physician, we have gone past that with gratitude to God. Undesirable and unmerited expectations have been kept at bay.

I can tell you that Mr. Governor has been full of vigour since he came back; focused and stronger to continue the good work.

The opposition party alleged the governor to have lavished the state funds on her daughter’s wedding in Mauritius by sponsoring members of his cabinet and lawmakers in the state. What is your reaction?

I remember in my response to that pedestrian story, I made it clear that the few Cabinet members who were not more 5, attended in their personal capacities. These are not just puerile but pernicious stories powered largely by ignorance on the part of those responsible. Does it not turn logic in the head to think those who attended the wedding did not have the capacity to pay their bills before being appointed as cabinet members? For the records, the Governor never mentioned it at cabinet or at any meeting that his daughter was wedding in Mauritius. He kept it to himself and made it a wholly private affair.

In any case, a national daily even wrote an editorial on it but we felt it was not worth any efforts to respond because such will only drag us into an avoidable conflict. I believe the editorial was largely influenced by what was available to the paper, and that was outright misinformation that was given to the public was also given to that credible platform. But in this case, it was a hasty and jaundiced judgement. The truth remains that Akeredolu did not organise his son’s wedding in Canada when he became governor. The couple in question had wedded long before he was even nominated as governorship candidate. It is the tradition in the family for Akeredolu’s children to do their traditional marriage in Nigeria and choose anywhere in the world for the white wedding. It didn’t just start today. It is just laughable that a man who refuses to charter a private jet with state funds even though it is not disallowed, will spend same on the wedding if his daughter abroad.
https://citadelng.com.ng/2020/01/03/akeredolus-projects-are-campaign-points-for-his-re-election-ojogo/

The guy go just win without stress.The only opposition to his re-election is within the Apc,Once he wins the Primary,He's good to go.

Rem22:
The guy go just win without stress.The only opposition to his re-election is within the Apc,Once he wins the Primary,He's good to go.

And sure who is a formidable contender of his in the primary.. Absolutely no one .. I can't see any