Chief James Ayeni, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), was among the first set of local government chairmen elected under democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999. In this interview with UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB, Chief Ayeni delves into various issues including recent appointments announced by President Bola Tinubu
Excepts:
Chief, recently you addressed a press conference under the aeges of Kwara South Leaders of Thoughts and traditional rulers over some appointments made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What was your intention for doing that?
Kwara South has never had it so good. In the past, we hardly have one or two appointments, may be a mere board member. But this time around, we have a substantive position. We are having the chief executive of NNPCL. It is almost the biggest appointment at the federal level. It means we are the one in charge of the economy because NNPCL controls the economy of the country.
The president also appointed about seven others from Kwara South and they are not board members, they are board chairman and chief executive. What are your expectations from the appointees?
Well, we are not going to leave them. It is our responsibility to go them. They will be too busy to think about Kwara South except we take it to them.We are expecting much from them and we can only get it when we are serious about it because when someone is in position and you don’t go to him, he tends to forget things. So we have to go them to let them know that we have people at home, to let them know that we have problems at home, to let them know where we need them. We are expecting much from them by the grace of God.
Some people have expressed divergent views about some appointments made by Mr President. Some said the appointment was lopsided, some said it was done to favour certain regions than the others…
(Cut in)That type of complaints will continue forever. Those who had nothing last time they complained, some people are also complaining now because those who did not have last time have something now. In Kwara south, we have never had it so good. They are human beings and they have the right to complain but the president has done his best.
Would you say the appointments conformed with principles of federal character?
Yes, because there is hardly any state that does not have one position or the other.
By May 29 this year, it will be exactly two years when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected. What is your assessment of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the last two years?
Nobody in position can please everybody. You cannot please everybody. But so far, so good as Tinubu is doing very fine, it is better than the past administration and governors can testify to that. He has the experience, he was once a governor and I believe he knows what Nigerians need and he is already doing it. Some people will complain because of the situation in the past that is so difficult to correct immediately. But other than that, the president is doing very fine and I think we should give him time.
Do you think the governors are performing as much as the president is doing at the federal level?
I think so. But I can only speak about my state. I cannot say about Sokoto, Kano or Ibadan. But here in Kwara state, the governor is doing well. You can see the transformation going on. See Ilorin township, see the roads, you cannot compare it with the previous administration.
Is the transformation equally reaching other parts of the state?
Well, certainly not equally. That is not possible. The governor cannot do everything. That is why we have chairmen of local governments. If there is full local government autonomy now, there will be development because in my own local government where I come from which is Ekiti, the chairman is doing well, he is transforming the local government better than the last administration. And certain things that should go from state to local governments are also going.
Let’s look at the road to 2027. It seems the heat is gradually at the federal and even at the state levels. Recently, we saw the defection of Delta state governor and former vice presidential aspirant, Ifeanyi Okowa to APC. Some Nigerians are beginning to express concerns that the country is tilting towards a one party state. What is your take on this?
That is not strange. When a government is doing well, everybody will want to be part of it. Nobody wants to be in opposition now when the president is doing well. Everyone wants to be part of that government. You want to go to PDP that is already collapsing? PDP has no sure base where they can contest and win election. So it is better to be with the party that is solid.
Coming back to Kwara state, some few weeks ago, stakeholders in Kwara north came together from different political parties to chat a common front that in 2027, the governorship seat be zoned to them. Do you agree with their position?
That is a very, very relevant question. We advised them to do that, otherwise they will not get a candidate. They should first unite at home, not necessarily on candidate but to get the support of all the zones to cede the governorship to Kwara north before you talk about candidate. If they are divided, they will lose. Whatever party they are, they should first of all come together and fight for zoning to Kwara north. If they get it, they can now talk about candidate.
Apart from the development in Kwara north, Kwara South seems to be the beautiful bride from where stakeholders are seeking support. What makes Kwara South special?
You see, in 2015 election, it is in this my house that we interviewe
d and screened all the governorship candidates- about 10 of them, and we resolved that time that we are going to support Kwara central. A delegate from north came to this house to say that they want us to support them. I said no, we cannot support you this time, let us support central first. If central is allowed to go for eight years, then we can go to north and support you. Now, Kwara South has spent eight years as governor, Kwara central has completed about 20 years and north has not tasted it since Shaaba Lafigi’s time. It will be logical and reasonable to make sure that governor goes to the north.
Chief, just about 3 weeks ago, we saw the inauguration of a new political platform known as Kwara Redemption Movement (KRM) led by Chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo which they said is another platform just like the Otoge movement that brought in the administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq. Is this not a kind of division within your party because the proponents of the KRM are also members of the PAC?
I know Akogun very, very well. We both contested in 1991 for chairmanship of Irepodun Local Government when we were doing politics. I saw what I like. The only thing I don’t like about the style of Akogun is that he doesn’t know where to stop at a time. Nobody can continue wining, you can’t win the war where you don’t have people around you, he have been having problems throughout , he doesn’t stay in a place and settle for peace and that is what he has been doing now. Majority of people are not with him from Kwara South. I love him, I wish he listen to me, I have told him several times, that is not the way.
