Politics according to Merriam Webster Dictionary is “the art or science of government or the art or science  concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy.

The grammarian also define politics as the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government.

Empirically, politics can be said to be activities that relate to influencing actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government.

It is the work or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government.

Just as I searched and observed with keen interest the calibre and credibility of Nigerian politicians, I discovered that nothing is inseparable from each other.

In Ogun State, a retrospect look at the dozier of past and present leaders of the state create a burning desire to give self assessment with unbias pass mark for those that performed credibly well, which invariably serves as benchmark for successive administrations.

OSOBA: ONE DISAPPOINTMENT, TOO MANY

Since 1999 we attained the fourth republic, Chief Olusegun Osoba who steer the affairs of the State under the political platform of Alliance for Democracy (AD) governed the state with the limited resources available at his disposal despite being an opposition party with Baba Obasanjo PDP at the federal government.

Aremo Osoba provided the needed dividends of democracy for his people and took governance to the door step of the masses especially the rural dwellers through town hall meetings,  consultation and provision of social amenities in the rural areas.

Aremo Osoba between 1999-2003 remarkably touched every sector of the state economy to include ; agriculture, education, housing, rural/urban renewal, construction of roads, rural electrification project, donation of transformers to the urban centres, training and empowerment for artisans, provision of drinkable water system, prompt payment of workers salary, non-deduction of workers pension allowance, construction of market centres, empowerment through his wife, Beere Derinsola Osoba where the aged, widows/widowers, youth, artisans, unemployed graduates were assisted among others.

During Osoba’s tenure, the standard of Education in the state was maintained, while tuition fees across the state owned higher institution of learning was invariably minimal and affordable for prospective students and parents, not to mention good standard of living with adequate security.

DANIEL’S TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO THE FRAY

But alas, 2003 born the advent of new political era in Ogun State with the arrival and introduction of Otunba Gbenga Daniel into Ogun politics.

Like the Biblical ‘wonder’ Daniel, Otunba Justus Olugbenga Daniel came like a wild in the burning fire, caught the fancies of both young and old with so many creative concept that upshot him into the minds of the people.

The popular TV advert with the chorus “Ee lo so f’araye peee, Daniel mbo, Ee lo so f’araye pee, Daniel ti de o, Eyin Omo Ogun, ise ma tiya”…..this and many other lofty creativity couple with signages that arrest the thinking faculty of Ogun indigenes both home and abroad, still linger on for those that followed the trend.

OGD as fondly called, came with so much believe and aspiration that with him at the helms of the state affairs, Ogun would become Eldorado within a year.

Infact, such propaganda and gimmicks made people to condemned and rubbished Aremo Segun Osoba’s four year term as fruitless. Even, OGD and his ‘propagandists’ or strategists as the case maybe, whichever way made us believed that, we have been held under bondage and wilderness by Osoba, that within a twinkle of an eye, those O2T (Osoba for 2nd Term)  Apostles found it compelling and competitive with enough reasons to switched allegiance to OGD. Bravo!

OGD emergence as the Executive Governor of the Gateway State brought new revolution and dimension to the politics and governance of the state, a standard that became a template for interested occupier/s of Oke-Mosan.

Daniel’s style of leadership and governance could be liken to that of Thai Model of governance whereby the immediate needs of the people were prioritized based on the demand and yearning of the people.

OGD’s administration witnessed tremendous achievements in terms of infrastructure, health, education, judiciary, Sports, economic vibe, massive job creation /employment, etc.  That is not my obligation here, let his image makers continue from here.

Lo and behold, in spite of the adulation that greeted such lofty and credible ideas of Otunba Daniel with good implementation; corruption, thuggery, uncivil and overzealousness of few of his aides and unjust killing of innocent citizens of the state rubbished the eight years tenure and public demand for change in Governance.

…AND AMOSUN’S CONSOLIDATED VICTORY

This development however, gave Senator Ibikunle Amosun public sympathy and support after a failed attempt to become Governor in 2007.

Amosun became the State Governor in 2011 after a keenly contested election with Gbenga Daniel’s anointed candidate, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka under People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN). Despite the mouth watering amount spent by the then incumbent (Daniel), the people of the state stood their ground against any imposition and intimidation from the PDP government.

Infact, another interesting scenario of the whole political saga was, inspite of the money distributed by Daniel and his cronies to convince the people to support his candidate, GNI, the people still continue to chant a particular slogan “Pin pin lowo Nasir” PPN (meaning Nasir money is for shared) which became a national anthem in the state.

Amosun emerged with so much expectation that, normalcy would return to the state and livelihood of the people would improve under the new government and party. But today, reversed was the case.

I may not be able to start analysing the events that unfold during the first term in office of Governor Ibikunle Amosun,  except for the massive road construction and unnecessary overdo flyover bridges (we all know what is behind it, anyway) at the detriment of other sectors, but let’s give it to him on that, albeit we want to play politics here. In terms of road construction in the State Capital, Abeokuta, Amosun should be scored high, while many road  projects in other zones {Yewa and Ijebu) were until now, abandoned. And I also believe that our memories is still very fresh to remember the odds that characterized the first year in office of his second term.

WHERE DID PASEDA GOT IT WRONG?

According to Africa proverb, caution should be taken when a dog that whine its tale to the owner, suddenly started barking,  signifies a bad omen. The 2015 general elections in Ogun State created a new aura in the anal of political history of the state. The fact that, Senator Amosun was declared winner of the governorship election was not the focal point, but the hopes and courage for a better tomorrow with the introduction of a charitable and grassroot candidate, the man of the people who has been tagged as the Awolowo of this new dispensation in the person of Otunba Olatunde Rotimi Paseda gave the good people of the state a sigh of relieve that the future is secured and reason to believe in our democracy once again.

Otunba Olatunde Rotimi Paseda, a seasoned administrator and an Engineer by profession, a man with an impeccable character who is God fearing declared his intention to serve the good people of Ogun State in less than six months to the 2015 elections under the platform of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), but came third behind PDP’s governorship candidate, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka.

Immediately after the announcement of the election results, Paseda told who care to listen that, Project 2019 would be another opportunity to save his people from the hardship and inhuman policies the APC government brought upon the state, since then, Otunba Rotimi Paseda became the beautiful bride in Ogun politics that every political Party want to toast.

What then was his sin? Immediately he showed interest in running for 2019 project to change the dwindling fortune of Ogun State with the tagged of ancient state to eldorado of sort, all sort grandeur and mystery started connecting with his name.

The discrepancy between the legend and the reality proved immensely disappointing to those who wanted to believe in their Messiah. Suddenly, Paseda became a household name and the new beautiful bride in Ogun politics.

Ogun State is privileged to have one of the very few leaders with a mind of rendering selfless services to the people of the state. Olatunde Rotimi Paseda is one of the very few with Pa Awolowo’s  legacy. ORP has fondly called, so much believe in giving back to the society that produced him. Olatunde Rotimi Paseda is the heir of Late Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo,  the son of Efunyeloye.

Olatunde Rotimi Paseda is the Moses that has eluded Ogun State and the South-West in times of yore.

Despite the fact that, 2019 is three years away, already the political heat is on and some have started throwing pebbles /dynamite to destroy the personality of Otunba Paseda.

Judging from the ongoing political onslaught, it is crystal clear that, the name Paseda signaled threat and intimidation to the opposition camps. If not, one begin to wonder why the sudden attack on the philanthropist and youth liberator.

The recent facebook political witch-hunt by one political jobber to truncate the chances of Paseda on the order of his pay masters was another decoy to test his popularity, but whether day like it or not, Paseda has come to stay and a household name in Ogun politics today.

The question that came to mind, was that, is their perception about Paseda the standard Ogun state people would use to measure Paseda?

No matter what, Paseda has become a household name in Ogun, a feat which has been enhanced by his recent move to assist the challenged underprivileged people in the state.

Otunba Rotimi Paseda is a born servant leader who exhibits the characteristics that only exceptional people possesses  in politics. His humble life is a tapestry of success and accomplishment in all human endeavors. His excellence services in the service of the Lord, humanity and our community have placed him in the league of the few emerging leaders to look forward to lead our people to the promised land come

2019.

Prince Olatunde Rotimi Paseda may not have held any political office in the past, but, his humanitarian gesture cannot be compare with any politicians who live large with government and tax payers money. I stand to be corrected.

Among many other humanitarian services Otunba Paseda rendered through his foundation, Paseda Legacy Foundation include but not limited to, scholarship to 20 Future Promise College Students, provision of six electrical transformers to the neglected Omu – Ijebu community, payment of medical bill of an amputated patient at Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, flying abroad of kidney transplant of 9year-old Oluwatobi Solanke , payment of tuition fees a final year law student of Olabisi Obasanjo University, payment of tuition fee of students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, employment of two best mass communication graduates at his foundation, creation of skill acquisition programme for youths, among many others.

When the hues about his experience originated, I was quick to ask, if OGD had any political inclination before he ventured into politics and governed the state in 2003?

Unfortunately for these Facebook jobbers, Paseda has gone beyond the “Ali goes to school” politics and Pull Him Down antics, he is now being woo by the northerners to be their presidential candidate come 2019, a notion he dismissed instantly. Little wonder, they were quick to bestowed on him, a chieftaincy title of Garkuwan Hausawan of Ogun State to hijack him from the campaign of calumny.

His recent visit to the North-west region of the country, liken him to one of the foremost Nigeria politicians and the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 Presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola, who was more celebrated abroad than home.

While he is being treated fairly at home by the power brokers, he became a toast of both old and young in the Hausa speaking states.

Today, Paseda, the son of a village teacher and Store-keeper now rules the world with his chain of businesses spread across Europe and America where over 2,500 workers were on his payroll monthly, not minding the over bearing cost, Paseda recently recruited additional 3,000 staff to his companies in Nigeria to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country.

What else needed to be done by this great, but intelligent politician to serve Ogun State and his people? Is it because he had failed to join the array of political manslaughters that made him unqualified?

Is it because he doesn’t have political godfathers who would dictate his mind and rig elections for him?

Those condemnation holds no water, any way, as the persecutors failed to realize that, “One in God, is more than a million”.

According to the prophecy of the late Sage, Obafemi Awolowo wherein he said, “a time is coming where the left and right will come together and form a centralized government”, already such testimony is beginning to manifest in Otunba Olatunde Rotimi Paseda as he is being taunted as the (central) only chain that will connect the powers that be together to form a formidable government that will move Ogun State to greater height irrespective of their political affiliation.

MICHAEL-AZEEZ, is the Director on Communication,

Paseda Legacy Foundation

Ogun Sate.‎