The Ogun State governorship candidate, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the last general elections, Otunba Olatunde Rotimi Paseda has berated political leaders in the country for their overzealousness and lack of continuity in the style of governance.
Otunba Paseda stressed that, Nigeria’s politicians are not matured enough to be managing the nurtured democracy gained by the earliest nationalists like Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alh. Tafawa Balewa and others.
The business merchant cum politician who addressed journalists at the weekend during the 31st Sagamu Day Celebration, held at Makun High School, Sagamu, Ogun State, said the way political gladiators in the country were practicing democracy does not portray Nigeria as a developing country, and worthy to be called giant of Africa.
“I totally disagree with the way politics is being played in Nigeria. My style of politics differs from what is being played out among our political gladiators in the country today.
“Governance is a continuum. It does not matter who or which party that comes in, we must be able to bridge the lapses of the outgone government, rather than defacing or annihilate past administrations projects.
“It is mockery to our style of governance in the country and turning it into shambles, thus, making us laughing stock before the outside world.”
The Omu-Ijebu Prince therefore applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his bold step towards ensuring stable economy for the country, urging him to make politics less competitive and unprofitable for political office holders.
He said this would stabilize and balance the polity, as only politicians who are ready to serve the country selflessly would show interest.
“Though, as a businessman, I’m affected by Buhari’s economy policies, because our credit cards now has limitation to amount of money it can transfer or carry around, but at the end, the benefits are enormous.
“I am surprised and happy as well when the President said, the country is financially constrained to pay 49 ministers. He should go beyond that, the President should make political office nonprofitable and less competitive, so that people don’t go there to make money.
“How would somebody go into politics, without a job career? Politicians in foreign countries have their businesses before dabble into politics, they only collect attendance allowances not as we have it here”.
Prince Rotimi Paseda however, took a swipe at the Ogun State Government for handling the burial arrangement of late Mrs. Hannah Idowu Awolowo with politics.
Paseda said the state government is not doing enough to honour the Matriarch, rather frustrating efforts of indigenes of the state to immortalise the late Chief Awolowo’s wife.
He accused the State Government for removing the monumental billboard he did in honour of the late Matriarch, describing it as barbaric and disrespect for the Awolowo family.
“I’m not bothered about the removal of my billboard I did in honour of Mama H.I.D Awolowo. I want to put it on record that, I paid all the required fees demanded by the Ogun State Advertising Agency before the billboard was erected. So, for someone in the government to have said the billboard is causing environmental hazard is barbaric and insult to Mama H.I.D Awolowo we are celebrating.
“If the state government actually wanted to celebrate and immortalize the late icon as they claimed, they shouldn’t be bothered about other people’s efforts to do so.
“They believe they are attacking Paseda or they don’t want to see my face, but they have forgotten that, the billboard in question was for Mama H.I.D, so it is not me they are attacking or insulting, they are insulting the late woman and Awolowo’s family entire. The death of Mama is not Ogun State issue alone, but national affairs.”