EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:
‘I Will Ensure OSUN Government Serve the People as GOVERNOR of the State’-Mallam Olawale Rasheed, former Political Editor, Nigerian Tribune and Ministerial Adviser
…Says: ‘I am motivated by the desire to genuinely serve the people especially as I am from a Poor Background, Government MUST serve the People’
* ‘Our Political Elders in search of a Successor Generation’
* ‘I Won’t Step Down for Any Politician, I am the New Face of Youth Leader’
* ‘I Have FIVE prongs Manifesto that will take care of Osun State huge debt, make liberate the economy and make life comfortable for the masses’
*PLUS How OSUN State is under FINANCIAL Emergency DEBT overhang of close to N300 Billion Naira
MALLAM OLAWALE RASHEED is an award wining Nigerian political journalist formerly with Nigerian Tribune Newspaper with almost two decades reporting news across Nigeria. This former special assistant to a Nigerian Minister is the Chief Executive Officer of Sahel Media Group. In this interactive chat with GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF, UNITED STATES, Rasheed reveal his full preparation to contest Governorship Election from Osun State, Why Government must serve the Masses, Plans to clear the overhang huge debt in the state and make life comfortable for the people. Enjoy!
Q: AS A Famous Nigerian Journalist, can you take us though your background and aspiration to contest for Governorship election in Osun State next year (2018)?
My name is Mallam Olawale Rasheed, a media entrepreneur, a former publisher, an ex-Tribune newspaper political editor and a former ministerial adviser. I am a gubernatorial aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party for 2018 Osun governorship election.
Q: What inspires you into joining this hotly contest gubernatorial race?
I was born into a political family. That actually influenced my deep interest in government and politics. So from early age I have watched the political process and I felt something is missing-the failure of leadership to govern from the people. Many leaders govern from air, from above and many from the shadows. They detach themselves from the people who elected them into office. They think the people are ignorant and stupid and so must be dictated to as to what is best for them. This I saw as a political actor, as a political reporter and; later as a government official. So eventually I thought something can be done differently. Government can be made to serve the people. I believe it does not cost much to satisfy the aspirations of the people. I believe the electorate is actually very wise and they know what they want from a government. So as far back as late 2015, the possibility of joining the race was on the table until the finalization recently. The reality is I am of the firm conviction that I can actually be the people’s governor with direct understanding of basic needs of the people and how to satisfy them. I am motivated by the desire to genuinely serve the people especially as I am from a poor background and I know where the shoe pinches.
Q: How do you intend to break the stranglehold of old politicians on political offices?
Let me first say that our political elders are actually in search of a successor generation. They are not sitting tight but they want to be sure they have the right successor before they hand in the towel. I can tell you that most political top shots are worried about who succeeds them. The reason is that they know the youth; the web enabled generation is impatient and politically militant. They know the younger generation is unhappy and angry because the elders have not delivered as many had expected. Hence they, I mean the elders are ready to hand over to the successor generation but with conditions. We cannot push them out of the field. That is not the best approach. It cannot even work. We have to engage in consensus, negotiation, and give and take. The elders have much interest as the younger generation. We can get them to support our ascension to power by acting shrewdly in power negotiation.
As for me I have an advantage-I have served many of these political leaders in my state. I know them-their thinking, weaknesses and strengths. I can also claim to know that many of them mean well. So my strategy is to engage our leaders , let them see it is the turn of Osun West senatorial district and also the reality on the streets of major towns in Osun state where overwhelming majority wants a new face , new age candidate and fresh agenda towards 2018.
Q: What are your electoral manifestos?
I need to first state here that Osun is under a financial emergency with debt overhang of close to N300 billion naira. But for federal bailout and Paris Refund, the state cannot pay salaries. Things are extremely hard for the people in a state widely known to be a civil service state. The incumbent had fiscal errors, wrong financial projections, and wrong emphasis on infrastructure to the utter neglect of human development as well as externally induced programmes and policies largely considered irrelevant to the well-being of the people. So a successor is faced with monumental challenges. I can tell you these governance challenges cannot not resolved with conventional solutions. It is a hard setting in which the government is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Hence, I have five point agenda with the first being a 10 point plan to tackle the debt challenge. With the application of those ten point plan, the administration will effectively tackle the debt threat. I may not want to give details for strategic reasons. The second agenda is what I called State in business prosperity agenda. Here, the plan is to transform Osun state into a giant economic machine extracting, producing, processing and distributing and exporting internally and externally goods and services of all sorts across various value chains.
The goal is to generate sufficient financial resources through enabling environment for new firms and companies and through actual equity participation by the state government. The third agenda is what I called Integrated Human Development Plan. Human development sector covering education, health, youth and social welfare issues have been largely neglected in the state. There is crisis in the education and health sector. Our government will place emphasis on human development. In fact, policies and programmes would have as a takeoff point human development. When the people are developed, infrastructure and others are easily handled and managed. The fourth agenda is Local Content Infrastructural plan. We will ensure that local consortium are encouraged and empowered in major government projects. Procurement plan will have people’s component, community impact review. Our government will ensure that procurement plan is deployed as a weapon of local empowerment and prosperity machine. Last but not the least is our commitment to open Government initiative. As at today, the people have no faith in the government. That trust can only be restored when you introduced governance reform with emphasis on open government initiatives. When you open up government, the people trust the leaders. Most importantly, we will govern from the people, not from the cloud, shadow or from above.
Q: What is your genuine wish for the people of Osun state?
Due to our current experience, I want the people to own their government, I want the citizens to be truly served so that the governor can truly be a servant of the people. The mechanic to achieve this is a legal backing for Open Government Agenda. We will ensure the government is truly transparent, accountable and responsive to the people.
Q: What is your Campaign Strategy for this Governorship Election?
Positive and positive all the way. I am in a unique situation that I cannot afford to be negative. Most contenders are my leaders. I have been together with Senator Iyiola Omisore since the days of the United Nigeria Congress Party. I have known Akogun Lere Oyewumi since the days of the Social Democratic party. I have worked and known Chief Fani Kayode from the inception of the PDP in 1999.Of course I was a ministerial Adviser to Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi. So I have to run the race as a candidate of a new generation who should be supported by our elders. Ours is an offer to serve, to present something new and practical to the many challenges of our state. We have no plan for negativity. We have no plan for character assassination. We are fixated on running a responsible campaign. That is not to say we don’t have capacity to go negative.
Q: What if you are asked to step down, what will be your reaction?
First let be state some obvious facts which no one can ignored after the 2015 defeat of the PDP. First the age of impunity has passed. Two, we have learnt a lot of lessons. Three, the party is interested in winning. Four, winning is only possible when the party presented a candidate acceptable to the aspirations of the voters. Five violating the zoning formula will lead to major defeat for the party and lastly we all must agree that the electorate is very wise now.
So to answer your question, I am sure our leaders will not ask me to step down because all the indices favour my candidacy. First I represent the new generation of PDP leaders who are closer to the youth who constitute close to 5o percent of the voting population. Two, I am from Osun West which is the next zone to produce the state governor especially as Osun Central and Osun East have had their turn at the governorship. Osun central will be completing two terms by next year. Three, I am from Iwo town, the federal constituency in Osun West that has never produced a governor since the creation of Osun state. And lastly, I am a unity candidate as I have in the last 25 years served many leaders across the factions and caucuses in the party.
Q: What about financial muscle?
Allow me to explain away certain myths. First, political and campaign funding is not a problem for any electable candidate. Two, I am candidate of a coalition of professionals and activists who want to liberate our state from bad governance. So, we have financier supporters from far and near. Three, I have been part of several campaigns and I can tell you that funding is the least of constraints if other indices are correct.
I must however say this for the people of Osun state. Our state is heavily indebted. I know of many who shelved their ambition because they said they cannot face the huge financial crisis hanging over the state. I know of a friend who said he will wait until the financial status of the state became better before showing interest. So our state is near bankruptcy. Our vote should be used to enthrone a genuine servant, not an agent of political entrepreneurs who will use the next two years paying up loans secured to prosecute his elections. We must be wary of voting for those who will further mortgage the already heavily indebted state.
Q: How long did it take you to take decision to run?
Two years plus. When we lost the state election in 2014 and the federal election in 2015, I discovered the Nigerian electorate has changed a lot. They have become political militants ready to use their voters’ cards as missiles and AK47. Then, the pains and suffering of our people at home cannot be ignored. Also we know we have the public service experience, the private sector experience, the educational training and field background as political reporter for more than 25 years. We are widely travelled and we also have history of supporting the less privileged even when we are not a money bag.
Q: How does it look for a Journalists gunning for the state governorship?
Actually we have role models. Chief Segun Osoba is one of our forerunners alongside our father, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo popularly called Ayekooto by the name of his column. It is quite a revealing experience. We journalists normally package and brand politicians. We work on their strategies; we also help them to achieve implementations. So when you now reverse the table, it is interesting. We know all the tricks. Actually we teach politicians many of the tricks. Now you are seeking office. It can be both a liability and assets. But the rule is – forget your political consultancy. Be ready to follow counsel and advice. The good thing is because you know the terrain; you may be less easily trapped or tricked.
Q: What surprises should Nigerians expect from you if you became the governor?Many. First, a truly peoples leader-no bodyguards fencing you off from the people and no N300million naira jeeps. Two, an institutionalized federal constituency policy consultation system. Three, a truly free local government system. Four, a low profile governor without a change of lifestyle. Five, an open government governor with state accounts genuinely open to the citizenry. Then there will be a programme of “one service, one day” , a direct line to the governor on service delivery. We have brilliant workable and practical ideas to serve our people
