Ondo 2020 Governorship Election: Seizing Opportunities And Transforming The State To An Industrial Hub -By Igbasan Damilola

While on paper, the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State is between Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Honourable Agboola Ajayi, the State Deputy Governor contesting under the platform of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) cannot be underestimated. Eyitayo Jegede hails from Akure in Ondo Central Senatorial district while the duo of Akeredolu and Agboola hails from Owo in Ondo North Senatorial district and Ese-Odo in Ondo South Senatorial district respectively in what appears to be a strategic geo-political balancing in the three foremost parties in Ondo state. 


The triumvirate contenders also have certain things shared: They altogether have public education in Ondo State at some point in their life. Ajayi attended Community Primary School, Kiribo, Ese – Odo, Methodist Secondary School Okitipupa. Both in Ondo State. Jegede on the other hand attended Saint Stephen primary school Modakeke, Osun State, Aquinas Secondary School, Akure while he has his Higher School Certificate (HSC) in Christ school, Ado Ekiti. The incumbent Governor started his primary education in government school, Owo, Aquinas College, Akure and Higher School Certificate in Christ school, Ado – Ekiti.


From tertiary education standpoint, Akeredolu and Eyitayo Jegede both graduated from the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Lagos and called to the bar in 1977 and 1985 respectively. The Zenith Labour party candidate graduated from Igbinedion University with a Law degree. And they have all carved a niche for themselves in the legal profession. Both the incumbent Governor and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate hold the enormously prestigious designation of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

As it is typical of Nigerian politicking process, policy issues have not dominated the electioneering atmosphere so far after the political lobbying and shenanigans which characterized all the party primary elections. As a matter of fact, this is disgusting to say the least as one of the way we can achieve tremendous democratic growth as a country is through an all-inclusive citizenry’s steadiness in demanding solution to the problem of unemployment, poverty reduction, unaffordable health and public education for the people, infrastructural deficits, amongst others. Answering these questions by public officials and those seeking to be one is what should dominate the electioneering space as election is fast approaching.


It is a long-established fact that Ondo State is an academically developed state, having the highest public primary and secondary Schools in the whole federation according to statistics from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and several independently piloted surveys. This has been consolidated by the current administration with new construction of schools building across the whole state via the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). But, this is still not enough. Welfare packages of teachers including training and retraining of teachers should be looked into while consistent promotion exams with no form of partiality should be organized. This will directly motivate them, enhance performance and have positive impacts on students.


The prettification of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, (OAUSUTECH) is also well-intentioned and praiseworthy. However, the state excellent literacy percentage is fast plummeting as the Akeredolu Government prioritized fee increment in the state tertiary institutions. For instance, students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba- Akoko (AAUA) got their tuition fees increased by over 400 per cent. The fee increment cut across board to other state government controlled institutions like Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, (OAUSUTECH), and the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMED). This increment is happening in a state where the majority of the students’ parents are civil servants living on a meagre #30, 000 minimum wage salary or underemployed.

A creative policy measure initiative is needed to curtail this scenario. First of all, a scholarship palliative board should be constituted to complement the state bursary scheme and assist students from underprivileged backgrounds while a downward review of the implemented astronomical fee should be considered. Arguments of increasing infrastructures on campus have been marshalled by government representatives as reason for increment in fees, this is understandable, but not tenable enough. Instead of introducing fee increment to finance campus infrastructure, more Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and CBN grants should be lobbied in increasing the school structures including requests for more Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects. 


A policy of even development is also needed in Ondo State. In fact, it is the key needed towards transforming the state into an industrialized hub. Ondo South particularly, is poverty endemic while Ondo Central and Ondo North are better in terms of developmental indices as it both has the highest concentration of industrial establishments with low unemployment indices.  In fact, without Ondo South senatorial district, the sunshine state will not be an oil producing state. The economic potentials in Ondo South have to be utilized to develop the region. 45% of revenue accruable to the state on the basis of Oil producing state should be channelled towards funding an economic development zone in Ilaje Local government area to arrest issues of poverty and unemployment. The state government should exert more energy in liaising with the federal Ministry of Solid Minerals in harnessing the huge bitumen deposit in Irele and Ese Odo Local government area.


Also, despite Odigbo Local Government Area with its headquarters in Ore being a commercial axis, little has been done by the state government administrations since 1999 in accomplishing some expected level of prosperity in this area. Development of business network links and resource alignment among local companies and institutions should be ordered to create jobs and professionalize the business sector whereas there is also a need for public private partnership to fix infrastructural holes in Ore in particular to attract more investment and the prototype of textile industries in Ondo town and the Linyi Industrial Hub in Ore should be expedited to other local government to serve as poverty alleviation measures. Meanwhile, the Okitipupa Oil palm Mill Company lacks abundant government manifestation and supervisory interpolations. It is essential to modernize it for expansion to generate proceeds for the government and engage more locals in the form of empowerment.


Igbasan Damilola is an Associate at MIPAG Policy Think-Tank Group