In this exclusive interview with Fisayo Akinduro, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, discusses the transformative impact of Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s leadership, from improving rural infrastructure and strengthening grassroots governance to fostering harmony among traditional institutions.
Excerpts:
As the state marks Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s first year in office, how would you assess the progress made in strengthening local government administration across Ondo State?
Let me first of all appreciate God Almighty for the grace granted to us as a state. We are lucky to have a governor who has the interest of the people at heart. Ever since his emergence as governor, he has been able to transform local government administration through this ministry.
He believes that the best way for the people at the grassroots to feel the impact of government is through local government administration. That is why he directed that money meant for local governments should be spent locally, with total supervision. One of the major points the governor emphasised is the need for capacity building for all officers across the local government administration, so they can deliver their mandate as expected.
In doing so, both the political class and the bureaucrats have been able to work together effectively, with a vision to ensure that the people at the grassroots really feel the impact of government. Recently, he directed us to determine how many kilometres of rural roads in each local government have been maintained or constructed annually, recognising that it is not feasible to cover all roads at once.
We believe that every community must have access to roads. This gives people hope, prevents rural-bound migration and ultimately guarantees food security. Rural areas supply food to urban centres, and if farmers abandon their land due to poor roads or lack of basic amenities, the entire state suffers.
The governor aims for Ondo to become a food basket for the nation, particularly the South-Western zone. His vision ensures that everything we do is tailored towards the people at the grassroots. Judging by our projects, social welfare packages and other initiatives, we are blessed. We continue to thank God for providing us with this governor in the person of Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
In each local government, bureaucrats listen to feedback and confirm that positive change has occurred, not just in their favour but for the people at the grassroots.
The past year has recorded relative peace among traditional institutions. What strategies has your ministry adopted to sustain harmony and prevent chieftaincy disputes?
The number one thing is that, it is not as if we can claim sole credit for our achievements. Well, we achieved them by the grace of God, Who has supported all our moves. But one thing we are certain of is, we always ensure we speak the truth at all times, no matter the situation.
Secondly, we make sure we respect that institution. It is an institution that we will not allow anyone to undermine, because we understand its importance. They are the ones representing the government in all their communities across the state. If any crisis occurs in any community, when the media picks it up, they might report, “There is a crisis in Ondo.” The public, however, will not even know the origin. They may say, “There is a crisis in Ondo State,” when in reality, it is confined to a single community.
That is why we care for every part of a community, whether small or large. Whenever we are informed that something is happening, we immediately summon the relevant parties to a meeting for amicable resolution. We always speak the truth to them, telling them what we believe should be done.
As an umpire, one must avoid collecting bribes or exploiting people seeking favours. Yet you must be bold enough to speak the truth to whoever requires it. I also want to appreciate all our traditional rulers for their support to this ministry. Their cooperation, trust and prayers have been exemplary.
You can imagine the kind of prayers they have offered for this ministry, the governor and the deputy governor. We have enjoyed extensive collaboration with local governments and traditional institutions. The governor leads by example, placing trust in us and our judgement to always do the right thing. Whenever he calls on us regarding a situation in any community, I report to him accurately: “This is the situation.”
If there is nothing specific for him to direct, he entrusts us to take action. He is an expert when it comes to local government matters and exigency administration. He always gives his opinion, and whenever we apply it, we achieve results.
The provision of official vehicles to traditional rulers was described as a morale booster. In what ways has this support enhanced collaboration between monarchs and government at the grassroots?
Well, when you see the monarchs the ordinary rule we should have is, we have an executive arm, we have a legislative arm and we have judiciary arm. I believe we should have a traditional arm of government. So as the judiciary, they have their own official cars. The legislative arm, they have theirs, so also the executive arm. The traditional arm of government, because all of them, they are appointees of the government. Is that not? As they have been appointed through their people, but being confirmed by the government of Ondo State, they are appointees of government.
They are working directly with the government. They’ve abandoned their own personal businesses to work for humanity. And in that, we do not want them to suffer for the sake of being kabiyesis in their respective communities.
And in doing that, the government is determined to provide one of the first thing that they can suffer for, which is mobility. They are our identity. Anywhere they go, they say they are from Ondo State.
They, go outside Ondo State; they call them Kabiyesis from Ondo State. And whatever way they see them, that is the way they will attend to them. So, the governor believes that we should try as much as possible to collaborate with the local government, because this government is being led by the governor.
And all the chairmen of the 18 local governments areas are working in collaboration with the governor. And when we raise this matter, all the executive chairmen of the local government gladly support the move. And today, virtually all of our Kabiyesis today are riding on brand new Toyota SUVs.
It means a lot to them. Apart from where they go, we also consider their security on roads. If a monarch is riding on a vehicle that can break down on the road, and with the situation of the security of the country, at the end of the day, somehow, somehow, something funny happened, we may be blamed for that.
So that is why the governor did that for them. And today, they appreciate him and it is not going to be the last.
The governor is still determined to do more for them, because they are also playing their own roles in collaborating with the government to make sure there is peace across their domains.
How has your ministry worked with council chairmen to improve service delivery and ensure that development projects directly impact rural communities?
One of the things we are doing is to ensure there is thorough supervision of every project being undertaken. Doing that gives us the opportunity to assess the impact of each project in its respective local government.
We are not carrying out this supervision alone. We do it in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement, because they are the ones who set the benchmarks, and they must be present when supervising projects to ensure they follow the working line in accordance with specifications.
Apart from that, we are determined to carry out supervision to prevent sabotage. No matter how capable our people are, without supervision, they may not perform optimally. But once they know the government at the centre will oversee them and implement recommendations, they remain upright in all they do.
All the projects undertaken are designed to meet rural needs. They do not carry out anything that we know will not benefit the people. This government will not tolerate otherwise. Self-serving projects are not allowed.
To the glory of God, all the 18 local governments areas have been doing their best to align with the vision of Mr. Governor, ensuring that anything related to the development of the people in their respective local governments is made a priority. This has been of tremendous help to us.
Going forward, what should the people of the state expect from your ministry in the second year of Governor Aiyedatiwa-led administration?
We are going to do a lot that will have positive impacts in all the 18 local government areas. You know, in this first year, we spent much on administration. We bought vehicles for all the Kabiyesis.
We bought vehicles for all the political officers, union chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries, leaders of the house, the bureaucrats – I mean the heads of the local government administration, directors of finance, DGSA and general service. All these were procured this year within the one year of Mr. Governor. Meaning that by next year, it will be like the second year of the government. Whatever we are doing is going to be developmental projects that will have direct impact on our people.
The situation was like there was a dilapidated building that needed to be pulled down to start a new construction. That is what we have been doing in the last one year.
And by now, we have reached a level where the whole world can see that there is a new beginning in the local government administration. All we need to do is build on last year’s achievements and work tirelessly to make sure that the people of Ondo State really feel the impact of local government administration in the state.
Lastly, what is your goodwill message to the people of Ondo State regarding Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa’s achievements and in supporting this administration?
Well, let me say this to the people of Ondo State, I want to congratulate them for the uncommon grace received from God Almighty in giving us this great man of our time as governor.
He is not a man of propaganda. He is a silent achiever. The foundation is being laid for the people of Ondo today.
We may not fully appreciate it as expected because he is not working as a governor for just 8 years. He is working as a leader and on projects that will have a positive impact for the next 50 years – projects that we will all remember as having being initiated by Lucky Aiyedatiwa. You were there yesterday when they signed the MoUs with two companies.
Those two projects alone will change the face of Ondo State, from being a civil servant state to an industrialised state. Many people who do not have work today will easily find something to do, and it will fetch them good money, unless they are lazy or have not prepared to be prosperous in life.
We are talking about the two major projects that are coming up, and the man is serious about them. Whenever I discuss with him, he talks about changing the face of Ondo State. He always tells me, “Takuro, it’s not about me; it’s about the future of our children, about the potential of our posterity.”
What will posterity say about him after the expiration of his tenure? God has given him uncommon favour to be Governor of Ondo State today, and with the knowledge God has deposited in him, he must explore every means to ensure he changes the face of Ondo State from being a civil servant state to an industrialised state.
That has been his vision. Many people do not know this, and some even doubt it.
That is why, when it comes to infrastructure, the governor insists on doing a lot. You know what they tell us: is to provide a friendly environment for investors, and make our communities attractive. We must provide access to roads. We must provide power. We must provide good hospitals. We must provide education facilities so that, if investors’ children are here, they can have access to quality education.
We must also ensure good security. There must be a system that guarantees their safety while here. Governor Aiyedatiwa has been telling me this, and those close to him, often. So whatever we are to do, we must be determined because he cannot do it alone.
We must join him to actualise that vision. That is why, in the local government sector, we are doing our best to make communities safe, to ensure peace and progress. And now, I want to appreciate the people of Ondo State for supporting this man. It is good for us. It is not about me personally, working with him today.
We will not be in government forever. One day, we will be former commissioners. We always remember that. As such, we care about what the state will become. This is where we were born, and this is where we will be buried.
We want to be proud of our state, knowing that under our leadership, we have done this, we have done that, and that is the dividend everyone is enjoying. This, in the future, is what we join hands with the present governor to achieve. That has been our focus, and we will continue to do our best to transform Ondo State into a place we can all be proud of.