SARKI GOMA, ZAMANI GOMA – Dr. Akeredolu O.N.
*Why H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa should never see Aketi as an enemy but a boss he had a disagreement with. Without Aketi, Aiyedatiwa wouldn’t have been the governor. Also, Mr. Governor should not discard the idea of the LCDAs. Instead, he should listen, make amendments where necessary, and consider immortalizing Arakunrin by naming the state specialist hospital in Akure after him.*
The current democratic dispensation has spanned over two decades, the first of its kind and longest in our national and political history. Recently, at a symposium organized in Abuja featuring the great orator and human rights activist, Prof. Mike Ozhekome, a freedom fighter who spent his early productive years in prison for defending democracy, Sen. Shehu Sani, and the lion-hearted politician, H.E. Nyesom Wike, currently at the centre of the Rivers State political crisis. Although I was not fortunate to watch the entire program, the response from the FCT Minister, who criticized the two activists for their one-sided lectures, was noteworthy. The former Rivers State governor acknowledged that Nigeria has myriad problems, as enumerated by the guest lecturers. But he objected to their failure to mention that Nigeria has made some progress as a nation, though not yet “Uhuru,” despite our challenges.
This Ikwerre man further stressed that many activists have failed in the past as public officeholders. In all honesty, H.E. Nyesom Wike was right. I can mention Kwame Nkrumah, Kenneth Kaunda, Robert Mugabe, and many other leaders who started as freedom fighters but ended as dictators. However, the popular first black president of South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela, aka Madiba, after spending 27 years in prison, fighting for the freedom of his people against the apartheid government of his days, finally served an impressive single term as the president and left the stage to a younger person, Mr Thabo Mbeki. Also, the late Prof. Olukoye Ransome-Kuti of the famous Ransome-Kuti family of Ogun State, an elder brother to the popular musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Dr. Beko Kuti, remains the best Minister of Health in the history of the country despite his activism against previous governments.
The point is that our problem as a nation is not the lack of politicians or activists in positions of power but the insincerity of leadership. This country will start to witness the desired progress when we have sincere individuals with the love of the nation at heart in strategic positions. Coming to Ondo State, which is currently witnessing relative peace after the recent political upheaval between the cabals and the then-deputy governor who later inherited the mandate of his boss following the demise of Aketi. The entire lawlessness under the former governor puts a question mark on our degrees and awards in this country. Referring to the former Attorney General of Ondo State under the military, and former NBA president, who belonged to several associations in the legal world of Nigeria and beyond, as a “born lawyer” is an understatement; weighty words like legal icon, legal luminary, or doyen of law would be more appropriate.
Assessing Aketi’s government of seven years in retrospect, there was nothing worth the above heavy legal titles concerning the rule of law in the state. I referred to him as a lawless SAN in one of my articles, judging from his daredevil approach to removing his then-deputy at all costs. He finally messed up and buried his already battered image before he passed away. Despite having a new governor and a deputy governor from his town, the problems caused by Aketi’s selfishness and self-centeredness are still hurting the state. The recent judgment against the LCDAs created by Arakunrin to bring effective governance to the grassroots is another issue due to Arakunrin’s ineptitude in power. The Akokos, who were displeased with the distribution of these LCDAs and their headquarters, took him to court and finally obtained a judgment that nullified the entire process on the grounds of a technicality that Aketi signed the bill in Ibadan instead of the governor’s office or residence in Akure.
There are a lot of hues and cries, either for or against, by various individuals and organizations. Trust the politicians; another avenue to score cheap popularity has arrived. Though the current Attorney General, Dr Kayode Ajulo, claimed to be studying the judgment and would respond appropriately, we all know that was a political statement from the fair-complexioned lawyer, now the head of the legal team of Ondo State. In my honest advice, the creation of LCDAs was a laudable idea from Aketi, though with some mistakes. I think a reasonable governor can take it up from there, creating more LCDAs for Akokos and other perceived local governments that were cheated by Aketi while leaving the existing ones unruffled. By doing this, calmness will be restored, and unnecessary tension generated so far will be diffused.
Also, Arakunrin Akeredolu Oluwarotimi SAN died in active service for the state. The current governor, H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, should find a way to immortalize him. I suggest naming the State Specialist Hospital in Akure after Aketi, i.e., the hospital should be tagged ‘Odunayo Oluwarotimi Akeredolu Teaching Hospital, Akure,’ and give it to the federal government as the take-off teaching hospital for FUTA Medical School, whose medical students will need such a facility for their training.
I think H.E. Lucky Aiyedatiwa needs to show himself as a true leader, just as his major challenger in the November 16 governorship, the PDP candidate, H.E. Agboola Ajayi, has rightly said. This Ilaje man should try to correct some of the anomalies of his former boss. The present governor should never see his erstwhile leader as an enemy but as a former boss, he had a misunderstanding with. Without Aketi, who single-handedly appointed Aiyedatiwa as his deputy then, he wouldn’t be the governor today. This fact should also sink into his mind: he will cease to be the governor of Ondo State in the next four years and a few months, assuming he wins the next governorship election in the state. According to the popular Hausa adage, “Sarki Goma, Zamani Goma,” which means “Ten Kings, Ten Eras,” nobody reigns forever. Karma is a force that ensures one reaps what one sows. The governor should remember the current ordeal of H.E. Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State. Power is transient and ephemeral; only the wise can comprehend it that way.
*Dr. Akeredolu O.N., a Medical Doctor, Surgeon, and Neurosurgeon-in-Training*
