Dapo Abiodun’s emergence as governor is God ordained - Durojaiye

Evangelist Samuel Durojaiye was the Commissioner for Finance during the administration of Chief Olusegun Osoba as the governor of Ogun State from 1999 to 2003. In this interview, he gives account of his stewardship and assessment of Chief Osoba’s administration, while projecting into Prince Dapo Abiodun’s administration.

 

Evang. Samuel Durojaiye

You were the Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State from 1999 to 2003. After your exit from office, you’ve been out of public glare.  What is responsible for this?

Before I became a commissioner, you could hardly see me projecting an outward image because I’ve always been a private person. I had a business before I became a commissioner, and after leaving office I went back to my private business and kept a low profile.

Tell us precisely what you’ve been doing since then to keep you going

I’ve been quite busy. Apart from being a Director of Pilot Finance Ltd, I’m also a Director of two other companies. I’ve also been busy with our professional institutes; I’m a committee member of Institute of Bankers, I used to be a committee member of Institute of Directors and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. It is not only on the political scene that one can be active.

Does it mean you’ve been very inactive when it comes to politics?

On the political front, more or less, I’ve been sitting on the sidelines, and the reason for this is very simple. In Nigeria, we play politics of winner takes it all. If you belong to the side where your political leader loses out, everybody on that side is considered to be in opposition to whoever wins election. For example, When Governor Daniel came in; those of us in the camp of Governor Osoba were treated as not to be seen.

When Governor Amosun also came in, something also similar but with a little difference of being more accommodating than Daniel regime occurred. If the group you belong to is not in control of the front seat, you can hardly find any role to play. So, the best thing is to just be on the sideline and be waiting for another opportunity.

Let’s look back at your tenure as Finance Commissioner in Ogun State. One could remember during the tail end of Osoba’s administration, that it was accused of selling government shares, which generated a lot of controversy. Would you want to re-visit that issue?

That issue was a non issue at all. It was just an attempt by Daniel’s administration to give Osoba’s regime a bad name. In the business of shareholding, shares are not bought to be kept especially those shares that are not proprietary shares. For example, you cannot go and sell OGTV or Gateway Pharmaceuticals shares without approval from the House of Assembly. But when you invest money on the stock exchange, you buy shares like Nigerian Breweries, Guinness which you are using for fund management. When you have excess cash you buy the shares, and when you don’t have money you sell the shares. 

So, the shares that were sold by our regime were quoted shares in companies that we did not have any proprietary interest. When we sold those shares, the money came into government account and was used to execute projects. Some of those shares were sold towards the end of our regime when our allocations were seized by the federal government under Chief Obasanjo. And there was need for us to look for alternative source of revenue. That was part of good fund management system.

Governor Dapo Abiodun

As a prominent cabinet member during Chief Osoba’s regime, how would you assess the performance of successive administrations vis-à-vis Osoba’s administration? 

Our administration was unique in the fact that we came up with the original plan of the then Unity Party of the progressives, developing and creating job opportunities in the hinterland, creating access into the hinterland so that farm produce can be brought out to the urban centres.

We constructed many rural roads, some of which have been abandoned or neglected for several years; we ensured that all the major towns were electrified. Our administration extended electricity to more towns than any other administration. The records are there for people to see.

Are the legacies of Chief Osoba’s administration still enduring?

I can assure you that they are still enduring. But the issue in Nigerian politics is that, when one administration takes over from its predecessor, the tendency is to destroy whatever legacy that was put in place. The roads we constructed are still there. Look at the Siun-Ogere-Babcock road which is still very solid, most of the towns that we electrified are still enjoying electricity including my village. The transformers that were provided for several villages during the commissioning of electrification projects are still there functioning till today.

So, the legacies are still there, but what we failed to do was not publicizing our performance. We should have given adequate publicity to our performance and achievements in office. Some of the schools we also renovated are still there.

Tell us some of the highpoints of your tenure as Finance Commissioner

Very good. We commenced the computerization of the public service in Ogun State. In fact, the computer centre which Daniel finally declared open was started by the Osoba’s administration. We commenced the introduction of what is now called Treasury Single Account (TSA).

It was during our regime that we said all government funds must go into government account, no more cash receipt. It must be direct lodgment for all government receipts. It was during our regime that we stopped payment of salary in cash; we insisted that all workers must open bank accounts. So, what is being celebrated today as TSA started from Ogun State.

What were some of the decisions you took as Finance Commissioner which if you have the opportunity you would do again or reverse?

I will say that most of the decisions we took in the finance ministry were decisions structured along the entire governance of the state. The finance ministry was not an arm of its own, it was part of government, and all the things that I’ve told you about creation of employment, direct payment of government receipts into banks and payment of salaries into banks were all parts of decisions we took in the best interest of the state.

Are you still very active in the politics of Ogun State today?

It depends on what you mean as being active, but I’m still a player.

Now we have a new governor in Ogun State. How would you describe the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun as the governor and the politics that surrounded it?

I will say that the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun as the governor is God ordained. He came out at the right time and aligned himself with the right people. That is why I said it is God ordained. 

If you see the hullaballoo that was created from the time he showed interest, you will see that the hand of God was upon every phase of the entire process; right through the primaries and thereafter, you would discover that attempts were made to frustrate his emergence, but because it had the imprint of God’s finger on it, that made it to be divine. 

So, nobody can come out and say he was the architect, though; no doubt God used people like Chief Osoba, Prof. Osinbajo, Oshiomhole as instruments to bring him into office.

Former Governor Amosun did not support the candidacy of Prince Dapo Abiodun. What effect would this have on the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun as the governor of Ogun State?

For decades, Amosun and Dapo Abiodun have been friends and an outsider like me cannot really know what transpired or what is currently going on between them. So, I would not know what role Amosun is going to play in the installation of his successor. But I know that the hand over will be smooth and done on a friendly and peaceful note. I don’t foresee any problem.

Do you see Dapo Abiodun continuing on the projects that will be left behind by Amosun’s administration?

I know that Dapo Abiodun will continue to do those things that are good and beneficial to Ogun State. So, if there are certain things that have been done and beneficial to the people of Ogun State, he would surely tow that line. The hallmark of a good government is to see to the welfare and happiness of your people. If there are actions and processes that have been targeted to make Ogun State a better place, I’m sure he will continue with that.

What should the people of Ogun State expect from the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun?

They should expect good governance. Dapo Abiodun has been saying at every opportunity he had to speak that he will repay the people of Ogun State with good governance, execute projects on the basis of fairness and equity, and run an all inclusive government.