Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu was a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State before his recent defection to the Labour Party. A former member of the National Assembly, he was also a commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission in the Gbenga Daniel administration. Ladi spoke with journalists in his home at Iperu in Remo-North local government on the affairs of the Ibikunle Amosun administration. Excerpts:
How do you assess the government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun in the past two years?
It seems the ability to do good government is now totally lacking. The ideas are just not there. Even, the small enterprises are being choked, the enabling environment is being choked despite the fact that hundreds of companies were attracted to Ogun State as a choice location for investment, this was done by the last administration and now this government is acquiring taxes from those concerns but they don't even have the foresight to expand this programme.
What is the way forward sir?
Ogun State is in a serious dilemma and if we don't arrest this, it is going to get worse. The Labour Party, I can assure you, is the only way forward to sort out this perpetual issue of youth unemployment and worker discontent and I can tell you, it is the only vehicle that can take Nigeria out of an impending disaster. If concern of those who strived to exist is not taken into consideration, I'm sorry we are in a deep mess. That is why it is so easy to contrast with what the present government is doing. For the first time, the local government workers went on strike.
What is your reaction to the response by the state government to your allegation of a N200 billion debt profile?
For the first time in two years, the ACN government felt the necessity to actually respond and we were promised that by the following Friday, the State Commissioner for Finance would respond to allegations. But to my surprise, till date, that allegation has not been addressed. Rather, it's been stories of fake loans they were telling us.
What are fake loans?
We have records of the years preceding this government. No bond was taken! No bond; underlined, because the mantra this present ACN government had then was "bond is bondage". But this government now, despite that mantra, has received various bonds and incurred various debts. What they have just simply done is wish-washy.They've not answered yes or no. they should, as a responsible government, be able to tell us that after two years, we don't owe N200 billion, we owe N1 billion or N5 billion. They've said nothing. But with the Freedom of Information Act, they will talk or go to jail.
What is your assessment of the administration efforts in the area of security given that some say the government has done well?
Do you know for a fact that it was during Amosun's tenure that for the first time in the history of Ogun State, banks actually refused to work because of bad security situation? Then, they would say. They are now back at work with the purchase of Armoured Personnel Carriers. The APCs cost stupendous amount.
Your approach to politics seems to be a resemblance of the slain governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress Otunba Dipo Dina; do you think you can do it sir?
Don't see Dipo Dina in me; see Ladi Adebutu (laughs). I'll tell you something: Dipo Dina may his soul rest in peace, was a good man. He had a good heart and it is a pity that he had to pay with his life. But the truth of the matter is that when these things happen, we feel bad. The problem is not Dipo Dina's problem; any lucky one here will stay till 100 years and we are still going anyway. But we are going to spend more, thousand times more, wherever we are going and we'll give account of our jobs.
What difference does Labour Party hope to make in the governance of the state?
By the very nature of the Labour Party, it is a party of compassion for the average man. It is a party that has to work.
The culture of work for profit is understood, that is a fundamental tenet of the labour movement; value for work done. On a wider scope, the personalities involved in the labour movement today are people that have aptitude, that actually know what they are doing, they have come from various sections of the community to form a united front to save our state. Aptitude, ability to reason before actions are done is a very intrinsic part of government.
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