Akokostars’s Blog

Among all the political appointees in Gov. Mimiko’s administration one man  whose appointment has been regarded as  being a around peg in a round hole  is   SEHINDE OMOKOBA a Part-Time Board member of the Ondo State Rediovision Corporation [OSRC] is a man of immense knowledge and integrity. A man who rarely grant interview open up to GOKE OLUWOLE  Editor Sunshine Daily Watch[SDW] about  his life in retirement, the appointment and his expectation from Gov.Mimiko’s administration. Excerpt… 

You are a journalist and rose to the level of a Senior Manager and Director before you left, now as a board member with the same OSRC a Parastatal  you served meritoriously. Is it the same OSRC you left that you met now?

You can expect it to be the same after what the last administration did to every fabric of our society.It can not be the same, that as the Director of News and Current affairs, while there professionalism was my watchword, when we are talking of journalist then, we are  talking of courage and truth, no matter the situation you must be bold at all times,truth may not be possible only in matter of sovereignty,but as a media empire we must be constant and truth is the constant thing to me then.

OSRC has gone through a lot of metamorphosis the problem is not  about the OSRC as entity, I see a lot of staffers reporting themselves, a situation a level ten[10] officer will be reporting a Director so that when eventually the director is removed he would be scheming to be the replacement, there you see a lot   blackmailing and sycophancy was the business of the day, they all played themselves into the hand of politicians. In OSRC today, we have professionals at the helm of affairs  and that is what they place need they need a boss, a team leader, a motivator  who can coordinate and give them courage , the power they   will not have any other alternative than to progress and deliver, the problem is not staff per se , but leadership, because OSRC then is a  micro Nigeria

When you where appointed was it the same expectation you have that  you met resumed

In the first instance, I was not elated; first because I was  giving a part time appointment because I will have loved a situation where I will be more involved in the day to day running of the affairs of any where   I have to work, and secondly,  because   where I was rubbish out of the place. But I was not expecting to be compensated with a higher responsibility whom much is given, much is expected. That is my philosophy about life. However, on a second thought out of the multitude, Gov. Mimiko  out of his kindness single me out to be appointed it is a great and a rare opportunity, and   I am believing  I need to do my very best to justify my appointment. I want to pledge never to  betray the confidence the governor reposed in me, the position is  for us to do our best to the best of our ability in the cause of our duty there.

Many were not too comfortable about some board composition, but as a professional how will you describe the composition of the board of OSRC vis a vis other boards?

 When you look at the board, it is a made up of professional with intimidating and credible curriculum vitae. The chairman is a successful professional.Chief Sanya Oyinsan, who retired as Managing Director [MD] Federal Radio Corporation [FRSC] of Nigeria,Ibadan,Mr. Banji Kuroloja was Former Editor of the Nigerian Tribune during the turbulent military era, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Bamidele Olumilua, the old Ondo State,once Chairman of hope Newspaper and serving a second term on the board of OSRC, beside myself is  another professional, Apostle. Agitan former Chief of Ese Odo LGA has both administrative and political experience when you add all together,we are one of the most formidable under the present administration. But I will also say that to be a successful administrator you need to be dedicated to your duty so what we need now in the state is for those  appointed to be sincere in their duty and loyal to the government of the day. Let those who are saying that point to anybody appointed that is not qualify  and I will point to hundred past un-qualified appointees in this state that were once celebrated    

How were your board  able to repackage the OSRC  despite all the  bad perception the public has about it as an effect of the political influence on the corporation by the last regime?

In OSRC today, what we did is adapt a Yoruba philosophy that “Ojo kan ko lan bo omo to run” meaning you don’t nurture a malnutrition baby same, so what we did to OSRC s an entity that has gone through a turbulent torture road in the hand of the best regime, even if you bring Jesus Christ or Mohammed now, or the best of administrator to the palce now,if he is not careful  he may be consumed  by the politics what we do is to repose confidence on the staffs and the public, that OSRC must be,no need of godfatherism,giving all the staff a level playing ground, changing their perception that you don’t need to know the board chairman, DG, Akinrele,Mimiko to succeed in then place,we give the people the best for their money,letting them know that we will not be biased with our reports, afterall  we are spending the tax payers money so we need to be accountable to the people and the government.

What were you doing after you left OSRC and before this present Political Appointment?

Immediately I lest the services of OSRC  as retiree I went into private business, I established a media outfit which still exist and doing well up till am talking to you, we are into media relations, We are also into private broadcasting packaging programmes like documentary, soaps, and running both video and audio studio. And in all I was also very busy as a mentor to a lot of young men whom I create opportunities for to be encouraged to pick career in journalism and I have even been motivating many already in media about how to rediscover and developed themselves.And that was why it was easy for me to statrt politics as I joined the progressive as one of Ppap Adefarati’s Apostle till unpalatable political climate in the state led to a coalition that  made us  midwife the present Labour Party[lp] and that is what gave the state the Mimiko’s administatrrtion.

In Ondo State today, there is political bickering about the slow pace of development by the present administration, what is your take on the this?

You can not blame the people in the having been lost in the political wilderness for so long the expectation has been so high, our people are too expectant. They want the immediate benefit,the dividends of democracy what the government is doing is to look back at the past to prepare for the future. Mimiko is not only looking at those who are     carrying Labour Party [LP] banner during campaign but to look at all the deficits and the urban neglect in just few months, he has done a lot, consolidating, he has been receiving visitors using his goodwill to attract a lot of investors and entrepreneurs, technocrats, he was done a lot in area of health. Don’t forget the state is a civil servant state all allocation always flitter to some individual pocket who re not having to do anything that will directly affected our economy, what am saying is that we are living in an economic valley all people here are civil servant not many are entrepreneurs, how many industry do we have do we have from chalk, pencil, some food to household are imported to the state, so all these drain out allocation. The people are right to grumble.They have the right to go asking for possibilities is not an offence  new an offence but the man at the driver seat Dr Segun Mimiko, is capable, tested and trusted, a highly focused individual leading a team heading for success. The government is  in a better position to look at both sides, they are only trying to weight the options before embarking on the needs, do research, an in-depth visibility studies, the present government is not interested in abandon projects, most of this project are political motivated and wrongly cited to pacify some political godfather with the last administration.

This administration has cardinal projects which one so far would you give your AAA rated and why

The time is too short to apportion marks, but since health is wealth, this man knows that poverty is on the throne worldwide not only in Ondo State and that is why you see him working assiduously to detached the families from the clutches of poverty, every family in this state is important to Gov. Mimiko, the free health ages 1-5 from pregnancy (mother and child) and the aged after 70 years are also benefiting the middle class are the highest beneficiary of Mimiko’s largesse’s. Also the issue of eradication of poverty is ask paramount to the government creating jobs are all my best rating for this government. He is now consolidating on infrastructures, he need to complement on information and publicity all these are being looked into. Both OSRC and Hope Newspapers are up to the task to disseminate prompt information to the people one is to have a plan, executing is another but for the target publics to appreciate it, there is urgent need to be carried along. The re-establishment and expansion of community viewing Centers for the people in the hinterlands, the rural and urban centres are having equal ratio of energy, the people should be encouraged to view the world it is all about globalization. Instead of retiring to  his bedroom procreating more babies, they need to have  enlightened on what is going on globally and have a better understanding of the governance since there is how to come for the once already available.

The last Akure By-election was believed to be free and fair, why in certain quarters like the Action Congress [AC] and the Peoples Democratic Party[PDP] condemning  it as a ruse,and full of fraud, what is your judgment  on the poll?

What is good for the gander is also good for the goose, whatever that has happen is a repeat of occurrence when we were not satisfy with result of the guber election, we went to court now, If they are dissatisfied, let the aggrieved go to court, that is my own candid advise to PDP or AC as they call themselves for now.

 As an Akokoman in Mimikos government, what are your feeling on the appointment  would you say that your people has a far share of the action?

To be candid, when you look at the whole scenario, the Party Chairman is from  Akoko, Deputy Governor is from Akoko, we have five Commissioners,some Permannet Secretaries[PS] and as a Political Oliver Twist,if possible, I advocate  that every household in Akokoland should be rewarded in this  government, with some political appointments  but  taken a into consideration some  of  the past political exigencies I will say in all Gov.Mimiko has tried and has been fair in the sharing formula for now.

The Akoko political climate  is  systematically gathering momentum like other areas in preparation for the  rumpus moment with the political aspirants   taken the center stage,among your Akoko kingsmen  what type of Chairmen,Lawmaker and Councilor  must they vote for ?

I have this philosophy first to be yourself.An Olympian recruitment  says you have to be self prepared and ready an Akoko people cannot be different, Akoko is just the land mass of people who have different and divergence view and opinion, they need  someone who is selfless, transparent,the people had long been neglected in area of social infrastructures for decades  Owara Water Works has been the only source of pipe borne water supply  other sources of water must be sought everywhere.We need a man  who is ready to   replicate  what ,  makes the other cities   better, though that is an utopian  thought it is not easily achievable we are products of sticking society. Akoko should not be expecting so much from the appointees and political offence holders,everybody must first be the best of himself as an Akokoman before they could expect so much from the aspirants not the man will victimized so much that he will have to steal from the office. You see Akokoland is a place that is highly abandon by successive regimes the place has the worst road network across the nation.With the undulating geographical nature of our towns a very hilly land the towns need leaders who are capable or harnessing all the resources together,let vote for men with pedigree not a men who will throw the masses back to servitude,we shold vote for the party with human face ideology like Labour Party not party with leaders who are men with questionable characters,or a party with leaders who are biro robbers and fraudulent individual with dirty track records.

There is another clamour by some political elements from Akokoland and the Owos from the Ondo North Senatorial District already  agitating for who must get what in 20011 and who must occupied Alagbaka come 20013,what is your take on this ?

Personally, everyone is free, every body has the right  agitate and the  entitlement to their own political opinion. They are all at liberty to agitate nothing is wrong being ambitious but over ambitious is a bad thing, it si still too early to start agitation on who get what the one we have on the ground let nurture it to stardom,Lert me advise my people here the Akoko people must be watchful of those who are leading these crusdes are they champioming these courses for their own personal aggardiasement or they are using this as a smoke screen to cause disaffection among the peace loving Akokos.We understand some reactionary elements are trying to disintegrate Akokoland because of their political failure when time comes we are going to unmask and disgrace them ,we are warning them now to hence forth desist from this or any act tantamount to cause disaffection among the people. Every sincere Akokoman knows that Akokoland is Mimiko’s second political home and we know a lot are envious of this he accept every Akokoman as his brother not minding their political affiliation he is man loved and revered by Akoko masses and he has not fail to show this either in action or in words.

What do u think must be done to unite Akokoland instead of every dick and harry speaking discussant times?

We should go back to the basis, we should do away with unpleasant past history and talks. These unpalatable talks made some to belong to the school of thought that some are born to rule while they see some as born to serve  them,we must be united to be our brothers keeper an indivisible community. Only God knows what he was doing to have planted  us together under the harsh realities of todays world,we have to come together as a united entity to be able to win every of our Challenges be it Socio-economic,educational,political or religious.