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| Hon. Akinmade during the interview |
Honourable Kayode Akinmade is a media strategist and consultant. He served as the commissioner for information in Ondo State for about six years under the administration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko. In this interview with some Online Media Editors from Ojuasha.com and RichieNews.com recently at his residence in Akure, the state capital, the one-time political editor with the Nigerian Tribune spoke on a wide range of issues, from life after office, to national issues, the 2019 general elections and his aspiration to represent the people of Idanre/Ifedore Federal constituency at the House Representatives in the coming election. Excerpt.
It's been over a year now that you have been outside government. How does it look like?
Life has been so good. I just need to thank the almighty God for the wonderful opportunity He has given me to serve as a commissioner in Ondo state. I thank God for the modest achievements we were able to record when we were there. And thank God for where He is still taking us. We are still young, we are just starting. And as you can see, we are more relaxed this time around. The tension is gone and we are more focused; focus on my primary assignment as a media consultant. I'm attending to so many briefs, and I have the opportunity of attending to my family needs.
For close to about six years that I served as commissioner in Ondo state, it isn't a bed of roses. I faced some challenges, my family suffered because most time I wasn't there for them. But this has given me the ample time to also relax and play with my children and my wife.
As political activities are gathering momentum, what should be the role of the media.
For close to about six years that I served as commissioner in Ondo state, it isn't a bed of roses. I faced some challenges, my family suffered because most time I wasn't there for them. But this has given me the ample time to also relax and play with my children and my wife.
As political activities are gathering momentum, what should be the role of the media.
The media practitioners should be unbiased umpire. They should be able to give analysis that will project the future. What we are doing as journalists is that we are writing history. We must be able to capture history appropriately because Nigeria belongs to everyone of us. And we must try as much as possible to advise politicians to shun violence. We must try as much as possible to ask politicians to come out and sell their agenda. If you are aspiring for a particular position, there is the need for journalists to know your pedigree and what you are bringing to the table is also very important.
I'm happy to tell you that at least most journalists in Nigeria are doing a yeoman's job. They are working to promote the integrity, the oneness of Nigeria and they will not hesitate to condemn any government that they know that is not doing the right thing, constructive criticism. I also want to thank the emergence of social media. Social media has been able to bring news, information to the nooks and crannies of the country within a second. They have also created some level of consciousness among the players, I mean the politicians that whatever you do, history is there to judge you either rightly or wrongly.
Are you saying social media has pushes the journalism profession forward?
Yea. The social media has been one of the major communication vehicles and because of the promptness. You know as a broadcast journalist, you have to go to office to process your story and you have to do the editing to ensure that you follow the ethics and the rules of your media organization. So also print media. But the emergence of social media at least it comes our raw unsuited. But I want to advise the practitioners to put some level of decorum, ethics to play so that quality information will be in place for people to share and enjoy.
We have observed that very close to general elections, we always have stories of abductions. You remember the story of Chibok girls and now we are having Dapchi girls. What's your observation about this?
It's a very sad story! And more importantly, it's a national disaster, national embarrassment, national disgrace. Where we have the executive, legislature and the judiciary to pilot the affairs of the country and we are having this type of story; it's not saying good thing about we Nigerians. And it's also talking good about our inefficiency and inadequacy in our security apparatus. How can you imagine barely one year to elections in 2012, we had the story of Chibok girls and now another disaster. It's an embarrassment to the country. That's why I'm one of the advocates of restructuring. Take for instance, the state governor claimed that the military, the normal roadblock that they was in that community was removed barely 24 hours before those people struck. It's also talk about conspiracy theory which I believed the way our security apparatus is clue now may not be able to unravel some of these things.
Some people have even turned it to merchandise, an avenue for people to make money. People are making several millions of dollars from ransom being paid to all these hoodlums and terrorists. We need to restructure Nigeria for us to have better security. I'm also using this opportunity to call on Nigerians to embrace the advocates of state police. If the state governor is the chief security officer of a state and discovers that the military have left their duty post, he can with the little resources at his disposal move security to that place. But the state governors have no control over the commissioner of police, they have no control over the military; still like a unitary system. It's unfortunate. And if truly we want to practice federalism, let's us practice federalism. What we are practising now in Nigeria, I don't know if it's pseudo unitary system of government or federalism. It's rather unfortunate.
Some People are even introducing political colouration to it. Do you subscribe to the school of thought?
Well, there is no way you can divorce politics from this. Some people took advantage of the Chibok girls issue to also bring president Goodluck Jonathan government down. People complained that Jonathan’s system was slow and he was claiming that the security reports at his disposal indicates that some people were behind the malady, that they were trying to do that to ensure that they bring disrepute to his government. And those people were able to achieve that. So if people are adducing politics to this, I won't say what they are not correct.
But you won't say it has political undertone?
Well, I'm not there. I'm not in Yobe. I'm not in Borno. But the statement the governor made that he was surprised that the military had to abandon the so-called roadblock barely 24 hours before those girls were kidnapped. Why should the military leave the roadblock at that point in time? They claimed that they saw the police, and since the police were there, they had to leave to go and man some other sensitive areas. The police came out that no, they were not given instruction to man that place. So you should know that there is something fishy.
Other issue that is also giving Nigerians headache is the issue of herdsmen and farmers. And take a look at what's happening in Benue, just recently they killed about 100 people. What's your take on this?
It's a big tragedy. It shows the level of inhumanity in us. A situation where we allow several hundreds of people to be maimed down like goats or like animals, it's unfortunate. It's unacceptable in our country. A situation where we value cows more than human being, it's unfortunate. And I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the federal government to take decisive actions. The present administration is elected to protect all Nigerians. It was not elected to protect cows or herdsmen.
The life of an average Nigerian is important to us. We don't know what God has deposited in the lives of those people that were killed. We don't know what God has ordained for them to do to bring transformation to Nigeria. That's why in America, American government will protect any of its citizens irrespective of where that person is talkless of killing hundreds of people as a result of clash between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers. The farmers have their right to plant their crops so that they can also sell and make profit.
Those people who are involving in cattle rearing are also into profit making. So Why should you use your own means of income to undermine and destroy mine? There is need for the government to take appropriate action in that regard. And the issue of ranching is also important. Government should encourage these herdsmen to go into ranching. I'm not of the opinion that government should do ranches for them because that's their own means of livelihood. I'm a journalist now, will I want government to provide office for me? Will I want government to provide all the materials I need to practice my profession for me? That's their profession. They should also provide ranches that will mitigate all these tragedies.
Election is just nine, ten months away. And as a politician, you know some people are moving from one political party to another. It's also rumoured that your principal, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has also moved to SDP. How will you react to this?
You said it's a rumour. It's on the realm of rumour. Rumour will always be rumour. People will talk and everything, as far as Dr Mimiko is concerned as at today, he's still in PDP. He's not moved to SDP. Those who are peddling that rumour are just rumour mongers, just like you said. There is no iota of truth in that. What is permanent is change. People change from time to time. So seen people moving from one party to the other. Some people may have some interests to protect, and they believe that their interest could be met in a particular political party. But as far as we are concerned, we are is still bona-fide members of PDP. And God willing come 2019, our party will come back to power in Nigeria."
We know that some bigwigs have also moved. Don't you think this will also affect the chances of your party during the 2019 general elections?
I don't know people you refer to as bigwigs. But what I can tell you is that even within the major political parties in Nigeria today, people are moving from one camp to another. Is not peculiar to PDP alone. Some people are moving out of APC. Even there are some people are within the APC and they are creating crisis everyday. If you look at what is happening at the National Assembly, the senate president is an APC member, Dogara is an APC member; even the president of the country is an APC member; and very unfortunate that there have not been very smooth relationship among these political personnel that are in the legislative and the judiciary. So are we now saying that because there are crises within the party, that the party will not move forward? So also some people who are aggrieved that they want to move to other party. But at the end of the day, the will of the people will prevail.
Lets go to what's going to happen in Idanre/Ifedore where exactly you are showing interest. What are your chances?
Well, as you know power belongs to God. I indicate interest to contest base on certain premises as paradigm. I was fortunate to have served at the National Assembly as special adviser on media and strategy to the then speaker of House of Reps. There and then, I have been able to understudy and understand some of the things they are doing there. I can tell you without mincing words in Ondo state that we had not had it so good at the National Assembly in terms of representation. I'm talking with all sense of modesty. An average northerner will send their best 11 to the National Assembly. They don't send people without mission, they send people that can deliver.
Election is just nine, ten months away. And as a politician, you know some people are moving from one political party to another. It's also rumoured that your principal, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has also moved to SDP. How will you react to this?
You said it's a rumour. It's on the realm of rumour. Rumour will always be rumour. People will talk and everything, as far as Dr Mimiko is concerned as at today, he's still in PDP. He's not moved to SDP. Those who are peddling that rumour are just rumour mongers, just like you said. There is no iota of truth in that. What is permanent is change. People change from time to time. So seen people moving from one party to the other. Some people may have some interests to protect, and they believe that their interest could be met in a particular political party. But as far as we are concerned, we are is still bona-fide members of PDP. And God willing come 2019, our party will come back to power in Nigeria."
We know that some bigwigs have also moved. Don't you think this will also affect the chances of your party during the 2019 general elections?
I don't know people you refer to as bigwigs. But what I can tell you is that even within the major political parties in Nigeria today, people are moving from one camp to another. Is not peculiar to PDP alone. Some people are moving out of APC. Even there are some people are within the APC and they are creating crisis everyday. If you look at what is happening at the National Assembly, the senate president is an APC member, Dogara is an APC member; even the president of the country is an APC member; and very unfortunate that there have not been very smooth relationship among these political personnel that are in the legislative and the judiciary. So are we now saying that because there are crises within the party, that the party will not move forward? So also some people who are aggrieved that they want to move to other party. But at the end of the day, the will of the people will prevail.
Lets go to what's going to happen in Idanre/Ifedore where exactly you are showing interest. What are your chances?
Well, as you know power belongs to God. I indicate interest to contest base on certain premises as paradigm. I was fortunate to have served at the National Assembly as special adviser on media and strategy to the then speaker of House of Reps. There and then, I have been able to understudy and understand some of the things they are doing there. I can tell you without mincing words in Ondo state that we had not had it so good at the National Assembly in terms of representation. I'm talking with all sense of modesty. An average northerner will send their best 11 to the National Assembly. They don't send people without mission, they send people that can deliver.
I was going through the appropriation bill for 2015, 2016 and 2017, it saddened by heart that within that three years, the only fund that came to Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency came in 2015 and that was N55 million. The N55 million was used to purchase motorcycles. They have reduced our people to okada riders. In a budget of N7 trillion, what Idanre/Ifedore could get was just N55 million. It's sad. And we have some other federal constituencies that are getting close to 40, 50, 100, 200 billion naira. How do they do that? In Idanre/Ifedore, the Federal Inland Revenue Services in a year made more than N2 billion. So what we are contributing to the federation account is far from what we are getting. Now aside funds from customs and other things, money generated from the contract in the local governments, taxes from banks, taxes on cocoa, on timber and many other is over N2 billion from the two local governments that constitute Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency. And in the last for years, what came to us was just N55 million. Its unacceptable. And that's why we want to come.
I wanted to ask you that invariably when you get the ticket of your party to run and you eventually win, what will you do differently?
Thank you very much! Anybody that wants to aspire to go to the National Assembly has four responsibilities. The first is to provide quality representation. My people should be rest assured that with me, certainly they will get quality representation. Quality representation will not come in isolation. It will come as a result of the interpersonal relationship you build for years among your colleagues where we have 360 members that you will be struggling to get their consent, so that you can bring quality things to your environment. We will take advantage of the relationship we have built in the past, and ensure that we provide quality representation to our people. That's the reason why when members want to introduce themselves at the National Assembly, at the plenary; they will say that my name is Honorable so so and so, representing the good people of so so so.
I wanted to ask you that invariably when you get the ticket of your party to run and you eventually win, what will you do differently?
Thank you very much! Anybody that wants to aspire to go to the National Assembly has four responsibilities. The first is to provide quality representation. My people should be rest assured that with me, certainly they will get quality representation. Quality representation will not come in isolation. It will come as a result of the interpersonal relationship you build for years among your colleagues where we have 360 members that you will be struggling to get their consent, so that you can bring quality things to your environment. We will take advantage of the relationship we have built in the past, and ensure that we provide quality representation to our people. That's the reason why when members want to introduce themselves at the National Assembly, at the plenary; they will say that my name is Honorable so so and so, representing the good people of so so so.
So the first thing you are to provide is quality representation. What that means is that in case any of your constituents has issues with the federal government in terms of appointment, in terms of unfair treatment; take for instance, if you are in the customs, police or any of the paramilitary organisations and suffer injustice in terms of promotion or you are downgraded, it is the duty of your representative to take it up and channel it through the appropriate committees that will look into it and ensure that justice is served. If you have been monitoring activities at the national assembly, you would have seen such things. So you must be able to provide quality representation. You must be there at all times for your people. We are going to provide quality representation.
After that, the second one is that you must also ensure that you make good laws that will cover our people. If you look at around, because of the way the federal structure is grouped you see so many quarries around. Those people operating the quarries got their licences from Abuja. They come here and begin to create ecological problems for us. After after breaking those granite, all those rocks, and when there is erosion, it will affect homes. It is the duty and responsibility of representative to ensure that laws that will protect his people are made at the National Assembly. Not only law on environmental degradation, even laws that will affect marriage, quality lives of our people. When we are there God willing, we will be able to contribute in making laws that will affect our people.
And more importantly,the third one is to ensure that you participate actively in ensuring that the money appropriated for your people really worth it. Just like I said, if Idanre/Ifedore is contributing about two billion naira in a year to the Federation account, through Federal Inland Revenue Services and what we have got in the last four years is 55 million naira. There is the need for us to ask questions. I can tell you, even in Akure federal constituency the only thing that is visible is that they have a budget of about N4.7 billion for FUTA, they have a budget of about N380 million for college of agriculture, they have about N340 for that engineering institute, N377 million for Federal Government Girls College. Outside that,even Akure federal constituency in the last three years not gotten did not get anything apart from the N55 million that was divided between Akure North and Akure South to buy motorcycles. It's unfortunate. Where are our roads? Federal government is building road in some federal constituencies. I was reading in the Newspaper of recent that Osun Government is thanking Federal Government for constructing about 7.6 billion naira worth of road in one federal constituency there. Where is our own? There is the need for us to ask question. The people that should represent us are the people to ask questions. God willing, if I have the opportunity, I will ask questions and I will get what rightly belong to our people for them. I will give them sense of belonging.
The last one is oversight functions. After you might have appropriated money, there is need for you to also follow the money. When I was at the National Assembly working with the Speaker, we developed this acronym "We must follow the money." Following the money means that you must go to all ministries and parastatals where money has been appropriated and also ask questions. Who get what? And what's the level of work done at that particular site? You must visit the site and get it done. And if the money is not spent, the money must be returned to the treasury.
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| From left: Omoba Kunle Ariyo, CEO of Ojuasa.com; Hon. Kayode Akinmade and Richard Adura-Ilesanmi, CEO of RichieNews Blog after the interview. |
After that, the second one is that you must also ensure that you make good laws that will cover our people. If you look at around, because of the way the federal structure is grouped you see so many quarries around. Those people operating the quarries got their licences from Abuja. They come here and begin to create ecological problems for us. After after breaking those granite, all those rocks, and when there is erosion, it will affect homes. It is the duty and responsibility of representative to ensure that laws that will protect his people are made at the National Assembly. Not only law on environmental degradation, even laws that will affect marriage, quality lives of our people. When we are there God willing, we will be able to contribute in making laws that will affect our people.
And more importantly,the third one is to ensure that you participate actively in ensuring that the money appropriated for your people really worth it. Just like I said, if Idanre/Ifedore is contributing about two billion naira in a year to the Federation account, through Federal Inland Revenue Services and what we have got in the last four years is 55 million naira. There is the need for us to ask questions. I can tell you, even in Akure federal constituency the only thing that is visible is that they have a budget of about N4.7 billion for FUTA, they have a budget of about N380 million for college of agriculture, they have about N340 for that engineering institute, N377 million for Federal Government Girls College. Outside that,even Akure federal constituency in the last three years not gotten did not get anything apart from the N55 million that was divided between Akure North and Akure South to buy motorcycles. It's unfortunate. Where are our roads? Federal government is building road in some federal constituencies. I was reading in the Newspaper of recent that Osun Government is thanking Federal Government for constructing about 7.6 billion naira worth of road in one federal constituency there. Where is our own? There is the need for us to ask question. The people that should represent us are the people to ask questions. God willing, if I have the opportunity, I will ask questions and I will get what rightly belong to our people for them. I will give them sense of belonging.
The last one is oversight functions. After you might have appropriated money, there is need for you to also follow the money. When I was at the National Assembly working with the Speaker, we developed this acronym "We must follow the money." Following the money means that you must go to all ministries and parastatals where money has been appropriated and also ask questions. Who get what? And what's the level of work done at that particular site? You must visit the site and get it done. And if the money is not spent, the money must be returned to the treasury.
I can tell you without mincing words, in 2007 when we were there, the National Assembly got back over N450 billion unspent fund. I don't think they have been able to get any other money since the administration of the Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole left office. Where are our unspent funds? We must ask questions. And I believe that with the knowledge and experience I have garnered, in Ondo state and the one I had in Abuja at the National Assembly and as a political editor, deputy editor with the Nigerian Tribune, I will work well for my people.
The new lexicon in our political dictionary is financial inducement, how are you going to slug it out with your opposition during the election?
Our people have seen that money has failed us. In the past, there was a syndrome, “Ibo kan o sebe”. In Ondo state, our people can now see that it is not good for us to mortgage our future. Here we must talk of issues. For instance, God help me, I am able to win my election get to the National Assembly, God can use me to attract a project of N100 billion to my federal constituency. So, if our people are only thinking of only tokenism, giving us peanut and get votes, they will not get quality representation. And it is garbage in, garbage out; if I pay you to win your vote what that means is that when I get there, the first thing is do is to recoup my money.
I want to advice us, let us bring people who want to contest, let us bring them to public glare. Let them tell us what they want to do and let's follow what they want to do. Let us follow it up. Let's ask questions! We are backward, backward because we didn't have quality people to represent us. Backward because we are playing money politics. At the National Assembly, I am advising you, don't play money politics o. You must send the best people because if you send them there, they know that the have the authority and legitimacy of their people to go there and protect their interests. Many of our people do not know when this budget is processed. As a result if that it is what they give them at the initial level.
What happen is when we get there we 'll use the instrumentality of the structure that God has helped us to build to get things for our Federal constituency, and invariably also for the people of Ondo State because Idanre/Ifedore cannot be in isolation. When we are moving forward, we will also try as much as possible to carry everybody along so that our people can be better for it.
We have 360 Federal constituencies in Nigeria and all of them have to be treated equally. A situation where some constituencies will get 500, 600bl billion yearly and some will get nothing is unacceptable. It's unjust. And we must reject that. that's what we are advocating, that's what we want to go and redress. God on our side, we will do it.
We have 360 Federal constituencies in Nigeria and all of them have to be treated equally. A situation where some constituencies will get 500, 600bl billion yearly and some will get nothing is unacceptable. It's unjust. And we must reject that. that's what we are advocating, that's what we want to go and redress. God on our side, we will do it.
Recently the re-ordered of election time table by the National Assembly and the issue of rejection of Peace Corps Bill by Mr President have set tongues wagging. What's your reaction to these?
The president by law has the right not to assent all the bills sent to him by the National Assembly. The National Assembly also has the right to also veto Mr President when they deem it fit that the bill they are passing is in the interest of the pubic. What I will advise since the party in government is also the party at the legislative chamber. The Speaker, the Senate President are from the same political party. They should find a way of resolving this thing without creating constitutional crisis for Nigeria.
The president by law has the right not to assent all the bills sent to him by the National Assembly. The National Assembly also has the right to also veto Mr President when they deem it fit that the bill they are passing is in the interest of the pubic. What I will advise since the party in government is also the party at the legislative chamber. The Speaker, the Senate President are from the same political party. They should find a way of resolving this thing without creating constitutional crisis for Nigeria.
The last question you asked on re-ordered election time table. Well, it's also the responsibility of the National Assembly to make laws for the good governance of Nigeria. What most of us are suffering from is military mentality. So we have given all the powers to the executive, and in a situation where the legislature makes law contrary to the executive desire, w now say okay, let's kill them let's so so. But we must also remind ours that anytime in the past when we have all these military interventions, the only arm of government that will be dismembered is the legislature. We have the right to allow the legislature grow in the interest of Nigeria.
The act that INEC is operating today is made by the National Assembly, and by law they are working under the constitution. They have also the right to either stager, re-order elections. What I will advise is that we should allow everything to be done in the national interest. In the past, it had happened like that. In ‘79, 83', we staggered the election. National Assembly, governorship election, presidential election. We reordered elections and nobody cried foul. So It's when you want to cheat others that you cry. If you know that you have the people around you, why do you need to make any mountain out of molehill? It doesn't matter. The National Assembly has the right to make law. That's why at times, when there is any friction between the executive and the legislature, the legislature will want to hold itself because they know that the moment they chicken out, that responsibility of making law has been taking over from them by the executive.
INEC belongs to the executive arm of government. If you want to do all those things, you bring them to National Assembly. The National Assembly members are the true representatives of the people. In the Senate, we have 109 senators who were elected from all the senatorial districts across the country. In the House of Representatives, we have 360 members that were elected from the 360 federal constituencies in Nigeria. In terms of legitimacy, they have legitimacy even more than the chairman of INEC because they are the one representing the people. The chairman of INEC was appointed by the president and cleared by the National Assembly. But the National Assembly members were elected by the people.
What is now your advice to your people at home, people of Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency?
Well, my advice to our people is, one, to pray for a new dawn. We want a new beginning. We want to change the status quo, we want to change from arm chair representative to a more vibrant and more proactive representation. And I want to assure our people that if given the opportunity, I will not let them down.
Thank you for sharing your precious time with us
Thank you very much! You are welcome.
INEC belongs to the executive arm of government. If you want to do all those things, you bring them to National Assembly. The National Assembly members are the true representatives of the people. In the Senate, we have 109 senators who were elected from all the senatorial districts across the country. In the House of Representatives, we have 360 members that were elected from the 360 federal constituencies in Nigeria. In terms of legitimacy, they have legitimacy even more than the chairman of INEC because they are the one representing the people. The chairman of INEC was appointed by the president and cleared by the National Assembly. But the National Assembly members were elected by the people.
What is now your advice to your people at home, people of Idanre/Ifedore federal constituency?
Well, my advice to our people is, one, to pray for a new dawn. We want a new beginning. We want to change the status quo, we want to change from arm chair representative to a more vibrant and more proactive representation. And I want to assure our people that if given the opportunity, I will not let them down.
Thank you for sharing your precious time with us
Thank you very much! You are welcome.
