My background in public administration gives me edge over other contestants —Eniade

WALE AKINSELURE spoke with the former Head of Service of Oyo State, Mr Soji Eniade, after the recent declaration of his intention to vie for the 2019 governorship ticket of the party at the Oyo State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Excerpts:

Today, you declared your intention to run for the office of governor of Oyo State, what are your cardinal reasons for the declaration?

I am a product of the public sector for 35 years and I believe strongly that it is a terrain I am familiar with. The economy is equally divided into the public and private sector. But, over the years, we have the private sector participants who are actually crossing over to assume responsibility of governance and leadership of the public sector. Being a product of the public sector, I should be able to continue from where I stopped as public servant to cross over to leadership position. The public sector could be broadly divided into two, in terms of participation; we have the key public servants and the political leadership. So, I am moving from a position of a public servant to the position of political leadership. So, it is a familiar terrain. There is a difference between politics, government and governance. Politics is the political activities of all parties then whichever party that wins the election forms the government, and having formed the government, the activities of governance begin. Some people might be good in politics, might form government but are lacking in governance. That is why I feel I have a role to play, hence the declaration of my ambition.

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You only recently went to your ward to register as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before your visit to the party secretariat to declare your governorship ambition. Apparently, you are a new entrant into politics of the state, yet you eye the governorship seat, which demands the highest politicking. Don’t you think your chances are slim?

I don’t think so. I might be a new entrant into politics but not into governance. I started according to the dictates of the party by being registered at Ward 12, Ibadan North East Local Government, where I belong, then to my local government and then to the state, where I made my intention known. Like I said, there is a correlation between politics, government and governance. I have been part of governance for almost 35 years since I joined the civil service. I have been at the top level of governance in the state since 2009. I have been a member of the state executive council since 2004 up till date. So, I am not a greenhorn in politics, but definitely not in governance. The ultimate of politics is governance.

So, what is your political base?

I have been a public servant for 35 years. The public service in Oyo state is a large entity, an institution. I compare this with our days in the secondary school such that as you progress from form 1 to form 2, you have seniors and juniors; hence you come across different people. So, I have had the opportunity of meeting with almost 35 generations of civil servants. Some of them are now pensioners, others are still in the service, so I have that as my strength. Besides, I am a member of the public; I was brought and bred here in the United States of Ibadan. I have operated within the system since I was born. I have never left the terrain. Some might say that my connection is mostly within the public service, but I also have relations, friends outside the public service.

To get the APC ticket, you may be contesting against the likes of former governor Adebayo Alao Akala; former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Bayo Adelabu; and Barrister Niyi Akintola, SAN. What edge do you think you have over this calibre of aspirants?

Former governor Alao Akala is my father and someone I respect so much. Moreover, he made me a permanent secretary in 2009 so I know him very well and he knows me very well. Chief Alao Akala, former goernor is full of experience but I have my own advantage too. Barrister Niyi Akintola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a very sound lawyer, but is largely a private sector practitioner. Mr Bayo Adelabu is a successful banker, who recently retired from the Central Bank of Nigeria and is highly respected, but is a public servant in a restricted area. Though they have their own strengths, I am among the best to get the ticket. As an administrative officer, administrator within the public service of the state, for 35 years, I have that experience and I see that as my edge. I am within a familiar terrain. It is continuing from where I stopped as a public servant to crossing over to the position of leadership within the public sector.

Above all, the party’s decision will reign supreme. If the party chooses me to fly the flag, so be it. It is not a personal confrontation but a matter of individuals coming out to express their opinion and fly their credentials. I am a party loyalist and will support anybody who emerges flagbearer of the party. Being trained in the public service, we operate with rules and regulations, even the APC is an institution and has a constitution guiding its operations and I must abide by them. I believe if given the opportunity, I will perform excellently well. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, we don’t have the legal permission for independence candidacy so you must operate within a political party and if you want to operate within a political party, you must adhere to the rules and regulations of the party.

Politicians do come up with an agenda, some five-point, others 7-point, what would be the focus of your governance, if you succeed in your ambition?

The public sector is an agglomeration of sectors. Hence, one sector, if not well treated, may affect the other sector. For example, if you focus too much on education and not on health, the education of students will be affected. For example, there will be absenteeism and may lead to dropout. The time that parents will take to take care of their children’s health would be taken out the time that should be spent in school. The focus of my programme is encapsulated in the acronym, SWIFT. SWIFT means socioeconomic development, Women and Girl-Child Empowerment, Industrial through infrastructural development, future generation, technology and creative industry development. The first “S” which is socioeconomic development is the bedrock of development. Bill Gates was in Nigeria sometime ago and said that if we continue building infrastructures without building the people, who will maintain those infrastructures; who will ensure its sustainability, continuity. What this means is that there should be focus on infrastructural development but at the same time not lose touch of human capital development. The people must be well fed; we must also not lose sight of the people, agriculture, youth employment. Oyo economy is public service driven and anytime salaries of workers are not paid, you see people crying, agitating; those in the informal sector will feel it. An average hairdresser, an average barber will feel it whereas if the economy is private sector driven, it will balance up. In Nigeria, at large, the private sector is not well on ground and that is what Governor Abiola Ajimobi is trying to do in Oyo State with focus on industrialization to attract investors in Oyo state and there has been some remarkable changes in the economy of Oyo state.

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