Oyo 2019: Between politicians and technocrats
By As the 2019 elections draw near, different types of people have been signifying their intention to govern Oyo State come 2019 and beyond.
This is not limited to governorship slot; it also includes other elective positions such as the Senate, House Representatives and State House of Assembly.
Among those who are aspiring to govern the state are those termed technocrats just as we have politicians.
Oyo State is an agrarian state except Ibadan and few big towns where we have pockets of import substitution industrialization, agro-allied and small scale industries.
Also noteworthy is the fact that it is a civil service state. In this wise, the economy of the state is buoyant when civil servants are paid as at when due.
A technocrat is someone who is exercising governmental authority because of their knowledge or a member of a powerful technical elite or someone who advocates supremacy of technical experts while a politician is a person active in politics or a person holding or seeking office in government.
A technocrat is elitist and can be a member of political party or not. He is often invited or sponsored because of his expertise that may help a state, but at the end of the day may bring disaster to the state because of his elitist disposition.
A politician, on the other hand, is a party man who rises through the rank to the position of authority in the party or government.
He could also be a technocrat or not but is familiar with the socio-economic terrain of the state.
Going down memory lane, among the present and past leaders of the state, politician or technocrat, how did people fare during their time?
From my personal view, the periods of politicians are far more prosperous for the state than the periods of technocrats.
Going by the above mentioned features of technocrat, he is elitist and capitalist inclined. This would no doubt influence his policies and actions.
In this wise, priority will be given to urban development over rural integration. Welfarist policies would be relegated to the background; there is possibility of leaders assuming absolute power in the state.
Not only that, little attention is given to the welfare of the party and its members who form the support base of the government because the technocrat is usually an impostor.
Without being immodest, politicians in government are most often the opposite of technocrats in that they rise through the rank, know where the shoe pinches and seek the welfare of the people and listen to their agitations.
This is because after leaving power, they would continue to live with the masses unlike the technocrats who fly away after leaving power.
Having experienced the period of these set of leaders, Oyo has a choice to be make as election approaches among politicians seeking political offices and technocrats eyeing same.
My position is that people should watch out for such people because they have financial muscle to bamboozle their way.
However, at the end of the day, they would leave the state and her people worst than they meet the state.
Adewuyi Adegbite
ayekooto05@gmail.com
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