“The wind that blows today will be felt tomorrow” – An African Wise Saying
Yesterday, the Governor of Ondo State, HE. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, announced the formation of a Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) headed by Chief Pius Akinyelure.
The council comprises notable individuals, including Baba Alli Olanusi, Prof. Robert Ajayi Boroffice, Ambassador Sola Iji, Chief Jamiu Ekungba, Dr. Awodeyi Akinsehinwa (Apata), Barr Bankole Oluwajana, General Funso Oyenehin (rtd.), Chief Bode Sunmonu, Hon. Mayowa Akinfolarin, MHR (Igwe), Dr. Ayodeji Oyedele, and Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti. Hon. Isaac’s Kekemeke was appointed as the Secretary of the Council.
According to their terms of reference, the GAC is “tasked with offering counsel and support to the governor on governance and party growth”.
While the personal achievements of the council members are undeniable, the political contributions and impact of some of the members on the their communities, the party members and the State are questionable. Many of them have been political failures, with little to show for their efforts and opportunities they have been given.
A closer look at the Council reveals that many members lack political capital and may use the Council to further their own interests. The composition of the Council also lacks political alignment or ideology, with some members driven by a desire to stay in the news without creating positive impact. This Council may become a talk shop or a rent-seeking avenue rather than a meaningful advisory body.
The Council’s composition suggests that 90% of its members are the governor’s enablers, making it more like a kitchen cabinet than a genuine advisory Council. The formation of this council appears to be a response to perceived threats to the governor’s ownership of the State’s politics, rather than a genuine attempt to provide objective advice. The evidence of this is the hoopla generated with the emergence of Support Groups in the State.
Unlike the Lagos experience, which had a different context and character, this Council seems to be designed to serve the governor’s political ends rather than provide balanced advice. The council’s composition lacks objectivity and fairness, and it may not provide the governor with the diverse perspectives needed to make informed decisions. As a corollaryto the above, Ondo State has no unified or.xharusmatic leadership that commands the type of respect or template upon which the Lagos GAC evolved. Despite the fact that the Chairman of the Council is close ally of the President and with a solid understanding of the Lagos political establishment where the idea was stolen. That is where it ends. The experience, character and capacity to helge the Lagos experience in Ondo State is missing.
In my opinion, this council is more like a “briddled hen” ( Adie Opipi). It may have feathers, but it lacks the ability to fly like a normal bird. This hen is only good at propitation for a dirty like Osanyin and not Ogun or Sango. I doubt that more than four members of the Council can provide objective and plain advice to the governor when things go wrong or when decisions need to be made for the benefit of the people.
Given the historical context, many of these Council members have, have had their times at the table but they have failed us in the past.
I hope that individuals like Baba Alli Olanusi and D.I. Kekemeke and some others will stand tall and provide objective advice without fear or favor when the time comes.
Only time will tell if my concerns are justified.
Sola Ajisafe, Esq
Lawyer, Journalist and Farmer, writes from Ward 2, Ikanmu- Oka, Akoko, Ondo State.
