THE LUCKY MAN
Honestly speaking, a lot have been said, I don’t see the need to disipate time in adding anything to the plethora of accolades and encomiums that have been pouring on our amiable governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on his achievements so far and more importantly the recorded victory in the just concluded primary election.
However, one can easily acknowledge the hand of God in his emergence. His political trajectory can be akined to that of the biblical Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, whose brothers did everything to impede his dream. And also, the similarity can be drawn from the political perseverance and determination of that South African legend, Nelson Mandela, whose’ long walk to freedom revolved around struggle to challenge the oppressive systems, relentless pursuit of freedom, justice, and equality of his people.
What actually happened in Ondo state in recent time is enough for any unapologetic atheist to believe in divine arrangement. The battle was so fierce, both from within and outside. And many of us who fought along with him did so on principle of ‘injustice to one is injustice to all’. Ondo state people are so enlightened to allow such barbarity from a few unscrupulous politicians to succeed. From impeachment to the acting governor, from acting governor to the governor. And now the party candidate for the November Gubernatorial election.
Those who were against him then have now seen the light, joining him in droves and more are still coming to move the state forward.
Hallelujah! But the fear among the democrats is how the trend would not turn the state to one party state with the manner opposition is porting; into Aiyedatiwa’s camp.
Of course, it’s normal with human nature to be ambitious. What’s good is not meant for one person. But to assume that the seat is an exclusive right of certain privileged individuals, perhaps based on their long years in the political arena is what should be frowned at.
Understandably, some aspirants might have set their minds on the seat since the inception of this dispensation, nurturing and spreading their tentacle across the state in anticipation. To grab the office whenever the opportunity arises when the present Governor was still busy doing his business in Lagos. No wonder, he was underestimated and tagged as alien in the state politics.
His voyage into murky water of politics was dramatic. He came with the mindset to render assistance to his deprived people in Ilaje who live on the waters but have no water to drink. The terrain is so devastating with the incensant sea incursion and poverty walking across the creeks on fours.
His contributions were not felt among the people, those he met on ground were only interested in using his resources to entrench their political hegemony in the area. After much more political rigmarole, he decided to chart his own course, pitched his tent with the progressive ACN and became a major financier of Team Aketi in the southern senatorial district. He never looked back or jumped from one party to another as some politicians do.
The first time his name appeared on the ballot box was in 2015 House of Representative Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal constituency election. Though he lost the election(no thanks to the rigging machine of the PDP) but bounced back with his appointment as the commissioner representing Ondo state on the board of NDDC. He was thereafter nominated as deputy governor to Aketi in his second term.
It is God that crowns kings, no one can crown himself.
We read in the Bible how God made Saul a king when the people of Israel rejected Samuel, the prophet in place of King like other countries around them then. Suddenly, when Saul started hallucinating, having consultation with marabouts (like many of our nowadays politicians do) for a man who have been hearing directly from God, he was rejected and replaced with David, the man after God’s heart. Take note that David was not even initially considered among other Jesse’s sons, he was brought from the jungle where he tendered sheep. They had no choice than to stand for his arrival. That’s how God works in men affairs.
Don’t mind me for being biblical here. Yes, there’s power in the tongue and the name one bears has a lot to do with one’s fate in life. Unlike Shakespeare’s Romeo ‘ what’s in a name that a rose by any other name might smell as sweet. But in our clan, in Yoruba land, a name has great significance. A name most times defines the man’s character and his destiny.
I doubt if any mortar ever envisaged in some years back that the politics of Ondo state would or could this way turned out, and a man without the so called structure and political experience is now presiding the affair of Sunshine state as governor.
Gov. Orimisan Aiyedatiwa is indeed a lucky man. The prayers in everyone’s lip is for the luck to translate to aboundance of life for the people. I don’t need to go into the details of the humongous problems begging for solution in our society today, even an unborn baby feels the effect of these three principalities; CORRUPTION, POVERTY and INSECURITY. And for these monsters to be effectively tackled, priority and focus must be on government activities at the local level.
May God help him to succeed.
God has really blessed our governor in all ramifications. I don’t see any reason why he would go in the way of his predecessor in primitive acquisition of properties and money all over the places at the detriment of the people’s welfare and well-being as we experienced in the past seven years in the state. He can follow the foot steps of Pa Ajasin of blessed memory and write his name in gold. The legacy he can bequeath the generation is to change the narrative of ‘business as usual’. Good governance is still possible in Ondo State. The state is now his for the next four-plus years to govern well and turn around for good.
Falarungbon Fisayo Williams @newsflo.ng
Kalesanwa
