By Joel Ademisoye, Ph.D., United States
Having read the brilliant, prolific and insightful piece written about the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko, titled “Dr. Olusegun Mimiko International Centre For Culture And Events: A Deserving Honour,” by Wale Obanigba, Esq., which I think it is necessary and important, to recognize, honor and celebrate the iconic governor’s achievements and contributions to the development of Ondo State and its people. This is exactly what Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has done by naming the edifice cultural center in Akure, The Dome International Centre For Culture And Events after the former Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who is well qualified and deserving, to be so honored, considering his long public service in the state for almost two decades, strong political leadership, social and economic contributions, transformation and the development of our beloved state and improving the quality of life for the Ondo people, between 2000 – 2017. Arguably, Dr. Mimiko has become a permanent fixture in the Ondo State Government since 2000 – 2017 years, before he was elected to the governorship office of the state. Governor Mimiko has the unique, historic record and unprecedented opportunity to serve the people of Ondo State in his two terms tenure in office.
But, as an educator and a retired university lecturer, I think there is need to go beyond the naming of The Dome for Cultural and Events Centre in Akure after the former Governor Mimiko, to move into the academic and political science realms involving the scholars, researchers and students alike to study and learn more about my espoused Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s political ideology, philosophy of “The Caring Hearts,”politics, idea of governance via the policies and programs as reflected in ‘Mimikology’ in Ondo State’s political environment and governance as well. The study of Mimikology should be guided by, but not limited to the Governor Mimiko’s political ideology, philosophy, systematic politics, governance mode and style, power dynamics and political behavior in office, using the data collection and empirical evidence by critically examining, analyzing and discussing the Dr. Mimiko government’s strategy, policies and programs in Ondo State. It is my understanding that Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s political ideology, is based on the combination of the values and ideals of Social democracy, progressive politics and a derivative of the Welfarist tradition of the Southwestern Nigeria politics.
As a Town Planner and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) in the Ondo State,, I was particularly curious, interested in and fascinated by his historic decision, action, remarkable and bold Urban Renewal Program in the state that I will examine, analyze and discuss in details in this write- up. Without mincing words, the writer, Wale Obanigba in his article, has identified and cataloged Governor Mimiko’s many significant achievements and contributions to the developments of Ondo State and his improving the quality of life for the Ondo people, especially in the areas of health and education, which involved his innovative, world renounced Maternal and Child Healthcare, which was implemented via the Abiye Safe Motherhood Programme, that was recognized, embraced and adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). More importantly, till today, it is a great honor to know, that Olusegun Mimiko’s Abiye health care initiative, which offered a free medical treatment, to the pregnant women and children in January 2013, is the only Nigerian state governor, whose innovative healthcare program has been recognized and approved by the international agency like the United Nations (UN) and The World Bank as well.
As a citizen of Ondo State, I write to share my knowledge of and offer the insight on my exposure to and experiences with Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’s history of the long involvement and participation in the Ondo State Government from his early political life, as an Ondo State Commissioner for Health in the Governor Adebayo Adefarati administration in the state capital of Akure in 2000. That meeting was the beginning of my initial contact and connection with each other as well. The meeting with Dr. Mimiko was accidental, historic and memorable in my mind, because the way and manner that the commissioner of health, treated the members of a group of World Council of Owo Associations (WOCOA), idelegates from the United States, who came to intervene and meet with the Ondo State Governor Adefarati, concerning the selection of Prince Victor Folagbade Olateru- Olagbegi, as The Olowo- Elect, its attendant conflict and crisis in 2000. Bluntly put, the ancient Owo Town was on fire, with its lawlessness, burning of houses and killing of the some prominent Owo indigenes and the take over of the Owo streets by a security vigilante group known as the “Palace Boys.” In the context of the break down of laws and orders in Owo Town, the burning of homes and the killing of innocent prominent Owo indigenes, the poor, insecurity and unsafe conditions compelled the 12 WOCOA delegates to come to Owo Town for a Peace Mission and Mediation Meeting with the Owo people, stakeholders, Community, cultural/ Traditional and Religious Leaders at the Mapo Hall in Owo in 2000.
Following to the meeting with the Owo people at Mapo Hall in Owo, the WOCOA delegates proceeded to meet with Governor Adefarati in Akure, where the governor failed to give us listening ears. In fact, the U. S. WOCOA delegates were summarily dismissed from the office by Governor Adefarati. Because Mr. Yomi Ode told Governor Adefarati in unmistakable terms that the Owo people had selected The Olowo of Owo, Prince Folagbade Olateru- Olagbegi. At that point, Governor Adefarati was frustrated, agitated and angry, asked that, what are you guys doing here? Hence, the U. S. delegates in the governor’s office were dismissed and ushered out of the governor’s office by the security officers.
It was after this episode in the Governor Adefarati’s office that the Ondo State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko took the U. S. WOCOA delegates into his office, made them comfortable and lavishly entertained us with the delicious meat pies and soft drinks. What a historic, memorable moment of warm reception and hospitality that the U. S.. delegates received from the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Mimiko’s office, they will never forget and forever cherish it.
Oops! Thereafter, I vividly recall that Dr. Olusegun Mimiko served as Secretary to the Governor Olusegun Agagu government in Akure in 2003, before his political appointment as the Federal Minister of Housing and Urban Development in the President Olusegun Obasanjo government in Abuja.
My contact with and knowledge of Dr. Mimiko, somehow went into the doldrum and passive mode. We lost contact. But, as God Almighty will have it, I made contact and reconnected with the Federal Minister of Housing and Urban Development in the President Obasanjo administration, when I accompanied The Olowo of Owo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr. Victor Folagbade Olateru- Olagbegi III, to a meeting in the nation’s capital of Abuja, which served as a good opportunity, to reconnect with and rekindle my friendship with Dr. Mimiko in 2006. Thereafter, I vividly recall that Federal Minister Mimiko later dumped and resigned from his political appointment in the PDP Party, to seek the gubernatorial office and election in Ondo State in 2007. Dr. Mimiko, won a bitterly contested governorship election involving the court battle under his newly minted Labor Political Party in the state. He served as the Governor of Ondo State in two terms, 2009- 2017.
I always remembered that Dr. Mimiko as an astute politician and a political leader with ambition and visionary leadership quality, competence and political will, especially in his political quarrel, contention and battle with President Olusegun Obasanjo over the governorship position, candidacy and election in Ondo State. Against this backdrop of Dr. Mimiko’s political battle with the authoritarian leader of the PDP Party in Nigeria and dominating President Obasanjo, who is known for his political philosophy of my way or the highway, which collided with the politician, otherwise popularly known as “Iroko,” who stood his ground, opted out of the PDP Party and in defiance , formed the Labor Party and won the governorship election on a new political platform and ticket of the Labor Party in 2009. With the formation and establishment of the Labor Party, Dr. Mimiko, emerged as a political force and leader in Ondo State, which earned him the labels of political genius, a political pace setter and a leader of a political party in Ondo State and Nigeria at large. Dr. Mimiko’s political leadership, struggle and success were rare in Nigeria, to fight against the power that be, the ruling political party establishment of the PDP and a sitting President Olusegun Obasanjo, which earned him many praises, admirers, followers and supporters including this writer among the many people in Ondo State and across the country. In the political history of Ondo State and Nigeria at large, the name of Governor Mimiko, albeit is synonymous with the formation and establishment of the Labor Political Party in the state and country.
During Dr. Mimiko’s governorship tenure, as a Town Planner and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Ondo State Chapter, I became curious, interested and attracted to his Urban Renewal Program in the state. First and foremost, the Governor Mimiko administration’s Urban Renewal Program was unique, comprehensive with the purpose and primary focus on the Redevelopment of the state infrastructure such as – the rebuilding of the Traditional Markets, the dualization of Township roads and adding aesthetic values, engagement of the professional architects to redesign the city landscape and correct the historic urban anomalies in the state. I found the Mimiko urban renewal program to be extensive, inclusive and integrated with other stakeholders in the urban environment, such as the home/ land owners, tenants, shop owners and developers of their direct participation in the planning process, providing fair compensation and relocation assistance prior to the structural changes. Also, Housing and basic services were integrated such as the meeting of the transportation needs of the community and the schoolchildren through the provision of free school buses and upgrading environmental sanitation, etc.. it is worth mentioning that the Mimiko’s urban renewal program, which earned him the international recognition and honor from the prestigious UN-Habitat Scroll Honor award. In my humble opinion, I found the Governor Mimiko’s urban renewal to be first of its kind in Ondo State, considering its widespread and in-depeth impacts on the quality of life of the people and residents of Ondo State in Nigeria. Today, Governor Mimiko administration has left an Urban landscape for the people of Ondo State, which are characterized by the dualization of roads, providing of the night electricity lights, breeding the favorable night social life and business environment and the reconstruction of the traditional markets in many towns like Akure, Ondo, Ore and Owo in the state.
Also, as a university educator, I vividly observed that the education sector and its issues received the necessary and important attention and focus from the Governor Dr. Mimiko administration, which was addressed through the Caring Hearts Programs in the investing adequate funding for the tertiary and primary school education in Ondo State. Also, I recall that the Mimiko government was promoting and building a modernized primary schools and making the learning environment conducive for the poor and underprivileged children through the Caring Heart Mega Schools Program in the state. Under the tertiary education development, Governor Mimiko, established and bestowed on Ondo State the first state owned medical school named, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), in Ondo City in 2015.
At 72-year old, former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, has served Ondo State and country in various political leadership roles and positions in the governments and the political arena- the Ondo State Commissioner of Health, Secretary of the Governor Olusegun Agagu administration and the Federal Minister of Housing and Urban Development in the President Obasanjo government and founder and leader of the Labor Political Party in Nigeria. It is my observation and understanding that Governor Mimiko, is a political philosopher, mentor, recruiter and developer of the human beings with talent, skills, knowledge and training for the development and benefits of the Ondo State Government and the people of the state. In this role, Governor Mimiko visited the State of Maryland in United States in his state government’s efforts, to recruit talents, skills, physicians and university lecturers for the Ondo State Civil Service in 2011. Public disclosure: I am a beneficiary of the Governor Mimiko’s recruitment exercise, which offered me the employment opportunity at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akugba- Akoko, Ondo State in Nigeria. I consider this recruitment exercise in the United States by Governor Mimiko as a good fit and a great benefit to the Ondo State in making a paradigm shift in breaking down the syndrome of brain drain and facilitating the return of qualified, competent trained and experienced educated Ondo State citizens / manpower back to serve the Ondo State Government.
Oops! Governor Mimiko, made concerted efforts to woo and attract the foreign financial investors and investment, to Ondo State, for example, I recall that the governor was in discussions with the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland concerning the establishment of a medical school in the state. Similarly, I am aware that the governor was making the contact and arrangements for the location of a Chocolate company and factory in Idanre Town in Ondo State, in order to reduce the cocoa beans produced by the Ondo State farmers from the heavy dependency on the export market, rather they are to be locally utilized for the production of cocoa chocolate cookies, chips and consumed as drinks and offered employment opportunities for the Ondo citizens.
As a young man, who grew up in the ancient Owo Town, during the era when Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the premier of Western Nigeria, I deduced, inferred and observed that there were similarities between the Chief Awolowo and Dr. Mimiko government in Ondo State. Also, it is worth noting and mentioning that Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, is an Awoist when we met in the Governor Adefarati office in Akure, proudly, symbolically wearing a black Awolowo’s hat in 2000. Governor Mimiko is one of the few state governors in Nigeria, who subscribe to and shares the Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s political ideology, philosophy (Caring Hearts), principles and practices of the government leadership style, social welfarism and economic development policies for the Ondo State and its people, which I found to be outstanding, exemplary and indicative of a people’s governor and of a comparable good governance, and programs that are arguably, patterned after the Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who has offered to and bestowed on the region the tremendous, immense development benefits on its people. You might recall that Chief Awolowo innovately introduced the many firsts of its kind development programs and practices in Nigeria, such as the free primary school education, which I am a proud beneficiary of the program. I think that the Mimiko government in Ondo State, mirrored the and is a vivid reminder of the Chief Awolowo’s good old days when there was a strong, competent political leadership and good governance for the people of Western Nigeria vis-a- vis the provision of the basic human needs, array of social amenities and services for the people in the areas of education, health, electricity and clean, drinking water supplies, entertainment- first TV station in Africa, the Liberty football stadium in Ibadan, rural development and farm settlement, just to mention a few of them. In my humble opinion about both political leaders, because they share some political values, development strategy and focus on the people’s needs and welfare, hence, I consider Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to be an Awoist. In fact, I see Governor Mimiko as a political protege of the Sage, Chief Awolowo in our contemporary period in Nigeria, whose government’s actions, policies and development programs are borrowed from and patterned after those of the iconic Premier of Western Nigeria, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s populist, welfare and progressive policies and programs of the 1960s. In this context, Governor Dr. Mimiko’s achievements, contributions to and legacy in Ondo State, live on in the minds of the many Ondo people, in spite of the succeeding state governments’s deliberate efforts of abandoning, discontinuing and wiping out the Mimiko government’s policies and programs. I find it shocking and disturbing that a succeeding government in Nigeria, doesn’t embrace and adopt the principles and practice of continuity of good governance, which involves the some policies and programs in the outgoing state government? It is financially wasteful for a new government to abandon old programs that are good for the people and taxpayers just for the sake of the difference in political ideology and new government in power.
However, I cannot but share my interesting and palatable story of how it all got started with Dr. Mimiko in 2000. Imagine that I met Dr. Mimiko as the Ondo State Commissioner of Health in the Governor Adefarati administration in Akure in 2000, but in 2011, which was 11 years later, I met the man nicknamed “Iroko,” as the sitting governor of Ondo State in the MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland, United States, where he was recruiting me for a teaching position in a state university in Ondo State. What a phenomenal, inspiring political rise, transformation and successful political career! Through out it all, Dr. Mimiko’s political journey in Ondo State, as a founder and leader of the Labor Party, head of the state government and manager of the state’s huge financial resources, he was never charged by the EFCC of the political corruption in comparison to many state governors in Nigeria, which are fighting the corruption charges in court by the EFCC. Although, the impeached former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi petitioned the EFCC, to investigate Governor Mimiko for the misappropriation of the state funds for the whopping amount of N27 billion in August 2015 (Source: Abiodun Fanoro, “Ondo ex- deputy gov alleges misuse of N27b by Mimiko,” The Guardian News, 6 August, 2015.). However, the Ondo State Commissioner of Information publicly denied the allegations, saying that it was politically driven and motivated. Today, 11 years and some months, following the allegations of the misuse of state funds against Governor Mimiko, the EFCC has not moved against the former Ondo State governor. However, it is I am by no means exonerating Governor Mimiko of any wrongdoing or political corruption as well. It is the observation by this writer that the monster political corruption in Nigeria, particularly among the state governors cannot be ignored, which is part of the country’s political culture, perennial and chronic problems facing and affecting the Nigeria’s social-economic growth and development. Currently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the government anti-graft agency, has 9 former state governors in court and 18 sitting state governors under active investigation, because they enjoyed the constitutional immunity while in office. I find these figures to be significant, alarming and disturbing that many state governors are being prosecuted or under investigation by the EFCC in Nigeria. Many Nigerians are of the views and making clarion calls that there should be a constitutional amendment, to remove the constitutional immunity clause granted to the state governors in Nigeria, because of its gross abuse, misuse and violation by the state governors in the country.
Nonetheless, I found Dr. Mimiko to be a rare politician and elected state governor, whose administration has worked hard and tirelessly to serve the Ondo State and its people. Thus, I characterized Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as a people’s governor in the political history of Ondo State in Nigeria. Oops! You might recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, recently called on the state governors to stop building the flyovers to nowhere in Nigeria. Think about it, what are the social and economic benefits of the construction of flyovers by the state governors across Nigeria vis- a- vis economic development and employment opportunities for the unemployed university graduates in the country?
However, I am seizing this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians for a paradigm shift in the way and manner that they perceive, interpret and treat the government and governance in Nigeria’s democracy as a one way street rather than a two way streets, involving the elected government officials and the citizens’ participation in the political affairs and the governance of the local government, state or country. Moving forward, it is necessary and important that Nigerians hold the feet of the elected leaders, such as the state governors to the fire, to make sure that they are transparent, accountable and honest to the people, who voted for and elected the them into office.
