Jul 17th, 2007
Mimiko accuses Agagu of mischief over alleged endorsement
Mimiko accuses Agagu of mischief over alleged endorsement. From Niyi Bello and Julius Alabi, Akure Guardian.
ONDO State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the April 14 election, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko yesterday described as mischievous attempt by Governor Olusegun Agagu to make him endorse his administration.
Mimiko said he would not drop his petition against Agagu’s victory because his party allegedly defeated Agagu and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the polls in the state.
He claimed that Labour Party allegedly won the election because of the non-implementation of the laudable programmes “that we put together at the inception of Agagu’s administration”.
Mimiko, former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, also served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Agagu’s administration in 2003.
Agagu had stated in an interview that Mimiko adjudged his administration as the best to have happen to the state since its creation in 1976.
He said: “Dr. Mimiko himself was on television during the election period, saying that Agagu is one of the best things to happen to this country, that if five state governors were as committed as Agagu, Nigeria will be like Europe in 10 years time.”
But in a reaction to the interview, Mimiko condemned the governor’s action, which he said, “attempted to seek a fraudulent endorsement for a government that has failed woefully to develop the state and its citizens.”
Through his media assistant, Kolawole Olabisi, Mimiko, who is contesting the results of the April 14 election at the tribunal, said it was true that he made the statement a few months to the inception of the Agagu administration in 2004.
He explained that “the statement was made in my capacity as the SSG about a government that we had prepared a near-perfect blueprint of development for and which we expected will run seamlessly in accordance with the plan.
“Throughout the election period, that statement was permanently being broadcast by the state-controlled electronics media to create a false impression that Mimiko had endorsed Agagu despite his woeful performance.
“But of course, our people saw through the lies and the propaganda and voted the PDP and Agagu out of government. To now be restating that lie again when their stolen mandate is on the verge of being retrieved shows the kind of leaders these usurpers are,” he said.
While declaring that he would not want to join issues with the governor, Mimiko described Agagu’s latest antics as diversionary and an attempt to confuse the people of the state who are yearning for justice over their mandate which was brazenly stolen by the PDP.
His word: “In 2004, I was the SSG in the state and I was one of the brains behind the formulation of laudable programmes which we put together in a compendium tagged: Roadmap to Progress
“If in 2004, when the Agagu administration was still a few months old, I praised a programme which, if implemented to the letter, would have made Ondo State a model for all, what is the big deal in that?
“And why has that suddenly became very important now in 2007 and of what relevance is it other than for mischief? How was I to know that Agagu would fail to carry out the implementation of these programmes?
“Like Adolf Hitler, who started well as a statesman and went on to create the Volkswagen car before he gradually turned himself into a monster, Agagu gave the impression that he wanted to do well but he later derailed in his duties as governor and the people called for a change.
“They asked me to resign my appointment as a federal minister to come home and contest as governor. After so much pressure, I resigned, came home and contested the election, even against all the odds that Agagu and his Abuja godfathers can muster
“The people voted overwhelmingly for us until strange figures were concocted for Agagu and we have asked the court to retrieve our stolen mandate for us. This, in my opinion, is the issue at stake and not this fly in the ointment kind of tactics that Agagu has been engaging on aside from casting aspersions on my person and that of the long suffering people of the state who voted for us on April 14, 2007,” he said.
6 Responses to “Mimiko accuses Agagu of mischief over alleged endorsement”
TO AGAGU – Once a liar always a liar. Dr Agagu knows that Mimiko is not an alatenuje who will receive blood money. How can Mimiko ever endorse the rule of someone who robbed him of his mandate, someone who many times tried to get Mimiko killed by hired assasins and who up until now is a bane and a curse to mankind. MIMIKO IS A DECENT MAN, HONEST AND READY TO MOVE ONDO STATE FORWARD INTO THE LIGHT AND HAPINESS.
Agagu is buying time, his days are numbered in Alagbaka government house. He is now jettering. He had murderd sleep and he will never have peace until our mandate his given back to us and he faded to oblivion.
Hear him, he said we he praying that Mimiko withdraws his petition. OLEEEEEEEEE
We still hold out over our olive branch to LP – Agagu
By Femi Makinde
Published: Wednesday, 18 Jul 2007
There is a belief in Ondo State that your peace move has some flaws, particularly with the exclusion of the Labour Party, which was your main antagonist at the election. What is your reaction to this?
I don’t like saying this but I have to say it because you are my brother who is an insider in this state and I expect you to understand it. In 1999, we had elections here. The three parties were the PDP, the AD and the APP. There was no problem in the election. We did not fight and we did not burn any house. In 2003, we had elections here – PDP, ANPP and AD. Everything went beautifully and quiet. I lost in 1999 and I wrote a congratulatory letter to Chief Adebayo Adefarati. In 2003, Chief Adefarati lost to me. He handed over to me on the 28th of May, 2003 and went to his home.
This time around, things moved a bit. ANPP was still ANPP even though substantially depleted. The AD had their crisis and they broke into AC, DPA and the relics of the AD, which they call AD Alive. The PDP still remained PDP. It was easier for me to speak to the ANPP. It was easy for me to speak with the three parties that came out of the AD. We started with them and everything went on fine. But what is Labour Party in Ondo State today? It is a new concoction. It is a platform of disgruntled people from the PDP. Have you tried to analyse it like that? Everybody that is the LP today left from the PDP. They are our own people who did not like my style. They don’t have any quarrel with whether I am performing or not. You saw Dr Olusegun Mimiko himself on television during the elections saying Agagu was the best thing that God ever did for this country. He said if there are five governors in this country that are like Agagu,Nigeria will be like Europe in ten years’ time. These are the words that came from his mouth. The differences we had were in my style of governance. They went to form a platform that is supposed to dislodge us from government. That is a little bit different from all the others that have been there before. It was a bit more difficult to handle because it is not borne out of policy or philosophy difference.
But we have not foreclosed it. There are lots of common friends between us who are saying enough is enough. I can assure you that I am very ready to talk. Just like our doors were thrown open to the other parties, if our colleagues, our friends in the LP want to work with us, we definitely will be too ready to work with them.
Another flaw identified in the move was that you talked to the candidates only instead of talking to their individual political parties.
When you have a problem on your hands, especially problems that are political, if you want to make headway, if you want to make any progress, don’t start from the most difficult part of the problem. Otherwise, you will fail. You start from where you think you can be successful and move on. The ways parties are run in this country and in the states, the foremost stakeholders in governorship elections are the candidates. They are the people who run around to mobilise; they are the people who spend the money, and they are the people on whose head, major responsibilities of the parties hang. He that the shoe is pinching knows how to react more than people those who are not in that position. I recognise them as major stakeholders – people who really go into the battle, spend their time, spend their money and risk their lives. And many of these candidates we have known before. Arch. Olu Agbesua and I have been friends since the SDP days. Demola Adegoroye is a cousin to my boss, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, and we were in this government house together.
It was easy to reach out to those ones than many of their party officials whose names I don’t even know. Since these are the major stakeholders, many of them I know. We reached out to them first and we asked them to talk to their party members which they did because in matters like these, some will agree, some will not. If we say we are waiting for a day when 100 per cent of the people in the AD will agree, we will never move forward from where we are. So, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a first step.
At the national level, the national leadership has also looked at the situation there. The utterances of the two major flag-bearers, the former Vice-President and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari , have not been very encouraging. But a number of the ANPP governors that are governors today are less belligerent and we know that governors are important people in parties, especially when they are sitting governors. The parties depend on these governors to survive in the next four years. So, we went to those governors and persuaded them to let us work together. So, you don’t use the same formula all the time. At the National level, we talk to the governors. I am talking to the governors here. It is the governor of the AC that I spoke with; it is the governor of DPA that I spoke with; it is the governor of ANPP that I spoke with. They are the people right there who understand what they have gone through.
Don’t you think that the step was sub judice since the election matters are at the Election Petition Tribunal? Why don’t you wait until after the judgment must have been delivered?
The cases that went to Tribunal are not criminal cases. They are cases of two fighting. The Independent National Electoral Commission announced me as the winner. Agbesua said he was not treated fairly by INEC and that he ought to win instead of Agagu. If Agagu and Agbesua can reach an accord, the tribunal people will be very happy; that reduces their loads. If we have stolen money, that is a criminal offence. It will be sub judice. We must face the music. If today, it is possible by the grace of God that the governorship candidate of LP agrees to come with us, seven of us will sit in this room and say we have agreed to work together and the tribunal people in the next three days will be out of this state and go back to their base. In many of the tribunal cases, they even advised parties to go home and sort themselves out.
But how did you feel on April 14 when the results of the election were coming in and the PDP was losing in Akure, Owo, Ondo and Ikare? Was there any thought of betrayal?
No! Because to God be the glory! I also understand the system a bit. I know my sins. I also know my enemies. The number of the big shots in the PDP did not like the way I insisted on certain standards. But I came here with my name intact and I want to go with my name intact. I told them I could not yield and they did not like it and they moved out and such big men are usually concentrated in the major cities.
Dr. Mimiko is from Ondo; I must be a fool to expect to win in Ondo. Otunba Fasawe is from Owo; I must be deluding myself if I say he does not have influence in Owo. In Akure, it was neither here nor there. There were contractors who would not want to follow due process. They expected to get contracts and I said no. So, they are many in Akure here; they would go out and say all kinds of things about me.
But the people in the hinterland who have never seen good roads in the last 100 years who now can drive home; the Ilajes for the first time in their history, Olugbo can get into his car and drive to Ugbo. Amapetu can get into his car and drive to Mahin. He must be a mad man not to support. For the first time, the Ijaws can get into their cars and drive to Agadagba-Obon. Now if Kekemeke wants to get to his home in Agadagba-Obon, he can go and come back to Akure. It used to be a two-day journey. I did not expect my votes from vendors and all kinds of people around this place. I know where my votes would come from and the votes came from there.
My people in Ondo State, let me ask you one question? If it is true that the Governor who through the help of Godfathers and other means says he is in charge of Ondo State right now, why would it matter so much to him that his authenticity as governor is being challenged. Why would he go all the way out to tell tales, coerce, bribe, point accussing fingers, beg and do shakey shakey alao for so long? Why is Mimiko so important to Agagu? Why hasnt he mentioned names of other gubernatorial contestants except Mimiko. This tells us a lot you see. For Agagu has a lot to hide, he is not confident that he wont be found out. He dreads judgement day for AGAGU knows that his hands are not clean. He knows he wronged MIMIKO by stealing from him. He knows MImiko and the petition at hand would be his nemesis and he is afraid. If not that it would be too shameful, he would have postrated for Mimiko like Esau did to Jacob when he sold his birthright. I have no pity for him. Why? Because he has plunged Ondo State into anarchy and disarray. HE has not shown love to the common man except his inner circle of friends and sycophantic followers. He has squandered and looted too much o the state revenue and he has gone the evil way of annihilating his competitors. Ibasepe Oluwa, ko ti wa ni ti wa, bayi lawa o ba ma wi, nigbati Agagu gbogun ti Mimiko ati Ondo State. Let us reason together and unite to fight the evil in our midst. MIMIKO is the man you gave your mandate to, remember. Do not settle for less and dont let anyone fool you. The truth will be out soon. Even if you dont know what to do now, just sit on the fence for now but better still, jump down the right side of the fence – to the side of truth, prosperity, progress, peace and hapiness. JOIN MIMKO IN HIS QUEST FORTHE HOLY GRAIL. MIMIKO FOR GOVERNOR 07, and the Lord has decreed that it shall be so. Be rest assured of this FOR IN GOD WE TRUST.
OH LEST I FORGET, I READ THE SUBMISSIONS FROM AGAGU ABOVE AND ALL I CAN THINK IS THAT THIS IS A CONFIRMATION THAT AGAGU HAS A GRANDIOSELY DELUDED MIND AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FACE REALITY. O MA SE O.
Iroko, you are the man. Time will tell
Yes Mimiko is the man and it is never over until the Lord says it is over, and it will be over for Agagu and not Mimiko for God is never on the side of lying cheating thieves. Iroko remain with your resolve. Gof is raining you in many ways to make your governorship reign easier, more successful and achievement oriented for you have a caring heart for the people of Ondo state. If you were in it just for the money like those others, Agagu would have succeeded in buying you. But you are a man of honour and integrity, this the Lord recognises in you and like the Biblical Job your latter days will be better than your former. And indeed for all of us who wish for truth, fairness, justice and growth of Ondo State God will continue to bless us.