… speaks on his challenges and performance during stint as DG, Oyo State liaison offices, Abuja and Lagos
The immediate past Director General of Oyo state Liason Office in the federal capital territory and Lagos, Hon. Wale Ajani has described himself as a professional in politics, saying there’s a difference between a politician and a professional in politics.
The former national president of the National Youths Council of Nigeriayoung during a roundtable interaction with members of the Southwest Guild Of Online Publishers (SWEGOP) held at the Oyo State Nigeria Union of Journalists Center in Ibadan, last week Saturday, declared that politics is a vocation to his life.
Speaking on his foray into politics, Mr Ajani revealed the role of the former Oyo state governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja in bringing him to local politics.
“I was eventually invited to join oyo politic when as a delegate to National Conference (CONFAB) of 2014, myself and Baba Rashidi Ladoja met and because of my vibrancy within the National Conference and among Oyo delegates in particular, he encouraged me to come and do the local politics. That was how I joined politics,” he stated.
Mr Ajani however added that his attraction to politics began from his high school days but his desire to raise the bar of governance led him into real politicking, adding involving in politics also provides him an opportunity to contribute his little quota and ensuring good governance in Oyo state in particular and Nigeria in general.
His words, “Yes, my attraction to politics was as a high school student, I didn’t know that the blind goes to school. As the President of my school JETS Club I saw a young man that was using brail in those days and said this must be a ruse, it must be packaged, so I picked one of my textbooks and I was reading to him. And when I finished reading, he was reading everything that I had read from his braille so I said ah, this thing can work.
“I decided to join the movement under – Sir David Osunde Foundation for the Handicapped then. It was through volunteerism that I found myself in politics. I have also been in the Exco of the University of Lagos Engineering Society (ULES) But I was running for Oyo Amala politics because there was this fear news that we used to hear then as upcoming, so I didn’t want to join full Oyo politics.
Mr Ajani who aspired in 2019 and 2023 to run for Oyo central senatorial elections under the platforms of African Democratic Party and Peoples Democratic Party respectively, disclosed that he didn’t regret his loss but felt bad.
According to him, he would have made a difference if he had clintched the ticket and won on those occasions.
“Of course, I felt bad as human but no single regret because it is not over until it is over, and for me, God rules in the affairs of men. If it is the will of God, it might even something bigger than that so, I am not afraid and I am not in a rush. Don’t forget His Excellency Gov Makinde was also deprived of his Senatorial ticket at one point but today He is the number one citizen of Oyo State and watch out for that guy, he is on a mission in this country and the grace is sufficient for him. But, I would say this categorically, if I was given the ticket I might have done better because the truth is that politics is not rocket science. Politics is engagement and it is about interest. No matter how much you and I are brothers, if your interest is not captured in what I am doing now, you would work for someone else. And, politics is about negotiation; I might have done it better because I understand the game of negotiation and interest,” he said.
Ajani who was appointed as the Director-General of the Oyo State Liaison Office in Abuja and Lagos, by Governor Seyi Makinde in 2022 has been receiving accolades from many quarters for his sterling performance during his stinct in office.
“I want to say this, my about nine or ten months in office was a very good re-learning time for me. Although, I wasn’t a person that was coming to office that didn’t know what is going there to do. I came in with a very clear understanding, vision and focus because I understand the job assigned to me by my boss His Excellency Gov Seyi Makinde as a liaison officer.
“You are to represent your state interested at the Federal Capital Territory. It is just like an mini ambassador. It is just Some of us don’t enjoy appellation. I was one of the first that was given (the title of) youth ambassador in this country early 90’s. I have also had the privilege of travelling round the world representing young people at different global platforms so I know the job of an ambassador.
“First thing I did after resumption is to change the image of the Oyo House which is the Embassy of Oyo State in Abuja, I discovered that a lot of things were not on the right track. You have to put everything in order because image is everything; perception is key How do you have Oyo House that when you look at the street, you would see Kastina (House), Rivers, Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos etc it is only Oyo House that urgently need a facelift internally and externally.
“Secondly, I was able to restructure working administration of the staffers of Oyo House that were posted from Ibadan to Abuja. We had a meeting, everyone got a clear schedule of duty so no one was inactive. I checked the office files and discovered nobody has been engaging the MDA on behalf of the State Government and with the permission of His Excellency Gov Seyi Makinde i was able to lead the Oyo State team to more that 40 MDA for proper engagement on what Omituntun 1.0 was about and also the achievement of Gov Seyi Makinde. We also tried to make sure that we opened conversation short and long term interest of the Seyi Makinde Administration.
“The third aspect was that one of the mission of Abuja and Lagos liaison office is to issue the Certificate of Indigene to Oyo State in the diaspora. Before the dissolution of the government, I have started the plans to make it seamless leveraging on latest technology thereby making it possible to acquire it without traveling through a long distance .
“The truth is that there are over 300 federal agencies in Abuja. Every of these agencies have one thing or the other that they are doing and we have 36 states in Nigeria. So, the liaison officers’ responsibility is to make sure that you go and ask how do my state benefit. They won’t come and tell you. Nobody will come to you and say because you are liaison officer or DG. You are just DG in your pocket.
“So you have to go and look for opportunities for your people and engage them because it is not the same grammar that I speak when I get to Energy Commission of Nigeria that I am going to speak when I get to Rural Electrification Agency. Most times before you go to this people, you need to research and know exactly what you are going there to tell them, otherwise they would just rubbish you or think you are there for meet and greet.
“So, for me, it was a privilege to do what I had been doing before because as a former President of the National Youth Council in Nigeria, I was able to do a lot of things and it is similar. I was talking to government agencies and development partners on behalf of young people so it is easier for me to talk to development partners. I want to appreciate Gov Seyi Makinde for that opportunity.
Ajani noted within the little time he spent in office, he was able to get some Oyo state indigenes employed at the federal level.
He said, “At our level in Abuja, we deal with the Federal Character Commission. They base things on quota. We need to keep pushing for more slots that are due for Oyo State. Within my little sojourn in the office, I was able to get some of our people employed at the federal level and this can’t happened without the support of the God Sent Man H.E Gov Seyi Makinde.
As a former national youth leader, Ajani expressed worrisome on the high rate of declining values in the society, which according to him has had an adverse effects on Nigeria’s youths.
He said, “We always believe that when you always go to church or mosque you actually know God but going to church and mosque is just a religion. Values are from homes. Unfortunately, with the kind of value system we are running now, fathers and mothers don’t have time for the children anymore”.
Speaking further on the dangerous trend, he explained, “You will even see young ladies whose mothers would say, “Look at your mates who are making money. You can’t bring anything on the table. They are thinking that because you are a fine girl, you should go and do anything. It is a serious issue.
“The value is missing at home. It is the responsibility of parents. You should not wait for teachers to help you train your children. I told my son that if I knew what I know now, I would not buy that car then. It wouldn’t have been my priority. I told him this when he was 10years old. Some of us would not tell our boys these things. I would call my boys and say come, let’s talk about masturbation, cultism etc. they need to know them before one friend will lie to them and introduce them to wrong group.
“Teachers are just doing their best. You see what some students do; they drink and do all sorts of things. When my son told me he wanted to have a necklace on, the question that I asked him was that what value would the chain add to you? For me, value is key but we are losing it day by day. Parents have the responsibility while pastors would preach it. It is not what they preach on the pulpit but what you say to your children.
On his defining moment in life, Ajani said, “As President of the Nigerian Youth Council, I don’t know how many young persons of my age then that had opportunities to enter the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as much as I did. It might not look like an achievement, but I had a boss, a senior professional colleague the day he was meeting the President, he was shaking with all his money.
“I had been privileged to speak in different platforms locally, regionally and nationally, so there is nothing that would scare me from talking to great people. I have plenty defining moments but my most defining moments are when I talk to the president of Nigeria and presidents from other countries on behalf of young people. Many people might not like Mugabe, but he was my friend.
