Paseda bemoans lack of continuity in governance

…Urges Buhari to make political office less profitable

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NIGERIA: THE governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the last general elections in Ogun State, Otunba Olatunde Rotimi Paseda, has berated Nigerian political leaders for their overzealousness and lack of continuity in their style of politics and governance.

Paseda stressed that the nation’s politicians were not matured enough to manage and nurture the democracy gained by the earliest nationalists like the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, among others.

Paseda, who is a merchant cum politician, addressed journalists at the 31st Sagamu Day celebration held at Makun High School, Sagamu, Ogun State.

He said that the way political gladiators in the country were practicing democracy does not portray Nigeria as a developing country and worthy to be called giant of Africa.

“I totally disagree with the way politics is being played in Nigeria,” Paseda said.  “My style of politics differs from what is being played out among our political gladiators in the country today.”

“Governance is a continuum.  It does not matter who or which party that comes in, we must be able to bridge the lapses of the outgone government, rather than defacing or annihilating past administrations’ projects,” he said.

Paseda added: “It is a mockery to our style of governance in the country and turning it into shambles, thus making us laughing stock before the outside world.”

The Omu-Ijebu Prince, therefore, applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his bold step towards ensuring stable economy for the country, while urging him to make politics less competitive and unprofitable for political office holders.

He said that doing this would help stabilize and balance the polity, as only politicians who are ready to serve the country selflessly would show interest.

“Though, as a businessman, I’m affected by Buhari’s economic policies, because our credit cards now have limitation to amount of money it can transfer or carry around, but at the end, the benefits are enormous,” he said.

The politician further said: “I am surprised and happy as well when the President said that the country is financially constrained to pay 49 ministers.  He should go beyond that, the President should make political office non-profitable and less competitive, so that people don’t go there to make money.

“How would somebody go into politics without a job, career?  Politicians in foreign countries have their businesses before dabbling into politics.  They only collect attendance allowances not as we have it here.”

Paseda, however, took a swipe at the Ogun State government for handling the burial plan of late Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo with politics.

He said that the state government did not do enough to honor the matriarch of the Awolowo family, but rather frustrated the efforts of indigenes of the state to immortalize the wife of the late Premier of the old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He accused the Senator Ibikunle Amosun government of removing the billboard he did in honor of the late matriarch, describing it as barbaric and disrespectful to the Awolowo family.

Paseda said: “I’m not bothered about the removal of my billboard I did in honor of Mama H.I.D Awolowo.  I want to put it on record that I paid all the required fees demanded by the Ogun State Advertising Agency before the billboard was erected.

“So, for someone in the government to have said the billboard is causing environmental hazard is barbaric and it is an insult to Mama H.I.D Awolowo we were celebrating.”

“If the state government actually wanted to celebrate and immortalize the late icon as they claimed, they shouldn’t be bothered about other people’s efforts to do so,” he further stressed.

He added: “They believe they are attacking Paseda or they don’t want to see my face, but they have forgotten that the billboard in question was for Mama H.I.D, so it is not me they are attacking or insulting, they are insulting the late woman and the Awolowo’s family entirely. The death of Mama is not Ogun State issue alone, but national affairs.”