By Kayode Akinmade
The ThisDay newspaper, in its recent rating of state governors in the country, rated Governor Olusegun Mimiko as being above average, a rating which immediately raises questions of awareness concerning the unparalleled development going on in Ondo State. While the ThisDay management is to be commended for its acknowledgement of some of the giant strides being recorded in Ondo State, it may be necessary to place in context, the programmes and policies of the Mimiko administration for better appreciation.
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko ‘s glorious coming into office three years ago was nearly dimmed by one major challenge: high maternal mortality rate, which may be a kind of understatement because Ondo, at the time, actually had the highest maternal mortality rate in the country. For many years a medical activist, exponent of community health and outreach programmes, the governor became instantly fired with a crusading zeal, declaring that, by the grace of God, never again would pregnancy be a death sentence to women in Ondo State, whatever their social standing. The result is the evolvement of the Abiye (literally “safe delivery/birth) programme, involving the creation of state-of-the-art Mother-and- Child hospitals providing world class services at zero cost, with free ambulance service to reach needy pregnant women in remote areas, etc, which has received acknowledgment by the World Bank, which sent a team to Ondo State to understudy the programme, as setting a benchmark for maternal care on the entire African continent. To date, over 11,000 safe deliveries and over 4,000 surgery-assisted safe deliveries have been recorded through the programme. Ondo is perhaps the only state in the country where public hospitals boast better services than private hospitals, and where treatment is not only free but is also world class, efficient, timely and courtesy-driven. Among numerous awards, the programme has led to Dr Mimiko being decorated as a fellow of the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetrics (Nigeria), and the hospitals are used as teaching hospitals by many leading international institutions and agencies.
A unique feature of governance in Ondo State is the creation of community development agencies, a bottom-up approach which, if replicated nationally, even if not on a comparable scale with the Ondo system, may yet prove to be the vital linkage between the country’s three, largely non-cohesive tiers of federal, state and local governments. Shortly upon assumption of office, the governor immediately deployed a team of well-trained and highly skilled personnel to the various local government areas in the state to undertake community needs analysis. Although at first resented by many of the members of their host communities arising from the lack of confidence which had gained ground, the change agents were soon to gain the confidence of the host communities. To date, over 450 communities in the state have benefited from projects requested for by themselves, working in synergy with the host communities. Thus, the disconnect between government has been removed.
The government has, in the past three years, also initiated rapid urbanisation programmes, turning many hitherto rusty communities into centres of excellence, as a visit to many parts of the state will confirm. In particular, Akure, the state capital, now towers above any city in the country because of its sheer splendour. In addition to constructing new roads, the state government constructed state of the art bus stops. In deep appreciation of the urbanisation efforts of the state government, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), penultimate week, decorated Dr Olusegun Mimiko with an honorary Fellowship Award., declaring that its decision was hinged on the urban renewal efforts of the Ondo State government which had transformed the state capital, Akure, into a model city.The town planners remarked that with just three and a half years in office, the Mimiko administration had been able to transform the state capital into a tourist delight, saying that the template has already been set for other major towns in the state to assume the same status.
“Roads in the metropolis are well asphalted while major roads in the city are being expanded into four lanes even as beautiful landscaping has emerged.Apart from the many beautification projects going on at different parts of the state, a covered pedestrian bridge has been erected at the popular Oba Adesida road, thus giving the popular area a befitting look coupled with the well defined vehicular marked routes,” the town planners said. While also commending the street lights adorning the long stretch of Fiwasaye to FUTA areas as well as those erected at Ondo road and other areas in the city, the town planners noted that the architectural design of the Mega Schools scattered around the state, with the well-planned auto market and the decision of the government to relocate motor mechanics in the state to a good location with the necessary amenities to make their operation easier are all components of a well- laid out environment, were worthy of commendation.
Indeed, a core component of the urbanisation effort of the government is the utilisation of markets as tools for urbanisation. The government has built state of the art neighbourhood markets boasting a police post, crèche, fire station, among others, taking peasant women away from the scorching sun under which they had traded for years. The government also narrowed down the gap between the formal and informal sectors by empowering artisans. It created a mechanic village where mechanics could ply their trade with the best facilities around. The Ondo State Wealth Creation Agency (WECA) inaugurated three farms settlements in Epe, (Ondo Central), Auga (Ondo North) and Ore (Ondo South Senatorial districts), with each of these three farms catering for the agricultural peculiarities of its host district. Uniquely, farmers were pooled from the sea of hitherto unemployed graduates who applied through the WECA.
The 1087 graduates engaged by Dr. Mimiko are being trained to acquire entrepreneurial skills in agro-related businesses of their interest with a view to becoming job creators and millionaires in no distant time.The scheme is structured in such a way that the graduates are co-owners of the farms. The government provided the land, the inputs, accommodation in the village and monthly stipends for the participants’ upkeep, while the participants tend their farms, nurture their birds and ensure the survival of their fingerlings. During the harvest, the participants will go home with the profits, while the capital is injected back into the business. In the past eight months, WECA had cleared about 10 thousands hectares of land in the thick jungle of Ore along Ore–Ijebu Ode–Lagos expressway, with three major agricultural pursuits; fishery; poultry and arable farming. Dr Mimiko ensured that super chalets built to taste were constructed for the accommodation of the participants with provision of a bore hole, DSTV, with two sets of plasma TVs, two generators, table tennis and other games facilities for recreation. The participants have been able to plant over 6000 hectares of maize, over 1million palm seedlings and also over 1000 hectares of cassava. The poultry section has about 30 large pens made up of three cubicles each, with over 700 layers and breeders, while the fishery has over 2000 large fish ponds with the least harbouring 2500 fingerlings.
Indeed, Ore, because of its strategic location as the gateway to other parts of the country, is now being made an industrial plant, as work is ongoing on the Escravos power project. Immediately the papers are perfected, the question of power problems will be solved, with thousands of job opportunities created for the youths.
Let me say that the story of transformation and the new Ondo State is in-complete without the strategic strides made in the housing sector. For more that 2 decades, shylock landlords have had field day without any remarkable change made in the living style and housing development both within urban and rural settings.
Public servants and the organized private sector have had a rough time in the hands of private land owners, “Omo Onile” but today the situation has changed drastically.
In the last 3 years, the people of Ondo State are now full of joy. The new Oba-Ile housing estate and the Oda Housing Units are beautiful sights to behold with sprawling 1,500 units of various categories. The Oba-Ile axis is already being occupied by the proud owners who are still believe it’s a dream, considering the site and services, beautiful and well laid out terrace, asphalted roads, 24 hours water supply, serene and master piece architecture and indeed a peaceful environment. All these at affordable prices with ease and convenient payment schedule that is making the houses hot-cakes just as people outside Ondo State are calling for their own allocation.
In the transport sector, Ondo is perhaps the only state where members of the NURTW, noted for their predilection for violence, have been peaceful in the last three years. This year alone, in addition to giving out 200 taxis , 100 buses, 70 Hummer buses and 30 luxury buses to ferry school children free, the state government also recently inaugurated an ultra-modern motor park described as a driver’s airport by many. With the ground well-covered with asphalt, there are four, well-covered loading bays, arrival and departure lounges with ten split air conditioning machines, duty-free shops, a purposely built canteen, an industrial bore hole, communication cubicle, a first aid bay, and a dedicated transformer, among other facilities. The vision which informs the construction of the motor park is to change the mentality of the drivers, making them feel that they are part of a jet age and a culture of decency, rather than being confined to marijuana shacks and dump sites tagged motor parks, as obtained elsewhere in the country. The NURTW members, integral parts of the state’s development efforts, are responding positively, eager to be part of the revolution, telling everyone who cares to listen that they, too, can live quality lives.
The justice sector has not been left out: Africa’s first court in prison, described as a powerful machine for prison decongestion and quick dispensation of justice, is another plus to the Mimiko administration. The government also built juvenile homes.
And how does one describe the education sector? The Mega Schools continue to be reference points in Africa. Dr. Mimiko is acknowledged as the successor of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in the education sector. The schools were created to perform social leveraging and cohesion functions, bringing the children of the masses into the technological super highway by learning in an environment which is setting the pace for the black continent. It is in the light of the foregoing that the description of Dr. Mimiko concept of progressivism can be situated.
- Akinmade is the Commissioner of Information, Ondo State.