AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Engineer Wale Ajani, former Director-General, Oyo State Liaison Office, Abuja and Lagos, has described his short stint working under Governor Seyi Makinde as worthwhile, saying that he is ready to bring more of his career experiences to bear for the growth and development of the state anytime.
Ajani spoke recently during a meeting with some media proprietors under the aegis of the South West Guild of Online Publishers at the NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to him, the appointment gave him the opportunity to be a part of efforts towards revalidating the status of Oyo as a pacesetting state.
Expressing the readiness to do more if given the opportunity, Ajani said that “For me, exactly June last year, I was appointment by His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde to serve under his administration and by extension, work for the Oyo State Government.
“Let me say this unequivocally that number one thing is that I wouldn’t have joined any government if it is not performing. Governor Makinde was and is still doing very we and some of us were encouraged to work with him.
“It is the basis for me to join and contribute my own little quota because if you look at my antecedent, I contested in 2019 as a candidate under the ADC. If you know what happened, we that contested for the House of Assembly were the canon folders.So, if there is anybody that should be looking for appointment, it is people like us because the National Assembly candidates already lost the election before the coalition. But, you can never see me around government circle seeking for any favour. I just went back to my profession after losing the election.”
Asked about the changes that he made in his former position as the Director-General of the Oyo State Liaison offices, he said, “The about nine or 10 months in office was a very good re-learning time for me. I came in with a very clear understanding, vision and focus because I understand the job assigned to me by my boss, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, as a liaison officer.
“You are to represent your state’s interest at the Federal Capital Territory. It is just like a mini ambassador. I was one of the first that was given (the title of) youth ambassador in this country in the 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.
“The frst thing I did after resumption was 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. You would see Kastina (House), Rivers, Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos etc. it was only Oyo House that urgently needed a facelift internally and externally.
“Secondly, I was able to restructure the workings of the staffers 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 that nobody had been engaging the MDA on behalf of the state government. With the permission of Governor Seyi Makinde, I was able to lead the Oyo State team to more that 40 MDAs for proper engagement on what Omituntun 1.0 was about and also the achievement of Governor Seyi Makinde. We also tried to make sure that we opened conversations on the short and long terms’ interest of the Seyi Makinde Administration.
“The third aspect, one of the missions of the liaison office is to issue Certificate of Indigeneship to people of Oyo State in the diaspora. Before the dissolution of the government, I started the plans to make it seamless leveraging on latest technology thereby making it possible to acquire it without traveling 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 it is because you are a liaison officer or DG. You are just a DG in your pocket. So, you have to go and look for opportunities for your people and engage them.
“It is not the same grammar that I speak when I get to the Energy Commission of Nigeria that I am going to speak when I get to the Rural Electrification Agency. Most times before you go to these 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 meeting and greeting.
“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 Governor Seyi Makinde for that opportunity.”
Asked if he regretted missing the senatorial ticket during the last elections, he said, “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 be something bigger than that so, I am not afraid and I am not in a rush.
“Don’t forget that Governor Seyi Makinde was also deprived of his Senatorial ticket at one point but today, he is the number one citizen of Oyo State. Watch out, 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. However, I am not a full fledge politician. I am a professional in politics. There is a difference between a politician and a professional in politics.”
