SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 17, 2013, PAGE 15 BY KAYODE AKINMADE
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Mimiko: A date with destiny
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LL roads lead to Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, February 24, to mark a historic day in Nigeria. That day, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Nigeria’s most decorated governor on whose behalf the Ondo people broke the second term jinx on October 20, 2012, will be sworn in for another four-year term. For Mimiko, this is simply a case of the Yoruba dictum of the inimitability of the personality fashioned by God Almighty Himself: Eni Olorun da ko se f ’ara we. In another breath, the Yoruba would say that agreeing with God’s choice gives rest of mind, while the converse is simply trouble: Ka gba f ’Olorun ni isinmi, a i gba f ’Olorun iyonu ni. While May 29 is generally the handover date in the country, the May 2007 conspiracy by vested subversive interests in Ondo politics altered the political equation in the state. Mimiko was voted for massively in that year ’s gubernatorial election in the state, but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Dr Olusegun Agagu was announced the winner, forcing the resilient Mimiko into an epic battle, this time a legal one, to reclaim the mandate that the Ondo people gave him in such a willing number, and with so passionate a zeal for change. Not that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had any policy disagreement with the gentle though uncompromising social democrat from Ondo State who, as Minister of Housing and Urban Development, got Nigeria its building code. The quarrel in the build up to the 2007 general elections was simple: the mercurial general simply did not want to let go of one of his most prized assets in the federal cabinet. When, eventually, the then president let go, it was with a vow that he would do all that lay in his power to frustrate Mimiko ambition to rule Ondo State. In a brazen rape of democracy and a dangerous assault on the sensibilities of the people, Mimiko was shoved aside and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced the PDP candidate as the winner of the 2007 election. It was a great challenge. Mimiko did not shirk this challenge. Born into a family with rich progressive credentials as die-hard apostles of the Obafemi Awolowo ideological school, Mimiko, a member of the Socialist Movement who associated with great literary minds while a student at the University of Ife, had evolved a unique brand of political activism through his chosen profession of medicine, delivering quality health services to the Ondo people at great cost to his personal purse, and had been spotted by the Third Republic Ondo State governor, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua, who made him Commissioner for Health in 1992. It was at this time that he started the festival of surgery programme and got his name implanted in the hearts of the people. Back in the trenches, Mimiko, a member of the Ondo Study Group which provided an elevated template for critical
We’ve seen the marginalised in the society, the downtrodden, people who exist as statistics in government ministries; we must give them opportunity to be able to actualise themselves
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Dr Olusegun Mimiko political discourse and correctly predicted the fall of the defunct Soviet Union, declared that Agagu would have no hiding place at the Appeal Court: “Agagu will come back from Benin a loser because we have proved it beyond reasonable doubt that the election was rigged in the disputed areas, and that was upheld by the Nabaruma-led tribunal.” And so it happened. As the Yoruba say, even if a lie endures for 20 years, the truth must catch up with it one day. The Appeal Court sitting in Benin, on 23 February 2009, upheld the July 25, 2008 verdict of the Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The Director, Media and Research of the Progressive Coalition, Bola Ilori, appropriately captured the feeling in Ondo State on that
day when he said: “It (Mimiko’s victory) is the restoration of the hope of the Ondo people and redemptive balm on the excruciating alienation of the people after about six years in the throes of Agagu’s inflicted pains and labyrinth of economic pillage. It is a refreshing new day, pregnant with positive progressive possibilities.” And Mimiko, speaking after the judgement, said: “We have demonstrated faith in the judiciary, faith in democracy. All I have to say is that I know I carry an unusual burden.” And he solemnly told the people of the state: “I will work for you.” Four years on, Mimiko has redefined leadership on the African continent, winning the World Bank’s nod as the governor with the health policy (Abiye) most suitable for Africa’s development. Abiye
has also been recognised by, among many international bodies, the Centre for Strategic and International S t u d i e s , Washington DC, United States, which invited him to tell the world the ongoing Abiye success story in January this year. Mimiko has also been decorated by the United Nations with the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour in acknowledgement
of initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, leadership in developing and improving the human settlements and general enhancement in overall quality of urban life. The award ceremony was held in Naples, Italy. Beyond his strides in health, education, sports (the stateowned Sunshine Stars is now a formidable force in African football), urban renewal, agriculture, housing, among others, observers have often harped on the gentle mien, the rich ideological spectrum and the finesse of Mimiko’s public engagements. While those who chose to antagonise the good things he has continued to do for Ondo State used their extensive media influence to run down his image and his government, Mimiko has never engaged in vulgar exchanges with anyone. Instead, he ignores the acerbic attacks on his personality and
concentrates on the substance or otherwise, of the many claims of the opposition, the unspoken statement being that he is too busy actualizing the Awo credo of Life More Abundant to engage in verbal wars with anyone. Hear him: “The Labour Party is a social democratic party and in the ideological spectrum, we belong to the left. We believe that government has a responsibility to the people. We believe that government has to make the private sector to thrive so that private profit can motivate people to grow the economy but we also believe that government has the responsibility to ensure that equitable opportunity is given to people in the society as much as possible, what is known as carrying everybody along. We’ve seen the marginalised in the society, the downtrodden, people who exist as statistics in government ministries; we must give them opportunity to be able to actualise themselves. On the social democratic platform, providing free bus services, free and qualitative health care to the most vulnerable in the society and democratising access to quality education all fit into the mantra, which is the progressive mantra.” As the October 20 2012 governorship election approached, the opposition did its best to arrest destiny, claiming that no governor ever got a second term in Ondo State. But whoever God loves, He makes a way for. That is why Ondo State is in for a greater four years ahead. *Akinmade is the Hon. Commissioner for Information, Ondo State.
Delimitation of Concept of the Constitutional for Advancement of the Federal Continued from page 12 force for it or its subdivisions, prior to its status as a federating state; to which the power remains reserved as part of its large residue of powers, upon federating. This power, to ordain a police force, is not a delegable power to federal government, as it is part of mass of powers reserved for and residual to state sovereignty, for regulation of internal police and inspection laws of a federating state. In joining a federation, or on its formation, a federating state is guaranteed republican form of government, of coordinate branches, of legislature, executive and judicature.
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he federating state may, in exercise of its po lice power, make, interpret and enforce laws for regulation of internal police of the state; laws that may differ from laws of any other federating state; but not to be inconsistent with competent constitution and laws of the federation. Therefore, a federating state has power to ordain and establish a police department for enforcement of its laws, which it is competent to make. This power with its exercise is jurisdictional among the several states of the federation. As the power to ordain a police force is not fed-
eral, the government of the federation shall not arrogate to and exercise it. This power is not delegable and a federating state cannot so delegate to the union. The power is not derivative to the federal government in its exercise of general sovereignty, pursuant to the doctrine of eminent domain, in absence of any attempt by any part of it to do anything toward collapse of the federation. It thus is anomalous, in the devise of federation, for a purport of federal constitution to ordain and raise a police force for the federation. It is reflexive of unitarist exercise, in futility, of expropriated nonfederal power, in derogation from the structure, principles, doctrines and practice of federalism. * In exercise, by a state, of non-delegable and reserved power of federating state, or exercise of the expropriated power, by the federal center, to ordain and raise a police department, there is neither anything extant or prospective, nor presence of independent and adequate state or federal ground, in republican governance, counselling derogation from exercise of civil right of and by rank and file police officers to prosecute, by strike ac Continues on page 19 C M Y K