 Hon. Saka Yusuf Ogunleye is the immediate past Education Secretary of Akure North local government. He is currently an acting chairman of the Labor Party in Akure North local government. He spoke with Rotimi Ogunleye and Kayode Mogbojuri on the crisis of the party in the local government and the steps taken to resolve it
As a chieftain of the Labor Party in Akure North local government, you contributed immensely to the growth of the party, what is the situation of the party in your local government now?
When we started the party, we had a very good dream for our people as the pioneer secretary of the party and the coordinator for all the elections in Akure local government, myself and few people came together as a progressive minded people and we thought we could change the fortune of our people and Dr. Mimiko was the symbol of that unity and we rally round him despite our difficulties and challenges and as God will have it we won the election, denied our mandate but got it back in court. I was not a secretary of the party I was also a member of the state planning and strategy of the party and a member of the state campaign committee. We had a very good dream, compare with what is happening in the party today. Recently, we came together in Akure North that we want to reposition the Party so that it can continue to function in line with our shared dream and to ensure that people that understand the core values of the party are allowed to run the party. I must at this juncture say that we are not against people coming into the party as the motto of our party is room enough for all but at the same time some of us that led the struggle, lay everything we had for the party cannot watch while we are being driven out of the party. Against all odds, we will remain in the party to resolve the entire internal crisis and correct all the imbalances so that the Party can move forward.
With the crisis of leadership in the Party in your local government what effort have you put in place so far so that the foundational members of the party will not be leaving the party and your efforts to foster a truce as a factional chairman?
We are members of the same family and we will resolve our internal crisis I sympathize with the aggrieved members of our party. Unfortunately, those that were driven out are foundational members of the party. They are the people that built this party when there was no body to identify with this party, they are the pioneer executive of this party and they were sent away unceremoniously, without congress or due process. At different occasions, series of complaints via letters were made to the governor to lodge complaint but were ignored this is unfair treatment. At the end they decided to go to court to seek redress and challenge imposition of executives on the party. In the process, the governor realized that an illegality was on and he intervened by asking the factions to divide the executives among themselves so that there will be no victor no vanquish. Also, the governor promised that the exercise should continue in the twelve wards. To our dismay after waiting for so long nothing happened and people decided to sack the executives and replace them with interim ones and some of us sympathize with them for two reasons. Firstly, before the illegal imposition of executives on the people there was a case before Justice Taiwo Aguda on the crisis of the legitimate leadership of the party. we expected that the party, which is a product of rule of law, will hold all actions. While the court has put all parties concerned on hold, the state secretariat of the party went ahead to organize congresses and impose executives. With the plea of the governor, the people that went to court were pacified and opted for out of court settlement as earlier agreed but when the agreement was not honored, they went back to court and we have to patiently wait for the outcome of the case in court. But as the acting chairman of the party, I have been moving round among the members so that we can resolve and move the party forward. Amidst all of these we will not allow intruders to invade the party or be imposed on us.
Your official vehicle was forcefully withdrawn from you. What led to this and how are you handling it so that it will not cause further disaffection between you and your party?
You should be aware that I decided to resign my appointment as the Education Secretary of the local government few weeks ago. The whole issue started like this, as a chieftain of the party, I have to encourage everybody that want to build the party especially those that are elected on the platform of the party. I do not understand what transpired between honorable Abegunde Ifedayo and the Party to the extent of him dumping the party. As an acting chairman I get worried about this development, a lot of aspersions were casted on my personality and on January 8 this year, my official car was taken away from me and with the invasion of police to my private residence for two weeks. I was threatened as well. The car was still at the police custody. I felt bad as I cannot be going to the office with Okada or taxi so I decided to resign my appointment and I sent a letter to the governor to thank him for giving me the opportunity to serve my people. it was stated in my letter that I will remain in the party even if it is to shame my critics because some people are ready in polarizing the party as they were busy peddling rumors and attacking the foundation members of the party. But life continues we will continue to work for the progress of the party and our aims of ensuring that our local government that is much of a rural community is transformed. So my closeness to Otunba Omodara and Honorable Abegunde should not be mis-interpreted. I am an adult am over forty years of age and I have the mind of my own. I still remain a committed member of the Labor Party no matter the intimidation and harassment. Let me also mentioned that when I resigned my appointment as the education secretary, the government decided to pay the balance of my furniture allowance, the payment was done in the ministry of finance and a Zenith bank cheque dated January 3rd 2012, which I collected on the 17th of January. I lodged the cheque into my account but because of this persecution, the cheque was dishonoured. As a law abiding citizen that served this government for about two and half years my lawyer has made necessary steps and all concern quarters are been contacted. All my colleagues have cashed theirs and I want to believe that this issue is political and my next step is to contact the Attorney General of the state.
If the government decided to resolve all the grey areas, will you return to your duty post, we mean earlier passion?
I have resigned as the Education Secretary that is a fact and if all the issues raised by all aggrieved parties are resolved fine, we will all work together. If I am giving the opportunity to serve again, I will not like to serve in the capacity of Education Secretary. We are in the election period 2013 is around the corner I will appreciate serving in any capacity.
The foundational member of your party that are leaving your party don’t you think it threaten your party in the forthcoming election, or are you comfortable with the situation?
It is very unfortunate that situations like these are happening in our party. One of the major problems is that our inability to speak the truth and the power that be to see the truth that we are speaking. If Mr. A leaves the party today, they say it is irrelevant Dr. Olaiya Oni left the party they said it is irrelevant likewise Senator Meroyi, Hon. Saka Lawal, Hon. Amodeni, Hon. Abegunde, Hon. Omodora and we do not know who is leaving next but I believe we can still do something about those who had left. According to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, if we are related we shall surely meet again. Like Pastor Omogunwa, I learnt he is on his way back to the Labour Party.
Cuts in…. but he has not made an open declaration to that effect. Yes, he has not but we read in the pages of newspaper and he has never refuted it. In the interest of the party, we should no maltreat ourselves those in government should be more considerate and let us look at how we started the party, continue in the same spirit so that we can achieve our goals and woo more people to our party.
Hon. Akin Adeniyi representing your constituency in the state house of Assembly said there was no crisis in the party in your local government and that it is estranged members of the party that are causing problem. How will you describe this?
Let him go by the dictionary meaning of crisis. There is a case in court and he is saying there is no crisis. Must we go to the street and start fighting before people know that there is crisis? He is entitle to his own opinion and the people of the state are entitled to the dictionary definition of crisis this is my position.
2013 general election is around the corner, what is your advice to the people of the state and the people of your local government?
Am a student of history and I will be guided by history. History cannot be broken it is either it repeats itself or help us in guiding our actions. 1983 is still fresh in our memory we should not allow violence in any form during the election.
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