In a recent visit by the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalism (NUJ), Chief Dr. Chris Isiguzo on 11th July, 2024, to the Governor of Oyo State, The Governor was honored as the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Union of Journalism (NUJ), Oyo State Council. Reflecting on his journey before assuming office, recounted his days at the NUJ Centre GRA Ibadan, which served as a safe haven amidst the intense political climate of the time.
First, let me appreciate this honour as the Grand Patron of NUJ, Oyo State Council. Quite frankly, before I came into this office, the NUJ guest House, Ibadan happened to be my comfort zone. There’s a small hotel nearby, but I can’t remember the name now. You can walk from there, turn left, and it’s somewhere on the right. Not like we were doing anything bad, you know? But politics in Oyo State then was quite intense, and you had to try and hide yourself. For someone like me, I could be confrontational sometimes when I believed in something strongly. The Development Support Centre, Iyaganku GRA Ibadan was a good spot where we could enjoy ourselves, stay at the secretariat, and sleep without anybody knowing our direction.”
He emphasized the significance of the honor and promised to reconnect with the NUJ, acknowledging the crucial role of journalism in societal development.
“Inducting me as the Grand Patron is a call to reconnect with that place. I promise, Mr. President, that we will reconnect with that place. Journalism and media houses, TV stations are businesses, and there will be interests because they are set up by people with specific interests. However, what is important is to identify the overriding interest in the overall trajectory of development for our country, state, and continent.”
The Governor reminisced about a significant moment from 1982-83, praising Laolu Olatunbosun of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) for his bravery in standing up for the truth during a time of political suppression. Olatunbosun was eventually fired for his stance, but the Governor noted that such integrity is the essence of developmental journalism.
“This is what you see elsewhere in the world where people practice developmental journalism. You stand up to various interests and let those interests know that there is an overall interest, which is for the generality of the people.
The Governor also addressed the challenges facing Oyo State, stressing the importance of productivity over mere financial autonomy for local governments. He pointed out that the real issue is the lack of productivity and not the distribution of funds from Abuja. “After the Cold War, Eastern and Western Germany unified, becoming a stronger economy in Europe with significant influence on the world economy. I want to encourage you to hold us accountable as leaders for the things going on in our administration. I acknowledge that we are not magicians, we don’t have all the knowledge, and we can be wrong sometimes. With the beginning of this administration, we were always fighting and saying there are no quick fixes. They called us an ‘audio administration,’ saying we just kept talking. But eventually, you start seeing the results.”
Reflecting on his experience, the Governor shared his surprise at the perks of government office, having never worked in the public sector before becoming governor. “When I came into government, I was surprised that the government would pay for your flight ticket. We have to work together to align government actions with public needs because it’s our country and our state. Some may want the current administration to fail just so they can contest and win elections, but that benefits no one. For you to contest an election there must first be a country or a state. “Regarding the commissioning today, there’s been talk about the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy and financial autonomy. I think it’s a distraction. Our real issue is productivity; we’re not producing enough. The focus shouldn’t be on what is being shared in Abuja but on generating local revenue sustainably.
The ball is in your court. You must look at the real issues and not get distracted. Since I came in, we’ve held local government elections twice, with no caretakers in place. Yet, the discussion might be dominated by this for the next month, while issues of hunger and anger remain unaddressed. The federal government is now saying we need to import food, which is a big shame for our country.
We need to bring confidence back to our people and ensure this country is back on the path of growth, progress and development. I look forward to working together more closely. Thank you and God bless you.
Report by Ojetunde Tobiloba for IbadanCity ANNOUNCER
