As you must have heard from all we discussed inside, it is no hidden fact that I have expressed my aspiration to see what impact I can make in the state, especially to consolidate on what past governors have done in this state, particularly Governor Seyi Makinde and the face-lift he has given the state in terms of infrastructure, social and economic development.
And on the basis of that, I have expressed my aspiration to say, okay, let us be part of governance and what is going on in the state. To me, I keep saying value addition and continuous service to humanity. The 35 years of my life that I spent in the police were about service to humanity. And in retirement, which is almost seven years now, I have remained here, being true to the state and where I come from – my state of birth – to bring back all those things we have done in so many other places. And that is what has kept us here up till this time.
We have so many opportunities, not only here but elsewhere, but because we feel we should be impactful to our people here, that is why we have remained and why we want to continue. Everybody says, ‘You don’t even look like a policeman. Can you do politics?’ It is not as if politics is dirty. Some people in politics are dirty, and they make it look as if politics itself is dirty.
Yes, you may not be able to maintain your integrity because they will rubbish you, but it is you who should impact wherever you are; it is not the environment that should impact you. So, everything boils down to: Who are you? What are you aiming at?
If some people are saying politics is dirty because they want to continue with the politics of chop-chop and politics of punishing people, I am coming into politics to play politics with integrity. Just like the utilitarian philosophy – the greatest good for the greatest number of people – and, of course, to add value to what is happening in our state.
We can cross our legs, put our hands on our cheeks, and say, ‘Let us watch them spoil it.’ If every good person keeps running away from politics, we will continue to have people who will keep taking us down the drain. People say we have bad leadership. Should we continue to lament and refuse to get involved?
I want to implore every good person making waves abroad and helping other countries become great to come back home and help fix our country. It is right here before us.
Today, there are so many obstacles to entering America or the UK. President Trump is saying, ‘Go back to your country and develop it.’ In South Africa, there is xenophobia, and these are countries Nigeria contributed immensely to.
I had the opportunity and privilege of working in many places with the United Nations. I was in Angola, Sudan and Darfur – countries Nigeria contributed significantly to. Everyone knows the role Nigeria played in the liberation of South Africa. So, how did we get to a point where countries we helped immensely are now chasing us away?
Like I said, I have been part of this state and part of its governance. You may not believe that in this secretariat where the governor’s office is located, if you go to the Ministry of Justice building, as far back as when the late Rotimi Williams was Attorney-General of the Western Region, there was already an elevator there. If such existed back then, then we should be ashamed that in 2026, some people do not even know there is a lift there. Are we not supposed to be progressing?
The executive governor of Oyo State has made a lot of impact. There are roads that have not been touched for 50 years that are now being reconstructed. He has been able to connect all the senatorial districts together. But should we allow these achievements to waste? We want value addition. This state can be self-sustaining; I am telling you that. Life can be better for our people. That is why I keep talking about the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
During the era of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Western Region was paying more than every other region. Who says we cannot still uplift the lives of our civil servants? Who says private schools cannot become a matter of choice if we upgrade our public schools? Some states are already upgrading their public schools. Governor Makinde has tried, and we must sustain that continuity. It is only through continuity that you can truly grow the state and make it regain the pride it once held, not only in the Western Region but across Nigeria.
To me, the language of politics has become hackneyed. This one has endorsed that person; that one has endorsed another. If people endorse you publicly, inside the room they may be doing something else entirely. We will get there. Let us go there. We have started. People ask, ‘Do you have structure?’ Let us go there; we have started. It is not about saying, ‘Oh, this person has endorsed me.’ It is like a movement.
I was on Splash FM this morning, and they asked me, ‘How do you intend to build a structure? Are you sure you will not be consumed by the system?’ It is about leadership. I keep telling people to go and check. Everyone knows how the police institution has been bastardized – not because the police itself is bad, but because governments wanted it that way. Go to Lagos State; I can beat my chest and say I changed the face of policing in Lagos State. I changed the face of policing in Benue State. It is about you.
I made the police I met in Lagos reflect my personality, and that is what I keep preaching. It is difficult because we have become so bastardized in this country that, with poverty, anything goes. People want to use ill-gotten wealth to share garri and rice just to buy votes. I want to use this opportunity to tell our people that if we continue like this, politicians will always treat governance like a business investment. If I sell my car, my house, or steal government money and use it to buy votes, I will surely recoup that money when I get into the office. That is what I want our people to understand. So, do we want to continue like this?