Mr. Segun Ojo, former commissioner in late governor Adefarati’s disastrous premiership in Ondo state is all over the newspapers, in an interview reported in The Nigeria Compass Newspapers.

First of all, when will Nigerian journalists be trained or schooled in the art of asking the sort of questions that directly addresses the concerns of the mass of the people from politicians ? Most of the questions posed to Mr. Ojo were, quite frankly, none of the business of the average person in Ondo state.

Right from the beginning, the responses are inherently empty, or shall one say full of clever one sided, out-rightly dubious ‘strategising’ in nature..

Sunshine State Rainbow Coalition is a platform of expression by the common man and the middle  
class as well as the active political class in Ondo State against leadership failures and political corruption.

Nice wording, only if Mr. Ex-commissioner could provide what his definition of common man is, and how exactly they are welcome to his platform.

And when a former member of the class of Adefarati’s commissioners talk about leadership failures, is that not the same thing as recognising personal failure ? Check sir, you have been in leadership position in Ondo state, and in fact, it can be argued that you are still a member of the leadership class – as a supposed co-founder of the Labour Party, so you may want to be clearer on how you define leadership failure…

Listen to this again, from Mr. Segun Ojo.

With the failures, disappointment irresponsible governance witnessed in the state in the last two years, it  
is clear and if you know Ondo State very well, that something must happen.

What can you say ?

The trick is in the “something must happen”. What does he expect to happen ?

And then he goes on to speak about and on behalf of the Ondo electorate, as though he has forgotten that – in a truly open and fair election – he is entitled to only one vote…

Mr. Segun Ojo seems to suggest that whatever failings governor Olusegun Mimiko’s goverment suffers – and there are lots of them – is  
is entirely down to the personal failure of Mr. Olusegun Mimiko, which is only correct to the extent  
that he provides one side of the story. 

Wrong.

In other sane and truly democratic climes, people like  Mr. Segun Ojo, having  
been in and out of government are expected to know and teach society on the  
importance of policy and how central proper policy plans is to the full and competent working of  
governance for and to its people.

What has been Mr. Segun Ojo’s contributions to the financial policies in the last two years ?

Where are his suggestions towards good governance ? How does he even define good governance ?

What precisely would Mr. Ojo do differently if he had the chance to be insider Alagbaka’s state house ?

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The interview confirms he is party to the creation of labour party, but he is already contemplating heading to the PDP. Some people would call that political opportunism. And it is the hallmark of incompetent and ideologically bankrupt people, which regrettably are the majority of our politicians.

One would like to read of a specific policy issue where  Mr. Ojo has gone on the record to disagree with the governor. But then this presumes he has alternative and clear policy views.

It mostly seems same old-school trickery.

If Mr. Segun Ojo has – in truth – the interest of Ondo state at heart, in which case he would be one of a kind in Nigerias  
political landscape, he should be specific on what Alagbaka has done that  he would do differently and what Alagbaka is not doing, only then should  he be taken seriously.

The pedestrian nature of questions asked is also a sad reflection on the  quality of journalism emanating from Nigeria.

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