Almost All Nigerian Leaders Who Have Ruled Us Had No Shoes – Otunba Gbenga Daniel
Former Ogun State governor and the longest serving governor of the state, Otunba Justus Olugbenga Daniel recently celebrated his 59th birthday at his home in Lagos. A member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the proud student of Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, the Polytechnic Ibadan and the University of Lagos, speaks about his views on the recent transition of power in government, advice for the youth and sundry issues.
Quote: Everyone who ever ruled us in Nigeria, were people who had no shoes. It is not only Jonathan who didn’t have shoes, while Moshood Abiola and Olusegun Obasanjo were attending Baptist Junior Secondary School (BJSS), they had no shoes as well.
A lot of people are here to celebrate with you, what message do you want to pass across to them on this memorable day?
The message I have for then is a message of hope, that our country is coming of age. What happened in the last few days was a major transition and for the first time since the commencement of this republic at the federal level, there has been a transition, from one ruling party to another and it happened successfully. I think it is the signpost of the coming of age of our dear country. It also presents hope and has shown that people are the ultimate decider of who governs them and that these same people are watching and if they are not satisfied with your performance, they will effect a change which I think is something that is required of a democratic process.
The presidential election just held a fortnight ago and another is taking place over the weekend. As a former governor and chieftain of the People Democratic Party, what is your advice to the contenders in the coming election?
I think the message is crystal clear, we all must go out and fight, struggle and try our best and once we have done that, we await the verdict of the people and we accept the verdict of the people. I can assure you that once that happens, this country will make progress and it is still the same lesson about transition. The difference between civilized economies and ours is that they have perfected the act of transition. In the United State of America, there are two major parties; the republican will rule and after sometime, you find out that the democrats take over and it goes on like that. It is a competitive environment. Same too goes for the United Kingdom. I think this is what we must expect here. Like I said, it is the greatest thing to have happened to this country in recent times.
Reflecting on your past 58 years, has there been moments of regret or are there things you might have loved to do better that you never had the opportunity to do and if given the opportunity, will you likely effect a change?
There are no regrets quite honestly within that frame work, the only thing I would have loved to do is to further educate and re-orientate our people. I found out in the course of my public service that our people are not as informed as we assume they are and once the information is not out there, people take their own decisions and positions. Sometimes when I see people take position on what I know is wrong, I just smile and I just have a sense of pity for them that if only they knew what is actually right. So what I feel the need to do in the polity is to continuously educate, re-inform and re-orientate our people. There is too much deceit and lies out there and regrettably our people believe them and sometimes Nigerians act like what we call the roman mob. The roman mob will act before they think, more like a moving train, they don’t reason. Once they decide that this is where they are going and even when they hear that this place they are heading towards is filled with armed robbers; at that point that they want to move, they won’t listen. It is after the die has been cast that they begin to regret their actions which may be a bit too late. So that is what I have found out in my experience in the public life. What is missing is information dissemination and that is where I continuously believe that the media must continue to stand up to save our dear country because the media are supposed to be the most educated and enlightened, they have all the information and if they take it as a duty to inform and inform correctly, I am sure that we will have a better country. The media should try as much as possible to report what they actually see and leave the public to give their opinion on such issues that have been reported.
You left governance in 2011. Are you presently satisfied with what is on ground and are you of the opinion that it will be better?
Oh!! Definitely it could be better and as you are aware, government comes and goes and as a matter of fact, different government sets their own priority but because of the level of the development of the people and because of the level of poverty, unemployment especially unemployment of the educated elite, it becomes necessary that whatever policy any government must set or pursue must be such that it will be in the overall interest of the people and not necessarily the elite because the elite can fend for themselves, the overall interest of the people must be paramount and primary. Where that is not done, then I must say it’s a waste of time. I don’t want to pass judgment because election is in a few days time. The people have seen, they have all made up their minds and they will express themselves in a few days time whether they want to continue or they also want to effect a change. Between you and I, I am satisfied with whatever is done.
Will you be voting?
Definitely I will vote, it is a civic responsibility but if you ask me who am I going to vote for, I won’t tell you but you know my party is the People’s Democratic Party.
In your own view, do you think our level of comportment has improved based on the last election?
Yes I think so and strongly so too because whether you believe this or not, we have moved because this is transition that has taken place against the prediction of the international community that there was going to be mayhem in Nigeria and we never had none, that is development. In terms of infrastructure, things have changed, we are not there yet, but it is a continuous process.
What advice do you have for the youth who see you as their role model?
It is still about believing in one’s potentials. Because of the fall in the value system, our youth understandably, do not believe in themselves. They think they cannot achieve things without some form of support. Yes we all need support but my advice to the youth is to believe solely in themselves and do away with all negative thoughts. If you look at the list of the most successful men in the world, they ordinarily did not get support from people and they were able to make it in life. I for instance did not really get any help when I started my company. As a matter of fact, a lot of people were wondering why I would want to leave my comfort zone and start a new business. When I started Crystal Laurel, I was the Managing Director, the secretary, the technician, sales engineer and dispatch rider and then I started building it up from them. I didn’t have much money, in fact I had no money. So I think my advice to the youth is that despite the difficulties in the country and around their various communities, perseverance and determination is the key, once you are sure you can do it, definitely you will get there. All the people who have ruled us in Nigeria are people without shoes. It is not only Jonathan who didn’t have shoes. While Moshood Abiola and Olusegun Obasanjo were attending Baptist Junior Secondary School (BJSS), they had no shoes too. Ibrahim Babaginda became an orphan at age six and at the end of the day, they all triumphed. So you tell me, where are those who had shoes and were born with a silver spoon? That is my message to the youths out there.
What will you consider to be your most memorable day?
That will definitely be on the prize giving day of my school, Baptist boy’s high school in 1971. I was in class three and on that particular prize giving day, I remember collecting about eleven prizes, all for first position out of the thirteen subjects I took. It was so amazing that before I picked up one prize to go back to my seat, I would be called upon to receive yet another.
