Dear Ekiti Sons and Daughters,

Introduction

This is the second part of the open letter to Ekiti People on the Selection education and the future of Ekiti Development. You may wish to read the Part I of this open letter here. In part I, we discussed the deficiencies of governance and major selection principles during electioneering. In this Part II, we address the cogent and specific areas that the electorates should focus while selecting a candidate for governorship seat of Ekiti State.

Section B. Further Principles of Selection

I was inspired to write this Part II because of a shock I received from an undergraduate Malay Student at my University She said:

“Ekiti State has the highest Professors in Nigeria but too poor,” I asked her a question “where did you get the information?”. She replied, “I got it online”. Sound as a shock, right? What she believed was that education is the bedrock for any developing countries to catch up.

In so doing, what should Ekiti People need to do and know to select the right candidate during the electioneering process? This section discusses the specific areas where the electorate should be patient to read. This is because the section B would educate the people of the concrete promises that they should look for in Ekiti of our dream.

Let us systematically identify our needs for the transformation of Ekiti development and Ekiti people’s welfare. All hangs on restructuring and the readiness for change.

1.      Political Programme and People’s Need – Political party programme is always deficient that accommodate fragmentation, bias and sometimes contrary to the NEEDS of the people. The programmes are drawn to bribe electorate’s conscience. We don’t need political party programme.

Suggestion - People of Ekiti State should be conscious of selecting an aspirant who will be ready to allow Ekiti people to define their NEEDS. Relying on political party programmes is a SHITHOLE. Ok?

2.      Efficient Policy – We don’t need N500.00, N1000.00, N5000.00 and or more to bribe your conscience to which you become unhappy after the election. If you collect the money, you signed and accepted your death-economic warrant. The monies shared by politicians are poverty money that electorates take for four years. If you take N500.00, N1000.00, N5000.00, try to spend it judiciously because you may not receive similar consignment before the end of the four years. My people, we need an effective policy that will teach and direct the people to where they could get money every day. Don’t allow the politician to give you money. Instead, tell them to have effective policy to enhance people capability of how to get their own money and they will be satisfied.

Suggestion - In consequence of the above, the electorates should exercise caution in collecting money from any of the aspirants. Instead, demand for an effective policy that will upturn poverty. Ok?

3.      State Conference/Summit – The incoming government should agree to organise State Conference/Summit immediately after the swearing-in ceremony to design the way forward on the real and services sectors such as Agric, industry, manufacturing, SME, electricity, tourism, services and education. The summit should identify and collate the State NEEDS (People and government NEEDS). The outcome of the Conference/Summit shall be a template for running the State than GOVERNOR PRESUMED NEEDS or POLITICAL PARTY ASSUMED NEEDS for the people.

Suggestion - In the spirit of development, the electorates are cautioned against a poor selection of a candidate and cast their vote for somebody who will not be interested in organising a CONFERENCE/SUMMIT as a template for Governor and the State operationalisation of development activities. It will be somehow and somewhat suicidal. Ok?

4.      Governance Inclusiveness - The inclusiveness includes people’s participation in the running of the society. I suggest that any aspirant whose interest is to govern the State by self-ideas and Godfatherism should be avoided. Godfatherism does not allow for sustainable development to take place neither a self-idea (which is controlled by emotions) cannot put food on the electorate’ tables.

Suggestion - Therefore, the guide is to vote for a candidate who is interested in INCLUSIVENESS instead of exclusiveness. If the voters make a selection mistake of EXCLUSIVENESS, without mincing words, they will pay the prize for the error committed for four solid years. Ok?

5.      Research and Development (R&D) - The Incoming Governor should demonstrate the readiness to respect and use R&D as an economic tool to upgrade the State economic development. The Incoming Governor should use experts in EKSU, College of Education and Health Technology in ensuring R&D in the State. That is where the SEERS and PROPHETS of DEVELOPMENT reside. This aspect is most crucial to monitor the State development in Education, Science, Social, Business and Arts/Humanities, instead of politician’s ideologies that are always demonstrating biasness and frustrating. A deviation or attempt to reduce these experts to non-functioning in prophesying, seeing and proclaiming several development warnings would be a CURSE for the State economic development.

Suggestion - The electorate should be most conscious of selecting an aspirant/candidate wisely such that the person should be interested in R&D. OK?

6.      Interest in Development instead of Political Affiliation. The State incoming Governor should have 100% INTEREST in the State development instead of personal thinking and philosophy of the Governor regarding the State development. The Governor ‘own-thought’ regarding State development is always biased than the collective thought of development.

Suggestion - This principle is a caution for the electorates to select an aspirant who will avoid handling governance by self-imposition but vote in a candidate who will employ collective thinking. Otherwise, be expecting that the incoming Governor with self-thinking episode would lead people to more of poverty and poor development in the State. Ok?

7.      Restructuring of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) – Re-organisation or restructuring of the State SME to promote investment should top government and the human need to reduce unemployment. The incoming government should consciously allow for the re-organisation or restructuring of the State SME. In developed countries, the SME is largest employer of labour. Currently, I observe that the State SME is outrightly disorganised. The SMEs are not properly organised compare with Malaysia SMEs.

Suggestion - The voters (Ekiti people) should select an aspirant with the heart full of consciousness and readiness to restructure the State SME that is already in a state of a comma. Ok?

8.      Social and Life Security – The incoming governor should demonstrate his readiness to create a secure environment for sustainable development such that the investors are attracted to invest in the State economy. The higher the number of investors, the better the State economic development. Also, the more the State absorbs insecurity, the worse the State economy. Please, ensure that the aspirants you intend to vote for have the intention to secure the State regarding property, social and life.

Suggestion - In a wise saying, it is preferable to argue that a poor selection among the parties aspirants would cause the electorates and their families four-year economic and psychological stress; poverty and insecurity. So, rationally select and vote for the candidate who will be interested in your welfare, the welfare of your family and the inclusiveness of the society in ensuring social order. Ok?

9.      Government Team – The incoming Governor should demonstrate the readiness to select government team wisely. Learn from Malaysia. The government team include Commissioners, Directors, Special Advisers and others. The government portfolio should be expert focused rather than political party focused. Over time, the mistake in this aspect has ever been a CURSE for the development of the State and Nigeria economy. For example, a former Governor of Ekiti appointed a medical Doctor to manage Ministry of Education and Technology. You could recall that the Commissioner used the Medical SURGICAL BLADE to tear apart the State education.

Suggestion - Without missing words, I suggest that potential voters should select wisely among the aspirants who will not look at “oju aye” (eye service) but look at collective goal to choose his team. If you see any aspirant who has promised everyone before the election without consideration to expert is your and family enemy in governance. Ok?

10.  Governorship Position and Administration - The Incoming Governor should know that he is the most Senior Staff or Chief Administrator of the State Administration, like a Vice-Chancellor of a University that receive a salary. Yes, Governor appointed the Vice Chancellor but the ELECTORATES APPOINTED the Governor by the signature of their votes. The incoming Governor should demonstrate in practical terms that the electorates stand as the Boss because the number of votes cast would give the incoming Governor the appointment as a Governor of the State (like a job seeker). The fact remains that people elected/appointed the Governor to serve them with a salary reward from the individual share of the State income (per capita income). As such, Governor is expected to serve as an efficient intermediary between the State economy and external economies instead of being a BOSS over the BOSS (electorates). Otherwise, the State development becomes a curse that would invite more poverty and insecurity to and for the people.

Suggestion - So, the electorates should select a tested and efficient “Leader” instead of a “Boss”. A boss is an authoritarian where a leader is an inspired individual and purely democratic (Read Daskal, 2014). If you select a “Boss” rather than a “Leader” to be the next Governor, the electorate should expect that they will live in a tyrannical society/community for four solid years, if not more, to pay for their ineptitude regarding a BOSS aspirant selected. Ok?

11.  Ekiti State Development Plan – Passionately, I observe that there is no development plan in the State. If there is, it is not followed, pushed aside or it is outdated/obsolete. The world is changing in economics, science, social, information, technology every day. The incoming State Governor should, as a matter of priority and urgency, take to the House of Assembly to pass into the law of Ekiti State to draw a Five-Year Development Plan (ESFYDP) that will capture all sectors. The plan would be a template to monitor sustainable development goals (SDG) that will improve Ekiti State development and his people. In my opinion, sometimes, what the government is calling development is not the actual development expected. They are window-dressing development.

Suggestion - So, I suggest with all sincerity that the electorate should select a political candidate, without biasness, who will be ready to draw an economic and sustainable development plan for action as a template for the incoming Governor and any government coming-up in the State. The development plan would always provide direction regarding knowledge of what had been done and what remains for action. If the electorate selected an aspirant whose interest deviates from Ekiti State Development Plan (ESDP), remember that your vote is assumed to be a signature of your wisdom or ineptitude which would dictate your family success or economic failure (poverty) for four solid years or more. If candidate selection is carefully done, the ESDP shall become a State economic and development manual, and a necessity to review in every 5-year interval. It is now for an electorate to demonstrate absolute wisdom to ask a direct question from the Governorship candidate: WILL YOU AS INCOMING GOVERNOR DRAW A DEVELOPMENT PLAN REGARDING EKITI STATE ECONOMY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT? Ok?

12.  Data as a Development Weapon - The Incoming Governor should have the characteristic of, if not available, establishing Ekiti State Department of Economics and Statistics. Why? A country or State that lack accurate statistical data on economic and social issues, and make such data available to the expected users (people and researchers) would not miraculously transform the economy. Like parents monitor the children through data provided by teachers (examination report), economists and socialists do. Through data, development is monitored and achieved because data offer history or trend. The Department in question should be independent of the Ministry of Finance, which should be headed by a Director (Economists and Statistician are preferable). The government should make the Department publish State development bi-annually/quarterly in print (Name suggestion -The State Economic Bulletin or Ekiti State Economic Monitor, like Malaysia economic Monitor) and social media such as radio and television.

Suggestion - Hence, I suggest that the electorates should be wise enough to select a virtuous person who will make transparency a watchword. However, suppose voters make a mistake in the political party candidate’s selection regarding data issue that defines transparency and monitoring the State economy, (i.e. keeping the record of what was done, how it was done and what remains to be done). Be reminded that the electorates are subjecting themselves and families to abject poverty because there will be no efficiency of governance regarding the distribution of the available State economic resources. Resources would be share at Governor’s discretion. Ok?

13.  Efficient Communication - Readiness of the incoming Governor to develop listening hears on the matter of development is a paramount concept in the development paradigm. Communication exists when the receiver understands the content of the message of the sender. Communication breaks down when there is a misconception of the idea of the message. The misconception could lead to chaos or a state of anarchy. I want to state clearly that in a KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, information is one of the core variables.

Suggestion - As such, the electorates should be courageous to select someone who has human feelings in passing right information to the people because we are social beings whose behaviour changes either for good or bad. Be honest, wise and careful of your selection to have someone who will have a listening ear rather than a deaf ear to people’s yearnings. Effective communication between the incoming Governor and the Ekiti People should be the watchword to the electorates in selecting the right person for Governorship. Otherwise, wait for four solid years of poverty and agony, maybe you will become wise later. Ok?

14.  Corruption Control and Strategy - Corruption as old as man, particularly when an evil angel corruptively stole the everlasting life given to man. While I am not advocating for corruption, since the first corruption was performed, corruption has been a behaviour that occurs and reoccurs in all countries of the world. It is only the quantity and management that create the difference. Making pronunciation that the State is corrupt is deadlier than the corruption itself because it will negatively impact more on the economy than expected. Ask the incoming Governor, I mean all the aspirants irrespective of the party, to tell the people the strategy of blocking the loopholes of corruptive tendencies in governance. Fighting the past corruption is good, but the approach may look worse. It is now to ask any of the aspirants the following questions. (1) What are the corruption parameters in governance, economic, social and politics? (2) How will you assure the electorates that you will not be a corrupt Governor if elected? (3) If found having the intention (still planning) of corruption (or found corrupted) during your tenure, what should Ekiti people do to minimise the propensity for corruption? Give us your word. (4) If any of your team is found corrupt, what will you do in the interest of Ekiti People and development? If answers are not straightforward, then be wise, patient and careful of such candidate in your selection exercise. Whatever the response, have it in writing to keep a record.

Suggestion - So, I suggest that the electorates should avoid selecting an aspirant that has a corruptive tendency (in other words, a thieve), merely that he is a member of your party. When he buys his way from your negligence of having right person as a Governor, you and your family will pay for the proceeds of his corruption in four years or more. Ok?

15.  Wages Problem – No doubt, the economic recession has caused a lot to the workers of the State through non-payment of salary. In distribution process, the State economy depends mainly on salary to which distribution goes to the market. Get a clear understanding of the intention of the aspirant(s) of how salary issue would be resolved. The fact that the incoming Governor should know now is the 5 – 7 months arrears of salary. What Ekiti people would revolt against is telling the people what they know and experience. Instead, the electorates should ask the political party candidates to tell the electorates what and how the arrears of workers emoluments are to be paid. Otherwise, your vote would count for your persistent poverty.

Suggestion – When an aspirant is using the current weaknesses (such as salary arrears) of the current government to campaign to be a Governor, tell him that we are not MUNMUN who does not know right from wrong. The facts about current and previous governments are kept in the Political Bank of Lying. Instead, the electorates need to be sure that the political party candidate of their interest answer the question of HOW? and not WHAT? In other words, HOW? provides convincing and detailed answers than WHAT? to which WHAT? is a bundle of lies in a political arena. Ok?

Conclusion

In this open letter (Part I&II), we have discussed the weaknesses of the government and stated selection principles as a guide to Ekiti polity. The selection principles are guides to select from the myriads of aspirants and to prepare the winning aspirant for works ahead. So, we propose to Ekiti Sons and Daughters as follows:

(1)   Though it is not easily said and done, do not choose an aspirant base on prejudice or be political and ethnicity bias. If all things being equal, avoid selecting a Governorship candidate merely because he is a member of your party, ethnic group, family and local government even when you have the absolute knowledge that he has little or no capacity to run the affairs of the State.

(2)   Select a virtuous candidate that has a passion for development, who understand the evolution of development and development stages. The person should be a LEADER and not a BOSS. As a LEADER, he should be versatile as a READER. A Reader can be a good Leader because he acquires more knowledge and wisdom in reading but a Leader cannot necessarily be a Reader because he has characteristics of a BOSS.

Base on these conclusions, we argue that a unique thought of the electorates’ welfare, their families standard of living, the community and economic development of Ekiti State are the inherent value chains in the Selection Education Guide (SEG) provided in this open letter.

Admonition - Dear Ekiti Sons and Daughters, you are the electorates that should bear in mind the limitation of the selection principles as highlighted in Kolawole (2018). He said “in every election, politicians play on our intelligence and ride on our emotions. When they get power, they become something else”. To minimise the limitation, ponder over the selection principle stated in this open letter. Educate your children who are eligible (18 and above) to vote during the election so as to shine their eyes and open their brain for development reasoning. Consciously and constructively reason with your relatives and friends as well as social groups regarding these selection principles during the electioneering process of Ekiti State with an extension to Nigeria politics.

Many are in the race, but only one person would receive the prize. The truth is that a person among the candidates would emerge as the Governor of Ekiti State. Only God Knows. In advance, I congratulate the unknown and yet decided candidate who will assume the number one office of Ekiti State. My prayer is for the electorate to make the balanced judgement of the aspirants to get the desired result of development. In so doing, the incoming Governor should not forget to avoid misplacement of priority in governance. He should allow Ekiti people to identify their NEEDS from WANTS through State Conference/Summit. Make research and development (R&D) a robust governance instrument to reshape and rebuild the dilapidated economy of the State/Nigeria.

Whatever the choice of the electorates, I have resolved to constructively provide developmental ideas, innovations and creativity (Sternberg, 2012) to whoever comes to the corridor of power in Ekiti, to proffer solutions to numerous problems of Ekiti people and the State Economy (e.g. youth unemployment). In summary, my concern is the happiness of Ekiti people and the State economic development.

Further debate shall be on where we were from, where we are now and how to pursue the global SDG 2030 programme in the State. Collectively, we shall discuss what has been done, how it was done but got a failure response, what we should do and shouldn’t be done.

Thanks for your patience for the “So long a Letter”, as in Mariama Bâ's first novel book written in the form of a letter.

Folorunso Obasuyi T. Obasuyi

Department of Development Studies,

University of Malaya, Malaysia.

Obasfot2017@gmail.com

Department of Economics

College of Education,

Ikere - Ekiti

References

Connor, B. (2013). The Difference Between a Boss and a Leader. Business2Comunity             https://www.business2community.com/leadership/difference-boss-leader-0715675

Daskal, L. (2014). Here is the difference between a boss and a leader. Business     Insider.             http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-the-difference-between-a-     boss-and-a-leader-       2014-9/?IR=T

Kolawole S (2018) Open Letter to The President: Shall We Tell the President?

Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1991). An investment theory of creativity and its development. Human development, 34(1), 1-31.

DESA, U. (2009). Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical Strategies to Promote Social Integration: UN.

Independent (February 1, 2018). Economic Growth Not Linked To Electricity       Supply -           Fashola. https://independent.ng/economic-growth-not-linked-        electricity-supply-      fashola/

Kehinde, O. (2018). “15 things Obasanjo said in his letter to Buhari”. Daily Trust             https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/15-things-obasanjo-said-in-his-letter-to-buhari.html