EXCLUSIVE: I’ll ensure good governance, fairness, equity – Ondo State APC governorship aspirant
By Faith Awa Maji
Dr. Funmi Waheed-Adekojo is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election.
If she emerges the party’s flagbearer after the primaries on Saturday, she may well be on her way to becoming the first democratically elected Nigerian woman to clinch coveted position of Governor.
In this interview with Faith Maji’s Blog, the guber aspirant says if given the opportunity she will contribute her modest quota in strengthening democracy.
What informed your decision to aspire to be Governor, a position that men believe should be reserved exclusively for them?
“The popular saying, whatever a man can do, a woman can do better, has remained unproven as the women are, in most cases, not given the platform to showcase their talents and contribute towards the development and transformation of Ondo State and Nigeria. Findings have shown that when women have the opportunity to serve as political leaders, governments are not only more inclusive but also perform better. Women politicians are known to champion policies improving health services and education systems, and they serve as positive role models influencing girls’ career aspirations and educational attainment. In truth, Ondo State desperately needs more women in government, especially to occupy the number one seat in the State.
What would you do differently if elected governor as a female governor?
“The “Sunshine State” and its political institutions cannot grow when half the population is being left behind. New leadership and fresh approach to leadership that women would bring the best hope of improving citizens’ quality of life, combatting entrenched corruption and underdevelopment bedeviling the state. For women, democracy is moving backward, the dwindling number of women in politics in Nigeria is alarming.”
The gubernatorial aspirant laments that since the return to democratic rule in Nigeria, the National Assembly, especially the ninth Assembly has had a decline in women representation.
According to Dr. Funmi, “for instance, since Nigeria re-established democracy in 1999, the ninth National Assembly showed a decline in female representation in political offices to the point where today it ranks among the bottom of countries in the world. Its female representation in parliament is about 6% nationwide. The country has seven female Senators, 11 House of Representative members, three Deputy Governors and seven women appointed as Ministers.
“Down to Ondo, since the creation of the Sunshine State in 1976, no woman has had opportunity to govern the state as those who had tried, had their dreams thwarted during party primaries and since then, men have continued to be in the driving seat of governance and occupying the number one position.
“As the APC April 2024 governorship primary election approaches, to elect the party’s flagbearer, the primary focus should be to present an outstanding and visionary individual with a proven track record of excellence and integrity in both public and private sectors where I readily come in handy for our great party APC to produce the first female elected governor in Nigeria.
“I have always thought that the governorship ticket should not be given as compensation or based on arbitrary zoning arrangements but on an assurance of the candidate to provide visionary and inclusive governance that will help in wealth creation, agricultural, rural, and human capital development”, she said
Who is bankrolling your campaign?
The APC only female gubernatorial aspirant further explained that the sterling and uncommon qualities are embedded in her being the only female aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Managing Director/CEO of Funmi Ayinke Nigeria Limited, a construction outfit, one of the leading Engineering services in Nigeria who had through her success gave birth to FunmiAyinke Humanitarian Foundation, a Foundation that has single-handedly raise people from the grassroots, has been given hope to the Nigeria widows and youths empowerment across the entire State and the Country as a whole, speaks volumes of who funding her campaign.
“As an experienced Chartered Management Consultant, a fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers FNSE, a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Mechanical Engineers FIMechE, a Fellow of the International Management Consultant FIMC, a fellow of the Institute of Strategic Criminology Studies, a fellow of the Association of Public Procurement Practitioners in Nigeria, as a Project Management Professionals PMP and COREN licences, I have, over the years, proven to the nation my expertise in procurement practices in Nigeria; I am also the founder of the clothing line that single-handedly sponsored Nigeria Athletes to China, also sponsoring the National APC Chairman football cup across the 36 states.
“I have, over the years, saved costs for the Nigerian system both while I was in the Public Sector as a civil servant and also now in the Private sector due to my quality work across constructions across the Nigerian institutions, quality delivery of projects and above all, timely delivery. I have been involved in the National Building, giving hope to the hopeless; my education scholarship scheme has been enjoyed by many Nigerians and, most especially, in Ondo State. My notebooks have been spread across the primary and secondary schools in Ondo State, and the NANS Association of the Nigerian students appointed me as their Matron. The Association of Public Procurement Practitioners in Nigeria appointed me as their matron, and I was also the keynote speaker at the last annual event of Appon.
“Through my national development programmes and passion for my people, I was appointed as the Sustainable Development Goal SDG Ambassador by the Peace Corps of Nigeria; I was appointed as the ECOWAS Ambassador by the Youth Council. I was celebrated with an award by Nelson Mandela. I am not here to bore you with my achievements as one of the youths making Nigeria proud but also to let you know that I am a pace-setter in deconstructing gender stereotypes in her career path.
“My story is even more compelling, having dumped Medical Laboratory Science to find destiny in Engineering, without blowing my trumpet, I have shattered the glass ceilings in a male-dominated profession through my consistency and zeal to excel. I have single-handedly raised over 15,000 Nigerian youths and widows across the globe.
“Presently, we have lost count of the graduates my foundation has produced and widows we have empowered under the umbrella of FunmiAyinke Humanit, Arian Foundation. I sponsored Nigeria’s talented youths by creating a platform where they could perform; I founded a company named FunmiAyinke Rec, an order label. One of its kind in the country as the first ever Humanitarian Records label that produces youth song shoots videos for them, and everything is free of charge.
“My desire to swim in the murky water of Ondo State politics is geared towards occupying the Alagbaka seat if elected as the party’s flagbearer and bringing the desired transformation and development that had eluded the State since its creation. At various forums, I have affirmed that I am in the race to raise the standard of living of people of the State and to save the party from losing Ondo State to the other party in the coming elections because I am a woman of the grassroots and, I can tell you all that the music has changed tuned.
“Our people want a woman, they want change, and the good people of Ondo State are poised to come out immersed purposely to ensure that I, FunmiAyinke, the only female and most competent aspirant, emerge as their governor in the forthcoming election in Ondo State. the Eleyinju any of our time.
“Recently, at my official declaration of my governorship ambition in Akure, the state capital, I said my election as the next governor of the state will change the narrative for women in the Sunshine State. My coming on board as the state governor will also open opportunities for both women and youths following the agenda of our dear president to institutionalise the 30% of women and youth in governance.
“If I am given the privilege to be the flagbearer of our great party A,PC, this will inform the world about Nigeria’s leadership maturity and rank the APC party as the best in the country. If we notice what is happening in Ondo state, we give kudos to our men. They have done their best, but this is the time for a woman to come in, correct some things, and change our people and our dear state. We must do more than what we were doing before. We must stop the obnoxious practice which limits the potential of the girl child. We must resist the attempt by those who crave perpetual domination. “God has been using men, so it is time for we women to come into the politics and governance of Ondo state. I am here to save our people. Let’s just say that I am the Queen Esther of our time.
“I want to use this period to appreciate our late Governor, His Excellency Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, popularly known as Aketi, for his selflessness and doggedness through the Ondo Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA) for securing the approval to proceed with the development of a $1.3 billion multipurpose deep seaport.
“I also want to use this medium to appreciate the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for giving our state the approval for the operating license of the port.
“Under my administration, I will ensure the deep sea port catalyses the state’s socio-economic development and moves it towards desired prosperity.
“Apart from boosting water transportation connectivity between Ondo and the rest of the world, it will automatically attract the construction of a rail line to the port, which will invariably connect Ondo state to the national rail system for the very first time.
“This will further position and project our state to the world as a prominent agrarian and oil-producing state. This will invariably ignite economic prosperity that will trickle down to the ordinary citizens in the rural areas and facilitate the exploration of Bitumen, claimed by Geologist, as the 2nd largest deposit in the world, next to Venezuela. Let me congratulate in advance the people of Ondo state and the entire APC party that If i am elected as your party flag bearer in Ondo state with my vast knowledge and experience in Engineering, Management, entrepreneurship and Procurement, I will enhance the deep sea port to bring Significant employment ; Acquisition of new skills by the labour force; Increased internally generated revenues; massive Infrastructural development; and Complementing the free trade zone in facilitating the transit of goods and equipment in and out of Ondo State.
“I will focus on job and wealth creation, provide adequate security, give special attention to agriculture and empower women and youths.
“The welfare of the party members will be paramount to me, and I am here to openly declare my 100 per cent loyalty to the APC, both locally and nationally. I can proudly say that the entire presidency will be proud of me as I will ensure good governance, fairness, and equity. Thank you all for believing in me. Together, we can build a prosperous Ondo State.
