On Wednesday, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, responded to criticisms about his performance, emphasizing his long-standing political experience and the accomplishments of his administration. Speaking to a coalition of youth organizations at the Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Abiodun dismissed social media posts claiming he was not performing as governor.
Abiodun, who became a national lawmaker at 35, noted that his extensive political journey means he doesn’t need to blow his own trumpet. “I normally don’t get disturbed by such things because one of my mentors in politics told me that in politics, you must make sure that you are mentioned either for the right or wrong reasons, but be continuously mentioned because if you are not mentioned, you are just part of the crowd,” he said.
The governor highlighted the significant strides his administration has made in health, education, infrastructure, and security, which are essential for socio-economic development. He addressed recent social media attacks, stating, “For me, I am not bothered that I have been under attack by faceless people on social media because I know what I am. I know who I am. I know what I did before I became governor. I know how long I have been on this journey.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Abiodun shared that the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has increased from N50 billion annually to almost N200 billion within four years. “Someone says Dapo Abiodun is just sitting in Ogun State and doing nothing. That has to be a joke,” he added.
Abiodun detailed his administration’s focus areas over the past five years, encapsulated in the ISEYA mantra—Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Wellbeing, Education, Youth Empowerment and Job Creation, and Agriculture. He called on Nigerian youths to engage constructively with the government rather than resorting to protests that could exacerbate the country’s challenges.
In light of the threatened protest from August 1 to 10, 2024, under the #EndbadgovernanceinNigeria# movement, Abiodun recalled the devastating EndSARS protests of 2020. “Protests could only aggravate issues without necessarily finding solutions to them,” he warned.
“There is a Yoruba proverb that says ‘beheading is not the solution for a headache’. If there are issues, let us discuss them, let us find a way around them, and let us manage and correct them,” he advised, urging youths to use their vibrancy, zeal, ingenuity, and technical know-how to help solve Nigeria’s problems.
