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ONE of the frontline gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Prince Diran Iyantan declared his passion to ameliorate the pains, sufferings and hunger of his people in the Sunshine State.
He bared his mind on how he is going to prioritize agriculture through mechanized farming and credit facilities to the teeming unemployed youths in the state in order to banish poverty and lack.
In this interview with BOLU-OLU ESHO of the Daily Independent, Iyantan speaks about the forthcoming November 16, 2024 gubernatorial election, why moneybags may not have their way at the primaries, among others.
Excerpts:
You have declared your intent to contest for the governor of the state, how prepared are you?
Preparation takes this format. Interaction with party members who will cast their vote. Interaction with the leaders of the party also. Trying to sell out unique selling point to the appropriate quarters. I have not relented on these since I made my intention known to the people of the state and have been receiving positive response from the membership of our party across the state. It was a good experience for me.
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Which mode of primary from your party do you consider better for you?
We have three options in our party by the law of the party which are consensus, indirect and direct primary. As an aspirant, I am ready for the one adopted by the party. But if we are looking at mass participation of the party members and trying to circumventing some moneybags from hijacking the process, it will be more appropriate to use direct mode of primary that involves every card-carrying member of the party. That one is more democratic than the other options.
What are the programmes you have for the people of the state that would make a difference from what previous administrations had done?
I have a lot of things in stock for the state, but I will build them on foundation of sincerity, commitment to the development of the state and passion for the people of the state as well as with the fear of God. I know that if we put the fear of God first in our disposition, then there is possibility that what we have may be able go round to a reasonable extent and this will go a long way in ameliorating the sufferings of the people.
But in specific areas of agriculture, because we are going to prioritize agriculture, if we make investment, there will be less pain in the land. When the people can afford three square meals that will go a long way in reducing the pain in the land. We will encourage every citizen of the state to key into different value chains of agriculture.
We will come with policies that would encourage our citizens to embrace agriculture through provision of all necessary facilities and inputs. As local government is close to the people at the grassroots, my policies will take effect from the local government level. I will reactivate all departments at the Local Government. There will be provision of credit facilities and the monitoring of the farms by agric extension officials to enhance the yielding of the crops and Gross Domestic Production (GDP) of the state. Earthmoving equipment would be procured and the Works Department at the Local Government level would put all the farmstead roads in good condition for easy access to the farms for transportation of the produce to the markets.
We shall also encourage Public Private Partnership (PPP) investment in the sector to explore livestock production and every value chain of agriculture. This will go a long way in mopping up the unemployment market and invariably reducing crimes in the state.
Most of all, we shall create enabling environment for business to thrive because no investor will put his or her money in a place he or she is not sure of its safety.
In other sectors, there are lot of things we want to do to turn around the socio-economic status of our state.
Looking at the number of graduates being churned out annually by higher institutions of learning in the country, how do you intend to tempt young graduates to embrace agriculture?
Agriculture is a veritable means of employment for young graduates, but they will be given some vocational trainings that will create employment for them and make them become self-reliant.
As I said earlier, we will provide all necessary facilities that will make them see the financial benefits inherent in agriculture. They will practise any form of agriculture in which they are interested in a conducive environment without fear of any form of insecurity.
We will create cooperative for them from which they can draw credit facilities from time to time to enhance their production. We will give seedlings and starter pack for everyone in all the agriculture value chains. Such credit facility would be in one digit interest if at all there will be interest.
Considering the crop of heavyweight politicians who are contesting for the same ticket in your party, APC, how do you consider your chances in primary?
I know, once it was said, twice I heard that power belongs to God. No man can alter the plan of God. I’m convinced by that, and I should have no reason to fear any man. The only two things that make some people heavyweight is because they have access to more funds and they are the people who can ascertain the sources of the funds.
But if we are to talk in terms of proximity to the people of Ondo State, period of participating in politics of the progressive in the whole of the state. I am the oldest among all of them coming from the Southern Senatorial District and I have always been around.
There’s one thing again, I’m the most eligible for the post in terms of my interactions with the people of Ondo State, my antecedent and spread to the three Senatorial Districts. By providence, I’m of the South, from one of the biggest political families in the South.
I’m resident in the Central here since 1998 and have been participating in the progressive politics. My wife is from the North, the Akoko extraction. So, I have been committed to all the three Senatorial Districts of the state because I’m related to them all. So, this makes me more qualified than all of the people contesting. I’m a full-time resident of Ondo State.
Ondo State is not my work place that is where I live and got all I have. My family and my everything. Some of them contesting don’t live in Ondo State, they are citizens of Ondo State, no doubt about that, but they choose Ondo State as a workplace. They only come from their base. Some are based in Lagos, some in Port Harcourt, some in Abuja and even some in overseas.
You sound so confident in winning the ticket of your party, are you relying on your family political dynasty?
It’s true that I come from a very big political family, with good antecedent and this is known to everybody in the South. I think we come from the biggest political family in the South, the Iyantan family.
Coincidentally, my brother was a Deputy Governor in the state during Governor Ade Adefarati-led administration from 1999 to 2003. They did marvelously well. My brother brought about new definition to loyalty and commitment to governors.
That was why the government could achieve what they achieved then because there was no altercation between the Governor and the Deputy Governor then.
They had like father like son, like brothers’ relationship and this helped the state a lot.
Incidentally, my father, Pa Thompson Olajide Iyantan, is the oldest Afenifere man living on earth at age 106. My grandfather also was an Afenifere man. I still have his membership card. So, we have been in the progressive politics for a very long time.
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My father is well respected in the politics of the state because of his ideological stand on issues which had strengthened the state in the past. At a time, my father was the Deputy Chairman of Elders Forum when Baba Reuben Fasoranti was the Chairman during the Adefarati-led administration.
So, I come from a very vibrant political family. Since my participation in politics, I have distinguished myself and built indefatigable brand in the state.
I have unfettered interaction with the people of the state, and they are accessible to me at any given time. I interact with them and I know where the shoe pinches. I have always been participating in politics with integrity, commitment and loyalty. And some of our leaders can attest to it that Prince Diran Iyantan has always been a loyal, competent person with high level of integrity.
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