*As APC Chieftain bags award, talks tough on failed party reward system
Mr Olayemi Olanitori, a Lecturer at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, Ondo State, has lamented the failure of political parties in Nigeria in rewarding faithful and loyal party members across the board.
Olanitori, who was a guest speaker with the theme: ‘Good and Bad System of Rewarding Political Party Loyalists’ during the presentation of an award in Akure to a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Barrister Morayo, criticized the reward system of the ruling of APC for loyal party members in Ondo state and Nigeria at large.
While calling on the federal government of Nigeria and the state government to provide needed infrastructure for Nigerians who voted them into power, Starnews NG reports that Olanitori said, “People like Barr Morayo Lebi, a faithful party Chieftain and a former Senatorial Candidate of the party who is loaded with knowledge and brain should have been rewarded for his commitment and loyalty to the ruling APC if the reward mechanism of the party hasn’t stopped working.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to compensate APC’s Lebi for his handwork and contribution to the growth of the party in Ondo State, while encouraging Nigerians to criticize government at all levels where they have failed to deliver in their electoral promises.
Meanwhile, Starnews NG reports that Lebi, a governorship aspirant and former APC Senatorial Candidate from Ondo South was honoured on Friday with an award by Ondo based Golden Rule Magazine in Akure, the state capital.
The Lawyer who spoke after receiving the award, lamented that the ruling APC has failed to reward some members of the progressives who sacrificed their resources to establish APC in Ondo state.
Lebi who described as unfortunate a situation whereby those joining the party in less than three months were given tickets to contest for general election at the detriment of founding members of APC in Ondo state, said, “Our resources is meant to develop our people and how do we develop them, it is by ensuring what they can live with. For so long, there is no reward. Our reward system is so so bad.
“When we started this party, APC, in Ondo state and I took it to the Southern part of the state, people thought I didn’t know what I was doing because that time, it was the conservatives that were ruling in Ondo state.
“We have former governor Olusegun Agagu and we believed in him because he contributed his quota to the development of Ondo state. So because of him, everybody trooped to the PDP.
“When I brought the idea of the progressives, people were questioning my sanity. I brought the Party because I had a vision and the vision I had brought us all to where we are today.
“I was a member of the defunct NADECO. I was arrested and locked up with baba Opadokun. We fought the war to ensure democracy thrive very well and I have been a very strong financial member over the years.
“But the truth is this, for so long after this, what has been my reward ? Maybe generally there is reward because the progressives are now in government. But for some of us that have been loyal and active, we got no reward.
“It is only in this our progressive family that somebody joined the party in March 2022, and became the senatorial candidate of the party in May 2022. Just in two months while someone like me who brought the whole thing together was stripped of the party ticket and it was giving to someone who joined us two months earlier. Same thing happened in the house of Representatives, even without primary elections.
“I had gone to consult with party leaders and they assured me I will become the candidate based on my efforts towards the development of the party. I relied on them but they changed along the way. They gave the ticket to someone who joined in two months.”
In his remark, the Publisher of Golden Rule Magazine, Pastor Taiwo Gbamila said, “By my simple principle and philosophy, I don’t believe in money making award but prize giving award. I believe that when an award is given, it must be given with prize but not to make money.
“I believe that it is better to be on the waiting list of God than to be on the wasting list of the devil. Therefore, that is why this award is special. It is special because it is the first award I will give out since 2007 when I started Golden Rule Magazine Publication.
“I started the first publication of Golden Rule Magazine 16 years ago as an undergraduate while in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.
“Today, this excellent award to Barr. Morayo Lebi (BML) as ‘Ondo State Outstanding Sponsor Of Progressive Party Of The Decade’ is a testament and proof of his philanthropic gestures to humanity.
“The award is in recognition of his outstanding contributions in bringing progressive party to lime light in Ondo State, particularly in Ondo South. Moreover, to motivate the awardee (Morayo Lebi) to continue to make progress in his contribution to human capital development and progressive ideas. And also to appreciate him for his positive impact in progressive race.
“Overtimes, Barr. Morayo Lebi has demonstrated capacity and what leadership is about. He has shown to the people of Ondo State that leadership is not by tittle but mantle”, he added.
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