A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo state, Barrister Morayo Lebi, has knocked the party over its reward system for loyal party members of the party in Ondo state.
Lebi who stated this while receiving the “Ondo state outstanding sponsor of the Progressive Party of the decade” award in Akure the Ondo state capital, lamented that the party had failed to reward some members of the progressives who sacrificed their resources to establish APC in the state.
The former APC senatorial aspirant from Ondo South before the last general election condemned a situation where those joining the party in less than three months were given tickets to contest for election at the detriment of founding members of APC in the state.
He, however, called for the review of the party to encourage upcoming members and said, “Our resources are 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 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 thrives 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 but we got no reward.
“It is only in this our progressive family that somebody who joined the party in March 2022 and became the senatorial candidate of the party in May 2022.
“Just in two months while I brought the whole thing together, they took the ticket from me and gave it to someone who joined the party two months earlier. The same thing happened in the House of Representatives, even without primary elections.
“I had gone to consult with party leaders and they assured me it was the candidate based on my efforts towards the development of the party. I relied on it. But they changed along the way. They gave the ticket to someone who joined in two months.”
In a remark, the publisher of Golden Rule Magazine, Pastor Taiwo Gbamila said the award was organized by Ondo-based Golden Rule Magazine with the theme: ‘Good and Bad System of Rewarding Political Party Loyalists.’
Gbamila said “By my simple principle and philosophy, I don’t believe in the money-making award but prize-giving award. I believe that when an award is given, 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 waiting list of the devil. Therefore, that is why this award is SPECIAL.
” It is special because this 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 excellence 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 limelight 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 on 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.”
The guest lecturer, Mr Olayemi Olanitori who also lamented failure of political parties and government to uphold reward system, begged the federal government and the state government to provide the needed infrastructure for Nigerians who voted them into power.
According to Olanitori, government had failed to deliver because people have not been talking and taking action against nonperforming government, adding that they should be bold enough to objectively criticize Government at all times.
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