-
Former LAGOS Deputy Gov. FEMI PEDRO
From the large and ever growing Tinubu political empire, there are very few distinguished Nigerians who can lay claim to haven worked very closely with the Jagaban, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And one of those few personalities is Otunba Femi Pedro, former deputy governor of Lagos state from 2003 to 2007. The governor at the time was His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
An accomplished banker and hugely respected technocrat, Otunba Femi Pedro was a co-owner and Chief Executive Office of First Atlantic bank, now Finbank, before his election alongside Bola Tinubu. And since his departure from public office in 2007, he remained an astute politician and a committed democrat who is ever ready to contribute his bit to moving not just his party, the APC forward, but also the country as a whole. He only just completed his tenure as the immediate past chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and is poised to take up more responsibilities whenever his services are called upon.
One of the reasons why many within the political class love and respect this very accomplished banker and politician is the way he comports himself. He carries himself with a measure of dignity and yet, with undeniable humility. Everybody knows that Otunba Femi Pedro is one of those who can beat their chest and say they have unhindered access to the president and can discuss any matter of significance with him. But he does not show it. He does not blow his own trumpet. He prefers to go about his relationship with the president as quietly as possible. Unlike many others, he does not like to make noise about his closeness to the president. Many have forgotten that, long before Asiwaju became the president, he was first the boss of Otunba Femi Pedro as governor of Lagos State and they have been able to maintain the closeness between them ever since.
By nature, Otunba Femi Pedro is a calm, very reserved and pragmatic gentleman who does not like drawing unnecessary attention to himself. He is also regarded today as one of the most brilliant deputy governors Lagos state has ever had. His background as a successful banker puts him in good stead. His brilliance shone through and that is why, today, over two decades after, this gentleman is still very relevant within the political structure.
Two weeks ago, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) caught up with this distinguished gentleman at the 70th birthday party of Society Icon, Joko Oni, held at the prestigious Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel. Naturally, he seldom grants interviews, so this reporter was not surprised when he at first declined to speak. But after a bit of persuasion, he agreed to speak about the state of the nation and the performance so far of his former boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What are your thoughts right now, sir, about the situation in the country? Do you share the optimism that we are headed in the right direction with the President Tinubu administration?
We thank God that Nigeria is in the hands of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is methodical, he understands the problems and he is attacking them from their roots. All I ask for is that Nigerians should be patient enough, knowing full well that the country is in good hands. The pilot, which in this case is the president, is flying the plane of Nigeria, so passengers should fasten their belts and sit quietly. We are going through turbulence now, after sometime, there will be clear sky and steady flight. That steady flight is what we are waiting for and we will surely get there. People are complaining that Nigeria is hard, things are expensive, yes, we know that, and the president also knows that and he is working tirelessly, day and night, to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of the hardships. And sooner than later, very soon, we shall see clear sky.
What would you say, sir, to our restless youths, especially those from the other region who have failed to see anything good in whatever the president is doing?
Let me tell you a story. In the year 1984 to 1986, I was in my late 20s and Nigeria was turbulent. More turbulent than what we have today. It was the time that Babangida overthrew Buhari and the naira depreciated so fast, things were very expensive. To import, you had to get a licence. To buy vehicle you had to queue. We young people at that time, we were restless too. But unlike the young people of today, we were under military regime. We didn’t even have a voice. If you say something negative you would be thrown into jail, you understand? So, the young people of today are luckier that they have a voice that they can speak with and be heard. I can only appeal to them that, indeed during our own time too, things were hard, but much later, things got a lot better. Things are going to get better in Nigeria too, they should just be patient. The President knows exactly what he is doing, in a short while, these efforts will begin to yield dividends.
So, very soon, there won’t be need for Nigerian‘s to Japa’ anymore?
There is no need to ‘Japa.’ Hang around, so that when things turn around you would’ve already positioned yourself to take advantage of new opportunities that will come. President Tinubu will open the Nigerian economy up. The market will be opened. Investors will eventually come in. Dollars will flow back into the country and the rate will stabilize. The economy will be market driven and people will be able to do their legitimate businesses and if the business thrives, they will make good money. That is the Nigeria of my own dream. That industries will come and flourish. People will set up companies to manufacture shoes, clothings, sunglasses, food items, and many others. And they are coming now. Yes, you have read about Glaxo leaving the country and Smithkline leaving the country, but you don’t know that there are Indians and Lebanese companies on ground, manufacturing. They are assembling and manufacturing electronics, building materials, tiles and things like that. Go along the Lagos -Ibadan road and you will see many of them there. In other parts of the country, they’re already coming back. It’s just a matter of time. And what they are looking for is stability in our currency, taming inflation. And this is what President Tinubu has targeted. That’s why he removed the subsidy on foreign exchange, subsidy on petroleum products, because he wants a market driven economy. Subsidy will come, but through other sources that will go directly to the pockets of the poor. The former subsidy we had on petroleum products was making a lot of people richer and impoverishing the rest of us. But in this new regime, subsidy goes directly to those who need it, that’s the way President Tinubu has planned it. So, that’s my advice to the young people.
You are one of those who have worked very closely with the president while you were deputy governor of Lagos state and he was governor. And even after you both left office, you are still very close, so you know him very well. What would you say has been President Tinubu’s biggest strength?
President Tinubu, I believe, is clairvoyant. I knew this about him long ago. Many people do not know this about him. He sees ahead what we are not seeing and then he positions himself. Even the way he is running the economy, another president would’ve come in and try to play safe. President Tinubu knows that this is what should be done now and he has done it. And in a few months time, we will start seeing the gains of these policies. That’s what makes him different from any other person. He is clairvoyant, he can see ahead what many others cannot see. President Tinubu will look at a situation and tell you how things will turn out in two years time. He has the ability to tell you what will work and what will not work. The man is clairvoyant, he can see ahead. And the president is also a workaholic. When he is determined to achieve something, he won’t rest until he achieves most of the things he has set out to achieve. He has tremendous capacity for work and he will put in a lot to make sure he and his team get it right.
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
