I have written this before in my column that in the twenty five (25) years I had known Akinwunmi Ambode before he became the Governor of this state, I had always stated that I believed strongly in him as a credible leader.
I had told my friends when he stepped out to vie for the Governorship ticket and when he eventually won it that he is a performer anyone can bet on. Thank God that after eighteen (18) months in office, I have been proved right. Unassumingly, he has done so well to the admiration of Lagosians.
Therefore, this season of thanksgiving to the Almighty God, I will like to specially thank him also for not only fulfilling a lot of he promises he gave Lagosians during his election campaign but particularly to appreciate him for also fulfilling the personal promise he gave to me at his Ikoyi residence before he assumed office as Governor of the state.
In my private discussion with him that day, Ambode has asked what I would want him do for me when he stepped into the new office. I had told him what I always told the previous Governors of this great state – that I do not ask for appointments or for contracts but advert patronage of my newspaper, Oriwu Sun. He did promise me that day that he will support my paper with adverts.
In his eighteen (18) months in office, he has continued to support Oriwu Sun with adverts. The truth is that if he had reneged on his promise as some politicians and leaders do, we would have been badly hit by the current recession and the rising cost of newspaper production, the components of which are entirely imported and dependent on foreign exchange variations.
Knowing that readers of community newspaper can only support with buying the paper, which is barely enough to cater for a fraction of the overhead cost of running currently, getting from the state government through Governor Ambode is key to our survival; hence, we are eternally grateful to him and the state.
At the local level, advertisers can only pay between fifty thousand naira (N50,000) and one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) for a page that is normally rated at Three hundred and fifty thousand naira (N350,000). Sometimes, in a whole edition, we may not get a single advert support from the grassroots, making us to depend entirely on the state government adverts. Since we cannot give excuses to our printers, whether or not we carry adverts, we must pay for the production. Of course, that is why, globally speaking, it is said that no newspaper can survive without advertisement.
Since we are not competing with national newspapers and not claiming to be a regional paper, we thank Governor Ambode for identifying with our grassroots paper to reach to the locals in the various communities in Ikorodu division, Lagos State and beyond.
Fortunately, in reciprocity of his kind gestures, we can boast that no paper gives indepth coverage of his activities as Oriwu Sun does on a monthly basis, during which we highlight almost all his programmes and activities across the state.
Ambode’s advert support through the Governor’s office, ministries and parastatals have sustained us and helped us to offset our huge production costs and bills. This is why by the Grace of God, before the end of his tenure, I will build a primary school in Federal Low Cost Estate in Ikorodu in his name as my contribution and support for his administration. Already, the plan of the school building is ready as we wait for building material costs to ease for us to commence construction work.
It is surprising that despite Ambode’s humility, his focus, his prudence in the management of state resources, his kindness and his determination to keep Lagos state as the center of excellence, some people still continue to blackmail him.
Some of these blackmailers claim that I published adverts without approvals, such as the incumbent Commissioner for Commerce and Industries. I challenge him and his brother to show proof of my publishing any advert without consent, verbally or written.
This is why I will be eternally grateful to Governor Ambode for his support for a local publication that has proved its mettle. We pray that God will not only guide him to 2019, he will extend his tenure to 2023 and grant him a safe landing after office.
Thank you, my benevolent Governor.