My Sagacity Has Differentiated Me - Tunde Eso

Tunde Eso is a very successful entrepreneur, President and Founder, Fix Nigeria Group and 2018 PDP governorship aspirant from Osun state who is a strong advocate of youth inclusiveness in governance. In this interview with TRENDING METRO he talks about his reason of wanting to become Osun state governor and his vision for his people if entrusted with the mandate.

TRENDINGMETRO: Who is Tunde Eso?

TUNDE: I'm Tunde Eso, 2018 Osun State Governorship Aspirant under People's Democratic Party, hails from Ilesa West in Osun State, Nigeria. I read Accountancy for my National Diploma Certificate at Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, in 2005, obtained my first degree in Political Science at University of Education, Winneba, Ghana and International Relations for my Master’s degree at University of Education, Winneba, Ghana in 2014.

I'm a prolific writer who has carved a niche for himself in journalism and with more than 10 years experience in public relations, public management, and media consulting; a youth leader and mobiliser. I'm also an administrator and entrepreneur and I have to my credit more than 60 published articles in both local and national dailies. I'm  versatile on both national and international issues.

I was for six years advertorial executive, news and features reporter of The Guardian Newspaper Limited Nigeria, from where i moved in 2014 to News of the World Newspapers as a correspondent and in less than two months was made Managing Editor and later General Manager. Later joined Newswatch Times as Society Editor and resigned a year later to continue with my business in March 2016.

I have edited a number of magazines, books and newspapers. I have immense passion for human development and nation building. In 2008, I started free seminars to inspire the young ones in schools for nation-building, vision discovery and career development with free distribution of the Nigerian flag, with the tag name, School-to-School career talk, across Nigeria.

TRENDINGMETRO: We understand you are coming out for governorship, Osun state. Please, may we know what brought about your decision to run for the number one seat, Osun state?

TUNDE: What brought about my decision to want to become the next Osun State Governor, come 2018 is the passion I have to serve the good people of Osun State with a view to providing equal opportunities for all as I have been involved in various life impacting projects. If this opportunity is offered me to serve our people, there shall be multiplication of such efforts which will ensure youth empowerment, good welfare package for civil servants, bursary and scholarship award for students, skill acquisition by men and men, respect for traditional institution, electricity, industrial growth and security and general improvement of quality of life.

I am fully committed to providing an enabling environment for business growth, development and social integration if elected. I have often considered myself a visionary which became clearer at the age 19. Visionary leaders are compassionate and humane and my desire is to provide visionary leadership to my people in Osun state when I become the fifth governor of the state and the best governor of osun state, by the grace of God. Also to entrench youthocracy in Africa, the new system of government that I coined in 2013 in my book titled Vision for Africa. 

TRENDINGMETRO: Please, have you held any government position before, whether elective or appointment?

TUNDE: No, but I have occupied several youth leadership positions like National Youth leader of Nigeria Youth Forum, National Secretary of Nigeria Sovereign Youth Congress, South West Youth Leader of Coalition for Democratic Nigeria and I am the founder and president of Fix Nigeria Group with state coordinator in 30 states now. I was State Secretary of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) Lagos Chapter, and more.

TRENDINGMETRO: We also understand you are a strong advocate of youth participation in governance. Please, as a youth that is vying for an elective position, are you getting the support of the youths of Osun state as expected? We mean, how is the support from the youths like?

TUNDE: Yes, I'm getting support from the youth and it makes the journey easier. Meanwhile, I'm using this opportunity to call on progressive minded youth to join me in the pursuit to rescue us from gross marginalisation.

TRENDINGMETRO: Today in Nigeria, majority of the youths tend to support money-bag politicians, mortgaging their tomorrow for peanuts.

If you are the type that doesn't share money around, they don't come near you or support you. What do you have to say about that?

TUNDE: We must shun money bags so we can move forward as a people and as a country. Samples can be drawn from USA political ideology system - A country where must of our leaders now found solace.

TRENDINGMETRO: What different innovation are you bringing to the front burner if you're elected governor of Osun state?

TUNDE: Youth injection of new ideas, to entrench youthocracy, industrial revolution which plans have been on, taking advantage of technology and agricultural practice and more.

TRENDINGMETRO: What is your manifesto like?

TUNDE: Apart from my party manifestos, I have outline a visionary leadership youth agenda that will cater for education, security, empowerment, industrial revolution, infrastructure, hospitality, electricity, health care delivery, culture and tourism and provision of 31 thousand vocational jobs for youth in two years from inauguration and more. 

TRENDINGMETRO: What stands you out from others that have shown interest for the governorship position?

TUNDE: I'm a visionary leader with documented fact of 21 years. My sagacity has differentiated me and the fact that I have been injecting new ideology into the system. For example, I coined YOUTHOCRACY defined as government of the people, by the youth and for the people. The fact that I'm good at something, which is public relations and journalism; most of our leaders are not good at anything yet we go ahead and vote for them because they share money and when they get there, they will not add value to the system but rather destroy the laid down system.

TRENDINGMETRO: Irregular Power, Insecurity and Unemployment are three major problems Nigeria is facing today. How do you wish to tackle these problems if Osun people give you the opportunity to be their governor?

TUNDE: Like I said in my first book titled "African Security Solution" that was published in UK in 2012 that If we fix electricity in Africa then we have solved 75 percent of the problems. However,,unemployment, insecurity and electricity can be fixed through diversification of economy.

TRENDINGMETRO: What do you have to say about Nigeria and Osun today? We mean a general overview about the current situation of things.

TUNDE: We need pragmatic change and that can be done by only a visionary.

TRENDINGMETRO: Today, most of the states, if not all are complaining of insufficient funds to implement/execute projects. How do you intend to improve on the state's IGR to execute projects without inflicting more hardship/pain on the people if you become governor?

TUNDE: Diversification of economy and industrial revolution

TRENDINGMETRO: Just as the youths are clamouring for them to included in governance, the women are doing same. If you become governor, what is your plan like, in terms of sharing formula of appointments for youths and women?

TUNDE: Equality will be our major priority.

TRENDINGMETRO: On a lighter note, Sir, what are your hobbies?

TUNDE: Writing, motivating people and reading.

TRENDINGMETRO: Finally, what is your message to Osun people?

TUNDE: Osun State will be great again. And I want to assure all that my vision as Osun State Governor is just one term and that is enough to effect pragmatic change that will bring smile to our faces.