Odegbami reveals radical plans to host 2030 World Cup and bring back Festac in 2020 if elected Ogun State governor

FORMER Super Eagles skipper Chief Segun Odegbami has announced radical plans to revive the economy of his native Ogun State that involves getting Nigeria to host the 2030 World Cup and hosting another black arts festival popularly known as Festac in 2020.

Revealing his plans yesterday at a town hall meeting in southeast London, Chief Odegbami, popularly known as Mathematical, said that if elected as Ogun State governor, his vision will rejuvenate the economy in unimaginable ways. Standing as the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate in next February's elections, Chief Odegbami, 66, intends to use his popularity to turn Ogun State into a major global tourist attraction.

Planning to launch an audacious campaign similar to that which swept George Weah to power in Liberia, Chief Odegbami, a household name across Nigeria, is a native of Wasimi, some 26 kilometres from Abeokuta. He has already been nominated as the ZLP candidate and his name has been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) and he intends to model his governance approach along the same lines as the former premier of the Western region Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Chief Odegbami said: "We are looking at something for the entire black race as we will attract black people from as far and wide as Trinidad & Tobago and the USA to organise this annual black festival. We intend to host Festac again in 2020 and from then onwards, make it an annual event and we will get black nations from around the world to co-fund it.

"With regards to the World Cup, I intend to get Nigeria to co-host it in conjunction with four other West African nations in 2030. This is a seven year project that will involve developing 12 cities and equipping them with modern infrastructure that includes stadia, hospitals, communication facilities and under World Cup guidelines, all the venues need to be linked by three means of transportation including air, road and rail."

Pointing out that he visited Chief Awolowo's Ikenne mausoleum and got some divine inspiration from there, Chief Odegbami said that his government would represent a sharp departure from what currently prevails. He added that in today's Nigeria, Chief Awolowo would be unelectable because he did not believe in bribing voters, handing out goodies and using money to entice party members.

According to Chief Odegbami, Ogun State is well equipped to become the economic hub of Nigeria due to its unique location, unprecedented skilled manpower and proximity to Lagos. He added that if elected, he would go in search of skilled diasporans to help come and run the state as governors have to make about 3,000 appointees and he would be scouring round looking for the best brains available.

Chief Odegbami added: "I see an Ogun State that will kick-start the fastest development ever seen by man in west Africa. I am not just going to build roads and bridges, it is something much bigger than that."

Adding that he has been offered N4bn ($11m) to stand down and accept the offer of being deputy governors, Chief Odegbami condemned the growing influence of money in Nigerian politics. He added that his candidacy is a fightback against this as it will involve the masses, reach out to the grassroots and bring about a government that involves ordinary people and caters for their daily basic needs.

According to Chief Odegbami, the current government is denying Nigerians their basic needs such as water, healthcare, education for their children and good roads. He said his experience in Wasimi over the last 12 years showed that most Nigerian villages are decent and honest people who do not want much from life and only require good governance.