A Medical Practitioner and Philanthropist, Dr Charles Oludare fondly known as Márìndọ̀ti of the All Progressives Congress APC and a Youth Advocate in Ondo State in this interaction with TheNiche, said his programme of action for the people of Ondo State and the imperatives for commitment, integrity and why he would be the best candidate if chosen to deputise Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa. He spokes to Julius Alabi in Akure
Can you say something about yourself for public consumption?
I am Dr. Charles Oludare fondly known as Márìndọ̀ti, a Medical Practitioner, Youth Advocate and a Philanthropist. I was Born and raised in Akure, I am deeply rooted in our community, having begun my educational journey at Bishop Hughes Nursery and Primary School and FUTA Staff Secondary School, where the current Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji Ojo (BTO), served as my senior prefect. Hence although my parents are from Akoko, I see myself primarily as an Akure indigene.
My academic path led me to Obafemi Awolowo University, where I studied Medicine and Surgery, a field I chose with the intention of serving our people. Upon completing my studies, I returned home to contribute directly to our community’s wellbeing. I completed my housemanship at Federal Medical Center, Owo, and worked at Oludare Hospital, the very place of my birth, under my father’s guidance.
Today, I bring a wealth of experience from the global healthcare sector, having worked with AstraZeneca, a multinational pharmaceutical company.
You are a medical practitioner, why are into politics, what experience do you have in political circle?
My foray into politics was by accident of passion. I saw a video where then candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu lamented about how the insults he received on social media was raising his blood pressure. I instantly felt the need to defend him because that’s what I would do if someone insulted my own father. And lord knows I was very effective in analyzing and explaining his policy positions. The highlight of my activities was when I discovered GRV’s “I don’t think in Yoruba” and released that video on the final days of campaign to deprive him a right to reply. I like to credit myself for 60% of Govenor Sanwo-Olu’s vote margin in that election.
My sojourn into Ondo state politics came from that same sense of justice. Governor Aiyedatiwa was being unfairly maligned by the powers that be, he was the only person that was looking after the best interest of his boss; -we should all pray for family and friends who love us for the ideal of who we are and not the idea of what we are and how that benefits them. I wrote to the attorney general of the federation to investigate medical cohesion of late Gov Rotimi Akeredolu because as a Medical Doctor, I know no one should force an ailing man to work. That would be patient abuse. I believe the work I did in support of justice is why LACO decided to appoint me as the Director Contact and Engagement. I am glad and privileged to have contributed my own quota to our Governor’s emergence in the primaries.
Honestly, as I become further entrenched within the world of medicine, I see more and more why politics is intimately related to the practice of medicine and, in fact, in some instances a necessity. My experiences have equipped me with a profound understanding of both local needs and global healthcare strategies, making me uniquely positioned to support the present administration of Governor Aiyedatiwa in multifaceted ways.
A group called Ondo Youth Era Crusaders is advocating for a young and articulate politician to be Deputy Governor to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in forthcoming governorship election, and they have made you their preferred choice; how qualified are you to be given that position to handle?
I will want to thank the group for reposing such trust in me but if Mr Governor would be so kind as to consider me for such esteemed position, I would not want to be considered merely for my age but to be considered for my intellectual abilities and my love for my people of Ondo State.
You see I have been in the United state for close to 10 years now and I’ve spent every hour every minute studying their system. This people are not remotely better than us; as a matter of fact I can boldly say we are smarter than them. They just happen to have been born in a better system which makes things work for them.
I can summarize our differences in terms of community and communal living. In Nigeria we have a sense of community, your neighbor is your friend, we look out for each other etc but we lack the sense of communal living. That sense that I don’t have to know you to do my duty in this community to you is what I call the sense of communal living. If we can develop our sense of communal living while keeping our sense of community we will fix all our problems, that contractor will do the best job when awarded a contract, that teacher will do his/her best to educate the future leaders and that doctor will handle your care to the best of its abilities.
We are like that simple thread at the hem of our Aso-Oke, though our color shines so brightly, we fail to see our purpose in the pattern of the aso-oke’s design. What happens when that thread gets pulled, you will see that the aso-oke loses its beautiful pattern, might even turn to shreds of threads.
I believe I have a deep understanding of most of our problem and I have the ability to communicate effectively which in integral to solving all of them. This is why I will consider myself eminently qualified for the role of a Deputy Governor tha anyone else.
What value can you add to the present Aiyedatiwa-led administration?
I represent a different generation; a generation that accounts for over 70% of the Nigeria’s voting population, so I definitely bring a different perspective and different way of thinking to the table. Democracy is a game of numbers, you need to build consensus and the government needs to be able to convey its plans and ideas to the people in a way that they can relate to. I believe I bring that unique relatability to the current government. I bring vitality and vigor and a whole lot of ideas. Some we have to invent but most we just have to apply. There’s no need to re-invent the wheel when you can just put it on your wheelbarrow or car or suitcase and it works just as fine. I am an active listener, I am very smart and with an impeccable problem solving skills. These and many more are things that the people of Ondo state can benefit if I so considered.
Anybody that does not know me can google Marindoti and watch some of my interviews, I am a very effective communicator. Theodore Roosevelt the 26th president of the United States said “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. I care about my people of Ondo state, I care about our elders, the people who raised me, the people that carried me when I couldn’t walk, sucked the mucus out of my nose when I couldn’t blow them myself. I love our people and I hate to see them suffer. If I’m considered for this post I promise that I will do my best and know no rest until they know no suffering.
The world is increasingly assuming the character of a global village where best practices determine who makes the most progress and stays ahead of others. If I am giving the chance to serve as his deputy governor, I will leverage on my international contacts and goodwill to attract varied international support for his programmes and projects.
What relationship do you want to build with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and what added value would that be?
Relationships is simply defined in biology as the interaction between different organisms. Relationship is the bedrock of everything in life and it has to be nurtured. I have never met nor interacted with governor Aiyedatiwa before but I do hope to nurture a father son relationship with him. You see we’ve had a series of Governor deputy relationship in Nigeria and even our own Ondo state that has ended with a sore. It is imperative that we nurture a close relationship and bond that will be indivisible. Gov Aiyedatiwa thought me a lesson in loyalty, when the cabal tried to get between him and his boss, he remained loyal and defended his bosses legacy. I will fight for Mr Governor everyday and will never fight against him for a day. When I disagree with him, my reservation will be discreetly expressed to only him and will never undermine him at anytime, his ultimate decision will remain supreme.
In the final analysis, Ondo State possesses a wide range of potentials as in human and material resources which can only be successfully explored and exploited by men and women of integrity and clear purpose for the benefit of the people. I will not just lazy around as deputy governor, but assist Mr Governor to re-energise our people and institutions to our famed vibrancy in resourcefulness, entrepreneurship, administration and management.
