Honourable (Mrs) Taiwo Olukemi Oluga represents the Ayedaade, Isokan and Irewole Federal Constituency of Osun State in the National Assembly. In this interview, she speaks on the leadership of the House of Representatives and President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, among other issues.
YOU are now six months old in office as a representative of your federal constituency in the lower chamber of the National Assembly. How has it been so far in terms of your activities?
It has been very interesting. During my campaign, I promised my constituents a robust representation which I’ve already started implementing. I’m also using this medium to reassure my people that I will fulfill all my promises
before the end of my tenure in 2023. I know that the major assignment of any legislator is to make laws that will be of benefit to his/ her constituents and the entire nation which I pledge to carry out. Aside that, I will make sure I bring federal presence to my constituency in the area of infrastructural provision. Already, plans are on-going by me to ensure that I influence the asphaltic tarring of all the federal roads across the nooks and crannies of my constituency and in Osun State in general.
Also, I’ve assisted some youths in my consistency to secure federal appointments, while many of
them will soon be assisted again so as to reduce unemployment among the youth in my constituency. I promised my people qualitative, perfect and excellent representation and I’ve already started doing that. Presently, I’m one of the vocal members in the House, who have been contributing positively to any meaningful debate on the floor of the House. Again, I will ensure that I protect the rights of women because we are the mother of the nation. I will not relent in my effort at making sure that I pay constant visits to my constituency to brief the people on my activities in the House and to receive their suggestions on the way forward. Already,I plan to sponsor some bills designed to touch directly the lives of my constituents.
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You served as a special adviser in the government of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State. Today, he is the minister of interior. Looking at both roles, how will you compare his roles in the past with the personality of Aregbesola?
He remains my amiable boss. Former Governor Aregbesola is a good leader; a transparent administrator, very forthright, hardworking and sociable. He is a philanthropist to the core, a loyal party man, a man of unquestionable character, respecter of people’s dignity. He is very humble, cheerful and friendly with everybody. Throughout his service in Osun State as governor, he operated a pro-masses’ style of administration whereby everybody was carried along in all his day to day administration. Besides, he transformed Osun State generally to one of the best states in the federation before handing over to another competent and hardworking leader in the person of Governor Gboyega Oyetola. As the minister of interior, I want to believe that M. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola will perform excellently well in that office.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently ordered the partial closure of all borders in the country against the importation of some foreign goods. The directive led to a sharp rise in the prices of staple food items like rice, with the attendant hardship on the citizens of the country. What is your advice to Mr President on the issue?
I strongly believe that President Muhammadu Buhari means well for the citizenry by closing Nigeria’s borders against the importation of some goods. He believes we can produce them locally. President Buhari took the action to encourage local production, which will in turn boost our economy. Our economy went so bad under the past administration to the
extent that it now requires a disciplined leader like President Buhari to revive it. Reviving the economy requires sacrifice on the part of all of us and part of that sacrifice is the closure of the borders. I want to believe the prices of the food items will come down by the time we have a boost in local production. To be honest with you, I believe that the encouragement of local production and materials enough for consumption and for export is one of the best ways to boost any country’s economy and that is exactly what President Buhari is trying to achieve. We should be a producer-nation rather than being a consumer-nation as any nation that is a consumer of foreign products alone and not a producer can never grow economically.
Such countries are usually referred to as poor nations. So, we should encourage exportation rather than importation if we want to develop economically. Another area that Buhari deserves kudos is in the war against corruption. Before his
administration,all forms of corruption and embezzlement/diversion of public funds into private pockets constituted the order of the day.
In the area of security, On the challenge of insecurity, President Buhari has tried a lot more than the immediate past government in putting an end to the security crisis. For example, look at the effort Mr President made at ensuring
that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls were released and it led to freedom for almost 200 of the girls from the Boko Haram captivity. On job creation, to me, Buhari stands out among all the leaders we’ve had in this country since
we gained independence in 1960. He has given employment to many youths in the military and the para-military forces, as well as in other federal establishments. Thousands of young graduates have been gainfully employed in all the ministries, departments and parastatals.
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