Lawmaker re-assures people of more dividends of democracy if re-elected

THE lawmaker representing Ondo Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, on Sunday, reiterated his commitment to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of his senatorial district, in order to add values to the lives of the people.

Alasoadura who stated this during an interactive session with journalists in Akure said he has been able to attract developmental projects to the state as a lawmaker at the National Assembly.

According to him, he has sponsored about three bills on the floor of the house while he was able to lobby for the state to benefit from the new rail line project of the Federal Government.

Alasoadura who is seeking reelection on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said “my greatest joy is that the rail project of the federal government that supposed to go from Lagos to Ore- Benin to Calabar, after several lobbying and consultations with Mr President (Muhammadu Buhari), minister of transport, Senate Committee on land transportation and other stakeholders, I am very happy that the railway project will now include four of six local government areas in my district.”

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“Akure and Ondo will now benefit from the project, the rail project will now be from Lagos to Ore to Ondo to Akure to Owo to Benin to Calabar. This means Ondo west, Ondo East, Akure South and Akure North (local government areas) will benefit from the project, this is my greatest achievement because it will boost the economy of our people and the state.”

The Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (upstream) listed his greatest achievements to include the sponsoring of a bill on the upgrading of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo to Adeyemi Federal University of education; sponsoring and ensuring the passage of Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB).

The Senator explained that the bill for the conversion of Adeyemi to a University had been passed into law some nine months ago, while a sum of N2b had been set aside in the federal government’s budget for the take-off of the University soon.

He also classified donation of Bitumen, Oil and Gas Research centre to Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and facilitating employment of his constituents into federal organisations as greatest achievements of his tenure as a Senator.

Speaking on his re-election, Alasoadura admitted that the entrance of the former governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, into the senatorial race has made him work harder to win the election, saying he remains a candidate to beat in the election.

The lawmaker representing who is seeking reelection on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed confidence that he will defeat his two major challengers in the forthcoming general election, hinging this on his unprecedented achievements as a first-term senator at the National Assembly.

Alasoadura, a former state Commissioner for finance under the Agagu’s administration, said former governor Olusegun Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Senator Ayo Akinyelure of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), could not stop his victory at the poll.

He recalled that “When the two of them were still together in the PDP, with the help of God and the people I beat them then, is it now that they are in different (political) parties that they will pose a serious challenge to my aspiration.”

“Although if am contesting against only PDP, I wouldn’t be sleeping by now because I know victory is sure and I have performed very well, but when you have a former governor of your state interested in your seat, you have to work harder to record victory”.

He said: “Mimiko has not won an election in Ondo state except in 2012 governorship election when he used the state resources and power of incumbency to get the second term; it was an abracadabra court’s judgement that brought him to office as governor, he didn’t win then.”

On the internal crisis rocking APC in the state, which led to some members picking other parties ticket, the lawmaker said this would not affect the chances of the party and expressed confidence that all APC candidates for 2019 polls including Buhari would win the elections.

On the agitation for the restructuring of the country, Alasoadura said he would only support devolution of powers to states and granting if local government administrative and financial autonomy for even and rapid development across the federation.