Project managements experience is good for political office seekers —Oriolowo, Osun West Senatorial Candidate

You were an APC governorship aspirant and now the senatorial candidate of the party for Osun West Senatorial District, don’t you think you will be tagged desperate, what attracted you to politics?

You see, a project management man will have all that it takes from the experience of the project management and technical expertise to be a good politician because politics is not only about the political experience that you have, the running of the country, state, local government or society purely are project management affairs. So, my over three decades experience in project management inspires me. When you are talking about project management, this entails leadership training which I have had severally and that I have displayed. This also entails what we call ‘changed management’ and when you look at all these, they are the things that make up a good politician. That is what had prepared me and looking back on the need for our country particularly our state to develop in the right way and to be managed prudently with the best practices in the world, we will see that my experiences have qualified me to seek the office that I am seeking.

 

How optimistic are you that you would emerge as Senator representing Osun West considering you have an opponent that is a grassroots politician?

You will discover that politics is about what you can offer for the people. It is about getting assistance for the people. It is about getting acceptance and approval of stakeholders for development. And looking back on what I have done in all the nooks and crannies of the state, I have many things to show as evidence of my performance. And also with my background in the Civil Service, my antecedent, my unblemished credentials throughout my service year, rising from being a Civil Engineer to the position of Permanent Secretary, I think I am loved and I have the acceptance of people of the state as a whole and that of my Senatorial District in particular. I have all it takes to beat any other candidate.

 

But do you think you have made adequate impact on the minds of the electorate to make you emerge winner?

I have commenced my consultations, meetings and campaigns though in layers. I have toured all the Local Governments in my Senatorial District. Also, I have started going from ward to ward. I started from Ede North and I am concluding that tomorrow. And with the receptions we are getting from our people across the senatorial district, there is no doubt that we are the choice of the people.

 

What should people of your senatorial district expect as new things different from what others had done? 

Being a project manager, I know about sustainable development and you will see all along that each time any programme coming from the members of National Assembly particularly on empowerment, it doesn’t stay long. But as for me, my experience in RAMP has exposed me to know that road network is one of foundation for economic development and my experience in agriculture has shown me that we can use agriculture to drive our economy and right now, I have a model on my farms that are useful for the teeming youths and women in my state in my senatorial district in particular. So, you will discover that I have necessary experience. To do things differently, I will approach the development from the sustainability angle because there are things one can do that can bring lasting development to the people instead of distributing pepper grinders. We will give our people fish and train them on how to fish not giving them fish to eat alone. We will bring about institutions that will last long from the employment for the teeming youths. So, we will look at fundamental things that will bring change and affect positively on the general well-being of the people. We will work on legislation that will bring industrialization and investment drive to my country, state and senatorial district in particular.

 

You were a Civil Servant and served as coordinator of the Osun Rural Access Mobility Project (O-RAMP) , how did that agency impact Osun as a whole?

Of course, as the project coordinator for Rural Access Mobility Project, we have extended rural roads to all nooks and crannies of the state with over 500km of roads spread over the 30 Local Government Areas of the state including the Area Office at Modakeke. Right now, we have completed about 234km under World Bank- French Development Agency intervention assistance and also about 200km under state direct intervention from our counterpart fund, and right now, we have about 307km of roads ongoing in the second phase. Also we have constructed about 26 river crossings all over the state. These river crossings include 4 big long-span bridges These bridges are located at Mowanle, Onapoyi, Adunni at Ifedayo LG, Onapa in Ife-North Local Government, one at a river along Ilare, Obokun Local Government.

• I’ll prioritise human capital development, agriculture, job creation ― Fadahunsi

 

It is interesting that you mentioned all these projects and their location, so, what fresh development should the state be expecting from the French Development agency in the area of road rehabilitation?

As I told you, we have over 300km of roads under construction, and that is about the last batch of the road which we are going to construct under this credit facility because, this is Osun state project. It is only being facilitated by credit which was obtained from these two International Development Agencies- that is; the World Bank and French Development Agency. It is the performance of the state of Osun in the area of governance that has made it possible for the state among other states because there were only four states that are participating in this second phase of the project, out of which, Osun state is leading in the country. So, it is as a result of good governance that the state of Osun was enlisted as one of the states to enjoy. Ordinarily, the project is supposed to end by 31st of December, 2018, but because of the ongoing projects, we have asked for 22 months extension and it has been granted. So, the project is going to end by October, 2020 instead of December, 2018. We have been granted the time extension.

 

Has the state been prompt in the payment of counterpart fund on these projects?

‎That is one of the areas we are talking about that Osun state is endeared to the International Development Agencies, because in spite the paucity of funds, the government of Osun state has been always prompt in the payment of its own part and find it imperative, not only on RAMP but virtually in all the projects being counter-funded.

 

With your success on O’RAMP in Osun, If you are elected as Senator, what experience would you take to National Assembly?

I believe that with my over three decades experience in International Development Agencies work, I should be an asset not only to Osun West but to Osun and Nigeria as a whole. I have my experience in project management spanning over the world and with that one, I have cordial relationship with IDA nations which enables me to access grants and credits that are very soft for my senatorial district, Osun state and Nigeria.