Few months to the 2019 General Election, a lot of people have been signifying the intention to vie for different positions. As a former local government chairman and someone who has seen governance from the prisms of being in office and being resident in the United States, what qualities do you think Nigerians should look out for in the next set of leaders?
We expect a situation like this to happen whereby many people will declare interest in contesting elections. The reason for this development is not far-fetched; politics has been made too lucrative in Nigeria. Having said that, however, as the elections draw near, we will know those who are pretenders and the real contenders. It is not unusual in a democratic setup to see everyone coming out to be this or that.
On the qualities that Nigerians should look out for in the next set of leaders, I am sure that Nigerians have learnt their lessons and they now know who understands governance and can bring about good governance. I have often told people that good governance is not in words but in action. So, Nigerians should look less in their areas of promises and look at pedigrees and antecedents. They should vote for people with good values. If we can do this, I am sure 2019 will bring the best. 2019 is close and I hope the moneybags and masters of rhetorics do not succeed in deceiving our people again.
Since 1999, different leaders and parties have been giving the people hope and getting elected, only to let the electorate down. So, in specific terms, what caution do you think the Nigerian voters should take ahead of 2019?
That is a problem. Until we have a political reform, the deception and disappointment will continue. We need electoral reform where there will be a level playing field and every Nigerian will be able to contest election. Without this, we will continue to see moneybags and their sponsors take over government and these kinds of people cannot deliver good governance. Imagine a situation where a party is giving out guidelines and saying that nomination forms for elective posts is to cost a million or more, the richest and highest bidders will always be the ones that can get the forms and the best they can do is deceive voters, get elected and turn the mandates to a money-making venture. How can a fresh graduate, for instance, even someone who graduated five years ago, afford a nomination form of N2.5 million? With this kind of system, there is no way the people can get the best. They will probably get someone who is being sponsored and they will always serve the interest of the moneybags.
My advice on vote-buying or what some people call see and buy is that it is up to the people; there is little anyone can do except to advise them. But there is poverty in the land and there is also a low level of political awareness whereby people don’t understand their basic rights responsibilities. They do things today regarding elections and then realise they made a mistake and have to wait another four years to correct that mistake. The thing is when you get a bag of rice or money before you vote, obviously, he must be getting the money from somewhere and he will have to first recoup that money before he thinks of the people’s interest when he is elected. I hope that with adequate voter education from INEC, the government and other Non-Government Organisations that voting is not about today but about the future, the menace can be curbed.
You are talking about the ills of money and moneybags in politics as if you are afraid of some moneybags in your race to represent Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Quite frankly, I am not afraid of anyone, because my records are there. I have been chairman of Iseyin Local Government and we were able to do what the people wanted. I thank the people for their support all the time and they are the people telling me that they want me to come out and contest. I have been taking my time to assess the situation, because there is too much money exchanging hands and too much bastardisation of values. So, at the appropriate time, I will make my mind known to my people.
You made reference to your records as local government chairman but now that you want to serve four local governments, what pedigree do you think you have that makes you a better candidate than others?
One of the major achievements that I can rightly claim as a local government chairman was the retention of the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp in Iseyin and by extension Iseyin/Kajola/Iwajowa/Itesiwaju Federal Constituency. In fact, it is amazing that this interview is coming at a period that corps members are at the Orientation Camp and I am sure that the economy of many households in Iseyin and other towns will improve in these three weeks. There were concerted efforts from some quarters to relocate that camp and it took my standing my ground and the support of two former governors of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala to have that camp retained in our federal constituency. It was also during my tenure that we constructed the Iseyin Stadium, which has remained the way we left it till date. It has been of great use to many people including politicians. I must again appreciate Senator Ladoja for approving the funds for the construction of that stadium.
In the area of health, we built over 15 maternity centres; we carried out the asphaltic construction of several feeder roads in Iseyin including Araromi road, Agbede Kango Circular road and many others. In the area of education and other social services, I am sure that the landmarks I left in Iseyin are still there. It is based on this track record of building human and physical infrastructure in Iseyin that my people have called on me to represent them in the National Assembly.
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