We need to give young Nigerians a sense of hope —Aderinokun, senatorial aspirant

Chief Olumide Aderinokun is an entrepreneur, a realtor, philanthropist  and an aspirant for the Ogun State Central Senatorial District in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview by TAYO GESINDE, the founder of the Olumide & Stephanie Aderinokun Foundation speaks about the security challenge in the country, how to eradicate poverty and why he thinks he is the best candidate for Ogun Central District. Excerpts:

When and why did you go into the real estate business?*

I’ve always been passionate about real estate, both as a career and a service that provides solution to individuals and communities. But going into the real estate business, it was essential for us not to compromise the professionalism and integrity – which are significant problems that affect the industry. We are sure that as long as these qualities underlined our activities and client engagement, we can build meaningful bonds with our customers whilst providing services that exceed their expectations.

What do you think can be done to end the activities of thugs and charlatans in the real estate business?

Over the years, there have been specific laws meant to counter the violence and conflicts that have risen due to land grabbing, scam, and fraud, including different penal code sections for other criminal acts such as the destruction of life and property displacement of people. But to address it effectively, it has to be a hands-on approach, where different arms of government are practical about the issues, and existing laws are reviewed to ensure that no one gets away with malpractice.

For example, the Lagos State Property Protection Law, which prohibits the illegal occupation of landed property, and violent or fraudulent conduct concerning landed properties in the state, prescribes severe penalties with various prison terms for different offences. But it does nothing to counter the activities of those we call the ‘omo onile’.

You are a successful businessman, what motivated you to go into politics?

It’s the belief that we can do better as a country. As a real estate entrepreneur, I have the fulfilling experience of dealing with different people – regardless of age, education, economic class or location, people who only need the opportunity and the enabling environment to create better lives for themselves and their communities.

There’s so much we can achieve through community organisation, child education and youth empowerment. But there is a lot more that can be achieved when a young person is in a position to create bills with solution-specific language that can address the issues we are facing with the economy, education, job creation, skill development, and many others.

What do you have to offer the people of Ogun Central Senatorial District?

First, my experience as an entrepreneur and an investor. Secondly, we need to bring a worldview into local politics. How do we train and support young students and graduates to be prepared for the jobs of the future and also be self-sufficient? How many people will the government employ? When we talk about jobs, how many can the government create?

It’s about building capacity through technology, training, and marketing.

We need to help our farmers with the tools to harvest bountifully every year, find a solution to the current herdsmen crisis, and facilitate a market where they can easily reach the customers that can pay adequately for their products. I want to improve our schools’ infrastructure and create an enabling environment for small businesses in Ogun Central to grow and make our mothers and fathers happy.

You belong to the opposition party. Do you think you have what it takes to defeat the ruling party in the 2023 elections?

Yes, I do. Ogun State is rich in people and resources, and we cannot afford to be stagnant. The ruling party has led us to one of the worst inflation we have ever experienced, made us the most impoverished nation globally, and an unemployment crisis that continues to rise every year. Our people are not sure of their security, health, and we are not sure if we are in a democracy or have returned to military rule.

We cannot continue this way. I have a vision and a message for my people, and I totally believe that Ogun State is ready to move forward.

How do you think we can tackle the issue of insecurity in Nigeria?

First of all, when everyone prospers, the country grows. And because of this, we become better secured.

If people are gainfully employed and our young men and women are off the streets, fewer people would turn to crime. We need to give young Nigerians a sense of hope – that will go a long way in helping this country and its people. People need to know that they can start a business in this country, and it will succeed; that they can travel and they do not have to be worried about bandits and kidnappers; that by the time they graduate, our schools would have imbued them with the skills to enable them to thrive in Nigeria.

That’s how we can solve insecurity in the country, long term.

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