THE IMPACT crew, led by its Publisher/Reporter-in-Chief, Kunle ADELABU, had an exclusive interview with Otunba Ganiyu Olusegun Abiru, the Chairman of Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and a Senatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, September 4, 2018, but a few days later, he announced his withdrawal from the race to jostle for the much coveted senatorial seat, while the interview was yet to be published.
We are producing the interview where the retired Clerk/Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State House of Assembly bore his mind on many critical and burning issues concerning the repositioning of IKODASS, achievements of the association under his administration, his senatorial aspiration, leadership question in Ikorodu division, Ikorodu position within the Lagos political arrangement and the struggle to make the division to be more politically relevant. Excerpts:
IMPACT: For the record, can we meet you sir?
Otunba Abiru: My name is Abdul Ganiu Olusegun Abiru. I am the Chairman of the Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and also an aspiring senator for the Lagos East Senatorial District.
IMPACT: As the Chairman of IKODASS, how has the experience been in the last one year in office?
Otunba Abiru: My experience in this office as IKODASS Chairman has been challenging, educating, illuminating and enriching, because it is a community based assignment, which of course, encompasses all strata of the community, which means you have to dialogue with everyone in high and the low places to ensure that they are carried along in the administration of the association. You also have to dialogue with the religious organizations which are the Christians, Muslims and the traditional worshippers. So, by and large, it has been a worthy experience.
IMPACT: Your achievements, as IKODASS chairman, are many, which are the significant ones sir?
Otunba Abiru: My achievements, so far, are many but the one that is most important to me is that we have succeeded in re-branding Ikorodu. We have taken it from the primordial celebration to a celebration that is in tune with the modern trends. We have tried to enlist the support of the elites and others in the seven-day event celebration. Aside from that, we were also able to generate profit for the organization and we have also succeeded in introducing open administrative system where dialogue is embraced. We are now running an administration where transparency is very much appreciated. And yes, we have been having this celebration for the past twenty six years and the last one that we had was so entertaining, glamorous and rich to the extent that Lagos State government recognized that event by enlisting it as one of the yearly tourist activities, which, of course, means that the government has seen something about the rebranded celebration.
Lagos State government has accorded us recognition, which means that if we have not done well, there was no way the government could have done that. We have also assisted schools, some traditional organizations and we have tried to bring some civilization into what we are doing. We also consciously tried to imbibe the spirit of selflessness into people that are serving in IKODASS. Yes, we are not paying the executive officers but we try as much as possible to ensure that everybody discharges the duty of his or her office responsibly, judiciously and as expected.
IMPACT: What are the expectations for this year’s Ikorodu-Oga Day Celebration?
Otunba Abiru: This year’s celebration is going to be very much elaborate and by the grace of God, our performance this year would be better. We are bringing in some innovations into this year’s celebration. In this year’s edition, you would see more carnival-like atmosphere. We are also organizing a raffle draw and whoever wins would go home with a vehicle and that means a lot. We are organizing what I call “Ikorodu-Oga Mini Trade Fair” where people would come and display their wares, food, drinks, etc. This is just to showcase the industries that are in Ikorodu division. And apart from the social aspect of the celebration, we are also looking at the economic aspect of it which will assist industrialists and businessmen within Ikorodu to show what they have to the world. We are also going to be showcasing our young coming artistes that are residing in Ikorodu. We want to show to the world that Ikorodu has everything you can think of.
IMPACT: Many still find it unbelievable that you are not just into politics but also aspiring for the Senate which they considered as a very serious engagement but cannot relate such ambition with your nature. Why have you decided to join politics?
Otunba Abiru: There are active and passive politicians and I have been working with politicians for about 7 years and you would agree with me that the Lagos State House of Assembly is the most vibrant Assembly in Nigeria, if not in Africa. If you are a player in such an organization with reputation, it means there is no way you would not have learnt one or two lessons. Yes, politics is something that I have been thinking about but I never thought that it is something I would engage in immediately after my service. I was still thinking of settling down to manage myself after my retirement in 2016, but as God would have it, I was elected as the chairman Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and with superlative performance that we had which made people to compare our first outing last year with the previous outings, they are of the view that we have done very well and we have the capacity to represent them at the Upper Chamber. The people seem to have confidence that I have the capacity and are very interested in my political vision. They came to me; the youths, old and young; cajoled and pressured me that I should come out despite the fact that I was not prepared for it, at least for now. But after a lot of persuasion and pressure, I accepted to vie for the position of Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District. The experience has been very interesting. It shows the depth of selflessness of some people. It also shows the commitment of some people to the progress of the community and aside from that, it also shows that there are politicians and professionals in politics. These two, in terms of their consideration, experience and capacity, they are very different, I belong to the professionals in politics. The experience has been educating. It has been one of a kind. So, you begin to learn a lot about people. Because people can’t be easily trusted, I believe that all of this are symptoms of development and I believe and pray as we proceed in our democracy, we would continue to improve on them. I am sure that the democracy we had in 2015 is not as good as what we would have in 2019 and I am sure that it would continue to improve as time goes on. I think it is an experience that I cherish and which I would never forget in my life.
IMPACT: If you are eventually picked as the party candidate, what are your plans for the people of the district?
Otunba Abiru: The lack of ideological manifesto by some politicians is because our people don’t give a damn about manifesto. It is because they are not bothered about what you want to do for them. They are bothered about the bread and cake you want to easily give out to them. Some people set their future on the platter of gold which, of course, is not good for them and I believe that the young ones that are coming into the fold are now coming up with manifesto. Even among most of the political parties, which one can you really identify with any ideology? As far as I am concerned, I have a manifesto which, of course, I would release when we want to do our flag off. The manifesto says a lot of things about what we can do to help many people in Lagos East Senatorial District.
One of our cardinal points is youth development because I think that any sane society must not toy with the future of the youths because they are our tomorrow. The youths are about 60% of the population, even more than that and that shows that the segment is critical to the development of the nation. That segment of the population should be a catalyst that would propel development of this nation, but unfortunately, our youths have been led to wander in the darkness. There are no mentors for them; no counselors nor guidance. These are the things that are needed to be fixed and by the grace of God, when we come into the office, we would emphasize on the need for this youths to be properly mentored and guided. And as for the youths, for every ten youths you see walking in the street, eight are unemployed. That is to tell us that we have to do something about it and we have come up with so many programmes in that regard.
We are also going to introduce co-operative society for the farmers in the Lagos East Senatorial District because when we look at main occupation of our people here, they are purely farmers and when you look at agriculture, you would agree with me that the government itself has not done much for them, especially those that are at the lowest part of the ladder. We want to bring them together into a cooperative, looking at each individual’s expertise and see how we can manage and assist them.
We have also discovered that tourism opportunities in Lagos State is a huge potentials, but it is not fully exploited, but by the time we come into office, we have plans to propel the development of some aspects of our tourism. This is a big sector where we can create enormous employment opportunities and increase the GDP of the district and the State at large.
Part of our proagrammes is also to work towards improving our educational standard by making schools conducive for learning and provide scholarship for students.
We are also not going to care of the living alone, but also the dead. I am always ashamed whenever I pass through that burial ground at Ojokoro in Ikorodu, because it is unhealthy, unkempt, and uncattered for. We are going to make sure we see to that as well.
Our culture too won’t be left out, because we have a culture that is rich. We have a culture that we can be promoted to the international level. All of these and many more are in our manifesto and it is a progressive manifesto. These are aside our desire to promote vibrant and impactful legislative debate and bringing our professionalism into committee works at the Upper Chamber.
IMPACT: What type of politician will you classify yourself to be and how true is the rumour that you have stepped down from the senatorial race?
Answer: Like I have said, professional politicians are politicians who have no other means of livelihood than politics. They eat, drink and dine in politics all their life but professionals in politics are people who have their jobs but because they want to contribute to development of the nation or state, they join politics. Although, among the traditional politicians, there are very few good ones among them, and I said few in sense that most of them are very particular about their selfish interest. I am not also saying all the professionals in politics are saint too. No! We have some of them that are classified as bad but basically, professionals in politics are seen as people telling the truth; playing the politics of value and playing politics of development. Unfortunately, our political space is dominated and dictated by the professional politicians. They usually bombard the professionals in politics with different questions like, “Where are they coming from?”, “What do they know about politics?”.But they have forgotten that we can join politics at any point in time depending on exposure and experience.
I remember when I said I want to come out for senate, some said, “How could you just come out from nowhere and want to become a senator?”. Some were saying that I should have gone for the House of Assembly to start with. But they have forgotten that Fashola was never a politician, yet he is one of the best governor Nigeria has had. Ambode was never a politician, he was a retired public servant but he is doing a marvelous job. So, that is what I’m talking about, but the professional politicians, due to their survival, would try everything possible to discourage some of us. More so, because they have been there for long and they have dominated the space. But I tell you for sure that things would eventually changed if we, the professionals in politics, start asking questions and exercise patience coupled with consistence in our agitations and participation in political activities.
Concerning the issue of stepping down, as far as I am concerned, I want to tell you now that I have no reason to step down for anybody. I am still very much in the race and I think some releases were made about three days ago to highlight and to emphasize that I am still very much in the race, but I must let you know that I am a party man and I believe in the supremacy of the party. If the party comes and say that Segun Abiru this is where we are going, I have no choice than to dance to tune of the party. The party would have had it reason for selecting a particular candidate. It may be me, it may be another person but I know for sure that whatever the party says, may be before the primary, the party probably would have made a statement and then that one would inform my next decision.
The second point which I must also say is that there is no way a retired civil servant like me can get eight million or so to buy form. We have informed people about our intension and the role we are going to play if given the opportunity to serve, so, why do we need to spend that much on the purchase of form because we want to offer ourselves for service? Some of my friends are worried about my desire to go into politics because of the level of shenanigans but I have been telling them that we would try our best to change the face of politics by bringing in value and that there is no way we can change things if we are not part of the system. They are not even ready to give any support accept I get the party ticket. While I am clamouring for a review regarding the party’s nomination money, I am also not saying that it should be too low. I think something between N2million and N1.5million should be okay. I think that the N8milion is a systematic way of discouraging some people like me who cannot afford that much. But the fact is that we have been on ground more than any other aspirant. We have our banners and we have reached out to people in the nooks and crannies of the district in Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju, Somolu and other places. I have a meeting scheduled with people from Epe after this interview and that shows that I am still in the race but as I have said, I don’t toy with the supremacy of the party and sincerely, I don’t think I have the kind money for he form and sincerely, it’s a bit on the high side.
IMPACT: Why do you think your party and the people should pick you ahead of other aspirants?
Otunba Abiru: The rudiments of law making are much known to me. I also know the workings of National Assembly and legislature generally and I have the experience and exposure garnered both within and outside the country in this regards. All these, I believe, put me in better position. Don’t also forget that I have been the administrative head of the Lagos State House of Assembly which has been adjudged as the best in Nigeria, if not in Africa. I think I am most competent and most eligible to be considered and the party should see me as the symbol to represent them well.
IMPACT: Where do you see Ikorodu division in the next four years?
Otunba Abiru: Ikorodu people are not united and if we are not united there is nothing we can achieve. Aside from that, Ikorodu people don’t invest in politics like others in other divisions of the State and there is no how they would consider you when the benefits come. That is why today, we have one cabinet member which is a shame to our division. We need to come together to fight as a people irrespective of our individual differences. I am sure that the next four years would be worse than the previous years if we are not ready to change and be proactive .You have your son campaigning for senatorial seat but you are not rallying round him, though, I agree that you have freedom to choose anyone you want to choose, but I want to tell you today that once you lose this opportunity, you won’t find it for the next four to eight years. Our so called leaders are not doing things that are beneficial to our society. Some of our leaders are selfish and they are only looking for what will benefit them alone.
At the age that some of our leaders are, I believe sincerely and honestly that they must not be running after contestants again. They should not be putting on the caps of any aspirant. They must sit down in their places and expect those aspiring for positions to come to them for advice. I remember when I went to one of the elders, I wouldn’t want to mention names, the man told me that he’ll support me with all his resources because of the fact that I’m from Ikorodu. He stated that he sees me as an honest person. He was very encouraging unlike others. It is a shame that our leaders are still running after contracts for themselves. They should let us showcase our youths because most of them have been following them for years and with capacity to deliver. This is the time we have to mentor our upcoming youths. Looking at our situation critically, I am not particularly impressed, unless we change the leadership drastically, we may not gain anything in the next four years. I am sorry if I am sounding revolutionary, but we need to change the configuration of the leadership in Ikorodu for us to have meaningful achievements. If not, Ikorodu would not be where it is meant to be. In terms of population, we have it and that itself should be a good bargaining power, but unfortunately, we are not seeing that as an advantage. We’ve Hon. Jimi Benson being nominated for Lagos Man of the year, rather than people supporting him, they were supporting people from outside. I don’t believe in that except if the person is not capable. Jimi Benson has done much for Ikorodu and we must celebrate him, just as Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade. The combination of the two of them has done so much for the development of Ikorodu and we must continue to appreciate them because, either we like it or not, they have been playing their parts very well. As far as I am concerned, there is no representative at the federal level that has done much as Jimi Benson. And sentiments apart, nobody at the state assembly has also done as much as Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade. Our people should start seeing politics as a game of word and not abuse. Here lies the caution so that at the end of the electioneering, we would not become irreconcilable enemies. Notwithstanding what I have said on the duo of Hon. Agunbiade and Hon. Benson, this does not foreclose the right of other contenders to challenge them for the offices they are presently occupying . My worry is on the campaign of calumny that has pervaded our political space. Though, each of the contenders has the right to present his or herself for service but we should be decorous in our choice of language. You can promote your symbol without unjustifiable denigrating the personality of your opponents.
So, what I am saying in essence is that unless Ikorodu sits back and think deeply on how to change these selfish leaders, we cannot move forward. Somebody like Asipa Kaoli Olusanya is now in position to take up the mantle of leadership in the division. He is young man and vibrant, and I think that we should give him the necessary support. Let’s see what he can do with our young and dynamic representatives at the federal and state levels in piloting the ship of the division. We also have to give supports to our Kabiyesis across the division. Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, has just launched a program to salvage Ikorodu politically, which he has been requesting Ikorodu people to contribute to. I hope and pray Ikorodu would honour his call. I appreciate the monarch for initiating such progressive idea and others who have been moving Ikorodu in the right direction.
