Kunle Adelabu
Candidates of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the Ikorodu Constituency I and II seats in the Lagos State House of Assembly took their turn on THE IMPACT WhatsApp platform to unveil their plans for their constituents.
The duo of Mr Adekunle Razaq Aderibigbe (ARA), the NNPP candidate for the Ikorodu Constituency I seat and his Constituency II counterpart, Mr Onibudo Sodiq Abiodun, were the guests in an interactive session with candidates for the House of Assembly in Ikorodu, on Tuesday.
Aderibigbe, who is a professional Accountant, Business advisor, Policy and Public Affairs analyst and Good Governance Crusader, is an ardent follower and promoter of Awoism and Nkrumaism socialist theories which formed of his aspiration to represent the people of Ikorodu.
Speaking on the role of a legislator, Aderibigbe said:
“Basically, the primary role of a Legislator is to make laws, considering the interests of their respective constituents. This involves presenting issues affecting or matters relating to their constituents and residents of the state at large, either as a proactive means or as a corrective measure. This is coded and presented as bills which are read and passed to become Acts or Laws for applicable implementation by the Executive arm of government after getting the Governor’s consent”.
He said that the focus of his representation will cover all aspects, but with focus on: Infrastructure Development, Security and Commerce.
He described the last election which was characterized by ethnic sentiments as unhealthy, but expressed strong belief that his party will win the Assembly election in Ikorodu.
“Considering the results of the last elections and the ethno-tribal talks coming to play which is not healthy, I think many voters will troop out to protect their interests in line with such sentiments. We might experience moves by some political tools trying to play smart but the new model and pattern of voting will surmount all. At the end of the day, I am positive that NNPP will poll the most and Adekunle Razaq Aderibigbe (ARA) will be declared as the Member-Elect for Ikorodu 1 Constituency, Lagos State House of Assembly. God willing”, he said confidently.
Aderibigbe, who is a financial expert, also took a look at the Lagos finances which he said looks healthy, but also expressed concern with financial management in the state.
“Interestingly, the Lagos State Budget is quite huge which implies that the economy is expected to grow at the state level. The State Expenditure Structure looks healthy with over 1tr (56%) allocated for Capital Infrastructure while (44%) will be used for recurrent expenditures”, he said.
“Meanwhile, where I have a bias is the value-for-money; effectiveness, efficiency and economy of the spending. There are so many projects that were financed over a long time beyond the initial budget. This can only be linked to financial mismanagement at the expense of the taxpayers.
“We need to have effective policies that will ensure the public gets full disclosure of such information.
“Lagos is definitely financially okay even though the debt figures are huge, but the state ought to find its way back to operating surplus budget rather than deficit”, he said.
Sharing his view on the Freedom of Information Act and failure of the Lagos State House of Assembly to domesticate it and constituency allowance, the candidate said:
“Technically, this topic is best addressed by the representative or members of the House of Assembly.
“The Freedom of Information Act was only celebrated but did not get proper implementation. Let’s not forget that some public offices proved difficult hiding under secrecy oaths, confidential or classified information … Hence not providing this vital information to the public.
“Basically, the”how ” and”what ” Constituency Allowance is not public information, lacking transparency and no public document to show for it. So, it remains a mirage or rumour”, he said.
Aderibigbe described representation in Ikorodu since 1999, as fair in his rating.
“Meanwhile, the representation in the Constituency since 1999 has been fair by my assessment but still requires equity, transparency and open governance. There are gaps and rooms for improvement”, he said.
The NNPP Constituency II candidate, Mr Onibudo Sodiq Abiodun, is a graduate of Lagos State University, where he studied Electronic and Computer Engineering. He currently works as a Senior Product Owner at Bimbi Philips Ltd, a UK based IT firm.
While analysing the duties of a legislator, Onibudo said that:
“The primary responsibility of a member of the House of Assembly is to make laws and also amend existing laws in line with the interest of their people”.
“Lawmakers enact laws by putting up legislation, voting on them, and passing them. It is normal to frequently make public appearances at social and community activities. They must assess the needs of society, the government, and individual residents in order to decide which bills to enact while also taking into account the potential effects of proposed legislation”.
Stating what his focus will be if elected by the people of Ikorodu Constituency II, the NNPP candidate said that he would ensure good relationship with the executive arm, human capital development and added that he would facilitate developmental projects to address the needs of his people.
“My responsibility will be to foster a cordial relationship with the executive arm of government to facilitate infrastructural development in my constituency.
“Facilities programs that would improve the Human capital of the good people of my constituency. Human capital is indeed the economic value of a worker’s experience and skill and achieving this would improve the livelihood of the people of my constituency.
“I would also be readily available in the constituency to enable a participatory approach by engaging the good people of my constituency in various meetings to listen to their needs and also incorporate the people into programs that would be beneficial for the community”, he said.
Explaining further his focus to his people, Onibu do said that:
“Once elected, my focus would be to address the needs and concern of the people in the following areas:
“Infrastructure – Good roads can never be over emphasised as they are one of the infrastructural developments that impacts the lives of the people directly”.
“Education – Education is the easiest and best way to empower people. We would be focusing on education, especially at the primary and secondary levels.
“Healthcare – Access to primary health centres would be greatly beneficial to the people of my constituency”.
“Social services – Such as food assistance, education assistance and housing assistance would indeed help individuals and families that are in need in my constituency”.
He said that he would encourage participatory representation to bring trust in the system.
“The pressing issues in the office as it relates to the constituency in my opinion is lack of trust. The people of Ikorodu have indeed lost trust in their representatives because the previous representatives have distanced themselves from the people they are representing leading to a lack of support and belief. This occurrence has indeed marred the office.
“When elected, I would bring about change to this by incorporating a participatory approach to leadership as said earlier. This would bring about trust and support that would enable the representatives to thrive in their roles and responsibilities as a member in the House of Assembly”, said.
While stating that there has been expansion in the digital space of the state, Onibudo also unveiled his plans to improve on the IT sector in Ikorodu if elected to represent the people.
“Lagos, the largest city and financial center of Nigeria, has undergone remarkable expansion in the digital sector in recent years, making it one of the continent’s top innovation centres”, he said.
“Lagos is home to a burgeoning digital community that is home to an increasing number of incubators, co-working spaces, and companies. A number of initiatives, including government-backed programs and contributions from the corporate sector, help to boost the city’s IT scene”.
“My plan to improve the IT sector in Ikorodu are as follows: Organise IT training programs, Create an IT community center, Partner with business to provide local IT internships and Encourage peer learning by hosting Hackathon competitions”, he said.
Speaking on his expectations from the election, the NNPP candidate said that it would be keenly contested since all the candidates are greenhorn and assured that he would emerge victorious at the end of the day.
“It’s indeed going to be interesting particularly because there are no returning honourable running for the Honorable postions. This means all Honourables across all political parties are new and would be jostling for support and votes come Saturday”, he said.
“However, I’m very confident that I’ll emerge because my team and l have effectively sensitised the grassroots to solicit their support and we have received resounding assurances. Also, it’s apparent that it’s youth o’ clock, judging by the presidential election held last week and the voice of the youths is the voice of the masses. Student union groups and other youth organizations in my constituency have been sensitised and informed of my mandate and their support is well assured as well.
“The elections on Saturday will be keenly contested no doubt, but on Sunday, the 12th of March, 2023, the name Onibudo Sodiq Abiodun will be celebrated”, he said.
