By Japheth Odesanya
I published this piece in the September 2019 Edition of The Factor News
Magazine. Today is Hon. Babajimi Benson’s birthday and it is gratifying to note
that J.B has become peerless, fearless, matchless, exceptional and simply
phenomenal as a leader and people’s representative. I congratulate you sir.
Tapping on an existing wealth of information and knowledge, indeed practices, it is
absolutely useful to reiterate that the essence of democracy is that citizens must be
able to ventilate their views through unrestrained debates, from the lowest level and
smallest unit, and that there should be active citizens’ participation in governance as
well as unrestricted communication between the government and the governed. A
democratic political culture, therefore contrasts sharply with the culture of
authoritarianism.
Representative democracy is the idea that the voting public of a nation vote for or
appoint a leader to make key political decisions on their behalf in the trust that the
leader will make the decisions based on the public interest. Key characteristics of
representative democracy include universal participation, political equality (influence),
political competition and choice (At least 2 choices) and political accountability (an
incumbent can be, recalled, removed, hired or fired). Important also is the issue of
transparency; (openness, accessibility) and the majority rule. In the simplest mode, a
Representative Democracy is the system of government where citizens elect a
representative to represent them-sovereignty of the people.
For Hon. Babajimi Benson, his coming was dramatic. He was a “rookie” in the
treacherous political circle, but never a stranger. Quietly he had operated from
the background, supporting the party’s activities in his capacity as a public servant
being the legal secretary in the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation
(LSDPC). In 2015 when he threw himself forward to represent the Ikorodu people
at the Federal House of Representatives, it was an admixture of fascination,
bewilderment, shock and intrigues.
The intrigues were of especial dimension, yet he romped to victory to prove that
politics, to him, is an intrinsic part. For a scion of the Benson clan of Ikorodu, this was
and still not an overstatement against the background of one of the patriarchs-late
Otunba TOS Benson, a first Republic minister of Information and Culture. But his
emergence was not without the democratic contest in a form of institutionalized
conflict- the conflict of ideas. JB won the keenly contested party’s ticket.
For the people Ikorodu Federal Constituency, reposing such a huge trust in Jimi Benson
was a classical gamble. The party structure was sharply divided between the old players
and the new gamers. Recall the game theory – the branch of mathematics that is
concerned with the analysis of choices and strategies available in activities involving
competition.
His predecessor, Hon. Abike Dabiri had served for 3 terms of twelve years and
performed well. She voluntarily quit. Presently, Hon. Abike Dabiri works with President
Muhammad Buhari on Diaspora issues and is now a bigger force to reckon with in our
politics, still impacting and making a difference.
In this connection the fear and apprehension that enveloped many observers about JB’s
freshness was palpable. Although the premise of politics is uncertain, conclusion could
be dubious. But Jimi has not failed the Ikorodu electors!
Today, Hon. Babajimi Benson has dazzled the majority of his constituents with
visionary projects he delivers on electoral promises and remains deeply in touch
with them. He has creatively and consistently demonstrated the characteristics of
democratic leadership through the empowerment of group members, distribution of
responsibilities that aid collective decision making. These have become the pathway
to employment creation, job satisfaction, innovation and creative solutions to
organizational issues and problems.
With numerous bills and motions to his credit since joining the legislative assembly in
the green chamber 3 years ago, Hon. JB has, to a very large extent, added meaning to
the lives of the people he represents. He has substantially and diginifyingly touched his
constituents in all the six Local Council Development Area (LCDA’s) and thirty wards
making up the Ikorodu Federal Constituency. His recent empowerment tools distribution
remains unprecedented in the Ikorodu political history.
His legislative responsibility and responsiveness apart, Babajimi Benson has a non-
governmental initiative called iCARE Foundation. This popular body serves as his social
intervention and constituency engagement platform with his constituents. The
foundation has four core departments that handle varying outreaches namely: STARTUP
IKORODU, iCARE job portal, iCARE Food Bank which distributes food items on a
monthly basis to a minimum of five hundred (500) families including elderly people,
widows, indigent and the vulnerable in the society. The Food Bank remains one of the
functional Food Banks in Nigeria and has fed, in the last 15 months, about 10,000 people.
The foundation is also involved in extensive renovation of schools and palliative work on
roads within the Ikorodu Federal Constituency. These and many more peoplecentric
commitments have endeared Hon. Jimi Benson to his constituents.
As a matter of facts, JB has been nominated as one of the 10 nominees for the
prestigious LAGOS STATE MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019, organized by the Center
for Policy Development & Political Studies (CECOPED). This merely attests to his industry as a legislator.
Deriving from his dynamic style, there is a broad consensus that he still enjoys the
confidence of his constituents. This becomes more evident in his almost unopposed re-
election bid into the green chamber in 2019. Again, it is instructive to note that this
popular will is premised upon JB’s performance. Like Steve Jobs, he has brought
simplicity – the height of sophistication – to bear in his dealings. And JB is on the verge
of setting a great political record. It is a matter of time.
“A representative, according to Edmund Burke, in his eloquent addresses to
electors in Bristol, on 3 November 1774; must be reasonably consistent in his
views. The representative must also be reasonably industrious. Burke said it ought
to be the happiness and glory of a representative to live in the strictest union, the
closest correspondence with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great
weight with him; their opinion, high respect; their business, unremitted attention;
otherwise, indeed he simply does not perform his duty. From his central position in
the constituency, he has a unique opportunity to instruct his constituents and
broaden their horizon”.
And finally, Burke cautioned, the representative is not entitled to get elected as a free
trader and to vote at once for a protective tariff. The electors are therefore, not only
entitled, but often duty bound, to reject any candidate who differs from them on the
few articles which are the foundation of their political belief.
As Hon. Babajimi Benson coasts to another round of victory given the blatant
massive endorsement by his constituents, we hope he remains consistent and
committed to the yearnings and aspirations of his people. This way, himself and the
great Ikorodu Division would have built a very huge political capital to redirect the
Division’s destiny towards a future that is as near as dear.
