WHY SENATOR AKIN ODUNSI SHOULD BE RE-ELECTED The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Nigerian Air Force, Senator Akin Odunsi, no doubt has upped the ante with his performance as a first term Senator and the 6th Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, South West, Nigeria in the 7th Senate. Indeed, the highly-successful advertising guru has brought the midas touch that made him excel as a top class technocrat into politics. Within a short spate of time, Senator Odunsi has wowed his constituents with a top class performance in the areas of Legislative activities, constituents outreach programmes and empowerments including the facilitation of people oriented projects. Expectedly, the twin factors of experience and performance should count in his favour as he makes a second attempt at the Nigerian senate to represent the people of Ogun West. This much appears to be evident in his interactions with his constituency in recent times. If he eventually succeeds in returning to the senate, he will be making history as the first time a Senator will be re-elected in Ogun West. In the current senate, which is the seventh, the Senate President, David Mark (Benue South), and the Senate Whip, Senator Gwarzo Bello Hayatu (Kano North), hold the exceptional record as the longest serving senators at the nation’s upper parliament. The duo are currently serving their fourth tenures. The likes of Senator Uche Chukwumerije, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba; Senate Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senators Umaru Dahiru, and the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Senator Ahmad Maccido, who are making their third appearances, come next as the most senior parliamentarians in the senate. In the advanced democracies of the world, like old wine, the longer the lawmakers stay in parliament, the better for their constituents and the system. In the US where Nigeria copied our current federal system of government, for instance, the more mature lawmakers turn out to be, the more respectable, more visible and more productive they are in the parliament. In the Nigerian local parlance, the more ranking a lawmaker is, the more value he is expected to possess and the more responsibilities he is entrusted with in the parliament. It is in recognition of this that even the senate standing orders provided that priority must be given to ranking members in the allocation of principal offices. Unofficially, a ranking Senator also has priority when it comes to chairmanship and even membership of the senate standing committees. In this regard, even the Senate standing order provides in chapter two under the “election of presiding and other officers”, that “Nomination of senators to serve as presiding officers and appointments of presiding officers and other officers of the senate or on any parliamentary delegations shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators.” Accordingly, the rules give priority firstly to senators returning, based on the number of times re-elected; secondly, to senators who had been members of the House of Representatives and then lastly, senators elected as senators for the first time. It was based on this provision that the current Senate President, David Mark, had upper hand in the election to the office he occupies. The people of Ogun West stand to be the greatest beneficiaries of Odunsi second term as a lot more still needs to be done in the senatorial district. The major advantages that may play in favour of Odunsi, according to some commentators, will include his remarkable performance as a first-timer. For instance, while most first-termers are still stuttering to perform, Odunsi has 2 Bills to his credit; one has been passed by NASS as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment, the other one is at the 2nd Reading stage. He is also almost concluding research on a 3rd Bill. He has also co-sponsored 6 other Bills and 13 Motions. As a member of the governing board of the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS) and members of 5 different standing committees of the senate, he has been quite active, hard-working and visible. He usually displays a high-level of maturity and intelligence at committee meetings, public hearings and other events. Besides his primary commitment to the concerns of his Ogun West constituency, the major areas of his public concerns are, “youth and women empowerment, rural development and corporate governance.” In terms of employment, over 40 graduate employments and 57 community development projects across the length and breadth of the Senatorial District had been made possible. Odunsi has substantially facilitated lots of federal government projects in the 5 Local Governments of Ogun West. Some of the projects facilitated include rural electrifications of Ijanna in Ilaro and Owode-Ketu in Iggua after they were abandoned since the time of Senator Afolabi Olabimtan of blessed memory, energisation and provisions of 300 and 500 KVA transformers; comprehensive borehole drilling and portable water in rural and urban communities. Some 3 blocks of classrooms (with VIP toilet, furniture and borehole) have been built or being built in 9 Primary Schools across the five LGAs in the Senatorial District. Cognisant of the districts agrarian setting and the need to empower women, Odunsi also facilitated the construction of four processing centres: a Cassava Processing Plant at Alapoti in Ado Odo/Otta LG; a Rice Milling Plant at Sawonjo in Yewa North LG, another on-going Cassava Processing Plant at Idofa in Imeko Afon LG, and a Palm Oil Processing Cottage at Tube in Ipokia LGA. Some of the processing centres will be fully equipped with processing machines and equipments this year. The idea behind the processing centres is to improve the value chains of the agricultural produce and also to engage our rural women. This will bolster employment, provide food security and welfare for our people. The construction of a skills acquisition training centre just started at Imeko. The construction of 2 town hall projects will also begin shortly in Ado Odo and Ago Sasa. In the area of constituency intervention programmes and empowerment, 30 graduates from the Senatorial District benefitted from entrepreneurship training held in conjunction with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC), in November 2011. The best five of the 30 graduates were mentored in their various businesses with each of them receiving a start-up capital of six hundred thousand naira each (N600, 000) from Odunsi. In 2012, Odunsi empowered the youths and women with grinding machines, motorcycles, 1,100 farming tools etc. On October 9, 2013, at the Gateway Multipurpose Hall, in Ilaro, 120 youths earlier sponsored and trained under a Skills Acquisition Programme were empowered with start-up capital and tools of their trades, such as industrial sewing machines, electric hair dryers, washing basins, hair clippers and accessories, sterilising units, power generating sets, personal computers, digital meters, Toniment Re-work stations, gas cookers and cooking utensils, digital cameras and portable digital printers among other tools. Another set of 22 youths in the Senatorial District were sponsored on an EazyBiz Entrepreneurship Scheme, where they were taught and equipped on financial and GSM transactional deals. Each received products and items worth N550,000 each. This is because Odunsi believes the best form of employment is self-employment. An Educational Support Programme was also launched in 2013 where 24 brilliant but indigent Secondary School Students in Ogun West benefitted. As the general elections draw near, there are some major socio-political factors that might also work favourably for Odunsi. Ogun West is made up of 5 LGs: Ado Odo/Otta, Ipokia, Imeko Afon, Yewa North and Yewa South. The 2 major ethnic groups in the Senatorial district are: the Aworis and Yewas. Odunsi, from Ado Odo/Otta LG, is an Awori man. Interestingly, Ado Odo/Otta is one of the most populated LG in Ogun state. Based on the 2006 census, the LG has 527, 242 as its population figure. The other 4 Yewa LGs have their total combined population figures as 585, 519 (Imeko Afon - 82, 952, Ipokia - 150, 387, Yewa South - 168, 336 and Yewa North - 183, 884). It is the numerical strength that paved the way for the same Odunsi in the 2011 elections with his people in Ado Odo/Otta LG overwhelmingly voting for him. Another issue is the current political calculations on ground. Before Senator Akin Odunsis emergence, while the Yewas have been Senators for four times, the Aworis have been there just once (Senator Jonathan Odebiyi, Yewa North; Senator Afolabi Olabimtan, Yewa South; Senator Ayo Otegbola, Ado Odo/Otta; Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Yewa South; and Senator Kolawole Bajomo, Yewa North). Again, while all the Senators of Yewa extractions completed a four-year term each in office, Senator Ayo Otegbola spent just 9 months in office before the military intervention of 1993. Since the creation of Ogun State in 1976, nobody from Ogun West has been elected governor of the state. The agitation for the exalted office of an executive governor being occupied by a Yewa/Awori, rightfully and justifiably so, has reached a crescendo. Curiously again, all the current protagonists and contenders for the office of the governors seat at Oke Mosan, are all Yewas. Naturally, an Aworiman should occupy the Senate seat again. This is where Odunsi features so prominently. Distinguished Senator Akin Odunsi is currently the Chairman, Board of Directors of Rosabel. The success story of Rosabel and its subsidiaries today, is a further affirmation of his hard work and his ability to work hand in hand with other people successfully. He is a team player per excellence. There is no doubting the fact that, he has been very active in the Nigerian and indeed, African Advertising scene. He served in several capacities in the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) and became the Hon. Secretary, 1984 -1987, Vice-President, 1987-1989 and President, 1989-1992. He was pioneer commissioner of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (1992-1994); member of the National Committee on the review of Mass Communication policy (2002-2003) and Commissioner, Gateway Games Commission (2005-2006) and a pioneering council member, Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria. He was the first Hon. Secretary, Committee of Otta Sons (COCOS); He is a Fellow, Institute of Director (IOD); Fellow, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON); Members of Ikoyi Club, 1938, IBB Golf Club, Abuja and Ikeja Golf Club. A man of several awards and honours, Senator Akin Odunsi has received the merit award; old Grammarians Society (CMS Grammar School, Lagos – 2003); Iganmode merit award by the Olota of Otta. He is also the Maiyegun of Ilaro; Babalaje of Koko-Atan, Otta; and the Giwa Adinni of Otta Central Mosque, He was also honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Award of the University of Lagos in 1997. He is now the Maiyegun of Otta and Aworiland. The nationally-recognised media guru is a chairman/board member in several companies and is also a council member, Nigeria Conservation Foundation. He has handled several national and international assignments. He has been on Nigeria’s delegation to several national and international assignments. He has been on Nigeria’s delegation to several OAU summits. A devout Muslim, he is also a member, Board of Trustees, Forum for Islamic Education and Welfare and Lekki Muslim Ummah.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 14:01:07 +0000
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