2015: Why we can’t jettison zoning in Oyo State - Hon Olabiyi [Olabiyi] A member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Honourable Kola Olabiyi speaks with DARE ADEKANMBI on federal budget and the politics of the state, among other issues, Excerpts: YOU are a first-time member of the House of Representatives and more than two years in office, how has it been? It has been challenging, being a first timer in the House. I had always been a private sector person. As an accountant, I have worked with many companies in the country. But the public sector is a different thing entirely, especially lawmaking. To the glory of God, I have sponsored one or two motions which were overwhelmingly supported by my colleagues. One is on the Ikereku Dam and the other is about the need for an amendment of the 1999 Constitution such that, what we have presently in which the person in charge of the Federation Account is also the one handling the Consolidated Account, will be reversed. By the time the new constitution will be out, different people will be handling the two accounts. You must have promised to do one or two things during electioneering campaign. And so, how much of the promise have you fulfilled? In terms of development, I believe in human capital development. I have empowered many people, especially in agriculture, where I have trained more than 500 people and I am happy that many of them are not just doing well but are doing very very well. God has also used me to facilitate some projects to my constituency. In 2012, I had to my credit about 40 boreholes and it is just about three or four of them that are not working and we are fixing these four because, personally, I don’t believe in abandoned projects. Also, there is a youth development centre that is being constructed in Iseyin. The centre has about three arms-vocational and e-learning centre- and it will be commissioned soon. And there are many more. People see National Assembly members as Abuja politicians who do not come home to see how those who elected them into office are faring. How often do you come home? It is true that people say that but I have a different view. I got involved in politics in 1998 and was part of the people that formed the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and I have been consistent since then. Even when I was working as a financial controller somewhere in Lagos, I still found time to come home. Now that I am a full-time politician, why won’t I go home? But what I see as being responsible for some National Assembly members not going home to see the people of their constituencies is the huge demand from the people. Every time, it is money, money and money. Everything has changed and it is really crazy. I believe as time goes on, things will change. But despite that, I go home. Do you see a disconnect between the electorate and elected officials? It depends because we need to be specific. To the best of my knowledge, elected officials are trying their best. But the challenge is that everybody is a politician now unlike before. Before now, we had people who were party men as different from the electorate. The electorate would always ask elected officials what they have brought to their communities. But nowadays, I can tell you if we receive 100 calls a day, none or probably one will ask about infrastructure. They will also bring all sorts of personal things and now ask yourself: Is this why you were elected? So, if you say disconnect, we ask ‘is it disconnect because they wanted to do burial or naming ceremony or maybe because somebody is sick? Or disconnect because they ask for infrastructural development and you refuse to give it to them? What does it suggest to you when you receive several calls from people asking you to give them money and solve their personal problems? It suggests poverty. It suggests that we are getting to a time when, if we do not act quickly, we will not be able to curtail the backlash because people are hungry. If people wake up and go to their places of work, they won’t even think of begging in the first place. This is as a result of the long years of the military rule and probably the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level. There is no clear-cut direction on employment generation in terms of people leaving the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme and being gainfully employed. One of the current issues in national discourse is the altercation about the country being broke and cash-trapped. What’s your view on this? If we have a budget and the yearly performance of our budget in the last two years at least is within the range of 25 and 35 per cent, what else can we say? But is Nigeria really broke or is there leakage in government revenue? I am a member of the finance committee and I know there is no agency of government charged with collecting revenue for the Federal Government that has not been meeting their target. And my experience as an accountant tells me that there are two sides to a balance sheet-the revenue and the expenditure sides. Government says it is expecting N1 trillion and explains how it hopes to spend the money. But when the money comes and it is only N500 billion that is spent, the question to ask is: where is the balance of N500 billion? How serious are we in fighting corruption? The issue of you being interested in tagging with Senator Femi Lanlehin as his running mate in 2015 came up at the burial of your mother recently in Itesiwaju Local Government. What’s your plan for 2015? Let me first use this opportunity to thank the governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, for his presence at the ceremony. One of the issues he raised in church was about my being interested in running as would-be deputy governor. Like I said before now, I have never said I would be anybody’s running mate in 2015. As a matter of fact, I don’t think Senator Lanlehin has come out to say he wants to be governor. Even if I want to be a running mate, Senator Lanlehin and I are Christians and I don’t think our pair is realisable and it will be suicidal for any party to field a Christian-Christian ticket in Oyo State that is multi-religious in nature. Religion has come to be part of politics and that is why we meet with Imams and members of CAN. I keep telling people that whatever and wherever one will be in life, it is only God that will determine it. 2015 is still ahead and we pray to God to spare our lives beyond that year. In the progressive family, we have a way of doing our thing, although things are changing. We can’t jettison zoning and if a position is zoned to a particular place, the leaders there will decide the candidate to be chosen in conjunction with whoever is the governorship candidate. When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. There are fears in certain quarters that the APC may not emerge victorious in the governorship election because the party is divided into factions. We are winning the election by the grace of God. If you say we are not united and that I am for Lanlehin, Governor Ajimobi, Lanlehin, Sharafadeen Alli and many others were at my mother’s burial service. So, what unity are you talking about? A lot of people used the occasion to rub minds and chat at the background and also discuss politics. A lot of reconciliation has taken place and we have not got to the point we will discuss the second term issues. When we get there, it will be clear who will be the party’s candidate. There is a clamour for the youth to come on board, while the old guard should operate from the background. What is your take on this? Internationally, what is emerging now is that leaders of powerful countries are in the age bracket of 40 and 45. But ours is a peculiar situation. We have to take the first thing first. Power is not something that will be served to the youth in their bedroom. They should fight for it and be ready to stake many things. Youths should come out and contest. But they must know that mobilisation and giving direction is very key. They must be willing and courageous. People are saying the next governor must also come from Ibadan because Ibadan has the largest number of registered voters and it decides who becomes the governor. I don’t subscribe to that, as an Oke-Ogun man. If I see a candidate from Oke-Ogun or Oyo or Ogbomosho or any other place, I will support such candidate. God will give power to whomever He pleases Him to give it irrespective of the village or the city the person comes from. There was Ibadan when Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was from Ikenne Remo in Ogun State, became the Premier of the defunct Western Region. As far as Oyo project is concerned, everybody is a prince and there will be a king at a point in time.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 14:42:14 +0000
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