Hon. Omosanya Adeboye is an All Progressives Congress (APC) councillorship aspirant of Ward D Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA in Lagos State. In this exclusive interview with Adeleye Kunle, he talks about governance and why he the right candidate for the position. Excerpts:
As a well-known business tycoon venturing into politics, have you thought about the challenges?
Permit me to say that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles the body. It is not the idea of going into politics that matters; but what we do as a politician. As a business tycoon, I am aware that it is the act perpetrated in politics that determine whether your reputation ends up as being good or bad. With the right values, such as honesty, commitment to public good and discipline, it will be easy to excel in any profession, even in politics. This is because over time, you would have demonstrated these good traits and would be known to your family, friends and contemporaries. This makes it easier for those you encounter even in a new terrain to trust and accept you.
I dare say that there is room for improvement at our ward level. Often times, we call the President’s attention to issues that do not have direct impact on the common man. These issues are those that ought to be addressed at the local level. We need to focus more on our ward councillors, because they are the closest to the people. Also, their activity or inactivity has great effect on every man in the community; his quality of life, aspirations and achievements. Therefore, for us to have the sort of livelihood we desire, we need to demand for a better quality of administrators.
Having accomplished so much in my personal and professional life, I believe there is a lot that I can contribute to the society, for the betterment of our people especially at ward level. My desire is to come in and do well. It is not about the salary or amount in the coffers. After all, how much is the salary of a ward councillor? I believe that my pay check is higher than what is presently available in that office.
So, I am motivated by the desire to serve the people and ensure that communal development is driven from the grassroots.
Politics here is different. Without a godfather, it is difficult to get a ticket on the platform of any major political party. Do you have a godfather?
An average person has a godfather. This is because a godfather is an influential figure, who has a measure of confidence in you; enough to stand as a surety or referee. For example, multinationals often require prospective contractors/vendors to provide recommendations from previous clients. This serves as a form of surety. The same applies in the political space. This is because the group of people (party leaders and members) that wants to give you a platform to serve needs to be sure that its candidate has character, competence and the right skill set.
Why are you the right candidate for Ward D, Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA?
The needs of the people in Ward D, Ayobo/Ipaja are not different from the needs of the people in other wards. Every ward dweller desires the basic necessities of life which are often lacking. For this reason, there is always a high rate of migration.
From my visits to my ward, I observed that the health centres still need improvement, people do not have to travel to the state facilities in town for the most rudimentary medical attention like malaria and typhoid. Ideally, the latter ought to be reference centres for major health issues.
At this time, it is important to give our health sector the attention it deserves; not just paying service to administration or empowerment. We need to make major investments in the sector which will give the grassroots better livelihood, after all, health is wealth.
In addition, we need to place a premium on education. When the late Obafemi Awolowo envisioned education for all in the old Western Region, it was not just about looking for money alone. It stemmed from genuine passion and sincerity of purpose.
It is also noteworthy that there is paucity of funds in the ward levels. For all intents and purposes, this needs to be addressed and fast. Once this is done, it will provide adequate funding for new and existing projects.
Let’s look back at the days we were growing up. How did we go to school? It was because there was sincerity of purpose on the part our parents. Our parents wanted us to go to school and they did everything to make sure we did. They did not have to steal.
Everybody who comes to politics makes promises during campaigns but nothing gets done once they are voted into office.
At the beginning of this year, no one saw the high prizes of commodities coming but it did. As concerned citizens, one of our priorities thereafter, was to produce food items in large quantities for vulnerable Nigerians while empowering tailors
How did we do that? We designed a project that solved a problem and created jobs at the same time. Knowing full well that we didn’t have all the money, we assembled volunteers to support us.
All I did was to come up a good cause and people supported me. At the end of the day, we did not just hand over money to people, we solved a problem by getting them employed.
As a councillor and with the limited funds at my disposal, I will creatively solve problems while creating empowerment opportunities and prioritising the welfare of the vulnerable in the society.
Are you aware of other aspirants in the APC?
There is a popular saying that ‘when the required is not available, the available becomes the required.’ This simply means that, it is those who are available that will be picked to occupy public offices. People like us have seen it all professionally; therefore, we are not afraid to come out and serve the populace. As it stands, we need to have more quality people aspiring for elective positions.
This also goes to show that it is level playing ground for all and at the end, the best candidate will emerge.
