In this interview with HEAD POLITICS, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, House Leader, Kwara Assembly, Hon Hassan Oyeleke speaks on his decision to contest for the House of Representatives ticket for Offa/Oyun/Ifelodun federal constituency among other sundry issues. Excerpts:
Why do you want to take it a step higher after your sojourn in the House of Assembly?
First, I will say I am a party man and whatever the party decided, I will abide by it. However, I think I have relevant and quality experience to represent the federal constituency taking into consideration my pedigree. I have been a former student union leader, a councillor at the age of 25 in then Oyun Local Government which incorporated Offa and the youngest chairman of Offa council when it was created in 1991. I have been elected about 6 times in Offa, including my two tenures in the House of Assembly. I am familiar with all the towns in Oyun, Offa and Ifelodun and have coordinated for senatorial and governorship aspirants. This is my thirty-one years in active politics after my councillorship election in 1987. So all these years have enriched me to understand their pains and problems and therefore put me in a position to represent them better as an insider to some of the problems who also know how to solve them like the Offa/Erinle crisis and boundary issue.
You are going there as a first timer to challenge a ranking lawmaker, don’t you feel this is a disadvantage?
There are so many indices that determine quality and with due respect to those who are there, you are going to sweat to have somebody whose antecedents, attainment can surpass my own with what I have put down. I have been elected severally in offa and i have seen the other side of politics been in the opposition for over 27 years, that has made me a very critical person to understand in record time what people want, the faults lines in government policies and to address it.
Why are you contesting with another Offa man, in terms of the zoning arrangement?
Offa was meant to have two terms from inception and democracy allows even family members to vie in a very civilised and non rancorous atmosphere. I was part of the decision that benefitted the incumbent. My contest is not because of lack of confidence in the other person(s). But I am flaunting the quality I have and begging to be considered. I am not the best in Offa because we have many better than me who are not even contesting. As a Muslim, I believe everything depends on destiny.
What have you done in previous positions you have served that you think should make your people to push you higher?
Consciously, anytime I occupy position, I ensure I give it my best. As a councillor, I opened up many roads in my constituency and provided improved amenities. We give our ward a cosmopolitan status and provided recreation centres, VIP toilets and health centres. As a council chairman, it was really monumental; I constructed eight roads with street lights and was awarded the best council chairman by then Governor Shaaba Lafiagi as an opposition in the NRC. I renewed Owode market and imitated bursary. We introduce study leave with payment for teachers who are furthering their studies and recognised other chiefs for upgrading. We also built a stadium and demystified the chairman position. We addressed the issue of flooding with culverts and gutters everywhere even if they roads were not tarred. In a year and three months, I built six health centres and was in a hurry to perform at the age of twenty seven. I am a community man and the people know that I will never betray the community. As a second term honourable member, despite the scarcity of fund, we have gotten two roads tarred, Anilelerin and Alubata and several other interventions that includes boreholes and over sixty employments at state and federal levels amidst several community contributions. Presently, I have five hundred and three (503) persons. 109 in primary schools, 305 in secondary and 21 in higher institutions that are officially registered with me and I pay their school fees. And this is going to be a continuum whether I am alive or not.
Offa is usually regarded as opposition council in the state, how has this affected the local government?
Among the sixteen local governments, Offa appears the only one not on the same page with the rest and we have been at a disadvantage for too long over the issue. In opposition, all the beautiful motions our two lawmakers brought to the House then just died naturally because we are in the opposing. We cannot on our own be able to produce governor, House of Representatives and Senate because we need others. Opposition only pays the leaders including us. Today when we intervene, the authority listens and it has paid off. It is suicidal for a community to be in opposition in a developing country. If we didn’t defect, what can me and Saheed Popoola do than to short-change the community.
What will be the blueprint you intend to pursue if you get the ticket?
I have seven things in my mind which include to foster peaceful community relationship that will make the constituency business and sport hubs. I will place strong emphasis on education and training of brilliant but indigent students from all the wards across primary, secondary and higher institution level which will not be limited to party alone. On employment, I intend to appoint a Personal Assistant (PA) to supervise the whole process of how we intend to handle this issue to ensure equity and fairness and even distribution.
