Ustaz Rasaq Lawal was a former Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters as well Special Duties Commissioner between 1999-2003 in Kwara state. Of late, Lawal was the state secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency. In this interview with NATIONAL PILOT, he says he’s in the race to offer his people qualitative representation at the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
What motivated you to join the House of Representatives race?
Anyone who wants to serve must have the fear of God and human feelings. These are the two cardinal principles that have been guiding me all through my private and public service. Being in the National Assembly will, to my mind, offer me an opportunity to continue to demonstrate my commitment to these principles at a higher level. Service is an opportunity that I cannot let pass so when the opening for this ticket came and the political structure indicated interest in my picking it up, I felt it is a golden chance to continue from where the Almighty has helped me in the past.
If elected what are your programmes for your constituents?
I promise to give quality representation. Don’t forget the job of a legislator is not really to provide infrastructure but to use his legislative platform to facilitate such infrastructure to his constituency. So my priority will be to ensure that anywhere and at anytime I stand to speak, the needs of my constituency will be the guiding whispers behind my voice. I will not go and be a bench warmer; I will integrate myself with the other honourables and together see how we can make lives better for our respective constituencies by way of legislation. But that does not mean I will not undertake empowerment programmes for my people. Already that has been part of our activities, youth empowerment through job creation and placement as well as taking care of our women. That is one good thing about the Saraki political philosophy which we have all imbibed. You must give back to your people, you are not in politics for your own sake but for their betterment. So we won’t forget that.
As a former SA, Political and Legislative Matters, former commissioner for special duties, how were you able to impact on the lives of people then?
Thank you very much. Those who knew would recall that one of my major schedules in those days was to oversee the poverty alleviation programme of the government then. It was a major platform through which we were able to impact the lives of thousands of Kwarans through financial empowerment, provision of vehicles for commercial use, etc. It was also the time we ensured that virtually all capital projects were done by local contractors. We mobilised local contractors and they in turn patronised local suppliers of goods and materials so it brought a boom to the local economy.
You are contesting under the PDP, what are the chances of your party winning the coming general elections in the state?
Apart from the propaganda, I don’t see the other party winning anything in this state. The PDP is solidly on ground in Kwara and this is no exaggeration. We have been on ground for years and we have been constantly in touch with the people; we relate with them; we associate with them all through the seasons of life, unlike those seasonal politicians who only come few months to election to make noise. If you have followed our campaign trains across the state, you will notice that we have been well received everywhere we go. We have secured the support of our traditional rulers, labour unions, artisans etc so who else is left, to stand with the other party? We have a significant advantage in that we have a solid structure with a well defined leadership that has not only proved to be indomitable but is clearly far ahead of others in strategy, commitment and communication. More so the opposition party is coming into the election with a divided house. It’s a pity that after the primary, things have fallen apart for the opposition and the centre can no longer hold. You can’t win a battle when majority of your combatants are totally disenchanted and feeling cheated, unwanted and short changed.
