The name Akeem Amao is synonymous with water projects in Kwara and beyond. A Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, the Oyun born politician and UK entrepreneur in this interview with newsmen, spoke about his foray into the murky waters of politics, passion for humanity, philanthropic works and the forthcoming Kwara Local Government election among other issues. ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM was there. Excerpts:
What informed your going into politics?
Politics is something I am passionate about and after speaking against how we run it in Nigeria in several forum, it got to a stage when I realised that one must participate to have a say. I love Nigeria, I love Kwara and I love Oyun LGA. How do I make direct impact and be answerable? Whatever anyone wants to be in life, being a political illiterate is the worst thing that can happen to a man. I thought deeply about it and made up my mind that we cannot fold our hands and continue to watch things go bad. I believe if I am successful in business and as a private citizen, I will also do well in politics. More so, I have always been a philanthropist and I’ve been there for my people. While doing that, my people clamoured for me to come into politics and who am I to turn them down?
What is your view of godfatherism in politics, do you think it can affect your performance if you have one?
I am very sincere about the role I want to play in politics. Let me say that; in my opinion, it is not bad to have a godfather. You can have a godfather, you can have a mentor and it depends on the role they are playing in your life. Political godfatherism is not alien even to western world politics. Some people through their title or role become popular in a community and therefore, will determine who gets what in such jurisdiction. This will naturally subject anyone seeking for anything in that area to their authority. That does not stop a visionary person to deliver. Considering the fact that making sure you deliver will make you and the godfather more relevant. I will not appreciate a godfather that does not believe in performance but celebrates mediocrity. I would want a godfather that pulls someone that has what it takes. For me, while I was going into politics I have vowed to serve not to be served. I have promised myself to make not to mar people. I equally pledged to put the people first and respect their input in policies. These were the ideologies I saw in Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki which lured me to join his camp after my sojourn in CPC before the merger of 2014 that gave birth to the APC.
In essence, service to humanity is paramount to you than the luxury of office in politics?
Yes, I have always been this way and even hard on myself. I have a ‘theme’ on my political journey which is “selfless service”. This is the route I have chosen to ply. Before I ventured into politics, I did a lot. I have always been a philanthropist. The records are there in the hospitals where I had gone to pay bills, rural communities where I supported them in several areas of human endeavours and educational support scheme and sport upliftment to oil the wheel of unity among my people among others. I am from Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State which is an agrarian area. I noticed that there was need to bring these communities together and came up with the idea of a football competition “Amao Unity Cup” coming up soon. I can’t be counting my community impact on the pages of social or print media, I just thank God almighty for using me to uplift some people and better their lots.
What is the propelling force behind your Chairmanship aspirations?
If you are asking why I am contesting for local government chairman, I would say the love of my people lured me into it. Although, I have not officially declare my intentions of contesting but an extensive consultations have been ongoing on the project. I appreciate the advise and concern from well-wishers and mentors who are worried and hasten to see the aspiration come to a reality. Running for this office is not for name making. I’m far above that in politics now. We need to take our destiny into our own hands for the sake of our state, for the sake of our children, and the less privileged in our society. My focus in politics will be to ensure that institutions work and people can benefit from government services irrespective of class or social status. I want to help create policies that will help diversify our economy with a renewed focus on tourism, manufacturing and youth empowerment. Copies of my manifesto will be out soon. I encourage all young people to follow my cue and take an active role in partisan politics. This is our time. The time is now. Recall that in times past I have actively been involved in grassroots development, rural capacity development, humanitarian services, and philanthropy especially in my country home. This is a project where the narratives will be changed in totality.
After aspiring for governorship in CPC, isn’t it belittling to contest for local government chairman now?
(Smile)… this is where people get it wrong! My aspiration is hinged on identifying the need of the people and trying to find a solution to that need in my own capacity. It is true that I was a front-runner in CPC vying for governorship at a time but that is not to say I couldn’t vie for councillorship. It is only in Nigeria we attached importance to some offices while making some unattractive. I believe it sounds ridiculous to you that’s why the question came up. It should not be like that when we truly mean to serve. Public service should not be about class or level. I have stayed in United Kingdom for over a decade, the idea of taking one office as lower to a status when it comes to service means personal aggrandizement not service. Anyone who truly wishes to serve must not think of that. If the people need you in a capacity to deliver, yield to their call if you truly love them. Don’t forget I was a Senior Legislative Aide to the immediate past Senate President after running for governorship. That is to tell you the kind of politics I’m playing. I don’t attach importance to the office but any avenue to serve my people will surely be welcomed by me. Even in the cause of our consultations, I was able to identify some communities that had issues with portable water. Water project is one area where I become a house hold name in Kwara. What was obtainable during the ABS Water Intervention Initiatives which I chaired shall be revisited and scattered across the eleven electoral wards of Oyun LGA. This will commence in no distant time, as we are collating list of all dysfunctional boreholes in Oyun Local Government already. People said to me that things are not done the way I was doing it. I am supposed to get my ticket first before laying hands on these projects but I believe that there is a blessing in giving someone a cup of water. What is money before our creator? I hate counting my achievements by number of houses or cars I own. Rather, number of lives I’m able to touch positively. I derive more pleasure in supporting, uplifting the people and helping the needy.
But your party, the PDP has said it has no plans to conduct primaries yet?
How does that affect my programmes and beneficial projects for the common man? With due respect to the office of the party chairman, I am not bothered by the press release. It doesn’t affect my projects or aspiration. The party said it national leadership and the State Executive Committee have not released any guidelines for the conduct of primaries for the envisaged local government council elections in Kwara. I am a party man to the core and I know how the party machinery works. The communique has nothing to do with our consultations. It’s just a measure to curb those who are misleading the public by claiming to have been anointed, selected or elected as the party’s flagbearer in the coming council election.
On my part, I have no problem with the statement. In fact, it is a welcome measure to avoid party crisis.
Why do you think you are the best candidate for the Oyun job?
Only Allah is the most perfect and most sufficient. I am confident in the support and the wider acceptability that I’ve been enjoying from the people of my local government. My aspiration is based on popular demand. All you see me doing is in tandem with the clarion call by my people. They know me, they know my capability and they know my character. They want the best kind of leadership at grassroots. They need someone who can change the narratives without fear or favour and they opted for me. Here I am, I have offered myself for the leadership task. I hope the party leadership will also respect the wishes of the majority by giving my candidature a nod.
You were a Senior Legislative Aide to the former Senate President, what is your relationship with him?
Fantastic question! I served Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and I never regret that share of my life. Till tomorrow, I remain a loyal Aide of His Excellency. Over the years I have met and work with several people, I must confess Dr Bukola Saraki is “one man too many”. He is my leader and boss, in whom I am proud! Working with ABS gave me the clue to what the man Saraki is endowed with. The man is just too fantastic for me to describe. His leadership is awesome. His guidance and directives are brilliant. His administrative techniques are the sweetest I’ve ever seen. His contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s democracy were significant and enduring. As a prominent political figure in Nigeria, he served the nation with dedication, passion and concern for the common man. In the National Assembly, where he was the Senate President from 2015 to 2019, he was more than one man in that chamber. He provided leadership. He was a stabilising figure. He worked hard and tirelessly to make Nigeria a better place and cared for all Nigerians. He was vivacious, didactic, ebullient, engaging, witty, and more. These are befitting epigram for the extraordinarily energetic Senator Bukola Saraki. Beyond office, we shared a father and son relationship. He saw the passion in me and he availed me with the opportunity to serve the people through his good office. Dr Saraki is highly intelligent and visionary. I can say without exaggeration that, in this generation of ours, Dr Saraki is one in a million. I’ll forever be indebted to him for the opportunity of service as I look up to more of his guidance, support and encouragement.
Do you have his support on this project?
Please, leave the leader out of this. I would not want his name dragged into this at all. He’s a national leader of the party, this is local politics. Although, every politics is local as they say but I don’t think anyone in his right senses will come out to drag my oga’s name into the envisaged local government election in Kwara. I know it would be his joy seeing his party coming out victorious at the polls both at state and national level. Notwithstanding, his name should be preserved. If we cannot do this successfully without dragging him into it, then we are not making him proud.
How would you rate the APC led administration in Kwara so far and what are your expectations?
Fresh administration like this always claim work in progress, while I call it cluelessness. Taking over from an opposition party is not always easy because the parties usually don’t have the same agenda. The first year already gone, however, my study about the administration is that, the party neither prepare to win nor to rule in Kwara. Their winning to us in PDP, was a shock, and to them, it was a fluke, no doubt! That’s why you see them parading cheap programmes and policies. The patronage they enjoyed at initial stage as you can see has dropped drastically. The expectations were on the high side at the inception but the electorates are now hitting the disappointment button.
Are you desperate to clinch the chairmanship ticket, what happens if you don’t win?
Let me set the record straight. I’m an optimist not a pessimist. I hope and pray to win not to lose. I am going to work very hard to ensure victory beckons. However, I am not a desperate politician. Serving the people must not be a do-or-die affair. If we win, to God be the glory and if otherwise, same as well. But we pray to win to bring forth our vision for a new Oyun.
