You are one of the young and
promising architects who’re doing well, what do you need politics for giving
the danger inherent in it?
Well I am not just delving into politics;
I have been in politics for a few years now though I am officially running for
an office now. I remember I started politics like fifteen years ago when I was
in Yaba College of Technology when I was the President of Archi Students
Association. We didn’t have student Union Government so we the head of
departments formed the Student Union Government’s (SUG) board of directors
where I was very active. It’s since then that I have picked interest in politics.
A lot of people believed that the
current state of the Nation has a lot to do with the negative impact of Nigeria
politicians regardless of the level, how would you correct that impression if
you are given the chance?
By the Grace of God we are going
to demystify the office, people like us that are coming into the practice from
private sectors are coming into the public sector to make that positive change
that is required. And for you to be able to do that you need to be accessible
to the people so as to listen to their opinions and do their wishes and that is
one thing we are coming out to do when we get to the office in 2015 by the
Grace of God. There has always been this clamour in my state that people like
us should come out for political offices so we can change the equation of
things and thanks to my party, All Progressives Congress (APC) for given us all
level playing ground so the contestants that the masses want to represent them
from Chancellorship to the Senate can come out to serve according to the wills
of the people.
This explains why you need to
clear the air on the allegation trailing the party just like other parties that
aspirants without god fathers might be wasting their time and money?
I have a god father too and my
god father is the God father of all, He is the Almighty God and when God is the
God father of all, nobody can stop me. If it is me it is me with all due
respect to our leaders. That is not to say am against the idea of having a god
father in terms of advice because they are more experienced than we the
aspiring ones but now the truth of the matter is, everybody is on ground to
make sure the party retains their seats, the popular candidates and the
candidates who can change things for the better win the primaries. What I am
trying to say is, yes we might have elders giving us advice and directions in
our party but when it comes to the preferred candidates, people are the
ultimate so they don’t impose.
Let’s have a quick peep into your manifesto,
let’s say you are addressing the youths, as a representative of your constituency?
We have a-five-cardinal point, not only for the youths;
one on our programmes is woman empowerment. We have 22 wards in my constituency
(Ori Ade Obokun) Federal Constituency of Osun State. We intend taking at least
three women from each of the wards and empower them. As for the Youths, their
empowerment programmes have already commenced even before the election. We are
creating a data bank for the Youths who are graduates but still job hunting.
The data base is ongoing in my constituency as we speak and the essence is for
us to have an idea of where and how to attend to them. We are relying on this
data like they do in the private sector and by and large what we will be doing
with them is to use our goodwill to get them jobs, open doors for them with the
little contacts I have like the Minister for finance, Minister for Science and
Technology, and few more that I know pleading with them to employ our youths
whenever there is vacancy regardless of their numbers within the first two
years. Also for the artisans, we’ll be training and get them tools to use. It
will also interest you to know that we ran adverts on the radio for people to
pick up forms for Adire training in Ijebu Ijesha and Obokun courtesy of Arc.
Tunde Ojo and we recently concluded the training where over two hundred people
benefitted from. Before now we also did career development talk for over two
thousand youths and that is part of the empowerment we are talking about. We
also intend attracting private investors to our constituency. Thank God am
coming from that sector, it won’t be difficult to convince my friends in the
sector to associate with us. We also want to be an eye of the Governor in that
constituency because the governor cannot see everything, that’s the truth but
people like us who are his foot soldiers will be able to give him feedback on
the people’s needs.
How do you intend juggling your
hospitality business, Architectural firm with politics if you eventually won
which will be by God’s grace?
Presently we have a group, Archi
Consult and hospitality is also under it. Before now I have MDs on all those
companies, am just the chairman and what that means is, I will just
relinquished the Chairmanship to be a non Executive director for the few years
I will be in politics. But by the grace of God I might not come back to those
companies because I want the companies to grow and be independent on their own.
How about your family?
Yeah am happily married to the
most understanding woman in the world and we are both blessed with two kids. I
love them so much and won’t take their understanding for granted. I will always
create time for them no matter how busy I am.
I wish you the very best in your
ambition sir
Thanks Faith for your time.
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