Hon. Abiodun Awoleye is the lawmaker representing Ibadan North federal constituency in the National Assembly.
The second-term NASS member, on Democracy Day, Monday 29, featured on the monthly breakfast media chat of the South West Group of Online Publishers (SWEGOP) and said he is the best candidate to take over from Governor Ajmobi, stressing that many of those coming out are pretenders. He shared his views with journalists shortly after Ajumobi made his views on his successors known to the people through an interaction with journalists broadcast in the state radio and television on Monday to mark Democracy Day:
Ajimobi said: “About 34 people want to become the next governor of the state but not all are qualified to be there. We have been able to raise the standard of governance in the state.
“I want a leader who has the courage to take decisions to succeed me. Oyo State needs an intellectual who is not afraid to take decisions. That is the kind of person I am looking for. I have seen about five people with such potential already. It is too early to start discussing this but by May 2018, I will know my successor.”
Rotimi Agboluaje covered the event.
The lawmaker started the chat with his achievements, having served at the Oyo State House of Assembly and now at the House of Representatives. He said he had provided a lot of amenities to his constituents and moved motions and sponsored bills that have far-reaching effects on the polity and economy.
He said the bills he had sponsored include the National Population Commission(NPC) Act, the amendment of the 1999 Constitution for the establishment of state/community policing which has scaled through second reading.
On the National Assembly members’ Jumbo Pay, Awoleye said: “All over the world, presidential system of government is very expensive. The leadership approves what comes to us. Some allowances have to be given, paid directly to my aides, buy newspapers, for entertainment and other things. By the time you put them together, people will say you earn so much.
“But what goes to some appointive officers such as minister is far more than what we get.
“You don’t expect me to go for oversight functions with my car. The money was approved because it would facilitate our work”
He pointed out that nobody is talking about the judiciary, which enjoys similar benefits approved by NASS approved to avoid them from being compromised as a result of paucity of funds.
On his 2019 ambition, the federal lawmaker declared that it was time for him to heed the renewed calls of his people.
“They have seen the commitment in me, my projects dot everywhere. People said let us give you this higher opportunity because of my track records”, he told journalists.
Continuing, Awoleye said: “The motto of my ambition is :’Itesiwaju Oyo se pataki’, we must continue to live up to the sobriquet of pace setter state. Oyo must continue to provide leadership in term of development.
“Quality education, quality healthcare with provision of mobile clinics, agriculture and vocational training will be my focus”.
Declaring that self-employment and reliance would be the plank of his administration, he said:” Only youths that has something to do with agriculture will continue to get jobs”.
He stressed that Ajimobi would unprecedentedly hand over to him in 2019.
On the Unique Selling Points (USP) that stands him out, he pointed to his connection to the grassroots and local politics, wide acceptability and party loyalty, saying that none of the aspirants is at par with him in those area.
“How many of them know the ideology of the party?”, he queried while pointing out that they are just cashing in on the fact that APC is the ruling party.
“We don’t know their antecedents and we can’t actually trust them. Many of them are coming from Abuja, from abroad. I can tell you with my good knowledge of legislature/executive relationship and experience I am the best candidate for the job. I’m not afraid, many of them are touting my ‘Oga”s name (Ajimobi) but I know he won’t support anybody but he will be a father to all. Let the field be opened”, he said.
On the agitation for power shift to Oke-Ogun, he said there is nothing like rotation on the Constitution, stressing that anybody is qualified can contest.
Awoleye said, “That is where I’m getting more supports. Anywhere you come from people will look at your qualities and antecedents.
My government will provide equally for all local councils in the state.
Unless we are able to do that, we will be paying a lip service to diversification. The most important thing is providing development for all in the state.”
He promised to develop the tourism sector, saying it is the source of the United Kingdom’s economy. And “we have more tourist sites than the UK”, he said
On the assessment of the Ajimobi-led government, he opined that the governor has performed fairly well, far better than all former governors of the state especially in the first term.
He however pointed out that paucity of funds has become a challenge and added that government still needs to do more in terms of internally generated revenue.
On the national economy, he said the federal government is trying hard to provide jobs, encourage private sector and provide an enabling environment for private operators to employ more people.
