Sola Osolana is aspiring to represent Agege Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In this exclusive interview with Thegazellenews.com’s crew, he speaks extensively on his aspiration, reasons he contesting and other matters.
You are aspiring to represent Agege Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, what informed the decision?
If you look at Agege, it lacks development compare to most of the local governments in Lagos state despite huge resources coming into the Federal Constituency.
If you go round, forget about what you see on the roads, go inside the streets, you will know that the people are really suffering. If you go into the markets, do your surveys, interview people, you will see that Agege is in bondage. I think it’s time we do something about it. The love of Agege, not just for the benefits of people like us, but for the benefits of the people, the downtrodden, the children, millions of unemployed youths in Agege. I believe with sincere representation, though one cannot solve all the problems, we can and will make positive impact.
You contested the last local government election, and your performance was impressive, why did you decide to change from aspiring to be an executive chairman to law-making at the Federal level?
Actually, I won the election, but was denied victory because it was a state-organised election. If I, an individual, can face the rulling party, with all its big politicians in the local government and record such result in a state organised election, then imagined the result in a free and fair election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The result of the local government election has shown that the people have lost hope in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agege Federal Constituency.
Now, it is not about contesting as a legislator or an executive member, it is all about being in a position of influence to be able to engender positive development in the society. So wherever you find yourself, either as a legislator or an executive member, the most important thing is your people: do they enjoy and see visibly that you are representing them very well, and bringing development into the community.
For me, that’s the most important reason for being in politics, impacting positively on the people, the office I found myself is immaterial.
You are contesting on the platform of the PDP, and the APC is the ruling party, how do you intend to defeat APC?
I would have been surprise if you did not ask that question, because I have been expecting it. Firstly, look at the result of the local government election that was conducted by the state, and despite that there were lots of election malpractices and rigging, I did very well.
The election to be conducted by INEC offer more hope and with the Presidential and National Assembly coming first in that order, I stand a better chance.
Another factor for me now is the interest of the people. The awareness is now high among our people. If you go to INEC offices now, there are lots of people who want to get their PVCs. Why do you think so? It’s because they want to effect change. And we have done our survey in Agege, and Agege residents want change, and they are ready to vote. I can say it now, by the time the election is over, the number of people that will cast their votes in Agege will be more than the previous elections. That’s how we have been able to galvanize them and they are determined now, because of the suffering and the oppressive government that we have in Agege.
For the past 20 years, it has always been the same set of people representing us. People really want change. We have held consultations with market women, youths, graduates, and they realized that if those people don’t go, nothing will change in Agege, Agege is still going to remain backward. We are definitely going to win this election.
Talking about improving the lives of the people, what are the major programmes you have in place for this?
Before Agege is known for talents in sports, and in education. When I was in school, there used to be literary and debating events which improved public speaking ability of students, but sadly there is nothing of such again.
First of all, you need to engage the youths, how do you engage them now in meaningful activities which will develop them mentally, physically and academically. Most of the land that we have in Agege that could have been used to build sport centers for the youths to engage in sports and other meaningful activities have been sold. So, at the end of the day, the youths are not doing anything meaningful and rewarding. It is not their fault, because the leadership are not creating it for them. Tell me one company or establishment in Agege meant for youth employment.
When I was campaigning for the local government chairmanship position, I told them that we can have farms, it might not be in Agege but for Agege and its Youths, we can have processing factories in Agege, which will give employment to Agege youths. It’s not one solution for all the youths, there are going to be evaluation based on their knowledge, orientation and academic qualifications. That’s where we know what we are going to do.
Giving out N10,000 every month as being done by the present government, is not going to solve the problem, they will just spend the money and they are back on the streets. What we need to do is to create something that is sustainable; of course there will be some lazy ones, which is normal. But majority can do something if given the enablement and environment to do it.
What about non-interest micro-loan for the trades, depending on what you are trading on, some can be as low as N50,000 and some can be as higher as N1 Million, so that evaluation will be done.
Then, they have turned CDAs and CDCs to political groups now, which is not supposed to be. In those days, it is the landlords and tenants that form the associations for the proper development of the communities not for political reasons. That’s why there is no development in CDAs now, because they have turned to political parties. Right now, if you are not APC, you cannot become CDA chairman. That’s why people that can develop the CDA, once they are not in APC, they just sit down and not get involved. So, I intend to annex the power of the CDAs, because they are the closest to the grassroots.
On sports, we will go for talent hunting among youths through various competitions: singing, dancing and so many things to engage them. Now we can now use our influence to implore private companies in Agege to employ our graduates.
So many other programmes we intend particularly in the area of security where we intend to engage people and pay them twice a month to provide pseudo-security for the communities.
As a Rep member, you will be based in Abuja, what are you going to put in place to ensure that there will be no communication gap between you and your constituents?
Good question, first of all, I don’t plan to go and sit in Abuja, probably go to Abuja on Monday, and by the weekend, I will be back in my constituency. Then there will be quarterly town hall meetings to know areas that need urgent attention, so there will not be any communication gap. Don’t forget that I said that delegation is very important; I am going to engage people from different wards, CDAs, Landlords, youths, that will be providing information on what’s going on around them.
However, if we want to do anything meaningful, it’s going to be through collective efforts. I was born in Agege, I had my primary and secondary education here in Agege. What is the different between Agege and Ogba that people prefer to put their shops in Ogba, and not Agege. Can’t we have high-street which can be the hub where people gather here in Agege? Look at the Abiola market, it’s almost dead. In fact, I am sure the government of the day is looking from how to take the land from them, because they just took one on Akilo road, throwing those people into mourning. If you claim the place is not conducive for trading, then it’s not also conducive for recreation park as being planned by government. Is it not people who will come to buy materials that will also come for recreation?
What inspire you to go into politics?
Actually, I don’t even like politics, because it’s not always a straightforward game. But when you have the love of your community, when you have compassion, all the money I have been spending on politics for many years, it’s not because I want any money in return, it is just because we cannot just sit down and continue to watch things deteriorate. They say that when you don’t get involved, fools will rule you. The fools will rule the wise that don’t want to get involved. So, bad people will rule us, and that’s one of the reasons. We cannot allow fools to continue to be ruling us. It’s a self-motivation for me, saying let me try. I want to make a different. I want them to look back four years after I am elected that have they not been having representatives before? And it is possible because I have nothing absolutely to consume for myself. Like I told them that any resources coming, we will come to a committee that will be established and do things for the local government, that’s my plan.
Sir, Having spoken on security, Agege is very dirty, despite drainages, there are still junks on the roads and the environment, what are your plans to eradicate that?
Firstly, when you see those drainages, what you find there are plastics, which is actually money. In UK for example, they recycle plastics and turned waste nylon into money.
What they do is to give residents very small nylon to drop their waste plastic. A set of people has been mandated to take away the waste plastic for recycling.
We will work to improve on our waste to wealth programme.
What is your message to Agege people?
This is just the beginning, I am happy with the turnout of those who want to get their PVCs now. In fact at a point last month, Agege’s slot was filled up, INEC closed their portal because they are filled up. They have resumed again, and the place is filled up again. I am saying that they should not relent because we only have one registration center.
You know Nigerians are not always patient, they get there if there is so many queue, and because we are not orderly, they will say let me just go. They should just endure. That sacrifice to wait and register to vote, is the only way things can change. We have to stop saying there is nothing we can do, only God can save us.
