//-INTERVIEW WITH HON. MONSURU ASAMU OLABODE-//

With every humility, Hon. Monsuru Asamu Olabode Ola aka MAO welcomes everybody to his ever busy office. It is glaring and with his desire to work, all activities of the Executive Chairman of Igando-Ikotun are geared towards taking the Local Council Development Area to another level of development. Though operating a very busy schedule ranging from holding executive meetings, treating of mails and letters, monitoring and supervising projects at different sites and locations, attending to issues of politics and so on, the amiable chairman still finds time to attend to The View Magazine during which political issues, good governance, state and national issues were discussed. It is an exclusive and all encompassing interview with Peter Ajayi, Publisher, Chidi Ofoegbu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Chuks Abraham, a reporter of the Magazine. Excerpts.

Question: As Executive Chairman of Igando Ikotun Local Government, how has it been occupying this office since you were sworn in on the 30th of October, 2008?

Answer: I am happy serving my people. It is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I feel happy being chairman of the council. It is an opportunity to help more people. I am now reaching out to more people than what I used to do, when I was not chairman.

Question: The country just celebrated her 10 years of uninterrupted democracy. While some people rolled out drums, some were in mournful mood. What do you have to say about the celebration?

Answer: The two parties have reasons for their actions. Those who were rolling out drums were perhaps those who feel there is relative peace in the country and while those who were in mournful mood were those who feel democratic principles and norms are not followed in the country.

Question: The recent directive by President Musa Yar’ádua to Lagos State Government to revert to the constitutionally recognised 20 Local Government Areas has been generating controversies? How would you react to this?

Answer: It is an issue that has been settled in the Supreme Court. The President should rather tell members of National Assembly to play their own role in the process or seeking redress in the court instead of distracting attention of our action Governor. Aside taking development closer to the grass root, it is also about job creation. We now have 57 chairmen, 57 Vice Chairmen, 57 Council Managers, 57 Auditors, 57 Medical Health Officers, 57 SLGs, 57 information officers, 364 councillors and so many other people working at these council areas. I advice the President to concentrate on power generation, construction of roads to avoid accidents on our roads, worsening medical situation, economic meltdown, hunger, poverty, slum and his seven point agenda which are still in abstract.

Question: Giving the achievements of Governor Fashola which can be seen everywhere in the metropolitan city, as Chairman of a Local Council Development Area, what are you doing to compliment his efforts in your area and in concrete term, what have you achieved?

Answer: We are complementing efforts of the Governor in all ramifications. As a matter of fact, we are doing almost everything he is doing at the state level, but in a very little way. We take infrastructural development very seriously. We are constructing three new roads out of which one of them is completed already. We are rehabilitating our roads, we are constructing additional one block of six classrooms in six primary schools, there is rehabilitation of old structures and construction of health centres, we are constructing libraries, construction of vocational centre is going on, donation of benches to our schools, purchase of vehicles for executives and councillors, donation of 150,000 note books to schools, free extra moral classes, purchase of GCE and UME forms for students, purchase of 10 units of 500 KV Transformers and a lot of developmental projects going on everywhere in the council. The council is about to construct another health centre in Isheri Osun in conjunction with state and federal governments.

Question: As Chairman of Igando Ikotun Local Council Development Area, what are you doing to improve the general well being of your people and more importantly in the area of health?

Answer: Everything that will improve the general well being of my people is very important to my administration. In term of health, we are not leaving any stone unturned. We are rehabilitating all our centres. At the moment, the council is constructing another health centre. While trying as much as possible to equip the centres with necessary medications, we are also encouraging our people to visit the centres for adequate treatment through awareness programs. We are also working with an international organization to bring medical practitioners to the council for voluntary health care delivery.

Question: As you are aware, Governor Fashola gives account of his stewardship every 100 days, how do you see this action and do you subscribe to this?

Answer: It is a good idea. I subscribe to it. This is happening for the very first time in the history of the country. The Governor is giving account of his stewardship because he is working and has a lot of things to show for it. No PDP Governor can take such step. What are they going to tell the electorates? They will probably be telling them about bad roads, epileptic power supply, and strike action by the universities and so on.

Question: What were the failures of your predecessor and the legacies you are planning to leave behind as one of the chairmen of Igando Ikotun Local Council Development Area?

Answer: I do not discuss failures of my predecessors. As a matter of fact, the administration has passed, so it is better to focus on my tenure. When it comes to the legacy I plan to leave behind, I like my people to remember me as someone that promises and delivers on his promises.

Question: What do you have to say about the issue of alleged imposition in the Action Congress?

Answer: Action Congress is a party of honour and integrity. It does not impose candidates. In my council, we went through party primaries before the general elections when I eventually emerged winner. Same process was followed in other areas of the state.

Question: There is a popular saying that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. Don’t you think that those local councils that were created by the state government are prone to the whims and caprices of Lagos State Government?

Answer: All our local governments and council development areas were created by the state government. There cannot be local governments without state government, and there cannot be the later without federal government. There must be inter-relationship between the tiers of government. This relationship has brought good governance, true democracy and development which you can see everywhere in Lagos state.

Question: What are the mechanisms that you have specifically put in place to curb corruption, to be specific, financial misappropriation in your local council?

Answer: it is my usual practice to preach against corruption at all executive meetings. Same message have been sent in form of circular to all departments. Another step taken to curb corruption is to direct all cash payments through any of our banks. Nobody handles cash in the council again.

Question: On the question of service delivery, what are the projects or programs that your local government has instituted successfully which have won the confidence and trust of your community people?

Answer: All our successful programs have enabled us win the confidence of our people. We are implementing our programs drawn before I became Chairman of the council. What we did was to study and identify what the council needed most. We are successfully doing that, it is obvious; the community has never had a better opportunity.

Question: What structures have you put in place to check possible administrative blunders?

Answer: we follow due process here. We respect the constitution. As chairman, I know what I can do and what I cannot do. Everybody knows what the constitution says about his or her responsibilities. As Chairman, I do not have the power to do what the Secretary to the Local Council will do, the council manager is there, councillors are there, and we have council treasurer and others. They all know their duties. Any attempt for me to jump the process is tantamount to committing administrative blunder. I know this very well, and things are working well for me because I allow the constitution to guide me in all aspects.

Question: Going by the ten (10) point agenda of Governor Raji Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State which includes: Road and Transportation, Power and Water Supply, Environment/Physical Planning, Shelter, Health, Education, Food Security, Employment, Revenue Enhancement and Security. Having spent more than two years in office, how would you rate him based on his achievements so far?

Answer: It is excellent. His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Executive Governor of Lagos State has performed excellently well. He is the best Governor right now. The news is everywhere and his laudable achievements are glaring. He is a blessing to the human race. I am calling on other Governors in the country to come and learn from him.

Question: In the same vein, how would you rate President Musa Yar’adua based on his achievements on his well publicized seven (7) point agenda which includes Education, Land Reforms, Transportation, Security, Wealth Creation, Power and Energy and Food Security?

Answer: I don’t want to comment on that.

Question: How do you see democracy in Nigeria and what advice do you have for your people and Nigerians at large?

Answer: Democracy is the best form of government everywhere in the world, Nigeria cannot be an exemption. The system is best practised by those who understand democratic norms, principles and more importantly those who are ready to apply it. These are still missing in the country. The ruling party at the centre should look inward and practice genuine and true democracy for the benefit of the nation. Their usual believe of rigging to win power is counterproductive. Experience has shown that Nigeria has not practised true federalism and genuine democracy since 1960; even though the nation is referred to as Federal Government of Nigeria and example is sufficed here; since independence, the country has not allowed someone who is genuinely willing to rule to get to the office. It is in Nigeria where someone who never prepared physically, psychologically and mentally would be President of the country. It is in Nigeria where we have someone who was nursing senatorial ambition and would eventually become Governor of a state. Vivid example is Osun State where Governor Oyinlola who never prepared to become governor having realised his failures as military Governor of Lagos State is governing Osun state. It is on record that he never wanted to be governor. Another example is Alhaji Shehu Shagari who never prepared to be President and because of his unpreparedness, he was chasing shadow instead of facing realities. I can go on giving instances. The ruling party at the centre should really look inward.