After four years as a lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Olusegun Olaleye, representing Ibadan North II Constitutency, wants to lead the House as Speaker. A one time President, National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Olaleye spoke with TAYO JOHNSON about his ambition and vision for the 8th Assembly.
Why exactly do you want to be the 8th Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly?
I have been nursing the vision to be the speaker of the house for a long time, and that aspiration is centred on my desire to give quality service to the people of the state. It is my believe that the 7th assembly has set a standard, because there was peaceful cohesion between the legislature and the executive arm of government. There is a family co-existence between us, which I believe we need to consolidate on at the 8th assembly. We need to make sure there is peaceful cohesion, peaceful interaction between the legislative and the executive arms of government, there must be internal peace and sense of unity in doing our oversight function and our legislative duty. There will be a similarity between the 7th and the 8th Assembly. The 7th Assembly consist of three parties, while the 8th assembly consist of three parties also. If I emerge as the speaker through the help of all stakeholders involved, I will ensure we give room for more robust deliberation on the floor of the house, we need to give room for people to ventilate their constructive opinions on issues. The aim is to allow the deepening of our legislative duties as lawmakers.
There are two of you jostling for this position, what is your cutting edge?
It is not for me to determine my cutting edge, it is for the people out there to determine what my cutting edge is. The only thing I can say is to make reference to my background. I was a Minister at Kuti Hall for 1994/1995 set, I was University of Ibadan (UI), Student Union President for 1995/1996 session, I was the Vice-President of National Association of Nigeria Student (NANS), I was the President of NANS in 2000, I was at the constitutional reform conference in 2005 to represent the youth of this country. I have served in different capacities and worked with different NGOs and I have been in the state assembly since 2011 representing the people of Ibadan North II and I am the Chairman Committee on Public Account, Finance and Appropriation. This is the first time a lawmaker will be winning an election twice to represent the people of Ibadan North II. Just like the governorhas broken the second term jinx, I have also broken it in my constituency. I am an activist cum politician, I have been in the human rights struggle during the years of the NADECO struggle. I was one of the people that brought the idea of stay at home protest when the military were killing the people. I have been in and out of political prison for 19 times during the course of my human right struggle days.
Have you made your intention to the leadership of your party and what was their response?
In any aspiration you need to make it loud. You need to talk to the party stakeholders, big players in our party. The party is above everybody because the party gave birth to everybody. It gave birth to all political office holders. APC is the party I respect so much and I have informed my leaders. I believe God will speak through the party and through the democratic people of the parliament itself. I believe God will make it happen. I know I have had a good representation at the 7th assembly and will perform better if elected as the speaker of the 8th assembly.
Zoning is a factor to be considered, bearing in mind that the governor is from Ibadan, do you thing Ibadan deserves the speaker at ?this present time?
I don’t think we have to bury competence, I do not think we have to deny merit on the basis of zoning. To a large extent the most important thing is to always look for the best in any system to handle leadership responsibility. In respect of the speakership, I believe that when you look at the house standing order, we talk about the fact that the speakership position should be given to a honourable member with a vast experience. When you look at APC as a party, we have five ranking honourable members and we are all from Ibadan/Ibarapa zone, so where do you want to zone to. So it is good to allow people to show their aspiration irrespective of where they come from and within the confine of this aspiration let us distil it, let’s ensure that we come out with the best choice.
You are in the house for the second term, having broken the second term jinx within your constituency. What is the secret behind it?
It is due to my quality representation and access to my people. I equally ensured that they are proud of my performance as an honourable member. I also ensure they get the dividends of democracy timely. I did not forget my root and where I am coming from.
I am sure you have a blueprint for the job you are aspiring for. Can you share it?
I want a house that will constructively partner and engage the executive arm of government. I want a house that will strengthen the programmes of the executive arm of government through the instrumentality of the legislative activities. My vision is to birth a house that will give room for robust debate without any prejudice to whatever anybody presents. My vision is to lead a house that will come with very viable and constructive laws that will enhace governance; Amendment to laws that are already obsolete. My vision is to berth a house whereby the welfare of every honourable will not be in jeopardy, where all the honourable members can be able to access resources for the good use of the their constituent without any hindrances. My vision is to work collectively with my colleagues at the 8th assembly to bring about a rebranded house that will be a model, a house that is intellectually endowed, a house that is all involving for public participation and imput in our bills, laws, a house that will have a periodic public hearing,a house that will held enhance the opportunity for the Oyo State people to own government to see themselves as partners in governance, a house that will hold the government accountable, a house that will be respected. Although there was respect between the legislature and executive arm of the government in the 7th assembly but we need to work more on that. One good thing about Governor Ajimobi was that he was a former legislator, so most often times he does not try to choke the house in terms of his programes, because he himself believes in robust debate and likes engaging people constructively because he is an intellectual.
Many people have misconstrued the role of lawmakers in the provision of infrastructural facilities, what is your experience like?
A lot of people, to a large extent when it comes to legislative work think that it is to construct boreholes, taring roads, empower traders, and others. Even when some people are sick they will call the honourable that they are sick and they need money. Basic role of the legislative is to legislate, bring about laws that will ensure good governance. Appropriate money for compulsory projects, carry out oversight function and ensure budget implementation, that is when you will be able to know how many boreholes the government had sunk in my constituent, how many roads, have they tared, how many schools have they constructed and re-constructed, how many hospitals have they built. As a legislator we do not have milions in our account but the metality of our people is that we should give them money and that we should come ourselves to build borehole and write your name there. We only have a token intervention fund and it is very little. It poverty that is affecting the mentality of our people and our nation is still backward in terms of orientation but the president elect, Gen Buhari will ensure a new orientation and rebranding for the nation.
As the Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, how will you access the budget implementation and performance of Governor Ajimobi administration, and what is delaying the passage of the 2015 budget?
The performance of the budget so far has been very impressive, but unfortunately in the last one and half years, there has been shortage of funds from the federation account to the states and that has really affected the level of implementation of budget and it has really affected the execution some projects too. It is not only in Oyo State but some other states too. We just thank God that our governor is applying wisdom to ensure that he can be able to steer the ship of the state properly with the situation.
