Tag: Rashidi Ladoja

The political upheavals that characterised the Fifth Assembly (2003-2007) in Oyo State during the tenure of Governor Rashidi Ladoja cannot be forgotten in a hurry. The Speaker of that crises-ridden Assembly, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke, spoke with BISI OLADELE on the touching event s of that era, even as the current Assembly celebrates its third anniversary.

Tell us about the period of your membership of the Oyo State House of Assembly and the constituency you represented

I was there from 2003 to 2007, representing AFIJIO State Constituency.

How did you emerge as the Speaker?

I emerged the Speaker through an election that was conducted by the members of the House. I got the vote of 25 out of the 32 members that made up the House then. And that excluded mine. I did not vote for myself because I did not want to become the Speaker at that particular time.

Why didn’t you want to be?

It was because of my loyalty to my boss then, former Speaker Mikhail Alarape. There were seven failed attempts to impeach him before the eighth succeeded.

Why was he removed?

Probably because of his poor attitude to the issues that concerned members and his lateness in going to the chamber for the business of the House. There are other issues too.

Are those the few points you can remember?

I don’t want to say much on that issue. I have said it before that I did not support his impeachment. I did not even vote for myself. I did all I could to ensure that the impeachment of my boss did not succeed. I did my best on those failed seven attempts to scuttle the plan. But at the eighth attempt there was nothing I could do to save the situation. Even out of the eight times he was out of the country for like four times but I still succeeded in circumventing their plans and frustrated the attempts to impeach him before the eighth succeeded.

What position were you holding before being elected as Speaker?

I was the Deputy Speaker.

Was that your office from the inception of that Assembly?

No, I had been a floor member from inception before being elected as Deputy Speaker after a year and eight months of the Assembly. I was later elected as Speaker. I passed through the three layers which was unprecedented in the history of Oyo State House of Assembly.

Under what party did you secure a seat in the Assembly?

I came in under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Fifth assembly arguably was the most troubled in the history of the Oyo State House of Assembly. How would you describe the four years you spent there as a member?

That is based on your own perception. From my own perception, I may not see it as the most-troubled Assembly. So it’s based on individual’s perception of the scenarios that had played out and still playing out in the state House of Assembly. I didn’t see our Assembly as the most-troubled in history. But the point is that through my belief in God and efficacy of prayer, I persevered. I did endure a lot and I was able to overcome the crises.

May be I should have described it as the most crises-ridden?

That is a matter of semantics. Whether you say it is crises-ridden or the most-troubled Assembly, it is still the same. But the point is this, what is going on in the current assembly in the state is the question you need to ask. Before the crises started, we were having smooth running of administration at the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary levels. All of a sudden, because of the political exigency occasioned by the then Mr. President (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo), the crises started.

You just fingered the former President as having a hand in the crisis that engulfed the Assembly and, by extension, the state in general. Were there times when the members had meetings with him?

There was none. But I had the privilege of having meetings with him about two or three times. Those times I did alone without other members involved. I cannot talk on behalf of the G.18 that impeached Governor Rashidi Ladoja, but I can talk of the G.14 that opposed the impeachment.

So, why did you conclude that Mr. President then had a hand in the crises that happened in Oyo state?

Okay, if you don’t want me to say that, let me say it is God’s hand. I don’t want to say much about that because I believe everybody knows what happened that time. But thank God here we are today. After he (former President Olusegun Obasanjo) left office he had visited former Governor Ladoja more than five times and we have been to his house on many occasions. So, that is life.

It was during the Fifth Assembly that a governor was impeached for the first time in the history of Oyo state. Seven years after, how do you feel remembering your time in the Assembly?

Anytime I remember it, I feel great because I did not disappoint my family, my town and the generality of the people of Oyo State. And, most importantly, I did not disappoint God. So I always feel great. Now, wherever I go, people always accord me that respect. Let me tell you this: there was a time I was with the former Vice President Abubakar Atiku. After talking, I sat down. Then, when it was the turn of the Vice President to talk, he stood up. But, I said, “Your Excellency, with all humility and respect, you are permitted to kindly have your seat”. He said, “No, Mr. Speaker, you deserve the respect”. So, what else do I want? That was year 2006 when he was still in office as the Vice President of Nigeria. If the Vice President could stand up to give respect to me, what else do I want?

In the face of the crises you led a team that stood by Governor Ladoja, How did you survive all these?

My survival was based on God’s mercy. I did not have any power to fight, but God fought for me. However, I must tell you that it wasn’t an easy thing. I must acknowledge that I saw hell. But the fact remains that by that time I had already made up my mind to fight to the last drop of my blood.

How easy was it making up your mind to that level?

It was for the posterity. I decided to put my life on the line in the interest of the people of Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.

Were there times your life was threatened by the opposition?

There were a number of occasions that my life was threatened.

So how did you handle such threats?

I have told you earlier that it was through God’s mercy. It wasn’t easy.

You knew about the First to the Fourth assemblies that came before yours. You are still much around to witness the Sixth and the Seventh assemblies. Sometimes when the issues that have to do with the House of Assembly come up for discussion, how do feel, having passed through it as an institution?

I still feel great. One thing I can tell you is that the current Assembly, I mean the Seventh Assembly, is not as vibrant as the previous ones. That is despite the fact that the previous ones experienced series of crises. The current Assembly is not vibrant. That is just it. For instance, the Deputy Speaker has never been allowed to preside over plenary. That is improper and iconoclastic.

Let’s look at the Oyo State House of Assembly as an institution from inception till date. Are there people that have been lawmakers in that Assembly that you look up to or you admire in terms of performance and contributions?

Yes. I admire people like late Chief Gbolagunte (former Speaker) and his deputy and Chief Pekun Adesokan. I see the two of them as role models. Those are the two people I admire.

What about the first assembly members during the Western Nigeria Parliament?

There was a lot of politicking during that period too

Were there members you really admire as distinguished lawmakers?

Yes. I admire someone like Honourable Adenegan.

The Oyo State House of Assembly has a rich history, particularly for its bicameral legislature that was practised during the First Republic when Nigeria was running a Parliamentary system of government. Now, things have changed. If you want to describe the Assembly as an institution, how would you, with regards to democracy as being practiced now?

It’s excellent. Forget about the undue politicking or intrigues. The institution is still very vibrant. See the quality of motions and bills that have been passed in that House of Assembly which have impacted positively on the lives of the people in the Western Region. So I see it as a vibrant institution. And I feel great anytime I remember that I once passed through that place because I did not disappoint myself and I did not disappoint my God. I followed constitutionalism and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Though I suffered for it, I know one day something normal will be done.

Were there ills done to you that you were still bitter about?

There is a lot them. But instead of me to be talking about all those ills why should I not be thankful to God? If I’m not alive, what could have happened? There was a day I was coming back from Oyo. I was at the back of NISER, here in Ibadan, and the pilot of my convoy was stopped by a Police Inspector. The officer said he got the instruction from the then Commissioner of Police that all of my police aides should disembark and leave me. They had to leave. I was left alone in the night. Though those people wanted to risk their lives and jobs for me, I asked them to leave. Moments later, I got a call from my quarters that my family members have been ejected.

If you have another chance, would you choose to go to the Oyo state House of Assembly as a member?

Of course, yes. I believe, and I know, I have a lot to offer, not only to the Assembly but to the people of the state as a whole.

In its totality, without zeroing in on a particular assembly, would you say the Oyo State House of Assembly as an institution has lived up to expectation?

To some extent, yes.

In which areas do you think the Assembly should have done better?

The problem is that most members of the state House of Assembly do compromise. They believe that whatever comes from the Executives must be passed on the floor of the House. No, it shouldn’t be like that. But they do compromise. That is the problem.

So you want that area to be looked into?

Yes. Look at this issue of autonomy for the state House of Assembly, could you believe that lawmakers themselves in the Sixth Assembly rejected it, including the ones in the state under Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala then? They rejected it because they wanted to satisfy the executive arm of government. When we were there in the Fifth Assembly, we didn’t consider everything that came from the Executive as being automatic for passage. On many occasions, we rejected bills from the Executive that we thought were not good enough for the interest of the state. But we always looked at something that could benefit the people of Oyo State. The reverse is the case now. I know the time will come when things will change completely. We are just in the state where people that are causing havoc are in the center stage, preaching patriotism. With all humility and respect, there are some people that are not supposed to go near government or the House of Assembly, much less legislating or running the affairs of the state.

What do you think should be the basic qualification for anyone seeking to become a member of the House of Assembly?

I cannot talk of education only because most of the people that have bastardised the legislative process in the past are educated. You also have to put the issue of morality into consideration. We are in a part of the world where people worship money and allow people with wealth to run the show.