Osun central people ‘ll reward me with reelection – Senator Bashiru

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Osun central people ‘ll reward me with reelection – Senator Bashiru

Senator Ajibola Surajudeen Basiru, Chairman Senate committee on Media and Publicity who represents Osun Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly came to Kwara State on a private visit. He later spoke with some select journalists in Ilorin, Kwara state capital on the state of the nation, his achievements in the Senate and chances for reelection amongst others. DEMOLA AKINYEMI of SUNDAY VANGUARD was there. Please find excerpts of the interview;

As we move closer to the polls, what are your chances in view of the political development in Osun state?

Even before now, I never doubted that I will win the forthcoming Osun Central Senatorial with a landslide victory. The reasons are not far fetched, each state and areas have its own peculiarities. I’m from the streets and I understand the politics of my people quite well. I understand them to the extent of knowing their critical needs and putting smiles on their faces as I also listen to their concerns and ask for their opinions on how to help our district. I’m also conscious of the fact that they trust me and they usually support me to the extent that they would reward me with their votes in the coming elections. So, my mind is not ruffled at all because my conscience is clear that I have done right for residents in my constituency .

There is a new political development in Osun State,to the extent that former Governor,Alhaji Isiaka Oyetola has been declared winner by the Election Petition Tribunal on the conduct of July16 governorship election ,what is your take?

Its just a case of chicken coming home to roost, I won’t say more than that for now. There is no doubt that the state is for APC and the people therein have been staying with the party for over a long time. The tribunal victory of the party is a sign of the electoral victory of the APC both at the February 25 and March 11 general elections. The victory was also a stimulus for the party supporters and I know quite sure that the people of the state would vote for all the APC candidates at the forthcoming general elections.

Okay, what is your advice for the people of Osun State?

As a stakeholder, I will urge all the actors to maintain peace and allow the rule of law to prevail. No one is above the law, whatever opinion or stand anyone has on this matter should be surrendered before the judiciary, until its finally disposed off. So, I appeal that everyone should maintain calm and be law abiding. I believe that the APC and the former Governor Oyetola will win all other levels of judicial process at the end of the day. Our belief is also with the Almighty Allah that peaches equity, justice and fairplay.

What is your take on the recent presidential campaign council rally of APC in Osun state?

Let me tell you that the rally was unprecedented in the history of the state. The large crowd of APC supporters and well wishers that came to attend the rally was a reassurance that the party is for the state and the state is for the APC. The APC supporters have left behind what might have been happened in the past and came out enmasse to welcome the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice, Senator Kashim Shetima to the state and showed them their loyalty and support ahead of the forthcoming general election. The exodus has also showed that the party is on ground in Osun state

Recently, you embarked on tours of the local government councils that make up your senatorial district, what is your feedback?

Well, the people of the senatorial district are very good people and they have been supportive always since my election into the National Assembly. The tours have witnessed optimum result as it has showed that representation is about people. The people have showed their support and commitment to my second term aspiration into the national assembly in view of my past positive quality representation at the Upper chambers, Abuja.

There is no part of the sectors be it education, health, job opportunities, empowerment of all sorts among others that I have not touched since my resumption in the Senate. My people acknowledged these and pledged to vote for my second term aspiration in order to continue with the good work. The feedback from the tour was very positive and the people have seen the difference in terms of quality representation since I was elected as their Senator for Osun Central Senatorial. They have taken the slogan “Forward 2023” as a goal that must be achieved and they would demonstrate this during the forthcoming elections.

What’s the Senate doing to address the Insecurity problem in the country?

The security situation in the country is very worrisome and has pre-occupied the Senate in the last one year. Not less than 20 resolutions have been moved and considered in the last one year dealing with various manifestations of the state of insecurity and putting forward different resolutions to address the problems. One of the highpoints of the intervention of the Senate was the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Nigeria Security Challenges whose report was considered and approved. The committee made wide-ranging recommendations that were also approved by the Senate. And in recent times, the state of insecurity in the country has been going down.

What has been your achievements so far in the Senate for the people of your senatorial district ?

Just as I promised while campaigning, I believe that so far, I have been able to give quality and active representation to Osun Central senatorial district in the Senate, notwithstanding being a first timer. I will say without being immodest that the achievements recorded so far has been monumental. The first being my appointment as Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora, Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Societies, this is not an ordinary calling, because being a new entrant into the Senate and being made the Chairman of a very strategic Committee speaks volume of the attributes ascribed to me and the role expected of me as a Senator.

In short, my uncommon passion for the growth of my constituency has also spurred me to lay a petition titled ‘Petition on the abandonment of the Osogbo Steel Rolling Company and the Nigeria Machine Tools Limited and an appeal for a drastic and immediate action to be taken on their rehabilitation’ before the Senate for consideration on behalf of Egbe Osogbo Oroki Parapo and the people of Osun Central senatorial district. While laying the petition before the Senate, I gave a picturesque highlight of the petition which prays for an urgent consideration and intervention by the Senate for the reversal of the sordid fate that has befallen the Osogbo Steel Rolling Company and Nigeria Machine Tools Ltd, both located in Osogbo and the degeneration of the two hitherto foremost factories which are now in total states of neglect, disrepair and their inevitable obsolescence if the neglect continues in the hands of the new owners of the factories who came into their possession after the privatisation exercise carried out by the federal government through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) several years ago. The petition was later referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions by the President of the Senate and prominent people from the Osun Central senatorial district have been invited on two occasions by the Committee to shed more light on the petition. The Committee has also signified his willingness to pay working visits to Osun State to see the actual state of affairs of the two hitherto foremost factories. But for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee would have visited Osogbo for an on-site assessment of the factories. Apart from this, I have been able to attract dividends of democracy to the people of my senatorial. This I want to say cut across the facilitation of construction of schools at various communities in the senatorial district, construction of health facilities, construction of roads.

I have impacted positively on my constituents. I have not taken the electorates for a ride. I have proved it in so many ways that I am not “an Abuja Senator” as I go home regularly to interface with my people every other week to interact with and listen to my constituents through the APC local and ward meetings. Less than two weeks after being sworn-in as a member of the 9th Senate, I embarked on my first project which is provision of potable water for people of my senatorial district. I spent my personal allowances on the projects, the excuse of “no fund” will never be my refrain to my people for not doing what is expected of me. I started with the sinking of boreholes in Osogbo, Ikirun, Ila, Okuku and Ilobu. The boreholes were situated at strategic places particularly in markets. Being a “town boy”, I feel the pains of market women who ply their trade at Oja Oba in Osogbo, one of the oldest markets in Osogbo. The women were making do with local lamps. Besides polluting the environment, they also exposes them to a myriad of health hazards through inhalation of poisonous gases, thus I arranged for solar-powered streetlights to be provided and installed at Oja Oba in Osogbo. Rural communities depend largely on agrarian farming. To make farming attractive and profitable, farmers yearn for motorable roads to ferry their produce to different markets. I picked up the gauntlet and started with the grading of feeder roads in Obaagun and Oke Ila in Ifelodun North LCDA and Ifedayo Local Government Area. Towards the end of 2019, I commissioned my senatorial office in Osogbo with liaison offices across Osun Central senatorial district. The liaison offices serve as points of contact with my constituents. Through the offices, complaints, requests and information get to me and the same are used channels for feedback from me too. With the senatorial office and the liaison offices, my bond with my constituents became stronger and I have forged a closer tie to my people and felt their pulse better. I have also empowered about thousands of youths in Osun Central with appointments as Special Advisers and Senior Special Assistants and Personal Assistants. These are youths who are breadwinners of their families and responsible individuals in society. These appointees serve as my contact officers in their respective liaison offices.

At the outset of the lockdown brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, I reached out to the needy across my senatorial district in terms of cash and food items. As the lockdown bit harder towards Ramadan, I also provided hundreds of bags of food items for the whole of Osun Central. This is besides sponsorship of programmes and jingles on radio and TV stations to enlighten our people and sensitise them about dangers of Coronavirus and how to keep clear of it. I equally provided thousands of nose masks for my constituents. I have just started a scholarship award initiative for deserving individuals in the Osun Central senatorial district irrespective of creed, tribe or political affiliation, the first recipient of the scholarship award has just been mobilised through my constituency office for Postgraduate Diploma programme at Osun State University. Through my website; www.ajibolabasiru.com, I have continued to interface with the people and minister to their needs within my capability as a public officer. Three and half years on, my pact with my people remains as solid as ever, I have started to address issues within and without the pact to show that I am not a politician with bogus, unrealistic and unrealisable promises. I have proved that I a man of my words as I understand the gravity of holding people’s trust. And I believe that with the forthcoming polls, the people of my senatorial will reward me with their votes so that quality representation can continue for the people of Osun central senatorial district in the 10th National Assembly.

Could you please highlight your achievements in the area of Training and Empowerment of your people?

If I start to be mentioning all my achievements in the last three and half years here, we will not leave this place but I will try to just mention a few ones. Among them include, the training of over 100 people of my senatorial district in the Cooperative operations. This afforded them to be exposed on the management of their financial resources and also to train on them on how they can utilized their scarce resources to make ends meet without any hindrance. I also facilitated the training of young farmers on cassava value chain and processing off takers. This took place in some communities of Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin local government councils of Osun state where over 100 people benefited. This exposures has given the young farmers the chance to know how they can make use of their harvest cassava to generate more money at the end of farming session. Other local government councils that benefited from these exercises include Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun and Orolu federal constituencies of the senatorial district. Furthermore we carried out Skill Acquisition Training for Entrepreneurs in Osun Central Senatorial District on Production and Improved Management Practices of Maize, Cashew Seeds and Seedings on 22/11/2021 at Ila LG with N30,000 training allowance for each of the 50 Beneficiaries. Moreover, training and empowerment on fish production, packaging and Marketing in Osogbo in 2021 for 50 beneficiaries with N30,000 training allowance for each of the beneficiaries. We also did training and empowerment formulation of poultry and snail feeds processing, packaging and commercialization at Ikirun in Ifelodun LGA in 2021 for 50 beneficiaries with N30,000 training allowance for each of the beneficiaries. Moreover Training on good agricultural practices for Sustainable Farming yam, cocoyam, cassava and potatoes so as to boost food production in the senatorial.

What about financial empowerment or even direct employment of your people as part of move to reduce poverty level in the senatorial?

My commitment to reduce poverty level among the people of the senatorial district remained unprecedented in view of many financial and empowerment schemes that I put in place during the period under review. In the last three and half years, I supported my constituents financially with cash. About 519 people benefited in the Covid-19 emergency cash support during lockdown in 2020. This pragmatic support was no doubt received accolades from my people as the lock down of the period had prevented many people from going out in doing businesses. Apart from this, about 75 people benefited N50,000 each under the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) For Micro-Enterprises in Nigeria, 2021. The support has afforded the beneficiaries to have access to soft grant loan so as to develop their business activities during the period. The development has also assist them to develop and this has improved the socio economic well being of the people. I also facilitated federal and state government appointments to some of the young graduates in the senatorial district. They include Fire Service (6 Beneficiaries), Nigeria Navy (2 Beneficiaries), Nigeria Custom Service (1 Beneficiary), National Population Commission (1 Beneficiary), National Taskforce on Illegal Arms and Ammunition (11 Beneficiaries), Osun State University (10 Beneficiaries), Federal Polytechnic, Ayede (2 Beneficiaries), Nigerian Financial Intelligent Unit (1 Beneficiary), Nigeria Diaspora Commission ( 2 Beneficiaries), Osun State University, Osogbo (1 Beneficiary) and Osun State Teachers’ Recruitment (28 Beneficiaries)

I also facilitated the engagement of some youths into N-Power and N-PowerTech for 110 Beneficiaries of N30,000 monthly.