Politics
Why I Joined Politics, Oyo Commissioner Designate, Afonja Explains
One of the newly confirmed Commissioner nominees in Oyo state, Prof. Raphael Afonja has said that his participation in politics was borne out of a desire and commitment to serve his fatherland and the people; and not to gather wealth.
The Ogbomoso-born Professor of Engineering said this on Thursday during an interview with Mega Icon Magazine in Ibadan, the state capital.
According to Afonja, he joined the political sphere of Nigeria having served the people in the United States in different capacities, and saw the need to come home and give back to his people.
He added that the passion to serve and see real changes in the lives of his people inspired him to aspire for Federal House of Representatives (Ogbomoso North/ Ogbomoso South/Orire Federal Constituency) in the last election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I put in a lot of effort, sacrifices and I was told to step down, of which I did with no regrets”.
Speaking further, the mitigation specialist, Afonja said, ” I believe I have served the people in the United States in different capacities, although I have gained a lot and the country has afforded me many opportunities. I saw the need to come back to Nigeria and serve my father land and give back to my people. I believe in service to humanity.
“When I visited back in 2007 , I saw the struggle that people were going through but at that moment I thought it was not the right time to come back home. I needed time and it should be a gradual process. I want to be very sure that it was time to leave the States and come back to Nigeria. By the year 2016 after I lost my mother, I came home to bury my mother, and that was a turning point for me. I sensed that some of the people that came for the funeral were struggling, and when I visited our Community in Ogbomosho I got a firsthand of what poverty was like.
“That drew more of my empathy towards the people around me and I saw the need to come home and give back, but I soon realized that I need a platform to do so. One of the things that came to mind was to partake in politics, when it comes to policy making and not just talking about things but coming up with what I like to call actionable ideas, what can we do to help the people and that was why I started my non-profit organization – ICARE. Our organization focuses on women empowerment, food security, education, and medical outreach. I felt like those four major areas overlap in so many ways. Like I said earlier what motivated me is my empathy for the people”.
He continued, “I believe that government does not only create jobs, especially when it comes to tackling unemployment but create the environment that allows businesses and investors to thrive. Since I am now part of the system I can engage people effectively by creating avenues that will bring them some kind of relieve. In the US I have worked at the Federal, State and Local level, so I feel like with all of the experiences and skills that I have gathered over time, I can add value when given the opportunity to be part of the government.
” I am glad to be part of the executive government of our great state, and this will give me the opportunity to have an impact in line with the vision of our amiable governor, His Excellency, Engineer Oluwaseyi Makinde in taking the people of Oyo state out of poverty.
“I felt the need to serve and I just can sit back and be given people money all the time without looking at other platforms to reach the masses.
“Recently, I came up with this plan to build a cashew processing plant in Ogbomoso, and this plant from my business plan will bring about 1000 jobs for our people. One of the things I found out is that people coming from Vietnam and Indian do come to buy our cashew nuts and the only time when people make money is that period when they harvest cashew, after the season is over, that will be the end of the opportunity for them to make money.
“If you go to Vietnam or India you will find their people working all year round because they are the one processing it and selling it but in our own case once the harvest is done that is the end , so there are many things I have been working on even before I was nominated for commissioner in Oyo state, I have been thinking about ways through which we can come with actionable ideas that will create jobs for our people.
“I am not a political jobber, I have my job as a professor, but I want to use my influence and wealth of experience to contribute to the development and growth of my fatherland”, the Commissioner nominee said.
Prof. Afonja, however promised to apply his intellect, expertise, skills, experience and energy towards achieving the vision of the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has criticized the alleged forceful conversion of public reading and learning facilities in Dugbe, Ibadan, into shopping malls and lock-up shops by the state government, describing the development as shameful, ill-conceived, and unacceptable.
In a statement released over the weekend by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the APC also raised concerns about the alleged sale of the modern motor park facility at Wema Area on New Ife Road, Ibadan, built during the administration of the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
According to the party, the motor park has been sold to a pastor who presides over a popular church near the facility.
Residents of Ibadan, the state capital, were reportedly stunned when they noticed the sudden erection of massive private business complexes within the premises of the Oyo State Library Board.
The facilities, built by the defunct Western Region government, had served as public libraries and archives for decades, benefitting students, researchers, and tourists until recently.
“It is a sad reality that the buildings which used to serve as public libraries and archives in Dugbe axis of Ibadan have now paved the way for the development of commercial and business structures,” Sadare said.
“The implication is that education and research development have been relegated to the background in the state by an administration that has done little to address the poor reading culture among young students.”
The APC expressed alarm over what it termed the erosion of public heritage under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, alleging that public properties are being sold or leased to private individuals and groups under questionable circumstances.
“How can a government wake up one day and convert public reading facilities and archives into lock-up shops in the name of making money, thereby subjecting society to the dangers of illiteracy and ignorance?” the statement queried.
The party also cited other instances of alleged mismanagement of public assets, including the concession of OYSADEP Guest House in Saki and Agbowo Shopping Complex in Ibadan, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to the state’s socio-economic development.
“Sad enough, the ignoble activities of the governor and a few other characters around him as they involve mismanagement of land and other resources belonging to the state have paved the way for a surge in land grabbing cases in most parts of the state capital. There are many cases involving appointees of the governor, PDP lawmakers, local government officials, and party chieftains,” the statement added.
The APC called on well-meaning individuals and stakeholders in the state to demand accountability from the Makinde administration and halt what it described as the systematic erosion of public resources and heritage.
Over 300 constituents of Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in Oyo State benefitted from a skill acquisition and empowerment programme organized by their representative in the National Assembly, Hon. Akinmoyede Olafisoye.
The event, held at Faith Joe Event Centre, Alegongo, Akobo, Ibadan, aimed to address the challenges of unemployment and economic hardship by equipping participants with practical skills and financial support.
The programme focused on empowering youths, students, and unemployed graduates to become self-reliant. Each participant was provided with a certificate, a Point of Sale (POS) terminal, an umbrella, and ₦100,000 as a startup grant to kickstart their businesses.
The tools and financial aid were designed to enable beneficiaries to establish sustainable sources of income.
Participants received comprehensive training, gaining hands-on experience to ensure they could effectively utilize the tools provided. The POS machines were configured with the personal details of the recipients, ensuring proper use and discouraging unauthorized transfers.
Addressing the participants, Akinmoyede who is the Chairman House Committee on Nigeria/ Mexico Parliamentary Friendship enjoined the beneficiaries to explore the opportunity for their benefit by ensuring that they use the machines for the purpose it was meant for.
He added that all the machines have been configured with the documents of individual beneficiaries which will make it very difficult to transfer to another person.
In his goodwill message, the Oyo Central Senatorial chairman of APC, Hon. Joshua Oyebamiji said comparing what the lawmaker has been doing in the area of dishing out empowerment and palliatives to his constituents, it is difficult to tag him a first-timer at the national assembly.
While appreciating Akinmoyede for his gesture at the event, former APC Deputy State Chairman, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, and Hon. Akinbode Emmanuel said they were yet to discover the magic wand being used by the lawmaker for his constant and habitual empowerment programmes.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the end of the training, Afolabi Kuburat, Akinropo Akindotun, Ajala Abisade Iyabo, and Grace Anuoluwapo Ayinde lauded the lawmaker for giving them the opportunity to be self-reliant at this time when Nigerians are facing economic hardship.
The House of Representatives member representing Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency Oyo State, Hon. Prince Akinmoyede Olafisoye Wasiu has initiated another skill acquisition and capacity-building training for no fewer than 300 members of his constituency.
The initiative which is being organized in partnership with Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan is part of a strategic effort by the lawmaker to foster rural development of cooperative for their economic emancipation and break the shackles of poverty so as to alleviate the impact of the high cost of living among the people in Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency he represents.
The training programme is coming up on Monday 18th November, 2024 at Faith Joe Event Centre hall. Alegongo, Ibadan by 8.00am.
A statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the lawmaker, Alimi Abdullahi stated that the capacity-building is designed to equip participants with essential entrepreneurial skills with a view to building sustainable livelihoods and improve the quality of lives of the people of Akinyele/Lagelu federal constituency.
All the participants for the training are expected to be at the venue by 8am so as not to miss any part of the training.
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