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Why I Joined Politics, Oyo Commissioner Designate, Afonja Explains

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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.

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“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.

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” 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.

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“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.

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Oyo: Rep Oseni Inaugurates N120m Earthmoving Equipment for Grassroots Development

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Engr. Aderemi Oseni, the House of Representatives member representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, on Monday, inaugurated N120 million worth of earth-moving equipment, aimed at enhancing grassroots development and ensuring food security within the federal constituency.

Oseni noted that the dire state of road networks in his constituency compelled him to procure the equipment, which includes a grader and payloader, to facilitate the seamless movement of people, goods, and services.

The lawmaker, who spoke shortly after the inauguration of the equipment in Ibadan said: “We are currently starting the rehabilitation of 80 roads in phase one of this project. Once completed, we will proceed to phase two. Additionally, we have selected certain roads in both Ido and Ibarapa East local governments for asphalt tarring.

He added, “Hiring equipment for road rehabilitation is no longer fashionable nor economical. That’s why we’ve invested in our own. In addition to ongoing health and education projects, we’ve finalised plans to dig 50 boreholes in polling units to enhance water supply. Currently, we’ve finished three boreholes, in addition to several others commissioned prior to the elections.”

While also distributing bags of rice to numerous communities as part of the measures to cushion current hardship, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) lauded President Bola Tinubu for the release of N100 million each to lawmakers through the Federal Government Ministry of Agriculture to address the plight of the masses.

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The legislator tasked Nigerians to be actively involved in the intervention of the Federal Government on road projects across the nation by reporting any contractor that indulges in the poor handling of projects to the agency’s offices.

“I have been telling our committee members in the House of Representatives that fixing our roads is our major challenge. But as community leaders and members of society wherever we find ourselves, we should be involved in monitoring these contractors. A lot of money has been appropriated for road projects.

“When you see contractors saddled with the responsibility of fixing the roads in your area and you see that the job is not being done properly, you don’t need to be a qualified engineer before you know when something is not being done very well or the way it should be done. Raise your voice and go to our offices in various states to report such incidents and we will be able to take it up from there”, Oseni posited.

Earlier in his remark, the Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to the lawmaker, Alhaji Abdul-Hakeem Okedina urged the people to support him (Oseni) in his drive to improve infrastructural facilities in the constituency, assuring that more dividends of democracy will be available to all irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations.

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Economic Hardship: Rep Oseni Lauds FG’s N100m Palliative for Each Constituency

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Hon. Aderemi Oseni, the lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, has commended the proactive stance of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration towards addressing the welfare needs of Nigerians.

The lawmaker applauded the government’s commitment to ameliorating the prevailing hardships faced by citizens, particularly through the significant intervention of One Hundred Million Naira (N100,000,000) allocated to each federal constituency via the Ministry of Agriculture.

Oseni, in a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, emphasised the importance of such interventions in providing essential support to communities and constituents grappling with economic challenges, notably in the distribution of grains to cushion the impacts of the hardship in Nigeria.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said the allocation, aimed at cushioning the adverse effects of hardship, signifies a crucial step towards fostering sustainable development and resilience across the nation.

He informed that the palliative has no bias for partisan politics as it is meant for all vulnerable members of the public in the Ibarapa East/Ido Federal constituency, irrespective of political affiliations, adding that the contractor had supplied the rice in the amount of the money approved.

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“I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the several initiatives and interventions of the federal government to bring ease to the people. I also want to reassure all the constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of my commitment to their welfare at this time and always,” the lawmaker assured.

The APC chieftain appealed to members of the public to remain patient and calm as lawmakers are making frantic efforts to ensure the effective implementation and equitable distribution of democratic dividends for the benefit of constituents in their various constituencies.

Renewing his commitment and promising more dividends of democracy for his constituency, Oseni also hinted that in line with his campaign promises, he would be commissioning road construction equipment for the rehabilitation of rural roads this Saturday.

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APC criticises Makinde for alleged education decline in Oyo

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APC criticises Makinde for alleged education decline in Oyo

 

Oyo state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of education in the region, accusing Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration of negligence and insincerity in addressing the challenges faced by the sector.

In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to Mega Icon Magazine,  APC highlighted issues such as scarcity of teachers, deplorable infrastructure, lack of teaching aids and equipment, poor monitoring and supervision, erosion of competent administrators, and outdated policy and curriculum implementation as contributing factors to the decline in education standards.

Oyo APC emphasized the need for urgent intervention, stating, “It is time well-meaning citizens and residents of the state began to ask questions on why a key sector like that of education has had to be handled with levity in the last five years.”

The party disputed the state government’s claims of improvement, citing examples of severely understaffed schools and inadequate resources.

The statement pointed out specific cases like St. Joseph Primary School in Ibadan North West LGA, SDA Primary School in Egbeda LGA, Baptist Basic School in Tede, AUD Primary School in Igboora, Muslim Community Primary School in Itesiwaju LGA, and Christ Church School in Ona-Ara LGA, where an alarming shortage of teachers was evident.

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The APC also drew attention to the critical situation in public secondary schools, highlighting the lack of staff to teach core subjects.

“Examples included Baptist Secondary Grammar School in Atisbo LGA and Methodist High School in Ibarapa North LGA, where the Old Student Association and a mere four teachers, respectively, struggled to meet the educational needs of hundreds of students”.

The party urged residents to question the Seyi Makinde-led administration’s commitment to education, stressing the need for immediate action to prevent further deterioration.

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