•Says Tinubu has good character, qualities to lead Nigeria as president

By Gilbert Ekezie

Hon Kalejaiye Adeboye Paul, popularly called KAP, is House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency, Lagos State in the 2023 general election. In this exclusive interview, he speaks on his mission in the green chamber and highlighted some of his political experiences. He also speaks on other issues.

Excerpts:

You have been on the mission to serve the people of Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency since 2011, what actually inspires your aspirations , despite the inability to succeed as expected?

Well, if you look at my historical background, you will observe that I have always been a servant leader from my secondary school days at the Nazareth High School Imeko, Ogun State. At that time, I held four portfolios; Senior Boarding House Prefect, Social Prefect, President of the Prefects Council, President of the Dramatic Society, President of Literary and Dramatic Society. During my Teachers Training College, I was the only year one student who held a position as Secretary of the Prefects Council, which I won through a contested election, as it was a norm that one person, out of the year one students will be a member of the Prefects Council. Having contested and won, I became the only year one student to serve in the Prefects Council. Later, I became the Social Prefect of the Teachers Training College.

Also, during my University days, I was President of the Prefects Council, President of the Students Union, Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Movement in the entire West under the leadership of Lanre Arogundade.  Even after leaving the university, I have been the president of Alumni Association of the Lagos State University (LASU). So, if you look at my pedigree, it is obvious that it has always been services all round and that is my watchword. So, my desire to serve is because service is an inborn thing to me, I like to offer myself for service and I try to serve well at any level I find myself. That will explain to you why I have the desire to serve.

Aside the positions you held during your school days, have you ever held any political position?

Politically, I have served in various capacities as Special Adviser on Rural Development during Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as governor of Lagos State. I was also Special Adviser on Rural Development during Fashola tenure as governor. Thereafter, I was appointed the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Ferry Service.

From all indications, the services you have been rendering are under the executive, why trying to shift to the parliament?

In fact, it had been services under the executive as you have rightly pointed out. But the reason I am shifting is that the parliament had always been a place I love to be, but have not been able to actualize that. When I was in the higher school, I wanted to be speaker of the parliament, but people did not want me to become speaker, rather, I was encouraged to become president of the students union, which they see as a higher position. But, let alone, I preferred being the Speaker. It was a serious argument then, and I later obliged and dropped the speakership post for my friend, contested for president and won landslide. So, in 2011, I renewed my interest to serve in the parliament which I was not able to actualize during my school days, by contesting to serve at the House of Representatives to represent the good people of Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency. I won at the primaries, but was asked to step down. Also, in 2015, I contested for the same position, but was asked by my party, APC to step down. Still in 2019, I won the primaries but was asked to step down. Glory be to God, this time, leaders and members of the party have seen my patience, loyalty, efforts and commitments to the party and say it is my turn to serve. So, today, I am the APC flagbearer of House of Representatives, AJIF Federal Constituency, come 2023 elections.

How do you feel, having been denied the opportunity to serve at the parliament since 2011?

Well, I put the whole thing behind me and continued to move on because as a politician, I know that it will be my turn one day. I think, in the judgement of the party, I was not considered to be the next in line those periods. So, I  did not hold grudges against anyone at all. After all, I was given the opportunity to serve at the State level through appointments.

What is your mission for wanting to serve in the green chamber?

I am going there to render better services to the people and to make useful contributions that will make lives more meaningful in terms of networking among my colleagues. For me, parliamentary duty is all about network, one cannot work in isolation. There, the party will have caucuses which determine the focus or direction for members. In fact, I am going there to be a team player and will respect my party caucus decisions. I will respect the ranking officers and learn from them where necessary. Obviously, the first service in the parliament is to learn the rudiments of parliamentary behaviours and conduct. However, I will learn for sometime, then brace up to join my colleagues in establishing robust laws that would reshape and make the country better, in a way that the ordinary man can live, because there is poverty in the land.

What laws do you intend establisjing that would help make Nigeria a better country?

I intend to support motions and sponsor more bills geared towards the masses, especially problem of the youths. I want to look at why there are no more artisans, why the polytechnics and Colleges of Technology are offering programmes in Accountancy and Business Administration, instead of their core fields. Why is it that our technology students not able to get jobs when they finish school? So, I want to see something that will bring out the re orientation of our entire educational policy in Nigeria and sponsor a bill in that direction. I will also ensure that our educational policy is geared towards more technical education that would be devoid of that given to us by our slave Masters who gave us an education that made us an underdeveloped country. If you have read the book ‘Why Africa is under developed’ you will know the reason we remained where we are.

Could you say the reason Nigeria is underdeveloped?

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The Colonial Masters did not give us the technological type of education, rather, they gave us the one that made us their interpreters and servants. But now that we have independence shall we continue in such type of education? These are some of the things that stage my mind. 

The issue of giving Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency a special status as mini Nigeria has widely been talked about, do you have any plan of fast-tracking the move?

Obviously, that has been on my mind. If elected, I would want a situation where my colleagues will join me in recognizing Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area as a mini Nigeria because it is a place where all the ethnic groups in Nigeria could be found  in their good numbers. So, any good done to the place, is done to the entire country. We can make the area a model for the nation where we can have unity,  peace , progress and development, where everyone can belong . It will also be good to have the support of my colleagues to understand the topology and characteristics of Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency.

In one of the interviews you granted, you promised to complete every uncompleted project by your predecessor do you have anyone in mind?

Well, the parliament is still on, between now and June next year is still long. I believe and pray that the incumbent will complete all the projects he started. But in case he did not, we will pick them up. Meanwhile, I am very much interested in ensuring that the skills acquisition centre project at Aiyetoro is completed and put into use so that our youths will be engaged.

In case the incumbent completes all projects he started, do you not have plans to start new ones?

There is no way projects will be completed. There will still be other infrastructural needs . It is not about the structure, but creating the enablement that will make the structure to function well. The functionality of the infrastructure depends on number of factors. So, there cannot be absolute completion of projects. Beyond that, I know that we have constituency projects, but I am interested in projects that will touch the hearts of my people and take them, especially the youths off the streets. I want to go into projects that will also enrich my people and alleviate the poverty the is now too much in the land. In fact, I will make people earn their daily living. I am also interested in getting employment opportunities for my constituents in the Federal Civil Service because you could hardly find our people working there, even when we have quota system where everybody needs to be represented in the Federal Civil Service structure. Women empowerment will also be one of my major concern because they are contributing a lot to the growth of the society. In a nutshell, as a representative of the people, I would want to bring back what belongs to them.

Moreover, while talking about securing jobs for the youths, they should be prepared for such opportunity by getting the necessary educational qualifications and skills, because only those who are employable, will be employed.

You have all it takes to relocate to more developed areas in Lagos State like some people , but you never did, why the love for Ajegunle?

For me, Ajegunle is the most peaceful place I have ever lived. When I am here, I enjoy the peace and see people interact with one another. But if you go to those places you referred to as developed, you will be sleeping and playing with your bed, you will not know your neighbour and he will also not know you. Life over there is individualistic, there is no communal life. But in Ajegunle, there is communalty and comradeship. If I have a bottle of beer, we can share it with joy, love and understanding, but those out there drink their Champagne alone because it is everyone to him or herself. 

Do you think Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area is developing as expected?

I would say that Ajeromi Ifelodun is developing rapidly. Our Council Chairmen are trying in developing the roads. There is interconnectivity network and the infrastructure are also being developed. Today, you could find pitches and mini stadium in schools in the area, for our children and they are enjoying good schools. I will tell you that most of the schools in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area are better than those you can find in most of the so-called developed areas in Lagos State. We have good road network here. The Mba-Cardoso road has just been completed and people are enjoying it. Other facilities are there. So,  development is not static, it is evolving and coming to Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area.

Could access Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and why he should be re-elected?

Governor Sanwo-Olu is a product of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola. His programmes in the state are visible. The entire Lagos today is a complete construction site. There are lots of bottlenecks on the roads because construction work is on everywhere. The Eko bridge was the only one in Lagos, but today, bridges can be found everywhere in the State. Today, it is simplified to have bridges and good road network. The flyover from Alaba Suru to 2nd Rainbow to Amuwo Odofin Estate is there for people to see. We have the ones from Awolowo Road to Ikeja along, Yaba, Oyingbo and other areas in Lagos State. LASTMA, Telecom and others are doing well. The refuse dumps are gone. The hospitals and educational system are functioning well.

In fact, Sanwo-Olu is running government with kindness, civilty, openess and dedication. He has achieved a lot and will do more if given the opportunity. So, Lagos should give him another chance in 2023.

What do you have to say about the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu?

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is my mentor . I started my political tutulage in terms of governance with him, and as governor of Lagos  State then, when he brought me to his cabinet, he asked me to be strong, if I should work with him. He described himself then as a fighter. Since that time, the words he told me, have never left my mind. As someone who had worked with Asiwaju, I see three characteristics in him which I will recommend to Nigerians; He is brilliant, a thinker and a doer, anyone who combines the three characteristics together is on top, give it to him. He tells Nigerians that he is not contesting to win a wrestling belt or running a marathon to win a trophy, but to become the president of Nigeria, and what that needs is brain, thinking and action. For me, he has all the characters and qualities to lead Nigeria as president.He has shown the example in Lagos where he made people. I will say that whatever success Babatunde Fashola, Ben Akabueze, Sanwo-Olu and many others have made today could be attributed to Asiwaju Tinubu’ s spirit of empowering people to grow in order to make useful impacts in the society. It is therefore obvious that he will do more as president of Nigeria.