People need to feel the dividends of democracy more – says ex-state lawmaker Olowo (Interview)

In this short chat, ex-state lawmaker, Rotimi Olowo, gives reasons why he should represent Shomolu Federal Constituency 1 at the House of Representatives in 2027.

Why do you what to go to the House of Reps?

Olowo: Shomolu is my constituency. Basically when you are going to Assembly or Reps; there are three cardinal functions; Number one is to represent people and you have to represent them effectively.

You have to bring in the dividends of democracy. We need to bring in infrastructural development; we need to something about the aged and provide for them, we need to talk about the younger ones, how many children we have in Shomolu or Bariga for instance; how many of them are in school, how many are in higher institutions? I don’t think they are up to 500; why not put them on scholarships?

Then for the mothers above 70 years, it is high time we do something about their lives, give them a stipend of about N50,000 per month. It’s not something too much, it is something that is supposed to go on auto-pilot. If I did it in the House of Assembly, I think I can re-enact it.

Really?

I was in the House for 16 years – four terms – and you know the number of roads that is in Shomolu. If you go to Shomolu today, a piece of land is about N140m and N150m. By the time we were bringing these projects, we thought that there is need for us to take traffic from all the main road and that is from a place you move to another area without using major road – interconnection – and basically this is helping us. Today I am still running ‘easy-ride-to-school’ despite the fact that I left the House about three years ago. I think this is going to help the children, especially with the insecurity. You cannot allow the young ones to stray away. For me if you are in primary school and you pass, the next thing is to be promoted. I’m not new to making laws and having effective supervision on the Executive.

Effective supervision of executive?

During my time as the Chairman of the House Committee on Budget, we ensured that the executive keyed to every letter of that Budget.

When Ambode (Governor Akinwunmi Ambode) was there; he did great because we supervised them, we ensured that every naira was used for what is was meant for; not the one that you will use for frivolities – like keeping your girlfriends and doing weddings – and that is why I said if I could that at the state level, I can do it again at the federal level.

I will not be there as an addition, I will not be a slave or a sleeping member. I will lobby for the betterment of my constituents.

You think the reception here today is because of your achievements?

This is not a rented crowd. Yesterday I was with the Mandate group in Bariga – you need to see the number of people that came – we had over 1,000 women. Most of them are aged, because they remember what I did before for them and their children.

Like what?

I paid some children school fees, some I took to schools and back. I know the number of JAMB and WAEC candidates that I sponsored, they were trained also so that they could do well. The ones that we empowered also went through training. Somebody that you gave sewing machine to and did not know how to sew; she would sell the machine.

Are you talking from experience?

I happened the first time, but subsequently they went through one-year endurance training; and afterwards we buy them tools needed. Some of them are here today, they are qualified tailors, some are hairdressers, and some today are drivers driving their Korope (mini-bus). We distributes about 16 buses and I know the number of deep freezers, sewing machines, washing machines that we gave out.

Do you think you can emerge as a consensus candidate or win the Primary election?

I don’t know about that, but I know that I am the most experienced. I am the most accepted, I’m the most popular, I’m the most visible, I’m the most effective, I’m the most responsive and I am highly empathetic.

So what new thing that you want to do for the people that you have not already done?

I don’t think there anything I have not done; the only thing is to scale it up. Now I will enhance what I have done, I will do more. The only thing I have not done and will not do is impregnate another man’s wife.