A notable politician with a track record in International Oil and Gas industry, and a House of Representative aspirant, representing Ifelodun, Offa and Oyun Federal Constituency, Engr. Abdulazeez Abiodun Olaniyan has said he is in the race not for personal interest, but to lift his constituency from poverty, empowerment and sustainable growth.
Olaniyan in this interview with our editor, Mike Adeyemi, described his run for house of reps as not a movement for selfish purposes, but a movement to lift not just his constituency from poverty and irrelevance, rather to infect a mindset for self determination, empowerment and sustainable growth.
He said; “Real politics is the only way to massify change. The love for my people has been the panacea factor driving my coming out to represent them at the National Assembly and I will not renege on these my pledges if elected.”
The astute politician however lauded the Executive Governor of Kwara State Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for being a visionary leader and reformist, who he said has given Kwara a global recognition via his state of the heart Infrastructural developments, affirming the Governor has given the state capital a new look to which every Kwarans could be proud of and can call their own.
Excerpt;
How was growing up as a child be with you?
Growing up as a child during my own time, I would say I got to my town from Lagos State at age four years with my grandparents. I am the first born of my parent. So at the age of 8 years, I was helping my grandparents to hawk fish, cola nut in Ora market.
I was the only child with my grandmother then, and as I said I was the first born of my parents. My grandma cherished me and showed me lots of love, and I happened to be the only one with her. She was a peasant trader. I didn’t have any choice than to assist her. My both parents are late. My father’s name is Alhaji Mahmud Ayinla Olaniyan and my mother name is Alhaja Rafat Olaniyan.
Tell us your anticidents in politics?
Politics comes with different meaning to different people. As a family man, you play some level of politics. To me it is about how you see your people, the environment you belong to and how well are you able to impact positively that environment and that is what is driving my political move.
That is the passion that I have for my people. In a nutshell, there was no antecedents perse. My mum was not a politician neither my Dad. However, my Dad was a community builder in Ora town. He served the community in so many fronts and died as bridge builder in Ora and environs.
What informed your decision for vying for House of Representative seat?
Sincerely, lots of things actually I can say put together to drive this my decision. But the very first thing is the passion that I have for my people. The passion I have for Ora community. I grew up in Ora. I knew how Ora was when I left the place after like some few years, and I didn’t see Ora the way I left it.
That actually like a thought in my mind that what can I contribute eto change the situation, given the fact that I had my elementary and secondary school in Ora. I knew the way I met it after coming back. So the love for my people and my constituency I would say is the driving factor for coming out to represent them at the National Assembly.
How would you describe your acceptability by your people when you made your intention known?
Sincerely speaking politics do not start the day you come out to indicate your intent. Politics should be inbuilt in you. I have been playing politics without even knowing that I would one day come out to contest for any elective position today. Just like I said earlier that my ambition was driven by the love that I have for my people.
I have the privilege to be one of the leaders in my community in terms of education and I happened to be the president of the alumni of my Alma mater, Ora Grammar School. Equally I have the privilege to be the president of my former higher institution, Kwara State Polytechnic, Engineering students. Also I am the Chairman of my community’s Central Mosque building committee.
All these puts together ,I would say these are the driving forces behind my political move. Giving the fact that I helds those positions and I was privileged to talk to people and they listened to me. They see me as a bridge builder within the community.
Some group of person just called me one day that Engr. ‘Why can’t you represent us’ and he came alongside other people that they wanted me to represent them at the National Assembly. I replied them that I will actually give it a shot and they said they will support me. I noticed that the task and vacuum is huge.
As you can see during the award presentation yesterday, the Olora of Ora, HRM Ridwan Olawale Yekini sent some of his chiefs to witness the event . Representatives from Offa and Oyun also present. As you can see during the ceremony, the acceptability by the people to me was incredible and monumental.
If elected, what are three legislations you would put forward at the National Assembly within your 100 days in office?
If you look at the constituency that I wish to represent, I mean Ifelodun, Offa and Oyun Federal Constituency, one of the major problems in my constituency is youth empowerment. That will be my first priority. I have worked in Oil and Gas companies for many years. I have been opportune to travel outside the country. The only thing I can do now is to help my people by fighting for their plight positively
If I get to the National Assembly by the grace of God, I would concentrate on youth empowerment on how I can give employment opportunity being an oil and gas person and I will most likely be a member of oil and gas committee in the house – a potential opportunity for graduates from my constituency to get connected and employment window
Also, I will put forward legislation on tackling insecurity. As I speak, insecurity has been a big monster that is ravaging the country, my constituency especially, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State is not left out. Like I keep saying, insecurity is not one person’s fight. Our governor have tried everything within his disposal to curtail this menace.
If elected I will liase with the Governor, the people of my constituency and other representatives from my state and indeed I will work with other states to ensure how to sensitize our people to know that security is a collective responsibility of all and sundary.
Other task I would put forward is the women and widow’s plight. I will try to give succor to any woman within the age bracket of 65 years above under my plan radar. I will take care of them and place them under my welfare scheme program.
What would you say stand you out of other aspirants jostling for this seat?
I would start by what I call Civic responsibility’s. Everybody created by God is for a reason. Anywhere you find yourself, there would always be a gap to feel and your duty is to think about how to feel that gap. If you do that you’re invariably helping the government.
Often time the same community you are helping may turn out to help you tomorrow and that is actually what I would say stand me out of other contestants. While they are talking of what they would do when elected, I am talking about what I have done before in my immediate community.
As president of Old Student’s Union, I have facilitated blocks of classrooms to the school courtesy the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. I will never forget that singular gesture from the Governor. I wrote a letter to him that I wish to change the facilities of my Alma mater and the governor obliged to my request.
Also, I dug boreholes for the Students, I bought a big generator for them and I ensure commencement of practical classes for science students. I changed the school’s laboratory to a state of the heart one and employed a mathematics teacher for the school. I equally sponsored inter-house sports competition for the school among others.
I have been doing all these largess before now and it was a calling not because I envisage elective position. Humanitarian services is inbuilt and genetic to me and I did that without recourse to any pay back.
If elected , it would bring a renewed-Hope opportunity for everyone in my constituents and further present opportunity to do more to my constituency where a child of nobody will become somebody without knowing anybody to achieve great height in life. In the same token, my party leadership would in line with various community leaders would be taken cared if in line with renewed-Hope agenda of our president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What is your assessment of Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq led administration in the last seven years in office?
Without mincing words, we have been having governors before the coming of this administration, though each one had their touches. But Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq came on boards and has his own touches entirely different and I want to commend him for this.
This is the first time we have a governor that cut across all the sixten local governments of Kwara State. I am not saying this for any inducement, but it is what is evidence. There is no any local government in Kwara State that governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq have not done one project or the other. I think It hasn’t been like this before. Had it been previous governors did same , whatever he is doing today would have been an addition.
Another area I want to commend the governor is the way he has giving the State capital a new look. We now have a state capital we can all call our own in Kwara State. The State capital is our image. When I came back recently, I almost miss my way. Everywhere were tarred with nice road networks.
Again, he is a listening governor. He has empathy for people, a very reserve personality with much of actions . I want to sincerely commend him and wish him well. I am one of his supporters. The Governor honored me by akin to my request when I wrote a letter to him toward renovating my Alma mater which he did. That singular act widen my horizons on what leadership is all about.
Where do you think the 2027 Kwara governorship ticket should go. Kwara South or Kwara North?
Personally speaking, I am an advocate of whoever the cap fit should wear it. I am from Ora in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State. I am a Muslim and I do not discriminate. I think the much agitation for even ticket rotation this time around by the people was due to previous neglect to some section of the state.
Like I said, whoever the cap fit should wear it. Whoever emerges the next governor of Kwara State should know he is the Governor of the whole state and that is how it suppose to be. To me, it doesn’t matter much who gets the ticket provided the person is progressive minded. Besides zoning, track record of performance, capacity to deliver dividends of democracy to electorate and working to unite our great party APC are what matters most to me. As we try to balance political representatives we should consider performance track record of individuals.
We have a leader in person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu that has the wherewithal, the intelligent to settle the matter. We need to pray for God to guide him and whoever that emerge win across the state.
Looking back at the trajectory of your life from hawking fish and colanut in the village, and later rose to a global Oil and Gas guru. Would you describe yourself as a child of destiny?
Yes! From nobody with humble background and hawking was one of the difficult things then during our time. I hawked very well and all those count to my growing up and where I am today. I have full cause to thank God and I would say I am a child of destiny.
I said this because the trajectory of my life was full of grace and favour of God. In 1999 during Obasanjo reign, I was one of the local content indigenous Engineers that started Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo). As soon we are done with that, we moved to Erha FPSO for Moble . It was another offshore exploration.
I later joined Akpo FPSO for Total. It is an oilfield as well. After then we move to Agbami for Chevron owned by Folorunso Alakija. So I happens to be an engineer that cut across all these oil field fabrication. It was after all these, they employed us. I was fortunate to be part of the people they employed. I have been working for Chevron for the past 15 years before I retired for politics.
Looking back today, I will say I am a child of destiny, judging from hawking in the village to Lagos and later left the shore of Nigeria to overseas, studied abroad, practicing from Chevron to NNPC.
I believe if I get to the National Assembly, I will give to my people dividends of democracy. I am not going there to represent them politically, but I want to represent them in character, attitude and accountability. Inshaa Allah
