Asipa Kaoli Olatunji Olusanya is currently the Vice Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State. He served as the Commissioner for Agriculture for eight years in the administration of former governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In this interview with ‘DARE ODUFOWOKAN, Assistant Editor, he explains why he wants to replace the late Senator Bayo Osinowo as the representative of Lagos East Senatorial District in the National Assembly. Excerpts
Why are you interested in the Lagos East senatorial seat?
I want to serve. My desire is to be a change agent. I am open and available to serve. I want to represent my people as their voice. It’s not about me because God has blessed me and I am grateful for that but if He says that l have to do more, I cannot say no. I have the capacity, structure, funds, network to engage and deliver. In terms of structures politically, without boasting and with all humility, if structure is the party, I am the Vice Chairman of the Lagos East Senatorial District. That is the structure.
My ambition to vie for the vacant Lagos East Senatorial position at the National Assembly is buoyed by the need to offer practical and meaningful representation to the distinguished people of Lagos East Senatorial District. While our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has performed tremendously in promoting sustainable governance and development since 1999 in Lagos State, the THEME programme of Governor Jide Sanwoolu for the development of Lagos State, which cut across Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century state; Security and Governance, has opened the potential for Lagos as a smart city.
Following this transformative development, I hope to consolidate on the effort of the Lagos State Government and make a meaningful impact on the Lagos East Senatorial District, which comprises Ikorodu, Kosofe, Somolu, Epe and Ibeju Lekki through inclusive representation, practical legislation and sustainable development initiatives. Given this, I will formulate an agenda of inclusive and people-oriented representation programmes tagged the “KAOLI SENATE AGENDA”, which hinges on my desire to further enhance the development of our district, Lagos State as well as the entire country.
What exactly is the agenda all about?
It is about my keen interest in the development and advancement of education in the senatorial district, Lagos State and Nigeria at large. Then there is agro-allied based employment generation and empowerment for my constituents. Openness for inclusive and pro-active representation and civic engagement of constituents on state and national issues is next. Legislation, motion and initiation of bills into law as the peoples’ representatives and infrastructural development of Lagos East by attracting state and federal projects/presence to the constituency are also on the bill.
As a key player in the education industry for over two decades, I quite understood the enormous challenges facing the industry. Most especially, the public schools from primary to university level have been bedevilled with a plethora of problems and challenges that make educational institutions unfit for a 21st Century learning environment. The private sector also shares in the enormous challenges due to the general business environment that affects their operations. My recent appointment on the Board of Nigerian Educational and Research and Development Council (NERDC) has also given me further insights into the lingering problems of education in Nigeria. Some of these challenges include, but are not limited to, poor infrastructure, obsolete learning equipment, outdated policies and inadequate regulatory oversight of the sector, issue of funding, research and development and lack of partnership with the organised private sector.
Given the above, if elected into the Senate, I will work with other like-minded legislators and other stakeholders in the industry to ensure the sponsorship and enactment of bills to improve and shape policies that will advance the development of education in the district, the state and the nation. I will also expand the scholarship awards of Kaoli Olatunji Olusanya Educational Foundation (KOOEF) beyond Ikorodu to other local governments in the senatorial district. I will work with other representatives and political appointees in the senatorial district to ensure that schools and institutions within the constituency receive adequate attention and benefits maximally from the Lagos State and Federal projects and funding that will make them conducive for our children.
But how do you intend to fund all these plans given that as a Senator, you have no budget of your own?
I will use my influence as senator with other stakeholders to solicit local and international funding of these ideas. We will source funds for building educational facilities such as libraries, ICT facilities, laboratories, etc. that will aid teaching and learning in our schools. Also, the high rate of unemployment among the teeming youths of the Federation is undeniable. Most graduates roam the streets of major cities looking for unavailable white-collar jobs and the opportunity to tap in. The lack of functional education offered by our academic towers is not helping matters. School leavers are not being equipped with vocational and entrepreneurial skills needed to meet the challenges of their generation. I realised this as a major stakeholder in the education industry.
In my little capacity through the schools I run, I initiated a programme called “Vocational, Technical and Entrepreneurial Education” (VTE). Under the scheme, students in the senior school are encouraged to learn vocational skills of their choice during the long vacations and the results have been encouraging. Based on this experience, I will promote and advocate by sponsoring a bill that seeks to include the VTE programme in the school curriculum under the senatorial district, especially in the agro-allied sector whose potential is extremely very high in the senatorial district. While the nation groans under the burden of unemployment and food insecurity, the abundant agricultural potential of the nation remains untapped and underdeveloped.
A larger part of Lagos East Senatorial District is predominantly agrarian. Therefore, if elected as your senator, we will explore how the agricultural potential of the constituency can be maximized to the advantage of our teeming youths. Internship programme in Agricpreneurs in collaboration with Agro-Allied businesses and government agencies, linking up young Agricpreneurs with institutions that provide seed funding and specialized loan facilities, organising special annual Agricpreneurs clinic to sensitize the youths on how to take up and utilize the potentials in the agro-allied business and collaboration with other representatives and political leaders in the district, initiate competitive start-up funding for young Agricpreneurs with workable business plans, are some of the ideas we will bring on board.
Beyond these plans, in terms of representation and feedbacks; how do you intend to carry your constituents along if elected?
As a Senator, I shall run an open door policy. I do understand as an experienced public and private practitioner that openness creates a greater level of synergy for the common good of the mass of the people. In representing the interest of my people at the upper chamber, their opinions, suggestions, critiques and contributions on local, state and national issues will be taken into consideration in my decision-making process. I will ensure constant engagement with my constituents to gauge their views and feedback on current issues in public space that are of paramount importance to the Constituency. Through the feedback given, I will articulate and aggregate their opinions to reflect the needs and aspiration of the constituents to promote participatory and inclusive governance.
Considering that the core mandate of a Senator is to represent and legislate on the needs and aspiration of his people, I will initiate bills, move motions, express opinions and raise matters of public importance which affect my constituents through collaboration and lobbying of other senators. Where required, I will raise petitions on issues of concern to our constituents. My legislative activities and efforts will be geared towards intervention in critical areas of infrastructure, education, health, agriculture, and youth and women inclusion in governance in our constituency. As a liberal democrat, if elected, I will work assiduously with other like-minded senators and representatives to ensure that rights and freedom of individuals are protected within the confines of the rule of law. I promise to be accountable to you and ensure that your right is not trampled under. I shall be a voice to the voiceless in the society. It shall be my goal to work for the enactment of new laws that promote equity, progress, justice, unity and fair play among the citizenry, as well as repealing and or amending obnoxious and antiquated laws which are inhibitory to a free and liberal society.
How optimistic are you as the contest grows bigger with more and more big names dropping their hats in the ring?
As a seasoned politician with decorated years of public service experience and involvement which spanned four decades, I am highly optimistic and motivated to advance the cause of my constituents through these five critical programmes among others. I wish to run for the vacant seat of Lagos East Senatorial District to continue to present myself for service to the people and continue the good work of my predecessors in office. It is my utmost belief that you will avail me the opportunity to serve the good people of Lagos East Senatorial District. People say I may not have a very big pocket but that depends on what a very big pocket actually means.
But I have the intelligence, network of people, teachers, people in academia, thinkers that can come up with ideas and friends and supporters ready to fund the ideas. It is ideas that make the society and not the depth of your pocket. In terms of network, I think I am blessed with that. If I know my ‘oga patapata’, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, if I can relate with leaders of the party and my colleagues that we served under Bola Tinubu from the Vice President to ministers and governors, then, I have the needed network to deliver. Once they hear Asipa, they know who he is. That is the network that you need. These are the people that you will find in the Presidency, Senate and State. Those are my networks and with that, I can engage and deliver. (The Nation)
