Lagos Lawmaker Hon Olayiwola Olawale [Omititi] Speaks On His Many Achievement

His performance has endeared him to many, particularly in his constituency where he presently represent good people of Mushin Constituency 11 at the Lagos House of Assembly. For Hon Abdursobur Olayiwola Olawale his the decision to seek for another term will largely be determined by many achievement he has recorded which are numerous to mention. In this interview, the member Lagos State House of Assembly enumerated some of achievement representing Mushin 11.

Being the representative of heterogeneous community like Mushin can be tasking. Could you tell us your challenging moments?

One of the challenges I face as one of the representatives of the people of Mushin in the Lagos State House of Assembly, is explaining to my constituents the real reason I am in the Assembly. As a lawmaker, I am to legislate, perform oversight functions and see them to a logical conclusion.

Demands in various forms are daily challenging to public office holders in this part of the world, of which you are not an exception. How do you handle the many demands from your constituents?

I have been a welfarist long before I joined politics. As a welfarist, I have been rendering assistance to people for many years, even before I became a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and I derive joy in rendering these assistance and support to people of diverse ethnic, religious and political backgrounds. At times, it’s not a question of money, there are some that want job placements and empowerments in many artisan and vocational skills and acquisitions. The demands of my constituents are not new to me. I know all fingers are not equal and there is an Islamic injunction that says as a Muslim, you must give out, you must render assistance to people from whatever you have. So it’s something I have been doing for years and I variously go out of my way to try as much as I can to assist people of my constituency who need assistance as my financial wherewithal can accommodate. Although, some people can be dubious in their approach at times, all the same glory be to Almighty God, I have been able to cope, albeit maximally despite all odds. I often strive at times to even go beyond my constituency to render similar services.

Aside your legislative duties, in what ways have your people felt your impacts in your immediate Constituency?
To God be the glory, I have embarked on various welfare programmes and empowerment projects for the people of my constituency ditto: gainful employment, entrepreneurship skills, improvement of their welfare and other related programmes that could better their lives and sustenance. Long before my election into the House of Assembly, I had established a free computer training programme for the youth. I established the computer training school on June 1, 2002 and it is still running up till date. I so much believe in the welfarist programmes of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other progressives like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu just to mention two, and I am not relenting in my avowed bid to improve the standard of living of my people, especially those in my constituency.

Having done this much and still doing more, how would you want to be categorized as a lawmaker and politician?

Honestly, it is not in my character to evaluate or assess myself, I leave that to the public; but without being immodest I want to be acknowledged and known for my strides in the area of educational development in my jurisdiction. Intensive education and training of my people is very paramount and key to me; perhaps this is what informed my decision to establish a free computer training programme for idle youth in my constituency way back in 2002. I foresaw then that technology will one day be ruling and dictating the pace in the world and this exactly what is panning out in the entire globe including Nigeria and by extension Lagos state and my immediate constituency, Mushin. Hundreds of my constituents have thankfully benefitted from this novel venture and very soon we will be celebrating two decades of uninterrupted Omititi Free Computer Literacy Programme during which we shall be using as resource persons and role models like Asisat Oshoala, a top female professional footballer, a senior manager with First Bank, Mr Adebayo and a handful of many proud graduates of the computer programme who are doing well in their current endeavours. Fast track, we are also training youths in the area of fashion viz make up, tieing of Gele etc, we train them and empower them with their equipment and churn them out to the world. All these are apart from their skill acquisition tailored towards educational advancement and independent stay-on in their respective vocations. Year in year out, we also give out free JAMB, WAEC, NECO and GCE forms; we also gave out free uniforms to indigent students of Community High School, EUBA Secondary school and Igbo Owu Secondary school all of which are also tailored towards the educational advancement of these students and we are still on course. What about the school buses we provided free of charge for easy and smooth transportation of students to and from their schools every week. I want to be known majorly for the consistent and irrevocable educational advancement of the youth in my constituency because this is what will inadvertently expose them to the outside world on the long run. But aside education, this does not mean that I do not engage in other programmes like ‘Owo Arugbo’ (stipends for the aged and widows in the constituency) to cushion their hunger and thirst for a better living at least. Although some people say it is a token, but you need to see the avalanche of elderly people and the likes in my constituency on the day of disbursement of this money which some people erroneously referred to as ‘token’. As at the last count, over 200 elderly people benefit from this largesse every month and the number keeps increasing over time. Interestingly and most importantly, majority of these beneficiaries are not politicians or in any way politically affiliated to our party APC. Again, in my personal capacity I also sponsor some indigent students in Polytechnics, Universities and Colleges of Education and these are what I do silently without making any noise of it.

The statutory function of a lawmaker is to make laws, move motions, perform oversight functions among others. What can you point out as your legislative achievements since your election into the hallowed chambers of Lagos Assembly?

Talking about bills, many people are erroneously of the view that a lawmaker must sponsor bills and all what not, but let me clarify it that majority of the bills sent or passed at the Lagos State House of Assembly are from the executive arm of government. And the records are there for anyone to see. In our own political clime, majority of the bills are as I said earlier are from the executive but what we do mostly is to sponsor motions to further lend credence to the bills. Personally, I have more than 20 motions that I have sponsored and co-sponsored since my advent in the House; and I do release some of these in certain videos of my contributions on the floor of the House nay Tourism Development on Waterfront in Lagos state, Lagos State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Amendment Bill etc; I have heaps of documents and files in my office as incontrovertible evidence and proofs to back my knack for sponsoring motions that will add value to the entire populace in the state.

There are snippets that you’re seeking re-election for a third consecutive term, what new things are you bringing to the table if your third term bid comes true?

Definitely, my intention is to continue to improve rigorously on the existing programmes while I intend to fashion out new and better masses-friendly oriented programmes. As for the existing programmes, I intend to increase the number of school buses to cover the entire gamut of the Mushin enclave and also to increase the number of intakes into our various skill acquisition programmes especially the computer training stuff which will by the grace of God now be followed with the donation of computer sets and sundry IT gadgets to brilliant trainees on graduation. Without much ado, I also want to intensify on my welfarist projects by increasing the amount of money I give monthly to the elderly people and the widows without any political consideration or affiliation of the beneficiaries. In particular, in the area of improving educational standard of my constituents, through the combined efforts of LASUBEB I intend to consolidate on the renovation of dilapidated structures in our schools, and in this venture we have gone round virtually all the schools in our constituency and drawn out a comprehensive list of all the structures that need urgent resuscitation.

The Mushin political terrain is highly competitive and very volatile. Scores of aspirants are jostling to contest for your seat. What are your chances of picking your party’s ticket for a third term?

The more the merrier and thus will not be the first time that many serious and unserious aspirants will be jostling for my seat; and it might interest you to know that in 2014,we were 12 that tug for the much coveted seat of Mushin Constituency 2 but by the grace of God, I came out overwhelmingly as the winner both in the primary and the election proper. The same scenario played out in 2019 when gunned for a second term and I won convincingly. This time around, the Almighty God is still on His throne and He that superintended and made it possible for me to win back to back in 2015 and 2019 consecutively including my supporters that are clamouring for my third term return will surely pave the way for me. But I must add at this junction that to aspire is one thing but there are procedures to be followed in this regards because we have leaders who I need to consult severally and individually and inform them officially of any move I intend to make. I have been understudying the political situation in Mushin over the time and I believe in the sense of judgment of our leaders in Mushin, they are not biased; and having served these leaders in different capacities, before I came to this level I have been tested and they know I am a trusted and loyal party man to the core. I won’t say more than that. I will know how to cross the bridge when we get there