Date: 2016-11-22

Alhaji Hakeem Lawal was a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections in Kwara State and son of late former Governor Muhammed Alabi Lawal. After series of attempts, AHMED 'LATEEF cornered him for an interview at the 10th Remembrance Prayer organised for his late father in Ilorin on Saturday. He spoke on wide range of issues including aftermath of the death of his father.

How has it been in the last 10 years of the demise of your father?
Ten years just like yesterday. The experience has been in two ways. Ten years ago, there was a moment of grief and sorrow. The following years were characterized by struggle. Struggle in the sense that when you lose your mentor suddenly, it takes time for you to settle. So, those are the years of struggle. But I believe the last few years had been years of development, because after the struggle, things settled.

At that time, what we knew was that we lost our dad and that was how we felt. This is just like we lost a lot. But in the 10 years that had gone, we have realized that we lost our father, many other people lost something that meant more than... So the pain that we felt we were going through, there were those people that were going through multi-folds of it. That itself has taught a lesson that whatever you think that you own, there is always those that are worst. So, at any point in time, you must learn to give grace to God.

Ten years ago, we have seen those that had gone. But we say Al-Amdulilah (Glory be to Almighty Allah) because we see that people appreciated our father and what he stood for more today. That in itself is a lesson for us. The other day when I was at IEDPU annual event to receive an award on behalf of my father, they gave me Walaa (Slate). And in the tradition of Ilorin, when you go to Islamic School, that is Slate. It is the form of Tablet that we used today. It is what they used to educate us.

And I told them (at IEDPU gathering) that day that what they have done, is giving us challenge. Invariably, they have given us a book of history. This is what your parents had done for their community. What are you going to stand for and what are you going do also. and I think that moving forward, that is what we have seen and that is what we believe is the next thing for us to do, to be able to understand how far he has come, why he stood for what he stood for and how do we exemplify those virtues.

In the last ten years, what are those legacies and virtues that you imbibed from your late father and that have kept you going?
It is fear of God, care for other people and the willingness for the struggle not only for him but for other people to rise and benefit from the government

He cared for people and their well being. He believed so much in education and he used to say that I don't want to go give you fish, I want to teach you how to fish. And like I said, those are the things we are trying to exemplify.

The last time I was home, I gave 1000 youths CISCO training. It is different from what other people do. I tell most people before you can do CISCO training, it cost you nothing less than $1000. But I know that once you have that CISCO training, you can work anywhere in the world. If you are CISCO certified, the minimum income for you per month, is nothing less than $2000. So, we have empowered those 1000 people. So, what are they going to do with it. Because the whole training process was in collaboration with CISCO. They don't only train you and abandon you. They train you and put your CVs and qualifications out there for people to say people with these skills are available here and there. We believe that, that is the way to follow to further exemplify those virtues.

Are the beneficiaries of that CISCO training from Kwara State?
Yes, it was strictly for Kwarans. At that time, when the programme started, they were doing for 7000 people in the whole of Nigeria. Most of the other States that did like in Niger, Kogi, Benue and what have you, it was government sponsored. What I mean by government sponsor is that it was the State government that brought people to participate in the programme.

There is no doubt, you have requisite knowledge and what it takes when it comes to politics. People are looking at you as a potential governor in Kwara State. What do you think about that?
Well, it is part of what I have been saying. I feel highly honoured that people look at me and wish me something great and wonderful. But at the same time, it is also a challenge to me because the thing my father did, people have been talking about it. So, what people are saying indirectly is that I should rise up to the challenge. And from there, I believe that I am gradually seeing myself that I want to be able to do better than what my father did. Everything is in the hand of God. They say the voice of people is the voice of God. If it is the wish of the people, then that is the wish of God.

Do you subscribe to the idea of local government autonomy?
Local Government autonomy is sacrosanct. It is part of our constitution. I believe that it is not something that should be opened for discussion if we truly say we are practicing democracy, the foundation of that is local government autonomy. If constitution has prescribed it why not leaving it the way it is. But the onerous is also on us, politicians and the electorate to ensure that we get the right people in place.

In as much as there is autonomy, there must also be relationship or collaboration. You cannot all say you are going on your own way and am going my own way. If we don't collaborate, we will find out that we are duplicating the same thing. I think what is lacking is collaboration. But am sure that the more and more we elect capable hands and understand what people want and put them in place, then the State and the Federal Governments would have no choice but to allow these people to operate within their vicinity to the best of all of us.

There is fear that local government is susceptible to servitude with joint account with state. Are you in support of the notion that the joint account should continue?
Operating a joint account doesn't determine whether you should be subservient or not. The joint account is just to say this is where our money is. Everybody knows what the entitlement of local government is. And every local government should be able to have budget just like state. If we say we are operating a joint account, the onerous is on us to be accountable, to know that this is what comes to the state and this is what comes to the local government.

In as much as we do it like that, the Federal and State Governments also have joint account. It is through that joint account that monies are distributed to the various states. Even through that joint account, there are projects that are executed to enhance collaboration between the states and Federal Governments.

By and large, joint account is not a limitation to the way local government is run. It is more in the way both (state and local governments) operate together. There must be mutual understanding on what you want to do and mutual respect for each authority. So, if we keep dragging joint account, I think we are focusing on what shouldn't be. We should focus more on how that joint account is being operated and the service it renders. This is because it has pros and cons.

What is your plan for 2019?
My plan for 2019 is that Kwara should have a government that will reflect the need of the people and the government that will serve the interest of the people but my ambition is in the hand of God.

What do you have to say about the crisis in Kwara State chapter of PDP?
Well, what is happening in Kwara PDP is a reflection of what is happening at the national. There must be change in the way we operate, and invariably what you are seeing today, is a reflection of the struggle to adjust to new realities. We do things in the same old way. If we don't endeavour to try something new, we will never move forward. That is the reflection of what is going on, and eventually everything will find its balance. But ultimately I think that what we are doing is that we are trying to reflect on the trend at the national scene.

As presently constituted now, do you think the TIC structure is good for local government?
It all boils down to the autonomy of local government. If we say we should have a transitional government, is it legal? The constitution says we should do an election and those elected are to spend certain number of years in office before another round of election.

It is a question that should not be asked. It is a question of let's do the right thing, and we should stop paying lip service to the rule of law. I believe we have enough time to prepare for an election, and if we are going to follow the rule of law, I believe we should follow it all through.