Date: 2014-08-13

Senator Simeon Sule Ajibola, who currently represents Kwara South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, recently held a big wedding party for his son. PAUL UKPABIO met him on the occasion and he spoke about his lifestyle, his political career and aspirations as well as his relationship with the Saraki political dynasty in Kwara State. Excerpts:

How do you unwind from the hustle and bustle of Abuja?

I simply retire to my village where I spend time with my people. I also take time to attend to my fish farm in the village. If only we the city dwellers can spend more time and have a base in our respective villages, we all would have been able to contribute to the development of our communities and Nigeria as a whole. Let us endeavour not to forget our roots.

You have been elected into the Senate four times. What is the secret of your electoral victories?

I feel a bit worried and concerned that majority of the people that are empowered to rule this country are too far from the grassroots, and this is where the majority of the people are. And these people are not really asking for much but the basic necessities of life to make life a little comfortable for them. Most of the problems we have in this country today are as a result of the neglect of the rural areas. If you talk of manpower development, human resources, it is also not being taken care of and that is why we have this problem of Boko Haram, particularly in the North East.

In a situation where you consider a male child not to be of any human value and the parent will just let them grow on the almajiri system whereby that basic responsibility of the parent is not there, is a big indictment on the political class as well because they are not responsive to these challenges. That is my biggest pain and headache for this country. We as politicians need to be close to the grassroots as much as we can. This is the only way we can know what they expect of us and how we can make their lives more meaningful.

Don't you think the Senate should share in the blame as they have not made the necessary laws towards better life for rural dwellers?

It is not only the legislative arm of the government that should be blamed for the problem, because at the legislative arm of the government, a lot of resolutions have been passed which is never respected by the executive. And when you go back to the executive, the way and manner they use the people's resources baffles one's imagination. Because so far now, we even say that most of our revenues are not from tax; they are not from personal income tax. Taxation this time around can be from import duty and the major one is from oil revenue. So, these are natural ones; God-given ones, and they are equitably allocated through the Federation Account to the three tiers of government out of which almost fifty per cent goes to the state. The one that remains at the center is something above 40 per cent. But what do we have to show for the 50 per cent given to the state for the development of the rural areas which the governors preside over?

We find ourselves in a quagmire, maybe averagely out of the 50 per cent that goes to the state, above 50 or even more than 60 per cent is supposed to go directly to the local government. How are the chief executives of these states managing it? I can speak of that of Kwara and I can refer to that of my own local government (Ekiti). In a situation whereby in a local government we have the benefit of say N150 million from the federation account, and at the end of the day, the state government gives such a council chairman something less than N30 million per month; that can hardly pay salaries.

So, these are some of the issues that have deformed good governance at the grassroots level and you wonder, what are these governors doing with the allocations? What are they doing with people's resources? This is the basis for the dislocation at the rural level.

So what do you think is the solution to such dislocation with the grassroots people?

Well, until maybe the masses can also live up to their expectations and make sure that they elect people that are rural-based, not these London-trained, Queen English speaking people. You don't need to be a Harvard graduate to know that there is need to connect with people and give them the basic amenities of life. Like in my own rural area, you don't need to be a Harvard graduate to know that there is a need for you to provide water, build good roads, boost up the electricity supply and take care of the masses by preparing the rural people for a good future. It is not rocket science; it is something that lives with us and we must be able to create solutions that will make the lives of our people better. That is my way of life and that is my political philosophy.

You seem to be a man of style. What types of clothes do you like wearing most?

As an African, I am most comfortable in my traditional attire. But when it is a dress-down occasion; I prefer a polo shirt on trousers with an ascot cap to go with it.

You've been in politics for quite a while, what has kept you there?

Well, I think this question is better put to the electorate, because I may not know why they keep voting me back. But the little I can say is maybe because I am relatively close to the grassroots. I relate with them at the lowest rung and I even give from my little resources. For the mere fact that you relate with them, you respect them, there are chances that they will also reciprocate your gesture by voting. To God be the glory, five times I have contested, four out of which are for senate and I won. So, that is what I can say and I thank God for that.

What is the source of your strength in politics?

I think my strength lies in the ability to take care and pay salaries of temporary teachers, which is bigger than giving scholarships to selected ones. If you give scholarships, it can only go to a select few. But if you decide to take over the payment of some of the teachers' emoluments, then you can give a lot to the people through them. You duplicate the opportunity for education which is bigger than anything else.

To God be the glory, I have also assisted in the area of providing classrooms and building a few laboratories. These are the areas I have been able to touch our people. Whatever I do, I generalise so that more people can benefit from it. That is the way I do my things. I identify with the needs of the people and I don't believe in doing things in a way that you bring the world to see it and the next thing is you go on the pages of newspapers to show all you are doing. It is a contract between me, my people and my God, and I enjoy doing it that way.

What do you think went wrong in Ekiti State's recent election?

It was clear that the government of APC in Ekiti State was detached from the people. Even at the World Bank today, if they are going to give you any kind of assistance, they would want you to participate and they will ask you, "What do you want?" Gone are those days when the World Bank would design for people. You have to first of all carry them along. What a particular ward needs might be different from what the other ward needs. So, if you now design for them what they want in your own thinking and you fail to carry them along in the execution and you now bring in an imported executor from Lagos or London; be it on education, infrastructural development or agriculture, they won't appreciate it. And these are probably what the people are complaining about in Ekiti.

Even if the government wants to design a road in Ekiti, what is wrong in making use of Ekiti indigenes? We have qualified engineers in Ekiti State; you can make use of them and you can monitor them and ensure that they deliver. Make use of the home base and the profit that comes out of it will develop the economy of Ekiti; not imported executors from abroad. And you will see that some aspects of the percentage of that fund that is used for that project will be replanted in terms of physical structure and other economic variables. Half of the profit margin will be used to redevelop other areas of the state instead of witnessing a capital flight as a result of giving internal contracts to imported executors from Lagos and London.

Maybe if the profit margin of such a project is 30 per cent or 20 per cent, that 20 per cent, if it is in the hand of an external executor, the economic benefit will be out of that place. And if he (Fayemi) had allowed that, people would have appreciated him more as a governor.

Do you think the incoming Governor Ayo Fayose has the magic wand despite the fact that his image seems to be suffering from a lot of tarnish?

He seems close to the people. I will only advise that he plans the people's needs with them and carry them along in the execution. At the end of the day, he will continuously feel at home with them as he is now.

You are trying to make history by becoming the first governor from Kwara South in a very long time. But with leadership presently in the hand of the opposition, is that not a herculean task?

Well, the aspiration is on to fly the party's flag in 2015 as PDP gubernatorial flag bearer. Consultations have been made and very soon, there is going to be a public declaration. Let's see what comes out of it at the primary level. If I succeed in picking the party's ticket the next stage will be to face the other political parties at the general election where the Kwara electorate as a whole will determine which of the parties' flag bearers will be voted in.

I wish to give my people the best of leadership. I wish to make a difference in the lives of the people of Kwara, especially the people in rural Kwara. Our government will solve their problems, no matter what.

We hear that you were comfortable as a quantity Surveyor. Why did you go into politics?

I am a certified quantity surveyor. I have been in the industry for decades as a consultant quality surveyor and I also played big in the construction aspect of building industry. That is my primary calling. But my adventure into politics started in 1994 when I was elected into the constitutional conference of Gen. Sani Abacha's constitutional programme. That was exactly 20 years ago. That was my first election.

In 1994, I attended that conference as an elected delegate against some that were nominated. After the conference, the Abacha transition programme continued and I pitched my tenth with the UNCP and was able to win the senate seat in 1998. Unfortunately, that electoral reign was truncated. So, by the time Abdulsalam (Abubakar) started his own transition programme in 1999 I joined the PDP right from the outset. This time, I didn't contest for the Senate, but at the end of the day, the PDP formed the government at the centre and I was given the opportunity of being a federal commissioner in the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Then, by 2003, I resigned from the commission even though it was a five-year tenure office. After two years or so, I resigned and contested the Senate seat in 2003 and won. I was winning the Senate seat for the second time at that time. I contested in 2007 and won, and in 2011, I won. That is why till date, I am grateful to God and the people of my zone who have found a worthy ambassador in me.

What is wrong in Kwara State, that you want to change?

We need uninterrupted electricity supply. But this issue of electricity supply does not squarely lay on the state government now. You know that electricity supply is now a chain. You have the generation, the distribution and the marketing arms. It has already been privatised. So, any government will have to liaise with the new system and first of all find out what is the level of the quantity of electricity being generated in the state or being transmitted to us via the transmission company and to the operating electricity distribution company. One must really understand that and find a way to key in.

Kwara is fast growing from a civil service state to an industrial hub. That is why we must cash in on that. I will want to make the rural areas more habitable so that it can be somehow near the situation in the urban areas, so that it will make the rural areas good enough for the people to be willing to settle down in and explore its potentials by way of farming and possibly exploring the solid minerals deposited in those areas. My passion is to really give rural Kwara a facelift and make it the new home for all.

We need to find a way to reduce if not stop this rural to urban migration in this country. That is why we have so much crime in our cities. There are too many unemployed citizens in our cities doing nothing. This set of people can be gainfully employed in the rural areas and contribute to the economy. This is one of my cardinal projections and I think the time is ripe.

But looking at it squarely, Kwara is firmly in the grips of the APC and you are even referred to as the last man standing for PDP. How do you hope to emerge in such a situation? And what has been your relationship with the Saraki political dynasty?

My own personal background is such that we believe in the efficacy of change and the God factor. Although I have been operating all along my political line which is majorly based in Kwara South; all the elections I have ever run and won are based in Kwara South. But right from day one, I was never part of Saraki's political structure.

In 1998, I was in UNCP, Baba Saraki was in CNP. With the UNCP, which I single-handedly funded, I was able to control two local governments of Ekiti extraction in Kwara State Oke Ero Local Government and Ekiti Local Government. To God be the glory, the UNCP, under my efforts and humble stride, was able to win the two councils back to back. I was also able to also defeat the CNP candidate for the Senate seat.

I won against Baba's candidate. At that time, he supported one Alhaji Nurudeen from Oke Ode in Ifelodun Local Government. Now, when that transition programme was truncated, we had to start all over again. While Baba joined APP, I joined PDP from day one. So, that was the situation until 2003 when Baba had a problem with (the late former governor) Lawal. So, Baba had no party platform at that time on which to contest. We made the membership of the party open to him. With the support of the PDP leadership at the national level, they allowed Baba to come into the PDP, and that was when he fielded Bukola Saraki. That also was the time I won my senate seat and we had a good working relationship.

Let us talk about your life style. What male fashion accessories would you not do without?

I wear wristwatches, but I surely can do without them due to the simple nature of my personality. I wear it mostly for the necessity of it; not as a fashion accessory or statement.

What is your favourite colour?

I don't have any favourite colour. Once it appeals to me, I go for it. Do you have any sport that you are still into?

I am still very much into football, but now as a fan/spectator. In my spare time when my schedule allows for it, I watch the Premier League. But please don't ask me which team I support because I don't support any. I just enjoy the game.