Date: 2018-03-19

Former Commissioner for Health in Kwara State Dr. Tajudeen Olaosebikan is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke with ADEKUNLE JIMOH in Ilorin, the state capital, on why he wants to suceed Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

What informed your decision to delve into Kwara politics?

My participation in Kwara politics did not just start today. I have been involved for many years. I have been playing positive roles in building character, setting good examples and being a good ambassador of Kwara State anywhere I am. I believe that Kwara is a great state and Kwara State has played a great role in the old North where we were very educated and we produced many great civil servants, judges, doctors, engineers, industrialists, great religious people and clerics, artists of great repute. However, Kwara has not developed as it should. People don’t have water to drink in Kwara State. The roads are bad. The schools are not functioning properly. The health sector requires transformation and workers' salaries are not paid on time.

Kwara has challenges and needs a new approach to governance and these issues are what motivated me to delve into politics now to provide leadership to address these challenges and promote unity in Kwara state.

We are one Kwara and one Nigeria and we can achieve a lot because we have the human capital. We are the bridging state between the North and the South and we have great potentials that we can mobilise to make Kwara a more developed state. I believe that my sojourn over the years in many states in Nigeria has prepared me for the task ahead and Iwill be of tremendous benefits to my state.

On which platform do you intend to realise your aspirations sir?

The people will decide the platform through which I will realise my aspiration. I am consulting and meeting people across Kwara State. I will go where my people are going; that is responsive leadership.

For now, I am building a new movement, the ;One Kwara Movement' for new thinking and new ways of doing things for total development of Kwara State. The old method has not worked and it has not satisfied the needs of people of Kwara State. We must find an end to poverty in Kwara State and gross underdevelopment. Like Emerson said: " you can get new result doing things the same way." I am a different politician. If they say politics is dirty, I will wash it clean in Kwara State and we shall be a model for Nigeria. So, within the next few weeks, I will announce the platform through which I intend to contest. We are mobilising and regrouping first and we are doing this in all the 16 local government areas in Kwara State. We want to promote integrity in government and we are also working in line with INEC guidelines and timetable for 2019 elections.

You are relatively unknown in Kwara politics. How do you think this aspiration can be achieved?

I am know in Kwara State. I was born in Kwara State and I schooled in Kwara State, my primary school at St Marks school Offa, my secondary at Oro Grammar School, Oro and my higher studies at Kwara College of Technology, Ilorin. I also did my housemanship at the General Hospital, Ilorin in 1981. The foundation is what matters in a building.

Throughout my formative years, I grew up in Kwara, not in England. So, I am known in Kwara. I have also participated in party politics and contested for senatorial election twice in Kwara State in 2003 and 2011. I have served in government as Commissioner for Health in Kwara State during the first term of Dr Bukola Saraki administration. I was the first Commissioner for Health during that era from 2003 to 2005. And those in Kwara at that time knew that the time I served as Commissioner for Health was the golden era for health in the state. When I am elected governor of Kwara State by the grace of God, we shall have the best health system in Nigeria. Mother and children will have excellent primary health care, maternal health care, children health care, and there will be massive transformation of all general hospitals in the 16 local government areas of Kwara State. I have also served in Kwara as Commissioner for Environment and Tourism and I have worked with many political stakeholders in Kwara and the people know me and they have also heard of the good works I have been doing in various places in Nigeria. I have rich experience in private sector and economic development and I am always bringing light to where ever I am and my return will usher in a glorious light in Kwara State and massive empowerment and economic transformation. What is important is the philosophy of the government. Is it for the people or for few elites? I will run a government that will totally serve the people.

Do you have the support of your people?

I have the support of my people, the people of Kwara State. Everywhere that I have been to inform Kwarans of my intention, they are very happy and they have promised to support me to build a modern Kwara, to revive the greatness of Kwara State, to transform the state for the benefits of all. We have one Kwara and we must build it. This generation of Kwarans and the coming generation deserve a Kwara that is working, that have developed institutions and that are inclusive and egalitarian. The youths are expecting this new development and the economy of Kwara will be transformed and Kwarans in the Diaspora are also happy and are coming home. I shall also be bring multi-billion dollar investment to Kwara from Asia when am elected as the governor and the great people, the great achievers, the great talents of Kwara people would be recognised. I will create an agency for innovations, talents and creativity. The Chinese build China. So, it is our people that will build Kwara State. You can’t suppress the people and expect development. This is my message and Kwarans are supporting me. I will release the great potentials of Kwara people and

I want all those great Kwarans abroad to return home to join me to develop a modern Kwara. Kwara can become the Dubai of North Central Zone. Most people in politics and in government now in Kwara or in Abuja know me and my capacity. The present generation of politicians in Kwara, we came in the same year in 2003. But, I left in 2005 and now I am back. The Kwara electorate know me and they also trust me because when I was Commissioner for Health, I stood for one Kwara, growth and the development of Kwara State. I promise the people of the state transparency and accountability. Kwara’s wealth will be used for Kwara State.

Do you have the political structure and financial muscle to achieve this?

Structure in politics is not like building. So, when people talk about structure in politics, you are talking about people. Yes, I have political structure in Kwara State. Right from my secondary school days in Oro Grammar school, I have always been a leader and up to my university days and also within my professional association, the Nigerian Medical Association, I have always played leadership and political roles. As far back as 1992, during the SDP and the NRC days ,I have been coming to Kwara to support political development and I promoted democracy during June 12 in 1993. I became an active politician from 2002 when I first contested to be a senator. I know Kwara state and Kwarans know me. There are 16 local governments in Kwara State, three senatorial districts and 183 wards.

I started politics in Kwara in 2003 to be a senator when Dr Saraki was contesting for governor. It is interesting that I also served later in his campaign organisation that year as the director of organization in 2003. I am one of those who worked very hard politically for him to win the party ticket that year and also to win the election against an incumbent that year.

I also served as member of the inauguration committee of the governor-elect in 2003 before I was also appointed commissioner

It is also interesting that after eight years, when I contested again for the Senate in 2011, Dr. Bukola Saraki who was concluding his second term, also contested that year to become a senator and he was represented at the party screening before the primary by somebody. I remember that I was screened that day with Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi and Senator Simon Ajibola. They all went to the Senate. So, you can see that I belong to the first eleven in Kwara politics. I hope that now that the former governors are now senators, they would support me to be the governor too, as we exchange seats in the service of our people. I have also served in the Kwara State Executive Council with the incumbent governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.

How do you think you can 'demolish' the solid structure of Saraki dynasty?

I am not in politics to destroy anybody or any dynasty. I am a builder and I am in politics to build, to develop and to serve the people. I am in politics to empower the people of Kwara and to transform Kwara's state economy so that the people of kwara state will enjoiy better life, so that they will have food to eat at the right time,good and regular water to drink, good roads, better education, good health care and timely payment of workers' salaries and to bring modern investments to kwara state. I have travelled to more than 30states in Nigeria in the last 30years. I have worked in many states and in some state. I am a cosmopolitan aspirant. I have served as Consultant to state government. So, I am a builder and technocrat, I am not a demolisher. I will build on what I meet and I will make development and progress the cardinal objective of our administration. I know Oloye Saraki. I was like his son and I know Dr Bukola I worked with him. So, I am not contesting to destroy any dynasty or anybody. I do not believe in politics with bitterness. I am contesting to serve all kwarans. I am for one Kwara and one Nigeria and I have the exposure and the intellectual capacity to tackle the issues of poverty and underdevelopment in Kwara State. I am creative and only creative people can do the job.

Are you aspiring under the structure?

I am aspiring to be the next governor of Kwara State by the grace of God, to contest and to win the election under the people’s platform. Those who have contested and won don't have two heads. I am aspiring on the people's platform. My platform will be known soon. We are still within the INEC guidelines and timetable. I want to be the candidate of all Kwarans, workers, farmers, students, market men and women, Muslims, Christians, traditional rulers, kings, chiefs, youths, pensioners, professionals. I am the most experienced, most prepared and most equipped of all the aspirants for the office. I am also the only aspirant with a national honour and I am going to contest with the best platform in Kwara State and the people will use their PVCs and smart card readers to vote for me. I am sure I will win like George Weah because of my programmes, because of my services to my state, my reputation, my selflessness and my love for the masses. I am a humanitarian to the core and Kwarans will enjoy my administration. I will run an open government with a caring heart. I believe that, as we go on in this process, many political groups, associations and tendencies will come together and adopt me as the best candidate. I am the candidate with the richest ideas.