Spotlighting Ondo infrastructure challenges
The deplorable state of roads in the entire Akoko region of Ondo State has come under scrutiny with lamentations that Akoko area of Ondo State had literally been cut away from the state as a result of terrible roads.
An aspirant for the Federal House of Representative Akoko North East /west seat in Akoko constituency, Mr Olubunmi TunjiOjo, recently lamented the level of insecurity in the whole of Akoko where kidnapping activities have become very rampant.
The Oke Agbe Akoko born management consultant also bore his mind lack on the extremely poor electricity supply to Akoko land, particularly in the last one year. He however called the attention of both the state and federal government to the deplorable state of Akoko roads before it becomes too late.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo clarified that his reason for venturing into partisan politics despite his enormous successes in profession and businesses had been largely informed by the desire to turn things around for his people. He opined that politics should only be for those who have been positively accomplished in life and those with the mindset to affect lives of the people meaningfully. Although Tunji-Ojo is convinced that service and passionate desire to positively affect lives are also party of the motivating factors for him joining politics.
More so, another well thought out factor that propelled Olubunmi to joining politics centered on his personal life experience. The past experiences which include his background, poverty ridden lifestyles of the past, many struggles in life and the economically unbearable paths he had so far passed through in life before attainting his current status.
The mindset of Tunji-Ojo is a reflection of the reality that there could only be little he would be able to achieve in his personal capacity; unlike when he would leverage on a bigger platform of government to attend to countless needs. BTO, as he is known, declared that his ambition was far from being for eye -service, but about humility that could help to sustain the generation coming from behind and also guaranteed the future of Akoko children.
The core political vision of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo is focused on three major areas namely: Restoration, Revitalization and Reengineering of social minds. He likewise affirmed that the the three “R” are the things he firmly believe in, even as he is preparing to contest as a member of the House of Representatives in 2019.
Although he was quick to make it known that the position of a legislator does not include the right to have executive powers and to approved projects. However according to him, being a legislator should be about rendering service to humanity and also an avenue to promote sustainable ideas. He also canvassed very emphatic for the ideas that would be sustainable in this generation and of those coming behind. BTO further reiterated that the functions of a legislator are basically lawmaking, lobbying and networking. Nevertheless, he rated lobbying as the most important aspect of legislative work.
Olubunmi chastised the current member representing his constituency in the House of Representatives for lacking the ability to lobby his colleagues and both the federal and state governments in other to get their attentions to the deplorable state of Akoko roads. He regretted that the issue of bad road has badly affected the entire landscape of the area from Ikare Akoko to Oke-Agbe Akoko and all other adjourning routes and roads across the entire Akoko land.
He further stressed that politics should only be for accomplished minds. According to Olubunmi, “I know what it takes to be nowhere and also what it takes to be somewhere”. He also reiterated that being in politics would readily affords a bigger platform to affect lives of the people meaningfully. He equally lamented that the Akoko people have been totally disconnected and disadvantaged by the reason of obvious infrastructural decay in the area. Although he noted that the affected roads are federal roads and not that of the state. He further described Akoko as the gateway to Edo state and the northern part of the country from Kogi state. He likewise identified the deplorable road network in Akoko as being very key and of great economic importance to the country. He nonetheless confessed that he was duty bound as an individual preparing to become a federal lawmaker to represent Akoko to be morally responsible and defend the cause of his people by always speaking and lobbying on behalf of the them.
As an aspiring federal lawmaker, BTO was upbeat of serving as a bridge builder between the old and the younger generations. He described himself as a youth who would be able to tap from the experience of the old generation. He canvassed that Akoko is deserving of being moved from what it is currently to what it should have being originally. He further opined that more vocal, results oriented and purposeful Akoko people are needed in Abuja as House of Representatives members. BTO however counselled that legislators must also ensure that all things that are humanly possible must be done for the people they represent for them not to suffer unjustly and unnecessarily. But he was quick to admonish that the time had come for representatives of Akoko at the National Assembly to ensure that interests of their people are well protected and catered for. Femi Salako trianglemagazine8@gmail.com.