He has been around for quite a while now. As a former chairman of Kosofe Local Government, Honourable Tunde Braimoh made quite an impact, not just in the lives of Kosofe people, but also outside of Kosofe community. His outstanding achievements while in office as Chairman of Kosofe endeared him to the people and they rewarded him with a seat at the Lagos State House of Assembly, as the Lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency II. And he has not disappointed them. Their love and support for him continues to soar with each passing day and this is because he is never far away from them. The good-looking politician,who remains one of the APC’s most vibrant stalwarts in Lagos, was at the recently held City People Movie Awards and he had a swell time there. City People’s WALE LAWAL had a brief chat with the Lagos lawmaker and, he spoke about his love for Nigerian showbiz stars and, of course, his strong and enduring relationship with the people of Kosofe.
Enjoy excerpts of the interview.
You are someone who has always been close to many Nigerian showbiz personalities, how would you describe your admiration for them and are you impressed with what they’ve done so far?
Well, my love for them is unquantifiable. Believe me, it’s so immense because I appreciate them. It’s not just because they’re entertaining and educating people, and, of course, these are good reasons, but because they have contributed immensely to the development and emancipation of our youths. They have done a lot to provide employment, engagement and vocation for people and you can see many of them are doing well and living a good life. The truth is that we have got to develop the informal sector, if we all continue to depend on the formal sector and the white collar jobs, we’re not going to get anywhere in Nigeria. People have made bank-breaking deals making movies in America. There’s no way you can make good money in the developed world without being ingenious, without doing something that somebody has not done before. Even here in Nigeria, you can see that some of our artistes have become millionaires over night. If you are a good thinker, a creative person and you can develop your concept well, you will make it in Nigeria and indeed, anywhere else.
I noticed that from the moment you stepped into the hall and sighted Prince JideKosoko, you both have been sharing banters, are you two that close?
Of course, yes. Prince JideKosoko is one of the Icons of the movie industry, who has done so well and I respect him for that, same way I respect other entertainers. I’m close to many of them too because I appreciate them and what they’re doing for the industry and for the society as a whole. Nigerian entertainers have really done much for the society and they deserve our love and respect.
Lately, say in the past one year or so, you seemed to have been on the quiet side. You’re not always in the news as you used to be back then. What informed this? Is it deliberate?
Ah, well, you’re right. One has to slow down a bit. And besides, I am not getting any younger. The sort of energy I had then is no longer in place and even if I could, I would rather want to expend it on productive purposes. These days, I prefer to be a little more quiet, watch events around me as they unfold and speak up when there is need to. There’s plenty of work to be done now, so everyone is really busy.
Your political career has really enjoyed an amazing longevity and success. After several years, Hon Tunde Braimoh is still relevant politically, within Lagos State and outside, how have you achieved this?
Thank you. I give all the glory to God and to my people in Kosofe. They are the ones who decide how long or how short one’s political journey will be. And I am really grateful to them for reciprocating the love I have shown to them. It’s a contract really, between the people and I play my part and they play theirs. And to the glory of God, I have done my best to fulfill my promises to them and that’s why they have continued to support me and show me love, it’s as simple as that. If I fail on my promises to them and fail to keep my part of the contract, they would express their displeasure.
What would you say has been the key to the fantastic relationship you have with your people in Kosofe?
As I said, it’s a contract. I pledged my commitment to their cause, to their needs, and they gave me their mandate. It’s no rocketscience, I love them very much and they love me too. I am very close to them and that can only be possible if you’re a grass roots politician. They know me very well, I go to meet them out there on the streets. I touch base with them and reach out to them in many ways. I eat and drink with them. I don’t joke with them and they don’t joke with me. If you go to any area in Kosofe and you start to run me down in my absence, people would defend me and even call me on phone to tell me what’s going on. That’s why I say I don’t joke with them and they don’t joke with me, and that’s because I have not let them down. I have not breached the agreement of our contract.
You have always been known to be a stylish and good-looking politician. Even after all these years, you still maintain your good looks and enviable frame, how have you been able to manage this?
Well, I think it’s just God, that’s all I can say. The truth is there’s nothing special or deliberate that I do to maintain my looks, all I do is try to watch what I eat and rest well.
You mean you don’t do any particular form of exercise or weight watching regimen?
No, I don’t. Absolutely none, I will be honest with you. I’m very lazy when it comes to doing all of that stuff. I have not done anything special to maintain my physique, it’s just natural, it’s the grace of God. But, on the orders of my doctor, I plan to start some form of exercise soon to help correct some health issues I’m trying to address. I know that I need to start keeping myself in good physical condition, so I’m following my doctor’s orders and will be doing some exercises soon.
Many people have often wondered, sir, what keeps the Lagos state House of Assembly members together in harmony such that the House has been functioning without any major conflict for a very long while now and even most of the former PDP lawmakers have defected to the ruling APC?
(Smiles) Let me tell you, what the public see from outside is not often the case. We do have our differences. It is not possible that about forty people will come together under one roof and not have little frictions once in a while. But the thing is that, when these frictions come up, we have our in-house control mechanism that deals with them and prevents them from escalating. That is why you people don’t get to hear about or see any friction. But we do have our heated arguments, constructive criticisms and little differences, but we just don’t let them get out of hand.
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