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Says In The House We Practice Better Lagos Not Politics
Hon. David Olukoya Ibikunle Doherty, is an Honourable Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly. He won on the ticket of the Labout Party (LP). He was a former Footballer and businessman. Recently, he spoke to City People Magazine NIFEMI KAZEEM, relishing on the cordiality in the house irrespective of party affiliation and how the speaker, Rt. Hon. Dr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, carries every member along. Below are excerpts.
How did you venture into Politics?
Well, I will say from grassroot I started from Grassroot.
Do you have any political lineage?
We all practice politics, starting from our relationship with one another, from home, from how you take care of your family, friends and neighbour’s.
How can you describe your victory in the last election into the State Assembly, as an LP candidate? Was it because Lagosians were clamouring for change?
Apart from being a Labour Party member, when you see somebody that’s doing good things, you appreciate that person. It does not matter whether the perswon is your party member or relation.
I came into Politics because I had seen a lot from the street. In fact, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of the politicians I admire so much in the country.
Having been declared winner in the last election to the State Assembly, would you be persuaded to step down for anyone?
I will not step down for anyone. I suffered for my mandate and I will not allow anybody no matter who you are to take it away from me. It will mean me betraying the trust and confidence reposed in me by the people of my consistuency.
Talking about the people of your constituency, how well have you been representing them since you came on board?
Since I came on board, they have been appreciating me for opening their eyes to a lot of benefits that the past representatives did not bring to their notice thereby making them to believe that the government was not fair to them.
What do you mean by opening their eyes?
On what rightfully belongs to them, recently they shared palliative from the federal to the state, I gave it to all of them because it was their own not mine, I have to give to them and they looked at me and say they have not been seeing this kind of thing before yet it has been happening, they have been collecting a lot on behave of their consistuencies but they failed to give it to them.
The Federal Government has really been working for the interest of the citizens, making provisions through the state and local governments unfortunately, it is those in the corridors of power that are jeopardising the efforts of the governments. What most of our colleagues out there fail to understand is that they can not continue to fool the people all the time, soon election time will come, those you did not represent well in the last dispensation, how do you want to woo them to vote for you again?
So what you are saying now is that your people have been enjoying your present in the past few months
They all sing the song of praise to me but I always tell them to praise God and I always tell them to always praise my oga (boss) as well, that is making the things happen.
You as an LP person coming into the midst of APC members, how well have you settled-down. Is it going on well for you?
I will say we have been flowing very well. At times when I have a little issue I go to some of them and they will tell me. In fact, we have been flowing very well, we are just like family in the house and here in the Lagos House of Assemly, we don’t practice politics, instead we practice better Lagos.
Can you tell us about your background and upbringing?
I am David Olukoya Ibikunle Doherty. That Ibikunle was a name giving to me by my mother because she loves me and I was born into a family of 7 and I am from a polygamous house. My dad got married to different kinds of woman but my mother is his favourite because my mother is the only one that has three children for him and we are all boys. My dad cherishes me a lot, always taking me anywhere he went, he made me go into politics, my dad was a Civil Servant, he worked with the Lagos State Government for 35 years before he retired, he was my community C.D.A. Chairman, the first C.D.A Chairman in my community, which he introduced me to and that was where I started my political career from as a C.D.A member. After my dad retired and left, I took over from him as the C.S.O. of the C.D.A. I attend the Reservation Primary School. Tolu Village, Ajegunle, I have travelled to so many places because I played real football, not until my dad got angry with me and asked me to go back to the village to meet my mum. When I got to the village, my mum encouraged me to go to school so I had my Senior W.A.E.C at Ijebu-Feko High School and I proceed to Agbowa-Ikosi Comprehensive High School where I had my S.S.C.E, after which I went back to play my normal football, until I had a very big loss at Ibadan when I was playing Oluyole League.
Since then, I start business, I have been doing very well in my business. I have tankers which I use to supply fuel to people.
Are you from Ibadan?
No! I am from Lagos, I was born and brought up in Lagos. My dad is from Igoye (Epe) Local Government, Lagos State. My mum is from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State but I grew up in Kirikiri town, Amowo-Odofin, Lagos State.
How did your growing up in Ajegunle impact you positively?
Growing up in Ajegunle, did not have negative impact on me as it had on some people that grew up in that neighbourhood. I am someone that is strong willed, I hate cheating anywhere I am, I will fight to defend myself or whoever was being cheated. Again I don’t do things because others are doing it, I follow my mind, I don’t follow the bandwagon. People would readily tell you that I am stuborn but that my stuborness is to protect myself and others.
Before politics, what other business were you doing?
Well for now I decided to put all of my businesses on hold, the thing is, when you have a lot of responsibilities to face you will first of all concentrate, so as to get answers.
Other businesses, I was doing before, I have transferred them, I still have people working for me. For now I can only help them by giving some ideas, for now I really want to face what’s happening in my constituency.
Talking about your constituency, what are the plans you have for the Youths and is there any empowerment programme in process.
I was still with them on Saturday, I can show you a video of us in a meeting, I let them know a lot of things. In fact, they do even joke with me, they always come to my office. They are all welcome anytime, just two weeks ago I had about 20 people some of them here at the Assembly, a lot of youth empowerments, training them on different skills, most of them have been roaming about due to the fact that some parents are not bouyant enough to fix them up and we have some that are ready to work and need somebody to help them, So, I try to fix them. I believe instead of me giving you money everyday, why can’t you let me teach you how to fish. I ask them on the street, come, what do you want to do, some will say they want to go to school. This present term that has just resumed, I paid over 50 people’s school fees. I will only tell you come let’s go to your school, I will pay. Some have started learning trading, because I want them to find something doing, because it will get to a time in future when they will not have the strenth to do any thing like this what are thy falling back to. There are some we trained on computer, those that just finished their G.C.E. and their results are not yet out, we push them to go for 6 months course in Computer and the reason why I have been doing this is because I grew up in the streets and I know what it is like. Recently, to a primary school in my constituency and the headmaster said no lawmaker has ever done this before and I ask her how many years she has spent in the school, she said she has spent more than 15 years in the school and no representive ever visited and I asked what and what do we need to do for these children.
She named all they want and I called the super for education in my constituency I ask him to see me, when he came he listed their problems, I called the committee for education, we talked at lent and they promised they were going to help me out with it so if they help me out I have solved their problems on that area of need and when you give an everlasting solution to a problem, you will not go back to that problem again.
What is your relationship with the ex-Lawmaker Hon. Hakeem Bello from APC?
Hmm!!! Hon. AK. Bello, well is a friend, a brother and a leader. I have been working with him, right from where he started and he is a very good brother.
In Labour Party (LP), I was told that their form is free on this, do you have any godfather or leader that is expecting returns
Ah! I don’t no what they called return. in Labour Party we only have our leaders, excos and registered members but godfatherism no, because nobody has ever told me he is my godfather, because nobody has ever asked me to bring anything to him instead I give back to my constituency, Till date I still sit down with them, we always dine and wine together, nobody is billing anybody in Labour Party, in Labour Party you have to work for what you want that is why we are labour.
So far, do you have regrets going into politics or being a lawmaker?
No!!! That is a million No. Me, coming to the house, I met a leader like a father, the person in charge of the house is a person that will listen to you, he always want to hear your opinion Rt. Hon. Dr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, is not just a leader, he is a father. He always want to hear what you have to say, he gives a listening ear, sincerely speaking, I always ask myself where is this kind of leader in my constituency, it would have been a different thing altogether. Obasa is a person that can solve your problem before you know it Obasa is a person that feels reluctant in giving answers, when he talks to you, go back and study it, because you have gotten the answer from what he has told you, except you did not listen. In fact, if I had known him about 10-15 years ago, maybe my life would have been better than this.
I am saying that the Rt. Hon. Speaker is God sent to my life.
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