•Chairman, SURULERE L.G Tells City People
He is warm, he is friendly. Anytime you meet Hon. Suleiman Bamidele Yusuf, the hardworking Executive chairman of Surulere Local Government, he is ever smiling and welcoming. One of the things everybody loves about him is his sense of humility. He believes in treating everyone with respect. This is why the people of Surulere Local Government don’t joke with him. And this is really working well for him in his dealings with those around him. For instance, Hon. Bamidele Yusuf has a remarkable working relationship with his deputy, the vice-chairman, Hon. Prince Dosunmu. They are always together. But he will always be quick to tell anyone who cares to listen that one man he holds in high esteem is the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the federal House of Reps. He says he will never take for granted the Speaker’s invaluable support and contributions to his becoming chairman. To say he has tons of respect and admiration for the Speaker is putting it mildly. He does not joke with him. If you easily want to upset Hon. Suleiman, speak ill about his leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in his presence and you will see how quickly the smile on his face will disappear, and then you would see the angry side of him. That is how much he loves the Speaker who also happens to be the leader of the party (APC) in Surulere.
According to Hon. Suleiman, the Speaker stood by him through thick and thin during the difficult period leading to the primaries that saw him emerge as the party’s flag bearer at the last local government elections about four months ago. He went on to win the elections and has since settled down to face the business of governance and so far, he has not done too badly. Last week, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) spent well over an hour with this amiable chairman and he opened up on his humble beginning as a politician and how, despite all odds, he rose to become the chairman of the massive and highly Cosmopolitan Surulere Local Government.
Thank you very much, sir, for squeezing out time to speak with us. We know it was a very tough journey, before the elections and during the elections. How do you feel with the way things have turned out for you, now that you’re here serving your people?
Well, I feel honoured and elated. As you said, it has not been easy. It was a very difficult journey. I am happy that I have been able to prove some people wrong. I have been in the system for a while now. I served as a councillor, I served as a Supervisor and as a two-time vice-chairman of this local government and likewise as Executive deputy secretary. To serve as chairman of the local government is not something you just wake up and decide to do, you must’ve been planning for it. And I have been planning on it for so long. To God be the glory, I was able to win the election. Even before the primary, it was a tough situation. But because of my relationship with people at the grassroots level and with the help of my leader, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who also spoke with virtually all the aspirants, asking them to step down for me and he tried to make it an all-inclusive thing. He told them that for someone like myself who has paid his dues within the local government, it is only fair that they give me the opportunity and support. To God be the glory, four out of five them stepped down while only one decided to run with me with the support of the former chairman. So, we went for the primary and out of the five wards involved in the primary, I won the whole five. They cancelled four of the wards because of the issues in those wards. But basically, I won five out of five. When I became the candidate, I went around, soliciting the support of everybody. Even Hon. Desmond Elliot was surprised at the turnout and he was wondering how I was able to do it, and I told him it’s all God’s work. And I want to believe that within the last few months, there have been at least some little changes.
I was here last week at the Stakeholders meeting and saw how your people were relating with you. You have been able to bring everyone together and enjoying the support of all the executives. How have you been able to do this?
I have told you about my background in politics. I first contested for councillorship in 1994 under SDP. Some months to the primary election before the military dissolved the two political parties, so we went back to the drawing board. In 1995, zero party came and I also contested but because God had said it was not yet my time, I lost with just one vote. I later joined UNC that merged with UNP and which became UNCP and to God be the glory I won my election as a Councilor. At that point in time, out of the councillors, they would also appoint a supervisor, so I was the supervisor for Education. After the death of Abiola and Abacha, the then head of state dissolved the political parties and asked us to form new political parties and I contested for Councillorship under APP. That was the only time I would lose an election in my polling booth. The leaders in my area asked me to join AD and I said no, so they refused to vote for me. They voted for my friend but the youths were behind me. That was how I lost the election.
After the presidential election, I went back to AD. I was there when my leader, my boss, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila came and contested for the House of Representatives in 2003. Since then, I have been with him. I was one of the pillars of his campaign group, myself, the former NGA chairman who also happens to be a two-time councillor in this local government, the secretary of the campaign organization of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is seated here beside me, he is now my Chief of Staff. He also was the candidate of APP house of Assembly, so most of us that were with him are notable politicians within the local government. Later I served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of AD before I was appointed as Supervisor for Health under Dr Razaq Olusegun Folami from 2008 to 2011. In 2011, in conjunction with my former chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Ajide, I was the vice-chairman from 2011 to 2014. When our tenures ended, they appointed Executive secretaries. I returned as deputy executive secretary in 2014 to 2015. In 2017, I came back to the council as the running mate of Hon. Tajudeen Ajide as second term vice-chairman, that was from 2017 to 2021 I became the chairman in 2021. And ever since I got here, I have been trying my best to meet the demands of my people as best as I can. I have always advised my colleagues, councillors and others that, whatever you can give to the people, give to them, don’t say it is for you alone, no, it is for the people at home. You must carry them along. I have a good relationship with the councillors and supervisors. When you see me and my vice, you know we are always together. My prayer always is that when I leave this position, God should bring him in to occupy the office when I leave.
I have noticed that anytime you get the opportunity to speak about Surulere, you always mention Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Reps and you speak about him with lots of admiration and respect. Share with us your relationship with him? How did it start?
I told you that I was one of his soldiers. When he wanted to contest for Senate, and we happen to come from the same ward, I was with him. Even his mum was a politician. She was not with our party though, at the time, she was with CNC while the Speaker and myself were with UNCP. So, our relationship started as far back as 1997 before he travelled abroad. When he came back to Nigeria, the first person he sought for his support was Honourable Ajao, who happened to be the chairman of the campaign. So, when Honourable Ajao called me and said he wanted me to support Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, I said support who? Me and Hon. Femi started our relationship long before he travelled abroad. So, we started the journey together. It was four of us at the apex, one of us has left us and all the remaining three are with him to date. He is somebody that listens and always ready to do the will of the people. He’s very close to the grassroots. Rt. Hon. Femi believes more in giving money to the grassroots rather than giving money to a leader somewhere. He will rather spend his money on the people. The Speaker is someone that will be honest with you. He will tell you what he can do and what he cannot do. We learnt that from him. Initially., we used to tell him, oga, come, in politics, you don’t tell the people that you can’t do something, tell them you will do it. But he insisted that he will not do things that way. Later, we started hearing people say, whatever Rt. Hon. Femi tells you he will do, go and sleep, he will do it, and that what he cannot do, he won’t promise you. I have also learnt from him that whatever I cannot do, I must not promise. So, we have been together for a long time. Then again, when you look at it, when most of the powerful leaders in the party said no, it’s this person that will go, he stood his ground and said, no, it’s Suleiman that will be our party’s candidate. And they did all things possible to make it impossible for me to get here, so tell me, why won’t I mention his name? There is a slogan going on now, they will say, “Ope lope Gbaja,” and the people will respond, “Ope lope Sule.” There is just no way I won’t mention his name. He fought battles for me, I will continue to mention his name along with our oga patapata, the leader of all leaders, the Jagaban of Nigeria, Talk and Do, there is just no way I will stop mentioning their names.
Surulere is a Cosmopolitan part of Lagos. It comprises of various ethnic groups. How do you plan to bring all the ethnic groups together such that no one will feel marginalized?
During our campaign with Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, we carried all interest groups along. At that time, we already had a relationship with the Arewas, with the Igbos, and where I was trained and brought up, beside my house, a Deltan stays there. And when I was staying with my mum at Lawanson, you could see that constituency was virtually dominated by non-Yoruba speaking people and both the Igbos and Yoruba, all of us lived together in harmony. Before I assumed office, I went to the South-south people and promised them that if they vote for me and I assume that office, I will make sure I carry them along and to God be the glory, when we assumed office, we have also included them and created their own platform. So, all ethnic groups are with us because we have always had that relationship with them even before I assumed office. Everyone in Surulere is politically inclined. You must carry everybody along. The CDC comprises of representatives of each of the CDs and when you look at Surulere, presently we have 54 CDs. So, three persons per CD, altogether that’s about 172. It’s a lot but we will have to find a way to put together an all-inclusive administration that will ensure no one is alienated.
Tell us about the renovation going on at the council, some people are wondering if you intend to move the council here permanently and abandon the original vision of this place which is to transform it into an ultra-modern hospital by the former chairman?
Yes, you’re right, we are supposed to equip this place and make it a modern health centre, but because of the renovation going on at the council, we had to move here temporarily so that the business of governance can go on smoothly. The contractor gave us 5 months. Immediately they are done with the renovation, we will move back to the secretariat and this place will be equipped. Presently, we have some of our staff at the Customary court. Soon, all the health workers will move back here, with the resident apartment of the doctors right inside here. When we are done, we move back to the main Secretariat. That is our main secretariat, number 24 A, Alhaji Masha, you can’t take that away from us. You can’t compare the space there with what we have here. That is the seat of power. You cannot be doing things outside while your secretariat is looking bad. They say charity begins at home.
But wasn’t the secretariat renovated before now?
No, it has never been renovated before. This is the first time it will be renovated. Nobody has done this before.
And would you say everybody was carried along with the decision to move the secretariat over here temporarily?
Of course yes. Its not something I just woke up one morning and on my own, I decided to take that decision, it’s not possible. Everybody that should be involved in the process was involved.
Share with us the highlights of your first few months in office…
Yeah, we came in July 27th. A week after, the schools went on holiday. We now decided that we cannot leave our children at home doing nothing, so we organized a summer coaching. It was the first of its kind in Surulere, from JSS1 to SS3. Over 2,000 students benefitted from the free summer coaching. At the end of the coaching, assessment tests were done and the best 50 students were given free GCE forms. Then, there was a skill acquisition programme in which we trained over 360 people in Surulere in different skills. It was a week’s training. And after the training, we empowered them. Usually, after such training, they just let the people go back home. But we said no. What is the essence of the training if they have no means to buy equipment and practice what they have learnt? So, we gave them start-up capital to enable them start something. There were about 360 participants. After that, we often give financial assistance every month, to both the civil servants and the community at large. We have been doing this since I assumed office. Some just picked up theirs today. With the contractors we engaged, we follow due process. We advertised it in daily newspapers and there was transparency in the final selection. We also make sure we seek the government’s approval because for any project that is above 35 million naira we seek the governor’s approval. Eventually, two companies won the bid for the renovation and construction of the Legislative block and they started the job with their own funds. Then, we move to the Spelling Bee competition which was started by Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The girl that won the Spelling Bee competition was also given the honour to be a one day chairman of the Local Government. She was in SS2. Surulere also participated in the governor’s cup and won it. The first prize was N1.5m and we added N1m to it to support the players. We lodged the players and gave them a great time. We also came first in other football competitions and talent hunt contests. Another thing we are doing that has never happened before in the history of Surulere, we are decorating Masha road and Alhaji Masha roundabout with Christmas lights and decorations.
