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LAGOS Lawmaker, Hon. AJAYI OLADELE
Hon. Ajayi Oladele Oluwadamilare is a grassroot politician who has been playing politics since the time of SDP till date. He is also a businessman who is loved greatly by the people of his constituency, Ibeju-Lekki 2. He has really worked hard since he ventured into politics in 1991. Hon. Oladele is a man who has paid his dues long before he was elected member of Lagos House of Assembly in 2023. He shared his experienced so far with NIFE KAZEEM. Below is his interview.
How did your passion for politics begin?
Well, the journey started in the year 1971, when I was an SDP member. Then I contested for Chairmanship but our leaders in the party asked me to step down for a colleague, not because I was not competent enough, but just to abide by the rules of the party.
How can you describe your work as a legislator and that of being a Special Adviser to Gov. Sanwo-Olu months ago?
Legislative work is very large which needs much caution and attention, like the needs of your people who elected you into office is very important, while being an appointee you have to act on instructions. And when I was Special Adviser on Commerce & Industry to Governor Sanwo-Olu, I had less responsibilities than being a legislator now. The legislative work gets me more involved with my people and they are the reason why I am here today.
Can you share a little bit of your background?
All thanks to God and to my parents who shaped me into who I am today, cause I wanted to be a footballer. I had refused to sit for my SSCE exam and my dad was a Principal and my mum also a Headmistress, so there’s no way that I won’t go to school. Then I went to Lagos State Polytechnic and University of Lagos, Akoka.
How did you become a Special Adviser to Gov. Sanwo-Olu?
(Smiles) Even before we came to that level, I had been involved with previous dispensation. I was a member of (ANPP) in my local government which is Ibeju-Lekki, then I later moved to Alliance for Democracy to join the ruling party of the state, that was in 1999. Since then I have been an active member and I have been working with the leadership of my local government, I have been playing a major role since then till date. And back then we had A level wards, where we know the younger ones that control the ward in my local government, before I eventually in 2018, got an appointment as Supervisor for works when the local goverment was created. We have 37 LCDA and 20 local governments, so I was fortunate to be among the LCDAs when it was created. From there I got the opportunity to serve my people, the first secretariat that was constructed, happened under my leadership and I thank God it’s still there till date.
So you mean since 1999 you’ve been doing politics?
Yeah! That’s why I said. I served at the local government level before I came to state level.
What made the people of your constituency Ibeju-Lekki 2, vote for you?
Even before I became an honourable member of this great house, don’t forget I was appointed by a Special Adviser to the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Special Adviser on Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives. It was the level of my contribution and how much people believed in me, and also in my capabilities that made me to be part of the state executives. And don’t forget so many times I have contested, I have been contesting since 1996 to become the member of this house until God made it possible. Even the 2018/2019, I contested for the State Assembly which I won the ticket but our leader then told me to allow the person there to go for 2nd term and maybe it’s because of my sincerity and my submission to the party that made them submit my name to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to be a member of his cabinet and within the little period I came in, I did what I could do to showcase my local government when I was a cabinet member and from there my people called upon me again that I needed to go higher and higher, reason why I am here now, to the glory of almighty God. So, I resigned in 2022 as a member of the cabinet of Gov. Sanwo-Olu to go and contest as a member representing Ibeju-Lekki 02.
Now talking about the people of your constituency, six months down the line that you’ve been elected as their representative, what are the things they’ve been enjoying from you?
Well, let me not talk about six months that I have been elected member, let me bring back the records of the things I have contributed to my local government since Babajide Sanwo-Olu made me his Special Adviser. On construction, the on going road from T-junction to Abraham Adesanya, was part of my facilitation. I was one of those who mounted pressure to the government of Lagos State that the road is so essential to us and I am happy its construction is on going right now, at least the road from Epe to T-junction is done, from T-junction to Awoyaya has also been done, from Awoyaya to Abraham Adesanya is now on going, I’m so glad I am part of the history.
Then number two, the only jetty in Ibeju-Lekki, was brought through me with the people of Ibeju-Lekki. The on going Police Station project right now, was through me. The two-storey building Secondary School in Ibeju Lekki was done through me, and I want to thank Almighty God for using me. Again about 8 Kings, first time in the history of Lagos, were approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the people of Ibeju-Lekki through me. So right now as a member of Lagos State House of Assembly, who’s representing the good people of Ibeju-Lekki 02, we are marking out strategies. Though budget was already done before we came in but with the new budget is on the way now, we have planned lots of things that we are going to roll out by next year, but from my own little way I have been trying to contrubute my own quota to the people who elected me into office. They so much believe in me because they know I can do it and by God’s grace I will not disappoint them.
How can you describe Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu?
I will say he was like a father figure when I served under him. He’s a wonderful gentle man he is a man that wants the best for the state and for the team of his cabinet members, I dont want to explain how close I am to him but what I can say is that he’s a fantastic gentleman.
Recently one of the lawmakers Hon. Age Sulaimon who got defeated by LP member Hon. Dorherty David, won back his mandate at the tribunal, what’s your take on this?
What I can say is congratulations to the gentleman and it’s a plus to my party, which means it’s not over until it’s over and that is what the guy has just done. He believed in himself, he believed he won the election, and he did all he could do and he won his mandate back. I’m happy for him, I’m happy for our party. I want to say congratulations to us as a party, we just added another victory to the party.
From your biography, I read that you wanted to become a footballer, what happened to that?
If you had been here yesterday, you would have met me in office because there was a competition called Obasa Competition. They played a match on Saturday, I went there to play. I had slight injury and I could not come to work, I just resumed back. At my age I still play football because I know how to play it very well, I have passion for it.
What are the many benefits the people of your constituency Ibeju-Lekki 02 should expect from you soon?
You see, as a lawmaker, I have started doing a lot already. There was a stakeholders meeting that held weeks back, we talked about a plan on the expansion of roads within the free zone area, from Eko-Hotel, up to, there is a name they call the road, I can’t really remember right now. The road has been on hold for years now but I think the Federal Government has approved the road now and soon, there is going to be a lot of demolition of properties and this is the area people have been living for over 100 years and you wanted to demolish all their properties in one day. So I went there with some people as their representative, they want me to talk and I told them the people of this local government are not running away from development but everything must be done properly. We must come together and fulfil all the righteousness and what do I mean? I don’t want a situation that you will demolish my peoples properties with no compensation and I gave some examples. If you look at Agege, that Pen-Cinema axis, there are many petititons written to this honourable house, that we had discussions about them it last week. People have not been compensated, the needful has not yet been done, that is why I told them, before you put a shovel down, the compensation must be concluded. To do the elimination, make sure you do the compensation and not that alone, because that local government is the fastest growing economy in West Africa now. You must equally position where you must give consideration to the people so that they can relocate them to a new place and this is part of the idea I brought to the government that day. My people are not fighting government and we are not saying government should not develop areas, because that place when they finish doing it, there are many gains government is going to have in that area (yeah! that road I was trying to remember early on is called Coster Road) the government is going to generate more roads, more schemes, more estates, more hotels and they will displace my people from that place, so all this money they are going to generate from that place are not going to be given to my people? Reason why I am demanding for settlement before they demolish and another thing, you can’t be taking our lands and relegating us backwards, we are not second class citizens, Ibeju-Lekki people are equal to other local governments. Government should come and do the needful, so that peace can be achieved in that area and that’s my own summation.
As the Chairman on establishment and pension, what are the challenges and how well have you settled down into your new elected office?
Well, I thank Hon. Mudashiru Obasa for giving me the opportunity to come and serve as the Chairman EXSAB training and pension. It’s okay, I have been trying to move around the number of agencies that are under me, very soon they will bring their budget for us to look at, so from there we are going to perfect what’s going to happen in the next year. And a full pension that came in has been treated, some matters of retirees and some other things.
How can you describe the leadership of the House under Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa?
Obasa is a fantastic person, a man with great experience. As of today in the history of Lagos State, I have not seen any Speaker who has spent the years he has spent in the house and with such great achievements. And the longer you stay the more your experience. Obasa is a man full of experience. He has human feelings, he is a man I respect so much. He has vision, he is a man I cherish, he’s a man I am trying to lean from and I am happy he’s my boss and he will continue to be my boss.
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