Hon Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim who represents Offa/Ifelodun/Ovun federal constituency of Kwara State says that at 51 Nigeria is no longer a toddler and should be able to deliver the best to the citizens given its abundant human and material resources. He spoke with RUTH CHOJI on this and other burning national issues. Excerpts:
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Nigeria is 51, how do you feel about it?
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Well, I am happy about the stage that Nigeria has reached. But I want to say that at 51 Nigeria is no longer a young nation. We deserve the best considering the human and material resources it has been endowed with. It is my fervent prayer therefore that the next decade will usher in the optimal manifestation of our potentials and development strides.
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How do you see the six-year single tenure being proposed by the presidency?
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The gesture is noble. It means that on assumption of office, the leaders would be aware that they have only a single term, and that instead of waiting to fight for a second term they must work hard to accomplish their task within six years and leave the scene for another set of people. ?
Although it has generated apprehension and suspicion of tenure elongation amongst commentators, such is to be expected in a political system like ours. There is nothing unusual about what is going on in the country as a result of the proposal.
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Would you say the president has injected fresh blood into his cabinet so as to bring in fresh ideas into governance?
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Without sounding as an authority, the president was elected by all Nigerians and it is heartening that he has selected people from all parts of the country to serve in his cabinet. It is left for us to continue to pray for them to be able to deliver. My expectation is that since some of them are vibrant and young they will be able to work for the interest of the nation.
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But the perception is that the president is inactive and slow. How would you assess him?
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I believe that what the president needs most is determination and focus. He has not spent up to six months in office and we cannot judge him based on the performance of about three months. I see him as someone who is determined to succeed and take Nigeria to the next level. It is therefore incumbent on Nigerians to give him the needed support and goodwill to be able to excel. We should stop distracting him from the arduous task of developing this country. Let us therefore give him the benefit of the doubt and judge him at the end of the administration.
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All eyes seem to be on the seventh session of the NASS given the scandals that trailed the previous one. Would you say that the leadership is heading towards the right path?
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I do not think that we are going to be enmeshed in scandals because of the fact that the present leadership of the House is people-oriented and was unanimously elected by the members irrespective of part y lines. So, I believe we will not have any scandal or crisis that will threaten us and derail our legislative work. We are determined to do the best for the interest of our people. We have a leadership that is committed to the overall interest of the nation and we shall work with them to move the nation forward.
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What is being done about the biting accommodation problem facing NASS members?
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Well as painful as the matter has become, the truth is that our accommodation was monetised and we were all paid off. The reality of the situation is that members can go and live wherever they choose. It is legal and nobody should feel bad about that.
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Why did members of the House reject the motion to control rents in Abuja?
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The motion was thrown out because the rules say that certain rules must be followed by a member seeking to amend the law. ?But the member did not do that. But beyond that, we should not lose sight of the fact that we are in the federal capital of Nigeria where rents can never be as cheap as other cities in the country. Rents in nations’ capitals are never cheap. Let us face the fact. There must be a suburban for the masses, but the suburb must be accessible. If we had a railway system, I decide to live in Abaji and go to work in the city centre. I would even like to live in a mansion in Abaji and pay a token as rent instead of paying a fortune to stay in a three-bedroom apartment in Maitama. My position is that all over the world the private sector plays an important role in the development and management of housing for the people. That is what has not really taken roots in the FCT. ?For me, housing around the FCT should be luxury for those in the top echelon of the economy while the government should partner with the big corporations to provide houses for the low income earners under the Public Private Partnership, (PPP). The private sector cannot provide cheap houses and that is why it must work with the government to solve the problem of accommodation for the people under the social corporate responsibility. It is possible to build estates in the suburban where land and labour are cheap. ?That means one can buy a home for N500,000 or N1m and pay over a period of five years. We must sit down and see how this can happen so that the civil servants can enjoy a housing loan for 30 years.
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Who is leading Kwara politics now with the crossing over of Dr. Saraki to another party?
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I don’t think that has affected the position of the old Saraki as our political leader in the state. He is still the godfather of Kwara politics, our reference point and our backer who I can say is totally in support of the new government. His love for the state and its people has gone beyond party lines.
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What are your plans for your constituency?
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I want to partner with some serious groups and organisations to empower my people so that they will continue to remember me long after I had left office. I do not want to engage in the usual method of ‘rewarding’ my constituents with bicycles, sewing machines and some cash which can easily be forgotten after sometime. I have already mapped out my strategies and it is a matter of time for my programmes to manifest. I am certain that; I will not fail the people. I want to be remembered as one who touched the lives of the people.?