I AM DETERMINED TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION TO YEWA NORTH PEOPLE OF OGUN STATE - Dr. Oluseyi Akintunde Dada

I AM DETERMINED TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATION TO YEWA NORTH PEOPLE

- Dr. Oluseyi Akintunde Dada

He is young, vibrant and determined, at the tender age of 30years, he has attained the height he planned for, he is a Ph.D holder, a lecturer at the University of Calabar. Dr. Oluseyi Dada told Top Celebrities Assistant Editor, Sunday Adeyemi that the major reason he is aspiring for House of Representatives is to go there and liberate his people from poverty and one of the channel is to use his education. He said this and more in this interview, read on…

Kindly introduce yourself to us Sir?

Yes, my name is Dr. Oluseyi Akintunde Dada, I am from Ayetoro, Yewa North, Ogun State.

Tell us other things we need to know about you?

Well, currently I am a lecturer in University of Calabar, I have worked at University of Ibadan, Federal College of Education, Oyo State and I have more than 20 publications both local and foreign. I have represented Nigeria in some number of occasions, as a delegate to some conferences that have to do with education.

Why did you want to go to House of Representatives under Yewa North Constituency?

Well, that is a very interesting question. Yes, the answer is multidimensional but as far as I can mention now, I will just give you few of the reasons. In Ogun State, Yewa North or Yewa land, I don’t want to call it the name people call it but Yewa people are regarded as minority people and one of the things I feel I woe that land is to promote Yewa land and as we all know, you can’t do anything meaningful if you are out of the focus of government interest, you are out of the focus of the interest of the people and I think one of the instrument or tools that I can use to really promote the land is joining politics and defend the course of our people, the interest of our people in the national assembly.

Have you ever embarked on any project in your area to give you such confidence to contest for the House of Representatives slot, if any could you please tell us?

Yes, what people call project, I have a bias definition for it. People see giving money for ceremony as project, giving money for party and all of that. This is not a project, that cannot really barricade poverty. Sometimes, maybe, politicians come home every weekend, buy beer for people, get them drink. Look, when I spent money, I make people happy even if that can be said it is part of it, to entertain people and making them happy, but in a developmental project is far beyond that. So, to answer your question, as a lecturer, every year I make sure I assist students in getting admission into the university or higher school of learning, they might not see it as a service that can be described as a project but I want to tell you this is what we need because most of our children in Yewa land after primary school, what you see them do is okada job, going out of the town to become slaves, in search of what will sustain them, but I want to say that I have been encouraging parents in Yewa to encourage their wards to go to school, get education and developing themselves, that is the first instrument to fight poverty. We cannot fight poverty without education, so that is one. Two, within my area, particularly, my own unit, the major problem we have is water and you know virtually every government always have water project as their priority because some people say without water there is no life. So, in my own little way, I have been able to dig some number of boreholes to provide water for the people and getting them out from the problem of water. In my area and other neighbouring villages, I have been able to talk to the council of elders there to establish schools and as I am talking to you now, we have five schools that have been established although they are not wearing the structure we need but at least we have started; there is one around Imeko community, the government has provided teachers now, I assisted them with the provision of furniture, so that the children can get education because the global pursuit now is that children should have access to education and next quality education is a priority. Also, we have been able to provide infrastructural material for those schools, so that it will motivate teachers and students. Moreso, there are other schools that we’d started (in their third term), so in such community, they have suffered for so many years, their children travel far away to attend school in the neighbouring towns, the neighbouring town I am talking about have schools and I have met some other community leaders so that such gesture can as well get to them. So, I promise to do more if the opportunity is given to me.

You talked about poverty, are you very close to the grassroots to know where the show is pinching your people?

I spent my early life there, I schooled there, I schooled in Ayetoro community, I had my primary and secondary education there. So, I understand what poverty means to my people, we don’t even have any higher institution, had it been we have one in would have had my education there too. So, I know what it takes, I was able to make it though very young, I had my education because of the opportunity of scholarship then with the state government, I know many of my friends that we started together then but didn’t have the opportunity. Today, by the grace of God, I am a PhD holder, it is simply because of the opportunity I had and this is very rare in our time even until now, it is that opportunity that I am advocating for, that is should be readily available because without education there is no way you can eradicate poverty, you measure poverty by the standard of living of the people, when people cannot eat two square meal per day. If you make carry out research in Yewa land, in a family of 4 you hardly find money why because poverty is everywhere.                   

What should your people expect from you eventually you are given the ticket?

Of course they know the kind of person I am and I know I have been with them, they know my background, they know what I can do or not, I am sure the expectation will be high. So, one of my major priorities is on education, next to that is employment; few ones among my people that have been able to come out of higher institutions will be catered for, I hope to have a vocation centre in the two local government that forms the constituency where skills will be rendered to our youths, then , our major occupation in Yewa land which is farming, will be given full support to help them develop their farming processes to have high product by subsidizing agricultural needs like fertilizers and others and also encourage them into mechanized farming. I am very sure with all these, because we have the potentials but we don’t have the support. We want to thank the governor for the present administration in Ogun State, he has been encouraging us through the construction of roads, this is a big access for us and industrialization as the Lord will help me if possible, I am going to bring in entrepreneurs to come in and establish few firms there so that they can offer our people jobs.

Presently, there was faction in APC in Ogun State, does this in any way affect your ambition?

Not only APC, faction is always everywhere, I want to tell you this is a problem that is temporarily, I can assure you that before the end of the month, I mean a couple of days, the problem will be over. So, just be rest assured it will soon fade off, we are one, APC is not two in Ogun State.

How will you describe the leadership of Senator Ibikunle amosun in Ogun State?

Senator Ibikunle Amosun is doing well even though there are challenges, what every good leader need is good followership, Governor Amosun has done some couple of good projects but I know with the cooperation of the followers he will do more for the state.

                      

ZAMFARA STATE IS LIVING ON FIRE,GOV.YARI HAS NO PLAN FOR THE PEOPLE

Monumental fraud in Zamfara -How Gov Yari milk the state dry Eighteen years after creation, Zamfara State still remains a traditional rural State due to some lapses, gross non-performance and corruption by virtually all the previous administrations of the state. In this analysis, our correspondent  take a peep at the state and the impediment that deters the progress and revealed that democracy still stand a chance of survival only if the main actors can give the necessary inputs in real term. For quite a long time, Zamfara has prayed for salvation and solace especially, This is what the political class here in Zamfara lacks, a sense of dedication, patriotism and commitment. Most of them are not even fair to themselves much less for those that gave them the mandate. Pundits averred that the attitude in itself is inimical to democratic ideals and consequently anti democratic and by extension autocratic, a situation where anything can go when money is involved is very disastrous and unfortunate. Truly, democratic set up in Nigeria were full of corruption or corrupt practices. It is the same practice that had hindered the state from economic growth and infrastructural development despite collecting over N370billion as statutory allocation from the federation account within the period Investigations revealed that Governor Abdul Azees Yari’s administration has failed by the judgment of majority and infact by his own admission and to register and appreciable success. His failures were indeed followed by his inability to fight corruption or better still his choice to allow carefree attitude of people in the corridors of power to continue dominating the system. Infact everything remains as it was even worse. Money from the public treasury were used to achieve political ends, an episode where government tendered cash allegedly forwarded to top politicians for victories is still the public funds. And none of them has given any explanation in that matter. This administration has not made any sincerity and dedication as their hallmark which is why they have not built strong economic base and conducive Zamfara State. The money they were alleged to have looted is more than the little they spent for public projects during this administration. The evil calamity they inflicted on the masses is still haunting the common masses. The state has been placed into a waste basket. Ask them, is money they stole into their accounts not enough to service the debt the state owes? After robbing the state of its resources, they still went to disgrace its image in the world. Governor Yari on assuming power worsen the debt crisis in the state by securing illegal loan of N4billion allegedly with high interest rate in a supposedly Sharia. The facility was secured without the approval of the state House of Assembly and before the constitution of the state executive council. Questionable projects that are not priority to the immediate needs of the people but were created to favour the economic interest of friends, associates and conduit pipes was awarded by Yari in violation of due process and from all analysis over inflated. Governor Yari is perhaps today the most widely travelled state governor in Nigeria with a record of spending over N2billion according to an insider that pleaded not to be mentioned on expenses incurred on hotel, food and air craft charter across Nigeria. His frequent travels to Dubai, London and Suadi Arabia according to the source has cost the poor people of Zamfara state more than N500million with the period of less than one year according to the source. Within the same period, Zamfara owing to Yari’s negligence and disregard to the welfare of the people has lost the services of more than 20 medical doctors due to non payment of their salaries and failure to effect the payment of their allowances and salary increament. Investigation also reveals that nearly 50% of the highly substandard but inflated projects Yari has embarked upon was concentrated in his home town of Talatan Mafara, a move condemn by citizens of the state as irresponsible for a leader that was elected by all the people of the state. Another source who pleaded anonymity told this paper that Yari was warned by his Malam not to relocate to the Government House hence his illegal decision to remain in his home at Talatan Mafara since he was elected and incurring huge expenses in the process and subjecting the police and other security agents to divide within the Government House in Gusau and the governor’s house at Talatan Mafara. Among all the former governors of Zamfara state according to those interviewed by this paper, “Yari in less than one year through his conduct, policies and vision has proven to be the most insensitive with no clear policy direction. From creation, the state has never got any direction or focus due to poor financial management by the past leaders of the state. The whole system has become faulty democratically as there was no trust or truth in the system. The influx of the youth to the urban areas increased the rate of political thuggery in the state. According to Malam Bello Gusau, “it is shameful and disgraceful that the world has stepped into a global village, yet Zamfara is yet to locate its level, in dare need of development. The failure of all the government is because they did not have the sense of purpose, direction and focus. The gravity of the whole offence lays drastically and terrifyingly on the past leaders who left power to Governor Abdul’azeez Yari. While Yari had continued to plunder as the case of his predecessors, pundits believed that he inherited virtually nothing from the past governors. But considering the kind of leadership and lack of accountability Zamfara witnessed in the last ten months under Yari, the incumbent governor and his predecessors are to be collectively blamed for the backwardness of the state and for allowing so called contractors to defraud the state with nothing commensurate in return. Pundits also averred that if Yari is indeed serious in fighting corruption he must start with himself by stopping his unnecessary foreign and domestic trips and ensure sanity and transperancy in awarding government contract and in determining who or which company is qualified. They also said that Yari should start the war on corruption by subjecting his blood brother, Ja’afaru Dan’ auta to the EFCC for investigation because according to them the stupendous wealth Dan’auta is intimidating the people with which he didn’t have prior to the emergence of his brother as governor must be investigated to convince the people that Yari is sincere and committed to fight corruption. They said virtually all the commissioners of Yari are redundant because all issues that has to do with money is now under the authority and monopoly of Dan’auta, Usman Sahabi Kaura and Alhaji Sani Jega. “The situation in Zamfara is unfortunate. Dan’auta is illiterate and has nothing before his brother became governor. Usman Sahabi has been cheating Zamfara and making millions since Yarima was governor. If the governor is serious Dan’auta, Usman Kaura and Sani Jega must go to jail for the financial crimes they are committing against Zamfara and its citizens”, Bello said. But many believed that if the way Yari has started by reducing government to impact on the economic lives of few privileged in the state is anything to go by, he will go down as the worst governor Zamfara state has ever had. For now and in view of the typical leadership direction of Yari, the hope of getting a governor that will transform the state and its economy has been dashed in Yari. --source-accessnews.blogspot.com

LIBERATION CITY HONORED WITH BEST SECURITY AND SAFETY CHURCH IN NIGERIA

LIBERATION CITY HONORED WITH BEST SECURITY AND SAFETY CHURCH IN NIGERIA

THE mountain of liberation and miracle ministries worldwide aka liberation city as been honored as the best security and safety church in the country, this award was presented to the church by one prominent security outfit in the country, security 24/7, The event which was well attended by who is who in the security network in the country also see two governors, i.e Lagos and river state receiving award alongside liberation city, the award was receive on behalf of the church by church delegates assigned by the general overseer of the church, commenting on the award Dr chris okafor thanked the organizer of the award and challenged them to do more in term of general enlightenment on the important of security network in the country, he also remarked that the issue of security most not be left in the hand of the government alone that if people are conscious of the security in their environment the country will remain a better place, it will be recalled that the oracle of God has he is fondly call, as continue to use is gift in prophesy to tell the country to be aware of some security threat that looms, which has sustained the country from lot of havoc that might have rock the country.