The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Essa/Shawo/Igboidun Constituency in Kwara State, Chief (Mrs) Bolaji Iyabo Ibiyeye-Adisa in a programme titled “Tell The Voters” on Okin 105.7 FM, Offa shed light on her background, achievements, future interests amidst other related phenomenal.
Read the excerpts:
Q: Kindly give us your background, Chief Mrs.
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: I am Chief (Mrs) Bolaji Iyabo Ibiyeye-Adisa, the Iyalode of Offa Kingdom. I was born in Offa, headquarters of Offa local government area of Kwara State, to the family of Alhaji Abdulhamid Olusegun Ibiyeye and Alhaja Aminah Ibiyeye, both of blessed memories.
I attended Adeola Model School, Offa before I proceeded to Offa Grammar School, Offa. For my tertiary education, I went to University of Maiduguri but I got a transfer to Bayero University Kano (BUK) where I studied Economics as my first degree.
I thereafter went into private business.
I should add, as we all know, I was Offa LG Transitional Implementation Committee (TIC) Chairperson under former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
Today, I’m a PDP candidate for Essa/Shawo/Igboidun Constituency in Kwara State.
Q: Politics, in Nigerian situation, is called a ‘dirty game’, why would a revered person like yourself choose to dabble into politics?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: Thank you very much. Actually the major reason why I joined politics is the level of inequality in the society and the poverty level. I just realized that if I am not involved, I won’t be able to do my bits. My passion has always been equalization of opportunities for all and sundry regardless of sex, gender, colour, religion, abilities-cum-disabilities and what have you.
If we call it a ‘dirty game’ we would be discouraging people who want to contribute their positive quotas to the people.
Q: As a member of Kwara State House of Assembly, what would be your duties there?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: These are three.
One is representation. I have to represent my people, my constituents. I have to be sure their needs are met, their grievances heard and their dividends of democracy don’t escape them.
Secondly, it is law making and amendment. We have to make laws that are people-oriented. We also have to update and review laws that were made. This is called amendment.
Thirdly, oversight function. Are government doing things their programmes the right way? Are they spending people’s monies rightly? Are they appointing the right and qualified persons through appropriate processes?
Q: What are your antecedents?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: I was TIC Chairperson for Offa local government area for six months. This gave me a lots of opportunity to contribute my part to the growth and development of my hometown because I love Offa a lot. Its matters are of greater importance and concern to me.
We – my supervisors and myself – recorded cacophony of successes. Lots of things had gone awry and moribund when I came aboard as TIC Chair. For instance, we had to repair refuse truck, firefighter truck, grader, etc.
If that firefighter was working properly in 2015/16, it would have salvaged the Owode market inferno then. That damage would not have been that extensive.
Q: Women are not common in State House of Assembly. Are women afraid of the Intricacies of the Assembly?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: I had earlier said I joined politics to correct level of inequality in the society. I want all to enjoy equal rights be it woman or man, young or elderly.
In the present Kwara House of Assembly, there’s no woman, and this is not too good enough. There are women who have achieved a lot. Some may say it’s because women think politics is dirty and may warrant unnecessary exposure for women. I believe politics is a kind of religion. A politician can worship God through facilitation of progressive social interventions for his people. Any politician can see the good eyes of God through that. And I believe any politician that does exact opposite can see wrath of God.
And on sparse of women in politics, I would beg our parents to educate their boy-children and girl-children equally. They should desist from what the English people call ‘gender stereotyping’. The world has moved beyond that.
Q: Would you leverage your achievements as TIC Chair when you become a lawmaker?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: To have achievements in the House is not as hard as some people think. There’s something called ‘lobbying’, you can patronize your fellow lawmakers to support your bill for your Constituency. It’s also described as “getting their buy-in”.
I have lots of bills I want to propose at the House.
Q: What do you think is of immense importance to your Constituency?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: In Igboidun ward, settlements like Yeke, Pandoro, Igbawere most of these people are farmers. They all lament that farming is not going as it should. They decry lack of government support. I have taken notes of all these.
There is lack of water, too, in those areas. I recently built a borehole for them at Gaa Mogaji because I got to know they access the same water as cows. They and their cows have same access to the same streams. This is inhumane.
Another thing I want to do on water scarcity is that I want to fix whatever the problem is at Oyun Dam. I have done this when I was TIC Chairperson. I approached them and they cited lack of power and that their reservoir at Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Offa area used to leak when water level reached a point. I fixed this then and we had waters from our taps. I will do the same if elected.
Q: What do you think about your party?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: I heard one of Essa/Shawo/Igboidun Constituency contestants saying PDP is this, PDP is that; I make bold to say PDP is the architect of modern Kwara.
All the infrastructural and socio-economic developments in Kwara were facilitated by PDP.
In Ilorin for example, we have Metropolitan Square which opened Asa Dam area to development and economic boom. Another one is Ilorin International Airport. This facility was almost unoperational as at 2003 when Saraki came to government. infact, farmers would harvest cassava and spread them on the runway for processing into gaari. It was such as bad as that when Bukola Saraki came into power.
PDP Government also built a cargo terminal to make it available for International exchange of goods/services.
Geri-Alimi Underpass, this was put in place under Abdulfatah Ahmed through IF-k Funding. We also have Kwara Government Houses/Banquet Hall.
Government is a continuum. If a party loses and another one comes on board, the new party should sustain developmental projects of the former party instead of engaging on vendetta. It is not enough to give excuses for ineffectiveness. Government of the day should do something instead of blaming former party/ies.
Q: How would you handle positions asIyalode of Offa and political representative of Eesa/Shawo/Igboidun Constituency?
Chief Ibiyeye-Adisa: For political correctness, I cannot be an independent candidate; I have to contest on the platform of a political party. And I choose PDP. I served as TIC Chairperson under the same party.
I am not the first person to hold a traditional position and aspire or hold political position. The first was Iyalode of Egbaland, Chief Efunroye Tinubu and another, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni of Ife.
