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Oyo Central Senatorial District deserves better representation in the National Assembly than it is currently getting. This is the position of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Bisi Ilaka.
Ilaka, who has his eyes on the senatorial seat as the 2019 elections approaches, said there has been a dearth of excellent representation of the district.
In a chat with journalists on Monday in Ibadan, Ilaka, who is contesting to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District in 2019, said the district has unique characteristics that any senator representing it should galvanise to engender development.
“Oyo Central Senatorial District has its own unique characteristics,” he said. “It is partly urban but mostly rural. When you are talking about game changing, Agriculture can be a game changer, particularly the value chain in Agric. Not just cultivation. Agro-processing and other allied activities add value that can bring a major change.”
Chief Ilaka, a renowned financial and tax consultant, stressed that he would use his background in law and his expertise in tax matters to influence legislations that will ensure that people in his constituency flourish.
His words: “I have a background in law. I know the effect of taxation. You can only be taxed because the law says this is how you will be taxed. It is the chambers that make laws so I will be part of the process that create enabling environment for talented people in that senatorial district to flourish. I will engage. It’s all about proper representation and proper service, its not about what you get for yourself but how you serve the people”.
He also bemoaned the bad state of the Ibadan-Ilorin which runs through the senatorial district.
“We have a road that run from Ibadan supposedly to Ilorin. We lose a lot of lives on that road. That road ought not to be like that. It is the gateway to the north and by the time it is operational, its benefits are immense. Somebody should be fighting for the completion of that road. Somebody should be fighting for the less privileged in our community because if we don’t fix the rural areas, the urban centres do not have a chance of survival.
Considering the status of politicians also eyeing the senatorial seat, Ilaka, speaking on what sets him apart, said: “Because I have been around this senatorial district for a while, I’ve had the opportunity to develop a brand, a brand that is pretty authentic; a brand that does not damage, malign in any manner”
Analysing the performance of those who have represented the district in the past, the senatorial said records will play a huge role.
“I am in PDP now. In the last two elections, they claim I came second. Everytime I contested I have doubled the votes the PDP candidates had. If Teslim gets a ticket in APC, I even got more vote for him at the Senatorial district than he did as a governorship candidate. So, he’s represented in the past, he’s got a pretty woeful record that I don’t think he can defend. If Sumonu gets it, she too has a record. We’ll take them up on their record. This is a record of service and let the people decide. What kind of representation have they provided for Oyo central. We can only face what is presented in front, so I am not worried about any gladiator. I know the terrain. The people know me.
Ilaka expressed regrets that Oyo state has lost its place as a centre of excellence.
He said: “This state is a fantastic state, I went to school here, Government College, Ibadan and while schooling here people used to come from all over the country. The state was a centre of excellence, with a large preponderance of research institutes in the country. The polytechnic was once the best in Nigeria, Ditto UI. People came from everywhere to school in Ibadan in search of a first class education and is still the only school that has ever produced Nobel laureate in Africa. And the education then wasn’t based on how much you had, its about producing the best among us. We’ve lost that. Successive administrations, what they do is…. they say they are doing project and that is what they do all the time. And we know that its about stealing money, nobody has a vision that they want to build Oyo state. It’s a PR exercise, nothing.