PRINCE (Dr.) Lanre
Tejuoso is the former Commissioner for Youth and Sports under the Ibikunle
Amosun-led administration in Ogun State. Until his resignation to contest the
Ogun Central senatorial seat, under the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the
February 14 elections, Tejuoso was the Commissioner for the Environment as well
as Special Duties.
In this interview,
he narrated how he escaped death by whiskers when suspected assassins invaded
his home in Abeokuta recently. Excerpts:
A LOT of people are of the opinion that you
just came to snatch the ticket from politicians who are older than you in the
party. How true is that?
I have been on this project for ten years. I was with Senator Amosun in
the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in 2006. That was when I contested
for the senate under the ANPP. Then, nobody believed in ANPP, not only in Ogun
State, but throughout the Southern part of Nigeria.
Majority of the politicians believed we were on a suicide mission,
saying ‘how can you bring a political party that belonged to a Hausa man from
the North to us here in Yoruba land?’
Senatorial hopeful
It was only in his house that we were making some little noise and I was
a senatorial hopeful. We did what we could, but the rest like they say is
history.
Can you share your experience during the
assassination attempt on your life?
Some hoodlums came to attack me in the hotel where I lodged. It was some
minutes after 2am, when I saw five people; they invaded my room and brought out
their guns. They asked how I dared had the effrontery to run for Senate.
They started slapping me; they said they were asked to come and
assassinate me. They ordered me to lie down on my bed; that they were going to
kill me. It was a horrible experience. You see my forehead? (pointing at a scar
on his forehead). Honestly, I don’t know how I survived. Blood was everywhere.
God just gave me that power to live and saved me.
I then said to myself, that if I didn’t die then, God must have spared
me for a purpose; I shall serve Him and serve my people. Hence my resolve to
pursue this ambition and that is why I am here for the Ogun Central
senatorial contest. There have been so many gladiators along the line, but
people do not know how far I have come.
You are a successful businessman and a Prince
from the Tejuoso royalty of Oke–Ona Egba in Abeokuta, why are you
seeking an elective position at this time?
Do you realise that Nigeria’s democracy would have grown and be more
matured than what we have now, if people from the Private Sector as well as
sons and daughters of traditional rulers, like you put it had been occupying
elective positions in this country?
The reason is that such elected persons would not want to bring disgrace
to the Royal family or whichever Establishment such people came from.
They would be conscious of the fact that if they fail to perform or
embezzle funds meant for developmental projects in their constituency, the
electorate would cry out and before you know it, such traditional ruler would
have called him or her to accountability and order. But look at what we have
today.
We have situations where some politicians would misappropriate funds
meant for their constituency projects and they get away with the impunity. My
vying for the Ogun Central senatorial seat, is to bring about a remarkable
difference in my constituency and therefore will not be ‘business as usual,’ I
can assure you of that.
Traditional council
The main issue is that this is the first time the Egba Traditional
Council will be represented in politics at least in Ogun State. This is the
first time the Egba Traditional Council will be having a candidate from the
royalty, coming out to say that he wants to represent them.
And that is why I have been consulting and seeking our royal fathers’
blessings on this journey to the hallowed chamber. If there is no success in
this journey, it will be a failure for the council in its
entirety. God forbid.
What plans do you have for the people of Ogun
Central senatorial district if you are eventually elected?
I am confident of victory, by his grace. First of all, I think one needs
to ask oneself about what the work of a senator in this dispensation actually
entails. To me, a senator is to be a participant in developing policies that
should benefit the people of Nigeria.
After thinking about Nigeria, then you talk about your own constituency.
How can I benefit my people in Ogun Central? What are their problems? How can
we make national policies that will benefit them directly? Ideally, that is
what we should be doing.
Federal presence
Then, you now talk about the constituency projects. Maybe, they give you
money to execute projects that will benefit the people of the constituency
where you come from. Of course, that money they give you must be judiciously
spent in that area where you represent. But these days, many senators receive
such money and they don’t even care about the people and the authority does not
even see what they are doing. God forbid that kind of a senator in my own
situation.
Again, there are so many employment opportunities for our people at the
federal level, in addition to drawing federal presence to our State. Without
being immodest, a lot of the people at the top are mostly one’s friends or
business associates. All of these contacts would be used to better the lot of
our people.
Take for instance, the recruitment for the Nigeria Immigration Service,
NIS, which they had last time. A senator must be able to establish good rapport
with those that matter particularly with members of the cabinet; the ministers,
the Permanent Secretaries and so on to enable him fix unemployed members of his
constituency at such vacant positions and others that may open up.
For the past four years, such opportunities have eluded us in this state
because all our senators were busy fighting the governor. How many federal
projects can you point at here, by our Senators?
How would you react to the notion that you are
not too close to the people and not accessible to the people of your
constituency?
You have said it that it is a perception and perception is nothing but
perception. The people know that I am close to them and that I am very
accessible. Ogun Central senatorial district has a vey large population and it
all depends on whom you’re talking to. Presently, we are on a “meet-the-people”
drive. Every day, we keep on consulting with the people, because we want to hit
the ground running. We must bring smiles to their faces.
Medium scale businesses
What is important is for one to nurture and maintain the good
relationship which has already been established with the people. Recently,
in partnership with a Lagos based microfinance bank, FinaTrust Micro
Finance bank, I facilitated loans for the funding of small and medium scale
businesses in my constituency.
There are however, some people who have made up their minds even before
you meet them and their perception about you is negative. Many would say “oh,
he is a prince, all princes put their shoulders high”! They therefore expect
you to be very proud.
Even before they meet you, that is the impression which they had already
formed. But by the time you move close and talk with them, they now calm down
and express surprise. I have gone through all that many times.
Take for instance, some people whom I have never met before would tell
me that they’re afraid of shaking hands with me because they see me as
Kabiyesi. But I often tell them that my father is the Kabiyesi and not me. I am
just like you too.
If I hold their hands, they would then exclaim “ah, see him, holding my
hand”. In the summary, those who hold that perception are the ones who
feel that as a prince with all the royalty, one should be arrogant whereas it
is not so and I am not.
How true is it that one of your younger
brothers from the Tejuoso royal house, will be squaring up to you in the
senatorial election in 2015?
That is the beauty of democracy. It is not a problem but first of all, I
want you to know that what every contestant needs to do is to perfect his or
her homework very well. All I have to say about that for now is that when we
get to the bridge, we will look at how to cross it but I don’t see that as a
problem for now.
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
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Politics