With who I am today and what I know, there is no better time or person to represent Lagos.”
Those are the words of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and I could not be more agreeable. Let me put things in perspective: His political pedigree that has spanned more than three decades is a force to be reckoned with. This pedigree runs the gamut of experience from his first appointment as Director of Lagos State Bulk Purchasing Corporation (LASBULK) to a federal minister of defense. What he brings to the table is a stellar credential that is unparalleled in comparison to his political peers. Are we alluding to the chairmanship of a Local Government, membership of National Assembly, ministerial appointment, or ambassadorial? Take your pick! He has all in his pouch.
Here we are, talking about, arguably, the greatest state in Africa, Lagos. The question becomes whether or not we are going to perpetrate mediocrity and send a run-of- the- mill representative to Abuja. I trust Lagosians will put a round peg in a round hole. Before we make a decision to elect someone to represent us, let us be mindful of some facts about this mega State of ours: First, it is the largest metropolis in Africa. As of 2018, Lagos is known to be residence of 23.5 million people, making it the most populous in Africa. Of course, it must have grown since then. Being the commercial hub, it is the financial capital of Africa and a fifth largest economy were it a country in that continent.
Lagos did not achieve these distinctions ex nihilo, it takes cerebral decisions by our forerunners to bring about better management of it. It therefore behooves the collectivity of Lagosians to continue this exceptional tradition or culture of excellence; the culture of courage and can-do spirit that only experience can confer on people, such as Musiliu. Lagos, in order to continue in this tradition, does not need someone with a frail nerve, but rather, an individual with nerve of steel; a dogged rather than jellyfish is needed to fight and see to the fact that our accrual from the center is never circumvented. This is what Obanikoro personifies. Our contribution to the federal purse is immense and as such, we need to be correspondingly rewarded.
Musiliu is ready, of course he has been ready ever since. As a matter of fact, he had erstwhile represented the state in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate. He is tested and proven. An insight into his background will reveal attributes that attest to this assertion: A primary education at Saint Patrick Catholic School and the secondary one at Ahmadiya College, now renamed Anwar-ul-Islam College, both, Mission schools, had prepared him well for bachelor degree in Public Affairs and master’s degree in Public Administration from Texas Southern University. He subsequently garnered empirical knowledge working for Little Flower Children Service, an affiliate
of New York City Human Resources as a supervisor.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the foregoing background has prepared and served him well, coming to Nigeria. As a policy wonk, Senator Obanikoro was highly instrumental in fashioning legislations that culminate in an Act to regulate public Buildings and bring their construction to conform with world-wide practice of international standard, in order to ensure safety; also, the efficient and cost effective manner of Dredging and Excavation was enacted. Urban renewal enactment that is designed by this senator to remove blight in most of our cities is commendable.
An individual extraordinary ability, courage, and temerity is understandably needed to represent this great state, particularly at this time of disturbing disparity between the haves and haves not, with runaway inflation rendering prices of essential consumables prohibitive. These perfectly mirror the character of this gentleman, fondly known as Koro. Won’t you rather pick an audacious, but yet, compassionate guy for the job at hand? Won’t you nominate and elect someone who has proved his mettle in all previous undertakings and national assignments? As far as I am concerned, the answer to this should be in the affirmative.
Therefore, from the mountain of Badagry to the plain of Alimosho and to the valley of Ifako, let us all shine our eyes and arm ourselves with PVC and party membership card to vote for and send him to Abuja to represent us in the Senate. Koro, all the way!
Debola Aina.
