Politicking beclouds governance – Hon. Egberongbe

What do you think should preoccupy the newly inaugurated Buhari led administration, this second term?

There is lot to be done as far as security is concerned,the primary responsibility of governance as enshrined in our constitution remains security of lives and properties and a correlation to that is our economy and no economy thrives in an unsecured atmosphere, the presence of this leads to political stability and economic stability. I think more need to be done on the issue of security,especially in respect to kidnapping,I think stiffer penalties should be attached to assuage the issue of kidnapping that is seriously thriving in our nation. I understand that Kaduna/Abuja road is a bobby trap even though El-Rufai said he doesn’t agree but that is the reality and something drastic need be done about that. It is high time we began to use technology in terms of I.T to tackle the issue,let’s have the street lights built with CCTV’s so that we can begin to monitor movement of people and can be able to nib in the bud such nefarious activities.

For our economy to thrive there must be an ideal and livable environment in terms of security and when this is put in place you can begin to talk of economic stability. A lot still has to be done as regards our economy in terms of creating jobs,we should encourage cottage industries, small scale enterprise, small scale  enterprise the world over are the largest employer of labour and they should be encouraged, our people should be able to access finances at a single digits and there should be a synergy between the farm and the industry, so that those farm produces find their way with added values to the industries and factories and when they get to factories that in itself would create employment, we need to more on critical infrastructure, electricity,roads,housing that in itself would jump start the economy, when you build one percent infrastructure, there is a serious correlation between one percent of infrastructure and the GDP,it goes paripasu, you have construction going on which rise to commerce;granite sellers,cement sellers,iron benders and even the labourers too that would jump start the economy and that would eventually give rise to tax because those that are working will pay tax and those taxes would plough our IGR’s too.

Those are the revolving economies indices which needs more concentration. I am also thinking that we should begin to look at our curriculum too, our curriculums should be such that would be in tandem with our realities and our societal needs, enough of literal certificates let’s look at the professional and technical education.
Just today I was invited to the Junior Marine club in Apapa,we are opened to lots of opportunities in the marine industry, it is all encompassing;marine engineer,IT marine,geography marine,name it and you will agree with me that 70percent,three quarter of the whole earth is on the ocean and it takes a number of activities, sailing,pipe fitters in the ship,navigators, and the various commerce,the world itself has since turned a global village what we have in Nigeria is cocoa and what they have in China is something different but you needed this goods and for it to get to this destinations it goes through the oceans or the marines,so we need to tap into the marine industry, the NIMASA, the safety measures and all sort have to be rejuvenated and reawakened and there must between our school curricular, introducing our children to it right from the youth so that we can tap into it right from the youth so that we can tap into this industry. This industry alone is capable of raking in the entire foreign exchange as most of the activities of the Marine sector are paid in dollars,that would be enough to shore up our earnings and reserved base,we need focus on this so that we can create more jobs.

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Electricity is very key and important because you cannot have cottage industries and small scale enterprise without electricity. We need to take drastic measures on this if possible declare an emergency on electricity, that takes us to true federalism,there had been too much lopsidedness on the items on the exclusive list,let’s begin to have true federalism where each state can go at its own pace in terms of comparative advantage,let Osun do more of their farming,let Lagos do more in the industries, so that those products from Osun can go through the factories with added contents and we can be able to create jobs,so also in other areas let’s have a weak centre as less percentage of the earnings from state goes to the centre,that in itself would reduce the rush to Abuja every month cap in hand to access the fund from the general pool, it very important.

Economic integration of the southwest is an idea which had been nursed in time past, do you think such will sail in the 9th Assembly of which you are a part?

The southwest integration is very important,we should shun much of politics and do more of governance within the southwest so that the oranges that is coming from Osun can become packed orange in Lagos, look at the Lagos ,Kebbi rice partnership-LAKE RICE,those are some of the things we need to do more.

The bar of infrastructural development seem to have been raised quite high by the former governor Akinwunmi Ambode do you feel Sanwoolu can measure up and pull a stunt?

His Excellency Babajide Sanwoolu has been an integral part of the vision for a greater Lagos,since the time of the dreamer of a new Lagos,in the person of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,he was in that administration as Special Adviser to the Governor and as a Commissioner during Fashola’s era,and until recently too,he was the General Manager LSDPC,so you can agree with me that he has been part of the concept,the idea and the dream and the actualization of the Lagos new dream,I don’t expect anything less of him than to hit the ground running. Having been an integral part of the whole system,so I can tell you that I have no doubt in my mind that he is going to do well and succeed he has had enough tutelage from the school of Tinubuism,it is all about ideas,principles, ideologies and the road map about MDGs and so many others which he had been a part of .

My advice to him is to concentrate on governance and do less of politicking because politics itself has a  way of disrupting ones focus,remain focus,do more of governance and let the party leaders continue their politicking while you face governance, it is only until recent times that we attempt to merge politics and governance whereas they are two different things,your job will speak for you and would endear you to the minds of the populace,so just continue with your job in tandem with the policy of the party,respect the party leaders and just do your best and leave the rest.

As a House of Reps member,what should your constituents expect from you at the green chamber?

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The challenge in Abuja is for one to ensure that our LCDAs are recognized, having gone through the processes as established in the constitution it only behooves the National Assembly to do the needful in the interest of nation. Two, Lagos is a cosmopolitan state it is and still remains the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and anywhere the world over where capital are moved infrastructures so left behind should be serviced, the infrastructures like roads, national theatre,national stadium and other Nigerian edifice left behind so that behooves that we have special status Lagos. It is in our own interest,so that we don’t kill the goose that laid the golden eggs,by the time Lagos is working then Nigeria is working,and we cannot afford that our economy be comatosed,we should not allow politics rare its ugly heads as far as the special status agitation for the state concerned, we want to ensure that we have the cabottage law brought to bear so that we have a stake in all that happens in the marine industry. In terms of job opportunities, that is our people’s commerce of  buying and selling,more of importance is an alternative mode of transportation from our seaports,it is very important, so also is the drainage issue in the Badia axis of my constituency, there is a big drainage  called system five that need to be worked on so as to forestall environmental degradation in my constituency, all of the itemized falls within the purview of the exclusive list at the National Assembly while some are on the concurrent list domiciled with the state,having been a former member of the Lagos Assembly and until recently a Special Political Adviser to the Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, I work and ensure synergy with those at the state to make sure Apapa works and Lagos State works and Nigeria in general also works.

The power tussle of who lead the assemblies is in vogue all through the nation now, where do you stand in this? 

The nation is as good in terms of development as a virile legislative hand,good laws is a precursor to a better society and the activities of the National and State Assemblies lies in the hench men,the leadership of the house,so they should be looking at the right direction in  both levels,Gbajabiamila has been anointed as Speaker at the national assembly House of Reps so also is Lawan at the Senate and the Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa is also speaking back in Lagos and by the time a new governor is coming on board and you have somebody that have served as the speaker coming back to speak again,it would really accelerate the job of the executives,away from where you are having a fresher as a governor and also a fresher as a speaker in a place like Lagos State,I think we need to amplify this positions for things to go the way it should.