Politics in Nigeria has always been filled with so many hassle and tussle however, Nigeria has proven that it can sustain democracy and the people are ready to do what it takes to make this happen. And one of such individual is LOWO OBISESAN, a former commissioner in Oyo state, who now eye the position of the number one man in the state under the platform of Labour Party (LP). He spoke with SUNDAY ADEBAYO, on his plans to run for Oyo State Governorship and the past leaders method of leadership.
Q: Who is Lowo Obisesan?
A: I am a lawyer by profession, am one of the chief in the line of Lubadan of Ibadan land, the chairman for the black and white law firm and groups and TM African foods UK and a member of TM boutique in France.
Q: As a successful business man and a barrister what triggered your interest in politics
A: Actually, I am a lawyer like I earlier said, and the way things are going in Nigeria politically am not really happy about it and have not been so happy to attach myself. I and some good friends weighed the options of joining politics then and felt it was better to wait and join at a later time. If you believe that politics is what everybody should get themselves involved in, if really we want to get our society better the best way is to participate in it and based on that we decided that it’s true that some of this people that are engaging themselves in this politics are not doing it the way it is supposed to be done and we that believed in the way it is suppose to be done is why don’t we join the rest and that’s the reason why we find ourselves in the mist of politicians.
Q; Now that you in the mist of politician something is always applicable in Nigerian environment especially when they are talking about god fathers and peoples interest in a particular party. Why your choice of Labour Party instead of the major ruling party that people supposedly believe in.
A: You know for the mere fact that some people are doing certain things in a particular way and that thing is not right does not mean we should join them. I was once in ACN that eventually transformed to APC but when I discovered that things were not done in the right way in my state I decided to let go of the party. Also when you consider other parties particularly PDP you can see that PDP is the type of the party where grabbers are many and people like that don’t have the interest of the people they want to govern at heart but how to enrich themselves at the detriment of the innocent people of the country and particularly my state and you can see the way things are now. PDP brought us into this problem with APC bringing us out of the problem, see what we are experiencing people are suffering; the fear of God is not in the mind of this people that we can refer to as the leaders of the society.
Q: As a successful business man and as a leader what do think they are not getting right, the so called politicians?
So many things, because the fear of God is not in their mind in the first place, in the other way round in a situation where one believes that he should have a god father before you get to where you are going you hardly do anything in the right way. Let me give you an example when I became commissioner in Oyo State in 2011, I was so lucky to be among those commissioners through the ticket of Abudurazees Alao of blessed memory, he was my mentor and god father at that time. I discovered that when you get to where you are going through this people we hardly do the right things, but I remember one time I was given an assignment to ensure that Ibadan gets better and clear, one of the property of this late god father was among of the once that obstructed the project and I went to see him, “Baba you said if I want to do this job I should do it rightly and you told me that there is not 99.9% loyalty but 100% I want to be loyal to the government and your property is obstructing my job,” he said, “go and get it removed.” That kind of man is very rear. Majority of these so called politicians who find themselves in this position believe that they were placed there to do whatever they tell you, even when its wrong. I ran away from bribery and corruption.
Thirdly, I avoided unreasonable favour. I remember there was a rule in the environmental sanitation guidelines that when you park on the road your vehicles will be towed. One of my best friends happens to be victim and he wanted me to exonerate him, I refused. The truth is, by the time we discover we should stop unnecessary favor for people and understand that everybody is equal before the law only then will we be able to get to where we are going.
Q: I want to believe that Oyo State has been in shambles over the years with different governors and political leaders that they have had in the past, what are you going to do differently from what others have been doing irrespective of your past antecedent as a former commissioner and with the emphasis you made on ground due to your disciplinary way of handling matter, what are the things you going to do differently from what others have done to make Oyo State better place?
A: Am going to do so many thing that will be quite different from what others have done and part of those thing is what have said that you should have fear of God do things according to what the law says ,don’t believe that you should be in charge of the wealth of this country its only God that can bless you when you have those principle in you, you will discover that the money that’s meant for the public is spent judiciously we be spent wisely and for you to achieve that majority of those who are in the end of this affair they don’t have respect for the elders they are not cultured the sense of high disciple to give yourself a kind of disciplinary nature is not in them, they tell lies a lot and believe that everything is money to make themselves the richest in this world .aside that if God says I will get there as governor of this state I will invite all people who are blessed with wisdom OYO state is so lucky am a lawyer in my own area there lots people who are good in other areas some of us who are good in economy that could transform this state into wealth we have a lot of people who are sound in technology were going to invite them I won’t see myself has an island there are lots of poor people that could not read and writer be that have this wisdom we ask for their own idea by the time we place everything together were going to come out with positive result
Q: In the past people use to believe that majority of people that get to where ever they are aspirating to are the people that make their way there either rightly or wrongly but for you now who have a lot of contends who are also running for the same position you are looking up to now if you eventually become the governor of Oyo State would you say your antecedent took you there or people just like you?
A: If it has been destined for me to be the Governor of Oyo State nobody can stop it and I put everything in the hand of God. Friends, political leaders, economist and people who control the wealth have been urging me to come out for more than 2years now. They have been telling me that for everything I have done that time let them push and support me but I have always been telling them that they should assist me in requesting help from God and it’s not a thing of do or die. When you want to serve people must you get there by all cost, majority of our leaders in Labour Party are people who believe in doing things at the right time and they have fear of God they believe in doing things in a procedural manner, that’s the reason why people like myself, Hon Olatunji Murphy, Gbenga Olayemi, Poopola and Agboro and many others we maintain our stands
Q: As a God fearing citizen there is something we all believe in politics that if you don’t have a god father or don’t believe in god fatherism it will be hard before you get there, what’s your own believe when it comes to god fatherism?
A: I don’t believe in that. I don’t share the idea and the principle because the issue of god fatherism is the one that leads us into this problem, god father will push you and support you then when you win he starts to control you he we never let you deliver. I have a lot of political leaders and mentors who are principled?
Q: If you can give us in a clear terms as a citizen of Oyo State and as someone who has worked in the government in the past if you want to analyze the Senator Ajimobi government what would you say?
A: Senator Ajimobi is my leader, my brother; he has been my Oga before I can’t say anything about his government for now. I am grateful to him people know me as a lawyer if not for Ajumobi I won’t be known in politics. When I was first made the Commissioner of Establishment and Habitat what he said about me I will never forget he said, because you are honest and straightforward and to cap it all you have the means but you didn’t steal money in government. I will never run him down because God has used him for me one time and if anything is wrong or the way he is running his government is wrong its left for our people to decide that can be done perfectly when the next election comes.
Q: What are your major point agenda if you eventually become the next governor of Oyo State, what are the key areas you would love to concentrate on that you think we have been lacking in the past years?
A: Our economic needs to be improve considerably if I tell you what I have in found in line with what my leaders have been discussing which we have in our plan people contesting for 2019 might steal it so I won’t say it, if God says I we be there I will make sure that I work properly on the economy.
Q: You don’t look to be the kind of socialite or a social person how do you unwind in respective of your busy schedule as a business man and now that you going into politics?
A: I cannot fake big man there are many in our society they don’t have anything doing than to engage in problem practices and are the people you we see in parties spraying money when I want to enjoy myself I made a small gathering with my friends’ people of my like mind.
Q: What’s your take on fashion what determines what you wear and how you look
A: Am a black and white man. My designers know what I want. I like dressing and I use the best things when I want to dress up, nice wrist watch and rings that’s the way I was brought up.