Comrade AbdurRazaq Tope Balogun is a devout Muslim who is contesting to become the next governor of Lagos State in the 2023 general elections. Comrade Balogun, a member, Orile Iganmu Muslim community and former Head of Dawah, NASFAT, Iganmu Coker Aguda Branch, is vying for the No 1 Lagos seat under the platform of the Action Alliance (AA). In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he speaks on his mission and agenda for Lagosians if elected. Excerpts…
Why do you want to succeed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2023 despite the fact that he is about completing a term and also seeking reelection?
I wish to succeed the incumbent Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu in order to bring equity into governance in Lagos State where different classes of people within the state will enjoy dividends of democracy based on their needs while prorating the resources of the State. In the long run, the main duty of the government which is geared towards bringing comfort to residents will be better attained.
What is your assessment of the ruling party, APC in Lagos state the last four years?
The ruling party has performed below expectation considering the humongous human and Financial resources within the state, which do not translate to better living conditions of many residents who complain of inadequacies in various sectors of the economy.
What they have successfully been doing is window dressing many unfinished projects while commissioning some of them as well as signing agreements that do not directly improve the lives of average Lagosians.
The APC has dominated politics in Lagos since the return of democratic governance in 1999. Do you think your party AA can win next year’s governorship election in Lagos?
They have dominated after a series of transformations and amalgamations at different occasions because there was no viable opposition party that had ever been sincerely ready to present alternatives to the masses. It was in this light that people of like minds from all walks of life came together to adopt Action Alliance as a party to challenge the status quo based on genuine interest to take over the leadership of governance in the State. Our chances are bright and we are poised to win the gubernatorial election in 2023 going through our checklist of adopted strategies.
What are your plans and visions for Lagos, if you eventually win?
Our plans and vision for Lagos are summarily coined as “REBIRTH” which is masses oriented considering the slogan of the party “Let the Masses Live”. We have a “Lagos REBIRTH Agenda” that cuts across varying sectors of the economy as each of the alphabet in the acronym REBIRTH will take care of different things as they are well spelt out in our campaign manifestos. Ultimately, The REBIRTH Agenda focuses on:Restoring Security of Lives and Property; Education and Energy; Broad-based and All-Inclusive Governance; Infrastructure; Rural Development; Technology and Transportation; Healthcare and Housing.
As a young man, What are your plans for the teeming youths, especially in the areas of education and job creation?
Going deeper into our REBIRTH Agenda as detailed in our manifestos, many youths who are willing to be better versions of themselves will be meaningfully engaged, as our designed manifestos will create more wealth for the state and a minimum of 450 thousand jobs (direct and indirect), our investment in security will reduce to the nearest minimum criminal tendencies because jobs would have been created as a better route to getting them engaged.
The education sector would have been revived with more schools built to cater for the deficits we currently experience leading to overpopulation of learners and gross inadequacy on the part of staff with its resultant effects on the Youths.
Many are turning delinquents since the purpose of education was defeated through irresponsibility of the government that failed to provide facilities to give sound education to many of them. In the long run they grow older to become hardened criminals and street urchins. Provision of more schools will create more jobs and better teaching and learning activities will breed learners that will be useful to themselves and the Society at large.
Let’s talk about you being a Muslim, what’s your background like?
I am a Muslim, a member, Orile Iganmu Muslim community, in Lagos. I was also the former Head of Da’wah, NASFAT, Iganmu Coker Aguda Branch. Former Secretary, Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Iganmu Area Council. Former Editor, Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria Federal Government College (Tech.) Akoka. I also attended Darul Furqan for religious studies.
Why should Muslims be interested in politics and vying for elected offices in a democratic government?
Politics has to do with getting authority for administration of resources based on any agreed method of getting such authority within the society.
Democracy has varying versions and is localized to have features relating to the cultural inclinations of those that want to practice it. Hence, it is fallacious to look at democracy from a general viewpoint else, we become so subjective because the only common feature in democracy is that the populace are involved in the emergence of many of the elected officials. Even in Nigeria, not all officials are democratically elected like it happens in other climes too.
Muslims are bounded by principles and for every situation they find themselves, those principles are basis for decision making. One of such is that of maslaha (what brings benefit) mafsada (What brings evil) where benefits that accrue to a Muslim community are weighed against the loss that may accrue to the Muslim community for any decision taken.
Allah has told us that we are the best community that evolved of mankind in suratul Al-Imran verse 110 due to our promulgation of what is good and annihilation of what is bad using various methodologies. Premised on these special qualities and status, it behoves us as a community to seek positions of authority so as to be optimally functional in playing our roles as the best community among mankind.
If we fail in this social engagement which Allah has used to describe us, then we are disobedient Muslims as well as endangering the Muslim community by subjecting ourselves to the misrule of those that are of lesser capacities to us based on Allah’s conclusion of status of various communities among mankind.
A Muslim gets rewards for all actions if laced with good intentions based on the best capacity available. Hence, participation is not a waste of time and resources but ibadah that one uses to gain reward and the pleasure of Almighty Allah.
How will you solve the issue of traffic congestion in Lagos?
The issue of traffic congestion is not something that is expected to be uncommon in a populous city like Lagos but the traffic management model and policies presently adopted are not the best to mitigate the devastating level of gridlock occurrence. For me, as partially listed in my manifesto, I will reform our traffic management officers working with a particular agency who are known to have lost focus in recent times.
I will buy properties to build garages and create setbacks at bus stops so the commercial buses will have a better organized method of picking and dropping off passengers. I will expand roads where necessary as well as have maintenance policies to fix potholes regularly. I will seek compliance with all known traffic laws through advocacy and enforcement.
Meanwhile, our transportation model as identified in our manifestos states that we will activate all forms of transportation for a state like Lagos to reduce numbers of road users. Our water ways and rails especially will be given a facelift to a large extent. Even the other means of transportation outside vehicles will be put to use such that some issues relating to security which are supposed to be looked into will be dealt with instead of banning any means of movement. As for me, this will eventually increase our options while making the roads less busy.
In case you are elected the governor of Lagos State, will you be tempted to probe the activities of the Sanwo-Olu government?
It is not a temptation to access whatever handover notes presented to us to be used as a guide on the true situation of the State since government is continuum. Probing may be said to be relative but my focus is to kick the ground running on how to best implement our Lagos REBIRTH Agenda for a more comfortable State for residents.
If in the cause of any sector being studied for improvement and there comes any challenge, which will call for the attention of those that needed to throw more light, definitely in the interest of all and sundry they may be called to help out.
What is your message to Lagosians as the general elections approaches?
I am using this medium to tell Lagosians that you shouldn’t allow them to tell you lies that your votes don’t count, that you are wasting your vote or that they have won before election. The ample opportunity to have a more comfortable Lagos is ahead of us and we need to stop complaining but take action through voting rights without fear of intimidation. A vote for me is a vote for diligence, trustworthiness, comfort and a better Lagos we all crave.
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