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In our interview series today, we host the Ondo North Youth Leader, a man who is a tutor to many and a political analyst. He shares his political believe, inspiring involvement with us and preparation towards 2023 election
Can we meet you? Kindly tell us about yourself
Answer : Yes ,of course. I’m Hon. Nasirudeen I. Boboye-ijawoye. I’m the State Assistant Youth Leader of the PDP in Ondo State. This simply implies that I’m the Ondo North Senatorial Youth Leader. That means I preside over the affairs of PDP youths in the six local government areasof Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West, Akoko South-East,Akoko South-West, Owo and Ose.
What are your thoughts on the current situation of politics in Ondo North?
Answer : Ondo North is an integral part of Nigeria. So, her politics cannot be divorced from that of the nation. I’m particularly worried about political leadership in the district especially now that seasoned and astute politicians are sidelined with the evolution of unknown individuals now occupying strategic positions in government. The results are not far-fetched. I’m therefore not bewildered by the current ugly scenarios and shenanigans that painted the firmament of the district. Due to selfish community agenda stepping from social dislocation, political distortion and regional bias, our people always neglect the round pegs for the round holes. This is pretty unfortunate , and has decimated the district as a retrogressive political enclave unlike what it used to be in the past.
Being the Youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo North, what have been your role and how effective do engage the Youths?
Answer: It’s quite unfortunate that we couldn’t do much for the youths under the umbrella. Notwithstanding,we always sensitize them to be political conscious about happenings around them. It’s part of my obligations to mobilize our youths and organize symposia aim at educating them about purposeful and forthright leadership as the antidote to the myriad of challenges confronting them. We use party meetings at the ward and local government levels to achieve this target. Again, I work with the state youth leader and the South-west zonal youth leadership to organize youth conference and summit to further integrate the youths across the eighteen LGAs in the sunshine state. Obviously there are daunting challenges , and we understand that we need to fight on now that we know that youths are marginalized across board. Consciously and practically , I always work against hooliganism, thuggery and other forms of social vices since it’s fundamental that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. I’m seriously religious about this as most often our orientation is carried out on social media platforms too using Facebook page and WhatsApp
On what platform are they being engaged?
Answer: I think constitutionally our youths are meant to be sensitize through the established platforms like ward or similar meetings, youth summit , seminars and workshops. We have tried our best to engage our youth to bail them from the shackles. Like I said previously,we also avail ourselves of the social media platforms and community-based youth platforms. For instance, I’m from Emure-Ile in Ward Eleven of Owo LGA. I always ensure that I play major roles in mobilizing our youths as agents of change . I’m involved in the basement of Annual Carnivals in the kingdom. In Owo LGA too, I’m not hidden. I’m the President of Owo Concerned Youth Network ( OCYN). Beyond party line, I can beat my chest to tell you that I’m always involved in youth mobilization, orientation, empowerment and skill acquisition to take many from the street.
Ahead 2023 election, why will APC not win Ondo North
Answer: Apart from the present harrowing experience of Nigerians with democracy under APC repressive regime due to economic woes and anomie and insecurity challenges, one can say without any equivocation that Nigeria is now a banana republic. This is the present reality. In Akoko zone, it has always been ugly scenarios and stories of kidnapping and herder’s invasion.
In Owo zone, Ose is now a kidnapper’s den. In fact, the Late Oba Adeusi, Olufon of Ifon was brutally murdered in cold blood by the so call unknown gunmen. At Ekamaru Zone, most communities and villages were overrun and many inhabitants maimed or killed by Fulani herdsmen. In Owo, many people were also kidnapped. Executive Chairman of Owo LGA, then a PDP chieftain and the incumbent Publicity Secretary of the party in Owo were separately kidnapped but released on payment of huge ransom apart from the holocaust of June 5 at St. Francis Catholic church, Owaluwa. There are numerous challenges ranging from hungers, lack of cash to scarcity of petroleum products and their high and unaffordable prices to social vices like Yahoo-Yahoo , thuggery and other forms of hooliganism. The prices of essential commodities are in the high side just like tuition fees and hospital/electricity bill. There is stringent economic situation in the land. Our people are deceived and disappointed. They are angry and bitter. The youth with EndSars Massacre and other similar wickedness and mindless plundering of our national treasury, I know our people will reject APC at the polls. It’s important to mention that nearly all APC candidates were imposed by the power that be. Pastor Jide Ipinsagba ,the Senatorial Candidate and Hon. Timehin Adelegbe,House of Representatives Candidate easily come to mind. This imposition with impunity by the cabal within APC with be visited with annoyance and voting for the opposition party and candidate, or apathy. The presidential candidate of APC continually has shown weakness and health frailty. He usually spews gibberish and gaffe at campaign grounds. Daily Tinubu is being rejected by the people who are now becoming more conscious and informed. Everyone is groaning under the yoke of excruciating pains of the APC and its clueless leadership. APC will lose with a wide margin especially in Ondo North.
Which politician from time motivate you ?
Answer : Pa Obafemi Awolowo is that politician. Again, I think I respect Late Dr Olusegun Agagu for his deep reflection and for being considerate and prudent with organization and plans. He, like Awolowo, believed in functional, meaningful and catholic education. They believed in building bridges across generations. They are progressive elements too with their concerns for the downtrodden and the physically challenged and the vulnerable.
Why do you think your political party has the best candidates in Ondo North?
I don’t think but I know that my party (PDP) parade the best candidates in this election. Akogun Tokunbo Modupe,our Senatorial Candidate, is a seasoned politician with resourcefulness and political experience . He is a brand genius. He is tested and trusted. Arowele was once Chief of Whip and later Deputy Speaker at the Ondo State House of Assemby. He is a performer with scorecards. All others like Sabela and our House of Assemby candidate like Hon. Saporu, Abbey ShopRite, etc are equal to the task. They are popular among their constituents. Our candidates emerged through keenly contested primaries. Political values,popularity and performance were the factors used for selection of all PDP candidates. So, I’m confident that with our candidates, victory is sure for the PDP.
In recent time, a political chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State distance himself from the Peoples Democratic Party, saying PDP has no structure to win 2023 election, How true is that?
Answer: This is pretty unfortunate. PDP is the only party with viable structures in the 774 local government areas of Nigeria. This is a fact that is verifiable. APC is a marriage of inconvenience and that of strange bedfellows. They are cinfusionists and power-mongers who are social lepers and political anathemas on the corridors of power. So it’s an unfounded allegations that is malicious , fallacious and slanderous. It’s a gaffe from such tissue of irreconcilable. If anyone should distance himself or herself from any political party,it should be APC- the haven of pathological liers and wicked propagandists who are enemies of the state. Any person that describes PDP as a party without structure must be a clown and a person with fog as a brain.
With the scarcity/hike of fuel and the introduction of new currency, how do you think it can be adressed?
Answer: To me, this is very unfortunate. It’s very disturbing, harrowing and appalling too that Nigeria could be tipped into nightmares by the self-acclaimed progressive elements in APC at this most critical moment in Nigeria’s history. I see fuel scarcity as a deliberate ploy to punish Nigerians due to cluelessness and lack of foresight by those on the corridors of power particularly in the CBN and presidency as PMB remains the Hon. Minister for Petroleum Resources and Chief Accounting Officer of the federation. Fuel scarcity and the subsequent hike in prices of petroleum products are caused by ineptitude and lack of sincerity on the part of the federal government. APC came to power through lies and propagandas, and it’s obvious that they hoodwinked Nigerians to believe that a litre of petrol will sell for forty-five naira (#45) against the present reality. The redesigning of naira notes is a deliberate somersault of economic policy . With its objectives, it’s clear that the government which banked on integrity to power lacks the political will to fight corruption as he does not have the strong will to deal with the untouchables in the system who stockpile moneys in tanks reservoirs and what have you in their various homes. Instead of bringing relief to the people on the account of cashless economy, the obnoxious policy has brought untold hardships on Nigerians who now use money to buy money for daily sustenance. To tackle these hydra-headed challenges, the federal government must be ready to deal squarely with the situation by enforcing discipline to tackle systemic corruption.
The government too need to be clearheaded so as to direct CBN to do the needful by making available new notes to the commercial bank for smooth transactions with customers . Sanctions must be meted to bank managers who deliberately hoard new notes from customers but made them available to their POS agents.
In recent times, it has been discovered that Youths are now used for social Media job which is popularly known as “Data Boys” what are your thought about this?
This is not out of place. After all , the percentage of the voting population that are youths are more than 50% . Again , the youths are the most active parts of the voters because of their agility , training , dynamism and innovations. They have the technical know-how to function well as social media apostles. Nevertheless, I see abuse of these great potentials with the inanities often displayed and frivolities pursued by some of these boys while defending political parties, aspirants, candidates and governments as the case may be. In some circumstances,they constituted themselves into nuisance by pursuing butterflies rather than substance with their God-given talents and sterling qualities that should have been deployed into knowledge-based and digital economy. In truth, Data Boys concept is a degradation of human dignity as it were as it’s morally wrong to weaponize poverty through clandestine niche to create tension and acrimonies among kinsmen and brothers on the name of politics. I think parties and aspirants/ candidates should seek the service of media experts with experience and expertise to reduce the unnecessary frictions on the social space caused by these unfortunate “Data Boys”. The most painful thing about these guys is their ability to flood your phones with deluge of messages or postings within few seconds. Their junks often take large volume of space on one’s cell phone.
In conclusion Sir, what are your advice to our youths in Ondo North, Ondo State and Nigeria
I think our youth across board must understand the importance of dignity of labour and integrity in service. Youth truly are the change agents. This is the numerical strength of our youths. I therefore advise that the youths must be jealously nurtured and nursed in preparation to stand for what they sincerely represents. So, skill acquisition is key to boost formal education so as to remain versatile. Our youth must place premium on themselves by getting involved in the transformation of Nigeria rather than chasing after butterflies. They should shun violence and eschew bitterness ,bickery, politics of calumny and vendatte and other social vices like Yahoo-Yahoo, kidnapping and other sister crimes so as to remain above board in both private and public life. Our youth even as social media aides should promote good contents rather than dispensing derogatory remarks. The “Data Boys ” should acquire media skills , and pursue goals capable of bringing about integration and development in all spheres.
Thank you for this quality interview and for your platform.
Peoplesmind
