Page8 <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> FEBRUARY 9-<strong>22</strong> 20<strong>22</strong> Politics Otunba Adewale Adenaike: I want to leave a legacy of selfless service Continued from Page 5< terms of development. Even if we cannot become a State now because of the constitutional provisions attached to State creation in our beloved nation, are we unable to galvanize the natural resources we are endowed with? Are we also unable to mobilize national resources to which we are entitled, to turn the district around? Can anyone point to any meaningful constituency project in Ogun East Senatorial District that has been attracted from the Federal Government of Nigeria in recent times? Yet, our people pay taxes, they are industrious and we have forest reserves that are exploited on a daily basis so much so that our forest reserve is now seriously threatened. Why the Senate specifically? I am a man of the people. <strong>The</strong> Senate is the place to be. Democracy is about the people. I love it when people engage at the intellectual level. I love it when we have to consult with our people to know what they want and we go to the floor of IA-Foundation holds Charity event on Feb 26 parliament to argue our position and convince others on the need to see things from our perspective. A Leader does not only take his people to where they want to go, you lead them to where they ought to be. That is the engine room of democratic governance – the parliament is the place to be. I have heard people describe it as the old people’s home. I beg to disagree with respect. Parliament also provides a wider circumference of operation. If there is one thing we need as a people in this country today, it is the ability to know ourselves and understand ourselves. When I get to the upper Legislative Chamber in 2023 by the grace of God and the power of the good and progressive people of Ogun East Senatorial District, I will have the opportunity to synergize with other great Nigerians from other parts of Nigeria. This type of synergy is the type you get in international relations – the synergy of mutual benefit for all the State actors. In the last four decades, I have watched with keen interest, robust Parliamentary debate in the UK with the interest of the citizenry being the focal point. <strong>The</strong> upper Education Legislative Chamber is certainly the place to be, my brother. Many will insist that democratic governance has underperformed generally since 1999... why do you think this is so? Again, I want to disagree with profound respect to those who put forward that view. In the first instance, I need to see their data for comparison. Part of the challenges that are fueling these conversations are beer parlour gossips and conversations lacking in empiricism. Let the critics provide their data and let us run the numbers scientifically and see where the scale tilts. Are we talking about military system of government that is 100% dictatorial, a take it or leave it situation? Are we also in romance with monarchy, anarchy or fascism? I align here with the late sage – Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was one of my political mentors, who said “that of all systems of government man has developed, the most reasonable and viable amongst them is democracy, the shortcomings notwithstanding.” Again, you want to find out what the people expect in democracy which has not been provided. I recognize the fact that we have some challenges but let me tell you this, the Western democracies that we are using as a basis for comparison today fought bitter destructive wars to get to where they are. Read the history of Europe, America, Japan etc and you will see the number of wars they fought before they got to their current location in life. What we are going through are all pangs of nation building. It is an inevitable stage in nation building. <strong>The</strong> need to lessen the burden of nation building is what has driven persons like me into politics so that with our experience, education and exposure, we can reduce the down time in our march towards an egalitarian society. As an insider now and based on experience... why is Nigeria unable to fulfill the vast potential for which she is widely acknowledged? Continued on Page 10< IA-Foundation holds its 3 rd Annual Charity event virtually on Saturday 26 <strong>February</strong> 20<strong>22</strong> from 6pm (UK time). <strong>The</strong> theme for this year’s event is #ImpactingLives. <strong>The</strong> organisation with an objective of “enabling the less-privileged through education” was established in 2019, and has been working to reduce the number of ‘out-of-school’ children and improve the standard of education in Nigeria. Speakers at this year’s event include: Dr Oby Ezekwesili FCA – a former Minister of Education in Nigeria; Pastor Ituah Ighodalo FCA – the Founder of Trinity House Church; and Zuriel Oduwole – an Education Advocate. Recently, IA Foundation was registered with United Kingdom’s Charity Commission – the nonministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence. You can register for the charity event at: https://bit.Ly/3ekgzDq
FEBRUARY 9-<strong>22</strong> 20<strong>22</strong> <strong>The</strong><strong>Trumpet</strong> Page9 “It’s an MICHAEL LAWAL FOUNDER, SENDIT.MONEY Meet the founders defying the odds and shaping the future. Watch Black Futures on Barclays UK YouTube
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