My target is to make life easy for people -Mayegun Sunday Babanumi

Accord Party candidate for Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West Federal Constituency, Oyo State, in an exclusive telephone interview with The Daily Monitor and Society Editor, Ajibade Alabi speaks on his ambition, philanthropy and legislative agenda.

Sir, your candidature under the Accord Party was received with a lot of ovation. Why did you decide to go into politics?

Thank you. I have always been a giver even before I joined politics, so my joining politics does not in any way influence my giving to people. My philanthropy is natural. Throwing my cap into the ring of politics will only make my people benefit more from my dexterity. My target is simple — to make life easy for my people.

What is your major plan for the people of Ibadan North West/South West Federal Constituency?

My ambition is to make life easy for people, especially those above 50 years. They are battling with diseases like hypertension, high blood pressure, stroke and many other age-related diseases. I am planning a very organized health programme for them where they can be taken care of and receive proper treatment.

Sadly, it was one of these diseases that killed my father 41 years ago — stroke. Stroke is nothing if well managed. In other countries they manage and treat it well, but here in Nigeria it is seen as a condemned sickness. So I am proposing free health care for people above 50 years. I will campaign for it to be included in our law. If it is included in our law, nobody can change it. At least 2% of our income as House Members should go into that fund.

If voted in, I will also build hospitals, because so many people are not doing well health-wise.

What about the issue of unemployment and youth empowerment?

Another thing I plan to propose is the cancellation of demanding for graduates with years of experience before being employed. I have a personal experience. My wife’s younger sister, who is 27 years old, after finishing her NYSC service, applied for a job in the banking sector. Despite doing well in the interview, she was rejected on the excuse that she did not have working experience. Imagine that.

I want to propose a law to stop such discrimination. You can’t say you won’t employ someone because he doesn’t have experience. What happened to the schools they attended? At the end of it all, most of them after waiting and due to frustration will go into illegal businesses and do all sorts of notorious things, and at the end become a nuisance to society. This must stop.

Your constituency is complaining about basic amenities like water. What is your plan?

The water system is bad. In my constituency, each ward is entitled to a functioning borehole, a working one and not the camouflage ones being erected about. That is part of my plan — to provide potable water to every ward.

What is your plan for education?

On education, I have been paying for WAEC for some students even before I dreamt of becoming a politician, and I will continue to do that. Education is the foundation of development.

Some people say politicians only give during elections. What makes you different?

I have also been investing in the lives of 10 people every month. It is not because of politics; I have been doing that long before politics. It is my nature to give. My philanthropy even before politics is legendary as the Egyptian pyramids. So my people know I am not doing it for votes. These are the positive things I want to bring to my people if voted in.