2019: My 9-Point Legislative Agenda - Oluomo Osinkolu

Olusegun Osinkolu

Dr Olusegun Osinkolu, OLUOMO was born on November 12, 1964 to the family of Pa Samuel Ajeigbe Osinkolu of Ile-Otun in Ayede-Ekiti, Oye Local Government area of Ekiti State.

 He started his primary education at Yewande Memorial Primary School, Surulere, Lagos;  then he obtained his WAEC/GCE 'O' Level certificate at Liberty Academy, Ibadan. He later went to Yaba College of Technology for his Ordinary National Diploma in Accounting. He thereafter proceeded to the Federal Polythecnic, Idah for his Higher National Diploma.

He had his mandatory National Youth Service Corps with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Rivers State in 1986. He also had HND Computing from University of East, London, UK; MBA (Finance, Merger & Acquisition) University of Wale/Manchester Business School; Post-MBA Qualification Kellogg School of Management Illinois;

Chicago senior Executive Fellow Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Boston and Ph.D in Poltics and Diplomacy, SMC University, Switzerland.

His working experienced spanned banking, oil and gas, telecommunications, capacity and human building development. A member of various professional bodies and associations both at home and in the Diaspora.

An active and committed member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he contested for the  Senate in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in Ekiti North Senatorial District. He was the first managing director of Ekiti State investment company - Fountain Holdings Limited and the Executive Chairman of Habitat Oil & Gas Limited. He is happily married with children.

Sponsorship of Women Development Bill:

I quite understood early in life the pivotal roles being played by women in moulding and shaping the lives of the young ones who are the future leaders in any society. I recognize the great influence of my mother on my life which made me to turn out as a successful businessman and exemplary leader of note. Against this background, if elected to represent the people of Ekiti North in the impending poll, it is my intention to sponsor a bill to address the barriers militating against women development in this male-dominated society, particularly the bill that aims to achieve women emancipation, widows' welfare, equal opportunity in politics and job  as well as the promotion of economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs.

This will not only propitiously put women in good stead to realize their potentials and contribute  meaningfully to nation building, but also create egalitarian society, bereft of discrimination based on gender. It will also reduce the lingering phenomenon of male chauvinism that has been ravaging the entire Africa nation and suppressing the voices of our women adults and the girl-child.

Sponsorship of Rural Infrastructure And Integration Bill:

My intention with the bill is to shore up infrastructural facilities at the grassroots and discourage over- concentration of public utilities within the urban enclaves at the expense of the rural dwellers, which has been a longstanding practice in Nigeria.

This bill, if passed will create enabling environment for rural dwellers in the areas of rural electrification, good roads, primary health facilities, low scheme housing units for farmers. The bill will also canvass for Agricultural Development Loans for farmers, the establishment of Unity Primary and Secondary Schools in rural areas to enable children of farmers and villagers to have access to quality education and to also advocate for creation of the Rural Development Fund by encouraging private sector-led support etc.

Part of the reasons why many urban cities in Nigeria are slummy has been the menace of rural-urban drift where people overcrowd the cities in search of greener pasture. This bill will mitigate the practice and stabilize the society through even distribution of social amenities.

Advocacy for the Review of Existing Environmental law:

Having worked in the Oil and Gas sector, I’m oblivious of the menace of environmental hazard as related to air pollution, oil spillage, gas flaring and vast death of aquatic lives, I appreciate the extent to which the lives and economic potentials of many Nigerians had been pillaged by nonchalant attitudes of Government to issues bordering on environmental protection and sustainable development. Based on this cogent reason, I promise to sponsor a bill to review the Environmental Law Regime in Nigeria to strengthen the policies and efforts of the

Federal Government in addressing ecological problems. Part of the focal points of the Bill is to solicit for prompt clearing of oil spillage in the Niger Delta region and to ensure that victims of environmental degradation are adequately compensated. The Bill will also be sponsored with a view to ensuring transparency in the management of the National Ecological Fund by the Ecological Fund Office and by State Governments and to ensure the erosion problems in Ekiti State and South East States are given adequate attention.

Bill To Review Extant Consumers' Rights Law:

Going by economic placement and categorization, Nigeria is predominantly a consumer nation with scanty production in place to satisfy the yearnings of the people. It has been established that reliance on foreign goods had given unnecessary and unbridled rooms for importers to put the poor Nigerians under stress through exorbitant charges. So, in his quest to ensure that the rights of Nigerian consumers are protected at the market front, I intend to sponsor a Bill to advocate for a review of the Consumer Rights Law that will place high premium on quality/standards of products and services. This will cover all spheres of the economy where services are rendered, including the effective regulation of the services rendered by the nation's Aviation sector, Telecommunication industry, Banking industry, Building and Maritime Sectors etc. The kernel objective is to ensure that the Nigerian populace can get values for their monies.

Sponsorship of Medical/Scientific E Research Bill:

Poor research has been identified as the bane of Nigeria's development. Though, the country can boast of highly qualified and erudite scholars that can make novel discoveries and innovations capable of solving our multi-faceted problems besetting the nation. Nigeria's poor disposition to research in the citadel of learning has been a serious impediment.

On annual basis, both Federal and State Governments make very low budgetary allocation to scientific research and this accounted for why the country has not been making major headway in science and technology. Many of the country's medical and technology geniuses had ended up being disappointed in making some of their inventions see the light of day due to paucity of funds. As part of the lasting solutions to this problem, I wish to sponsor a Bill to promote the development and funding of Profound Scientific Researches especially in the Medical and paramedical disciplines to bring about timely solutions to life-claiming epidemic diseases and to promote the granting of special recognition e.g. National Awards for the researchers etc.

Canvass For True Federalism:

From time immemorial, there had been virulent agitations for devolution of powers to

the component states of the federation in Nigeria. It has been the opinions of many opinion leaders that too much concentration of powers at the centre had caused lopsidedness in Nigeria in terms of power sharing and resources allocation, thereby putting many states of the federation at disadvantage. This runs contrary to the ideal principles of true federalism. I therefore wish to join the fray in canvassing for true federalism in Nigeria, which will engender the devolution of more

powers to the Regions, States and Local Governments.

For instance, Ekiti, my home state has deposits of Gypsum, Clay, Calcite and many other solid mineral resources found to be on the Exclusive List and can only be tapped by the Federal Government. However, if true federalism were to be practiced in Nigeria, Ekiti will be able to look inward and develop its local economy and stop depending solely on the allocation from the Federal Government. This, I believe, will help in powering massive job creation for the teeming youths and make Ekiti an economically-viable State, rather than being permanently confined to its civil service monolithic economy.

Better still, I am of the belief that though the people of the Niger Delta could not actualize the agitations for absolute control of the oil deposit in their domains, but the 13% derivation, the amnesty programme and the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta as well as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been of tremendous advantage to the region. It is my candid opinion that this agitation will help in putting the untapped solid minerals in Ekiti on the front burner to attract the attentions of the Federal Government for possible allocation of additional votes derivable from the coffers of the Federal Government as enjoyed by States like Kogi, Plateau and many other solid mineral States of the federation.

Massive Investment In Information And Communication Technology:

ICT has become a powerful instrument of development globally. Information is Power and the end result is wealth. I therefore wish to invest heavily in ICT development in my Senatorial district to put the teeming unemployed youths in that vantage position to make better livelihood through self employment through their acquisition of ICT skills and to make ICT a veritable source of wealth creation as witnessed in advanced climes.

My vision in this regard is to expose them to desktop publishing and web programming functions which will expose them to opportunities that were hitherto beyond their reaches. This I wish to realize through the building of ICT centres in at least two towns in each of the five Local Government Areas in my Senatorial district. What I intend to do to prevent failure in this regard, is to partner with and bring in ICT firms to manage the centres, rather than being consigned into the hands of half baked professionals which had been the factor stalling the viability of those already established by other lawmakers in the time past.

Promotion Of Mechanized Farming, Small And Medium Scale Enterprises:

During the pre-independent days and in the first republic, agriculture was the backbone of Nigeria's economy. One still remembers with nostalgic feelings the Cocoa production of the South West Region, the Ground Nut Pyramid of the North and the Oil Palm Plantations of the East. During this era, the country was the real giant of Africa with strong economic growth as vividly shown in the strong nation' s Gross Domestic Product and Income as well as Per Capita Income of our country.

However, the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in Oloibiri in 1958 and the subsequent oil-driven boom in the country's economy changed the trend of history. Just of recent, the country is witnessing hard-biting economic recess occasioned by the slump in the price of crude oil in the international market. This calls for a rethink and most especially the imperative for us to embrace economic diversification.

However, if the country is to diversify, the best alternative where the country has the highest comparative advantage is Agriculture. Against this background, I promise to work with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to promote irrigation farming in Ekiti and which would in turn encourage large scale commercial farming and create jobs for the unemployed youths, bring about food security and robust market stability that will shore up the country's foreign exchange earnings, curtail crimes and evolve a well improved GDP.

Local Government Autonomy:

Making the Local Governments subservient to the States of the federation had been the identifiable reason why poverty was well entrenched at the grassroots. I believe that making the third tier of Government (the closest to the grassroots) enjoys financial independence would banish the poverty ravaging the land, combat corruption being perpetrated via diversion of funds meant for rural dwellers and the debasement and undue  manipulation of the political structure through constitution of caretaker committees by Governors instead of putting elected officials

in place.

I therefore promise to join the vanguard of agitations for Local Government Autonomy using the instrumentality of the legislative powers of the National Assembly to carry the burdens off the rural dwellers' necks and make them live good and befitting lives.

Feedback Mechanism

If elected, It is my intent to always carry my constituents along and ensure that they are kept abreast of the developments at the National Assembly. To this end, I will see to it that I engage all my constituents and their various associations in interactive sessions on quarterly basis to enable them have more access to me and for me to get their contributions and policy inputs that will be of immense value to my legislative initiatives and developmental programmes within our Senatorial district.

I will ensure that my quarterly feedback reports are published and well distributed to all stakeholders such as the State Government, State lawmakers, Local Government Chairmen, Town Unions, Clubs, elders, women, youth, artisans, market women, skilled professionals, organized private sector, public libraries as well as educational institutions within our senatorial district.

Empowerment Programmes

In order to encourage self employment and wealth creation, especially among the economically disadvantaged groups, I will invest massively in the training of our jobless graduates, young school leavers, married women and widows, artisans and to ensure that they are able to acquire quality skills and learn some vocations that are capable of not only putting food on their table, but such that will enable them to contribute to the local economy within Ekiti State.

 Some of the skills and vocation that I intend to encourage training for my constituents are bricklaying, welding, tailoring, hair dressing, painting and paint production, furniture work, manicure and pedicure, aluminium work, electrical and electronic installation and repairs, catering and hospitality management, decoration, shoe making, soap making and so on.

Acquisition of skills by our youths would help to stem youth restiveness and insecurity in our society. It will also promote poverty reduction 1and the raising of the standards of living among our people. To achieve this, I intend to partner with relevant service providers and successful professionals within our district to engage the people in training.

Dr. Olusegun Ayodele Osinkolu is from Ayede-Ekiti in Ekiti North Senatorial District