‘Only autonomy can bring good governance at the grassroots’

Babatunde Agunbiade is an ICT professional and founder of Try a Little Kindness (TALK), a foundation which has helped thousands of widows, widowers and orphans, done free medical tests and awareness for the vulnerable. In this interview with AKINREMI FEYISIPO, Agunbiade who contested councillorship seat in Ward D under Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA of Alimosho on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform in the last Lagos State local government elections, talked about his plan for the youths, restructuring and council polls, among others. Excerpts: 

May we know why you are interested in politics? 

As you know, politics is about combination of local values and individual conviction on an ideal means of contributing one’s quota to the development of one’s community. I’ve always been a community person and love to see people experience positive developments. People around me and the community at large will always bear witness to my community services which are my antecedents.

What’s your assessment of the political situation in the country? 

Quite well, political situation in Nigeria has been a mixed bag – a combination of misrule occasioned by bad leaders across tiers, and a new imperative of change mantra. One does not need a compass to know how bad leadership has made politics in Nigeria so uninspiring but for the love of the land and one’s resolve to be part of solution, hence one’s involvement.

There is this call for restructuring from different quarters. Do you support restructuring of Nigeria?

The current structure we operate as a nation is a clog in the wheel of our national development. When the federation was operating at regional basis, every region was developing on its own term and pace based on their value, belief, culture and tradition where it has comparative strength or advantage. Nigeria’s development collapsed the moment everything was handed over to the centre. The recent agitation for devolution of power is a right agitation. There have been many national discourses such as the 2014 confab. The best way to resolve our identify crisis as it affects our values and development have been well presented in that report. All that government needs to do is implementation. The centre is too saddled with so many responsibilities that ought to have been delegated to the states. We need to go back to regional basis. Let each region develop and be made to function. Imagine the current system where so many states are not adding any value or contributing to the centre. So many states can’t even pay salary of its workers unless help comes from the centre in form of monthly allocation.

How would you react to the clamour for local government autonomy?

Agitation for local government autonomy is a direct consequence of abuse of local government tier of government by the state governors. They have badly abused it so much that it has practically been reduced to a department under governor’s office. This is utterly unacceptable. Local government is meant to be an independent tier of government. Don’t forget that this is the only tier of government that is most accessible to people. Its autonomy must be absolutely independent of state. I’m fully in support of local government autonomy. This will bring about unprecedented development at the grassroots.

What is your take on the recent judgment of the Supreme Court that settled PDP crisis?

Democracy cannot thrive with a one party system. What the court has done in its wisdom was okay for our democracy. PDP must have learnt its lessons from its internal ordeal. I would say no ‘Victor, no vanquished’. What the leaders should do is to reconcile all the warring factions and stakeholders that are dissatisfied with what led to the crisis in the first place, especially, in Lagos State, some of our members decamped​ to Labour, AD, Accord, APGA they should align themselves back to the party, but the way our BoT member is handling the issues I doubt if we are going to have a lasting solution to it in Lagos. We must remember some members stood in the gap in Lagos during the period of the crisis, while others decided to decamp. Special credit and recognition to Lagos PDP Chairman, Segun Adewale for standing his ground and be able to unify the party in the peak period of the crisis. Where is their loyalty to the party when they cannot stand in times of crisis? I want the NWC led by Senator Makarfi to remember that stronger together and weaker apart.

Could you please share your thought on the just concluded LG elections in Lagos State? 

Hmm! I was fully involved; I contested for a councillorship seat of my ward, Ward D under Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA of Alimosho. I represented PDP.  Like I earlier said on the independence of Local government, the sham and charade called local government election on July 22nd in the state was nothing but a reflection of failed electoral system where the governor allegedly directed the state electoral umpire LASIEC just to write results for his party. That disgraceful conduct wasn’t the reflection of people’s will and choice. Everything was practically compromised to have a sickening victory. This is what majority of governors do in their respective states. So, for me we have a long way to go to stop this totalitarian madness called tendency by our governors. Unpopular candidates were foisted on people and this is why there’s no development at the grassroots once they get to office. What those foisted candidates do in office is to service their bank accounts and their unfortunate leaders leaving the masses to suffer for their helplessness and gullibility.

Could you tell us about your project?

My project is community-based youth advocacy and empowerment programme. My foundation, COBA (Christiana Olusegun Babatunde Agunbiade) and
T.A.L.K. ( Try a little kindness) initiative which have been in existence for the past seven years. In the past, the foundation has helped thousands of widows, widowers and orphans in Alimosho. We have done free medical tests and awareness for the vulnerable. Also we did mass awareness on Ebola virus then. Currently, we are working on a free football competition for the youth which will be tagged ‘COBA CHARITY CUP’”. All Alimosho youths within this confine will have equal participation as a team and the winner goes with a prize. Also, on the grand finale day, handouts and empowerment items will be given to widows and orphans.

Tell us your plan for the future? 

My plan is to keep identifying with my people at the grassroots, empowering youths and getting more involved in political participation to achieve an egalitarian society. With God, all these are possible.