By HASSAN TAIWO SOWETO: PATH TO FINDING A SOCIALIST LAWMAKER IN OGUN STATE
With the casting of the Presidential ballot on Saturday, electioneering into the different State Houses of Assembly is in no small way gaining momentum as political parties and their aspirants are certainly crossing the t’s and dotting the I’s.
It is at a crucial point as this that they see to the fact that their ideology and mantra is embraced by prospective electorate. Since it is a winner take-all scenario, they make sure their ideology is presented in a way preferable than that of their counterparts.
Speaking of ideology especially when it is this unprecedented, one cannot but help put a particular movement currently making the headlines spearheaded by the National Youth Leader of the fast rising Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) who also doubles as the aspirant of the party seeking a bid at the Ogun State House of Assembly, Ifo Constituency II on the spotlight in this special edition.
To save you the trouble of guessing, he is no other than the vibrant and articulate Hassan Taiwo Soweto whose name is virtually on the lips of locals as a result of his campaign strategy which solely embraces the door-to-door and house-to-house modus operandi and still rocking the community for months now.
One factor that makes his ideology stand out among equal is the deliberate fusion between the key ingredient of Socialism and Democracy which in his acceptance speech last year will address the issues of lack of development, jobs and economic opportunities for communities under the aegis of Ifo Constituency II.
Mr Soweto who is a socialist, labour and youth activist is also the national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC). Through the ERC, he has led major campaigns across the length and breadth of the country to defend the rights to better funded, well-equipped and democratically-managed public education system.
The consistent advocate and a vocal voice for the recognition of the rights of workers, women, youth and the downtrodden has as his major mantra “Ifo Constituency II will never be neglected again.”
Before the movement became a formidable one within Ifo Constituency II which comprises some of the least-developed communities in Ogun State including Alagbole, Agbado, Ope-Ilu, Adiyan, Giwa/Oke-Aro, Matogbun, Maidan, Legun, Olambe and Akute just to mention a few, the aspiring State legislator has without mincing words frequently blamed the lack of development in the Constituency on decades of neglect by successive governments in Ogun State and the ineffective cum self-serving representation by the current lawmaker representing the constituency in the Assembly.
Taking you back memory lane, Soweto lambasted the poor state of infrastructures in the Constituency while he proffered the necessary solution as having a legislator that can be frugal and not be particular about the financial gains.
He once said,
“The terrible state of our roads, the poor state of public education and healthcare and the absolute lack of jobs and economic opportunities in the constituency is a direct result of the conspiracy of the Ogun State government with the active connivance of the Honourable member representing Ifo 2 to keep our people in misery.”
“The raining season is here and you can see how our people wallow in mud to go about their daily activities. When dry season comes, people and children fall sick regularly because of the enormous dust that envelopes you when you walk or drive over the untarred roads.”
“Unfortunately neither the governor nor honourable Ganiyu Oyediji cares. Just look around to see how many uncompleted projects litter the community. In addition, the terrible state of roads and public infrastructure has constituted a danger to our people and particularly the children.”
“Just few weeks ago, exactly on Sunday 16 September 2018, a 14-year-old girl, Damilola Adegboye was swept into an open canal from which she has not been found up till now.”
On frugality, he has this to say,
“I shall declare my assets annually and I shall be accountable to my party and constituency. I will continue to live in my rented one-bedroom apartment in the community, I shall not accept more than the average wage of a civil servant. The excess of my salary will be donated to the party to utilise in assisting the struggles of workers, youth, the poor and our communities.”
Still on infrastructure, the SPN flagbearer is of the unrepentant opinion that the Ibikunle Amosun–led All Progressive Congress (APC) Ogun State government has neglected the construction of roads in Ifo Constituency II which has always left them to suffer especially during the rainy season.
In a summary of his detailed manifesto, Soweto reiterates on frequent occasions that he is vying for a seat in the House of Assembly to build a popular movement to fight for development for neglected communities in the constituency in the areas of road infrastructure, electricity, public education, healthcare and jobs.
He has not for once failed to scream that he will stand against all anti-poor policies and serve as a bold voice for workers, youth and the masses who will continue to live in the constituency will not collect more than the salary and allowances of a skilled civil servant.
The graduate of Fine Arts from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU also has it that the only motions and bills he would sponsor will be those centered towards the provision of physical and social infrastructure but also organise mass actions including protests and petitions to force the government to provide them.
On his Primary mission, the unrepentant socialist has always maintained the below stand:
“Construction and repair of roads across the Constituency”
“Provision of drainage and regular grading of all roads”
“Improved funding and provision of adequate public schools”
“Decent jobs for our youths”
“In strong voice for the interest of workers, masses, youths and women”
One unique campaign method adopted by the fast rising politician is the transparency employed in the course of the campaign where funds from donors are publicly declared as they come in.
Ever since the commencement of the movement, not even the weather or a brief illness from the rigours of the campaign train has stopped the socialist forged in the furnace of Ifo Constituency II from speaking against the ‘powers that be.’
With the new insights, unprecedented campaign modus operandi, one is forced to wonder if the March 9th polls will just swing in the direction of the ‘’socialist-democrat.’’
