FATAI OLUKOGA HAILS AMBODE, CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENT ON CLEARNER LAGOS INITIATIVE. | Shakiru Seidu. ..Enjoins aspirants in Ikorodu Division to shun desperation, as he was engaged by MegaXpression in a Special Interview.

Question: Good morning sir. My name is Shakiru Seidu, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of MegaXpression Magazine. Kindly tell us brief about yourself sir.

Answer: Seidu, let me firstly commend you for the good job you're doing through your media. It has really superseded the other media in Ikorodu Division. You are not sectionalized, while your media is divergent and very unique. I appreciate your coming.

My name is Otunba Dr. Fatai Olajide Olukoga; a former Permanent Secretary, and a Special Adviser on Education to the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and I am currently the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of Million Mark Nigeria Limited.

I was born 27 September 1951 to the family of the late Sulaimon Adebambo Olukoga (Rtd sales manager with Michelin Tires) of Itunmoja quarters and Alhaja Zainab Abeni (Nee Bakare) of Isele quarters, Ikorodu, Lagos State. I attended Saint John's School Aroloya for my primary education, and Ansar-ud-een College Isolo for my high school education. I left Lagos in 1971 and attended Malcolm X College in Chicago, Illinois, where I received my diploma in Business and Applied Sciences in 1972, after which I proceeded to Governors State University in Park Forest South, Illinois, where I barged a Bachelor's degree in Social cultural process in 1974, followed by an MBA degree in Marketing and Industrial Relations in 1976. I was awarded a (PhD) in Public Administration (Honoris Causa) by United University College, Denton, North Carolina, US in 2004. Similarly, in October, 2015, I was awarded Doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in Political Science and International Relations (Honoris Causa) by the Crescent University, Abeokuta in Ogun State, Nigeria.

I worked and held different positions in many organisations; including, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, USA; National Biscuit Company, USA; I.T.T Nigeria Ltd; and Lagos State Public Service, Lagos, Nigeria. As a Lagos State Permanent Secretary, I completed Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere and also the construction of recreational centers in many parts of Lagos state.

Thereafter, I went into politics proper. I contested House of Rep. Member to unseat Hon. Abike Dabiri, but unfortunately, she won the party primaries. Well, as a master degree holder who supposed to be a generalist, I was appointed Special Adviser on Education to the former Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, though I wasn’t an educationist but I thanked God for allowing me to put in my best and I was in charge of Tertiary Institutions in the State. Right now, I am a part time Tutor in America, in Bowen State University as a lecturer on Political Science. I spent a period of one or two hours in classroom at least three times in a week. If you look at my schedule, you will see those number of days. As am talking to you right now I will be in class this evening but I would be doing it through the internet until I return back to America in June.

Question: With your robust experience! As a politician, business administrator, Author, etc. How do manage all?

Answer: Well, as author of many books, particularly a Book titled 'Managing People'. A particular section in that book devoted on time management. I must be able to imbibe that in my thinking and the way I approach things. So, this has really helped me to organize myself once I have work to do. I am always focus in my activities, hence you see it in my Cap style, called Focus. So, with focus and timing, it has realy helped me to organize myself. If I give you an appointment, I must keep to that time. If I have something to do at a certain period of time, I have to do it. I have really done it to the extent that everything has to be done with result oriented.

Question: Sir, between 2011 and 2015, you are the Special Adviser to the former Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, during that period, can you tell us some of your contributions to Ikorodu Division and Lagos State at large?

Answer: Since Mass Literacy Education, was one of the departments under me, I made sure that I established a skill acquisition Center at Igbo-Oluwo estate which has graduated many sets o: graduates in Ikorodu Division. That is one area, the other area is to ensure that education, since education is the bedrock of wealth or anything you do in life, I ensured that most of our institutions in Ikorodu, personally, through me, supplied ICT equipments, I organized Children’s party and as I'm doing that, I gave students School Bags, laptops mathematical sets, and other lot of things. I am very happy to inform you that during my tenure of Office, Mass literacy Education reached a high mark of 89.5%.

In area of Adult education, the State Government has an agency called Alternate High School for Girls. Those women who have left school halfway, we were able to bring them back, and before I left, they have been enrolled for WAEC. The first year, we had about 35, almost 30 of them passed WAEC. The second year, we had about 37, 35 of them passed, same on third year. After having good results, some went back to their States, some went to Universities. So these are some of the achievements. And in the area of real academic. I ensured that Ikorodu people are not left out in terms of admission into LASU, LASPOTECH, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Primary Education, Noforija and Lagos State Health Science Health of School Technology, Apart from assisting them in gaining admission, we also offered scholarship, bursary award to so many students. Through me, I was able to get scholarship for master degree and PHD. 

Today, many of these beneficiary students always extend their appreciation to me on the street of Ikorodu, but to me, it's a grace of God. As a politician, at least, I will count eight hundred or more people that I have one way or the other impacted their knowledge in terms of education either through scholarship or admission and so on and so forth.

At the State level, we make sure students gets their certificates on the day of convocation. This is one of the new thing I brought in through the governor's approval. We ensured that each institution has its own auditorium where they can do their convocation ceremony rather than outside of the campus. Once the students graduated, they go home with their certificates unlike in the past when they asked them to go and come back later. So these are some of the achievements made. I was also able to improve LASUTH in dental unit area and also our health technology through enabling facilities and improving the sector.

Question: Sir, 3 years of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, how can you rate his performance?

Answer; Well, he is doing very fine, but waste collections still needs to be improved upon. On the infrastructural development, Ambode is doing greatly. His first 114 roads project were completed in 6 months. Same in his second year and that is a good step. But in the area of waste disposal, he has took us back to about 20 years ago before Bola Tinibu was there. When Bola Tinubu came in, he met refuse disposal in a mess and he worked along with those who have experience in waste disposal through utilisation of competent hardwork, reliable and dependable officers of LAWMA. The commercialisation documents compiled by us and the foreign experts were then the main focus of good achievement. That was how illegal refuse in Lagos State become thing of the past. But right now, refuse is all over the place and the effect of this on our roads is bad. So, that is the area he needs to improve upon. Aside that, he is doing well and I am very proud of him.

Question: You are one of the Apex Leaders of APC in Ikorodu Division, what are your level of preparedness towards the 2019 election?

Answer: Sincerely, we are not leaving any stone unturned. You will agree with me that Lagos State is still lacking behind in terms of collection of Permanent Voters Cards. So, the first assignment that we need to do as party leaders is to ensure that PVCs are collected from INEC. Once the PVCs are collected, next is to give orientation to the electorates on how to cast their votes for APC. We have embarked on the first phase and by the grace of God, our Party, APC in Ikorodu Division will win in landslide in 2019. The election of 2015, Ikorodu Division took second position but this time around, we will try as much as possible to take first position in 2019 election in Lagos State. I am saying this judging from the experienced gathered through my participation at United States of America Elections. You can see from the letter of accolade sent to me by President Barack Obama.

Question: What is your advice to all aspirants contesting for one position or the other in Ikorodu Division?

Answer: My advice for them is to be a good sportsman and to shun violence, vandalism and thuggery. The position of the party on the choice of candidate must be respected. In 2015, we are eight in number that contested for House of Representatives in Ikorodu in which Hon. Babajimi Benson won the primaries. We all came together and worked for the success of the party. Same should be adopted in 2019 election by those vying for one position or the other. I enjoined all the aspirants to strive hard in making their manifestoes known to the voters so that a credible candidate can be elected and contribute immensely to ideas at the legislative House rather than being a bench warmer in the Hallow Chamber.

Shakiru Seidu: Thank you sir for sharing part of your time with us.

Dr. Olukoga: You are welcome my brother.