Former House of Representatives member, Oladele Kosoko, is not known for parrying a reporter’s question no matter how contentious. This he displayed when Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, took him up on some critical national issues including President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest appointments, among other issues.
He was never known to be a bench-warmer in the Green Chambers. If anything, he was quite vocal on critical issues while in the lower chambers of the National Assembly. That is the erstwhile House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Science and Technology, Oladele Idris Kosoko, who represented Badagry Federal Constituency, Lagos State.
It was, in fact, partly on account of his robust outing in the House, aside his trademark integrity, that he was at a time chosen to head the body that coordinated the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Lagos – a feat said to have earned him applause from the leadership of the party.
He is, for instance, known to speak out when it matters most. This he manifested when, in an encounter with our reporter, he expressed optimism that the APC government would not fail Nigerians. This, according to him, is because President Muhammadu Buhari is a man that can be trusted.
“At 72, he has seen it all. He has led Nigeria as a military head of state and he did not corruptly enrich himself. I do not think he will do so now. If he did not steal in his 40s when he was younger and could get anything with military fiat, it shows he is an honest person without the primitive instinct for acquiring wealth
“If he (Buhari) is fake, we would have been witnessing allegations on some of the deals he did; but you can see that there are no such things coming up. I do not think his integrity is in doubt. The mess on the ground is huge and I think he needs more time if he must be assessed correctly and sincerely,” he said.
Kosoko, however, called for caution on the appointments so far made by the President, arguing that he may have good intentions but must also guide it with a right perception, so as to continue to enjoy support of Nigerians who gave him overwhelming acceptance.
“Of course, he is the President and has the prerogative to make his choice, but it must be done in a way that all zones must be carried along. For me, he is no longer an APC person per se, but the President of all Nigerians. As a statesman, he needs to be guided by our constitution. I do not think he (Buhari) has any Northern agenda. So, we need to be careful not to attract the wrong perception.
“A situation were all the three arms of government – executive (Buhari), legislature (Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara) and judiciary (Justice Mohammed) – are from the North aside other principal officers, sends a wrong signal for our party in other sections of the country. I suggest the President, who is a father of all, must find a way to balance some of these things. It will be wrong for us because we are members of APC to defend everything that the President is doing. Don’t forget that Nigerians are watching and that after four years we will go back to solicit for their votes. So we must be careful in any decision we are taking now,” Kosoko advised.
On whether his party would fulfil his campaign promises such as free education, free meal and power in the face of dwindling drop in oil revenue, he said the promises are realisable given the calibre of those prosecuting the assignment.
He expressed optimism that his party would address fundamental issues in the constitution, stressing that APC government would cut down on recurrent expenditure which in the previous government was about 75 per cent of the budget and, in its place, ensure the capital expenditure is given priority.
Kosoko stressed that with the cutting down on the number of ministers and political appointees, there would be enough money to run government and make Nigerians know that indeed the change needed to kick-start the building of a great nation is now on the ground.
His words: “As I have always said, one of the fundamental issues that we need to address is the constitution. For instance, the recurrent has taken about 75 per cent of our budget in the last administration. When you now look at it, what business do we have with 42 ministers and ministers of state? If you don’t have a bloated cabinet and you block all leakages, there will be enough to do the job. There is a lot of duplication and I know President Buhari will do away with all that.
“So much money is spent (unnecessarily). Look at the money we spend at the National Assembly. That is why I talk about part-time legislature. Hardly would you see them (lawmakers) on seat. They just sign register and go away, claiming that they are going on oversight functions. If we start from cutting allocation of funds for unnecessary things as Buhari plans to do, I am sure APC will execute its programmes successfully.
“If the recurrent expenditure will be reduced to, say, 50 per cent, leaving capital with 50 per cent, I can assure you that this country will come back alive.”
Although most Lagos residents seem to be uncomfortable with the slow pace of the Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration, when compared with that of his predecessor, Kosoko is confident that the governor would deliver on target, after all.
Said he: “Given the pedigree of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and what he promised to achieve, I have no doubt in my mind that he will not fail Lagosians. I even see him surpassing the achievement of his predecessor, Babatunde Fashola. Ambode is well informed about the Lagos situation and he has a solution that will take the state to the next level.”
On where he wants to see Nigeria in the next four years, he said the story of power, security and provision of basic amenities is expected to change in the next four years.
“I want to see Nigerians in comfort; comfort in the area of security, power, industries, employment and basic amenities as well as in our education system, among others. In four years, there will be marked difference with what will be on the ground in terms of change. It will be four years of goodbye to the mess inflicted on the country by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government,” he enthused.