By Simeon Mpamugoh
Hon. Jubreel Abdulkareem is a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Constituency 02.
A former executive chairman of Agege Local Government Council 2008-2014, Abdulkareem is one of the Nigerian lawmakers who believes that with the right education, new set of leaders can emerge, who shall raise a community where true service shall truly be for the people.
He said that his tenure opened up Agege to the high level of infrastructure development the area is witnessing, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu removal of oil subsidy was the most tough decision ever taken by any Nigerian leader. Excerpts:
The last time we met in 2011, you said that Agege has been opened up. What would you say of the area today?
By the grace of God Agege has been opened up. We have to note that development is a continuous process. The development of 2011 when I was the executive chairman of Agege Local Government Council has gone beyond what we saw then. What we did at the council level was to expose the city to the world and from that exposure development continues. Governance is a continuum. Even the developed countries of the world that were known then have not been stagnant. They’ve continued to develop so also Agege will continue to develop.
During the last elections, the opposition Labour Party won the presidential election in Lagos State. What are the lessons derivable of this feat?
For me, it was not the opposition party that won the election then, it was because within the ruling party, there was a kind of wrangling, rancour that was at play. And having been the first election, people showed their displeasure based on what was happening. But immediately we saw what happened, we went back to the drawing board to ensure that we managed ourselves properly. We kind of called family meeting and appealed to the aggrieved people, and we could see that the table turned by the next election. So, it was not the opposition, it was within ourselves. For example, one way or the other if you are not concurring to what I’m doing, you feel that I did not listen to you, okay, fine! I will withdraw my support from my people there and they will realize that from my own end, I didn’t do what I was supposed to do and from your own end, you did not do what you were supposed to do. And from there everybody will realize that we must all be on one page. That was what happened.
There was a report that linked you with 12 others to a deadly fracas during the May 15, 2018 APC Agege Congress, which brought about your being detained by the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigerian Police Force. What really happened?
Thank you very much. This is akin to what I told you initially. You know that in a political party, there are caucuses and realignments. One way or the other if I and the next party man are both together and we have either a rancour-free or otherwise kind of relationship and one way or the other it degenerates to a kind of misunderstanding between ourselves which no one knows where it will lead to, immediately we observed it, again we call ourselves together to iron it out. And as family people we return to the status quo. That was what happened in the case you referenced to. There was a misunderstanding that led to what happened which was resolved in the interest and progress of the party.
You worked against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa ahead of the 2019 election. Why did you oppose him?
It still boils down to conflict and the way we resolved it. You know when we are together as a political party and there was a kind of misunderstanding, that necessitated rancour and acrimony within the family. This was what happened then. But at the same time I stepped down. But If you look at it critically, in the beginning it looked like I was not willing to step down, but at the end of the day, I finally stepped down after consulting within the the family and agreeing that we are one family, so why should we wash our dirty linens in the public. We agreed and moved on. As APC members we see ourselves as one family.
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has been the Speaker of the House for the 8th, 9th and the 10th State House of the Assembly. How would you score his leadership of the House?
Thank you very much. That is fine and fantastic question. If you know how the state House of Assembly is structured, you will understand that for one to be the head of that institution and still maintains the leadership quality and position, that person must be somebody that is really good, strategic, confident, in fact, I don’t have enough accolades with which to describe him. Rt. Hon. Obasa has leadership quality and it is still intact and showing in different areas of his job as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. We know that those who are in the House are not of the same personality, orientation and background with him. If he can manage the 40 KINNIUN (Lions) as we call them, we must give kudos to him. He is indeed a good man. Invariably, if he can manage Lagos State, he can equally manage Nigeria because Lagos State has been known as a mini-Nigeria. It was the same thing we said of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was the governor of the state. Today, he is the President of Nigeria and everyone can see the results in terms of development. Things are really taking shape within a year he was sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Even beyond the expectations of those who say they are in the opposition parties. Because people never believed that things can begin to change positively for the better in Nigeria. At the early days of his administration people were wailing; “it is hard, dollar is rising,” but today things are drastically taking shape. Without people being forced, cost of living is coming down. Even the blind can see it except those who want to deny what God has done through the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But there is no person who can deny it. It is undeniable because the evidence is on ground for everyone to see. It’s not hidden.
Recently, Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM1) visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and came out with a single, calling on him to do something about the sufferings of the Nigerian people. What are your thoughts about this?
There is nothing wrong with what KWAM1 has done. He expressed the feelings of the people then. First and foremost, he is a Nigerian who listens to what people are saying beginning from his own constituency. But that does not mean that what he said was right to some people. To him he has expressed what he felt he needed to say by then. In a constitutional democracy, freedom of expression is enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria. So, KWAM1 exercised his constitutional rights provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the grundnorm.
How can we ameliorate the sufferings of the people within your constituency in particular and the larger Nigerian constituencies?
My constituency is part of Nigeria. So whatever happens to Nigeria equally affects my constituency. If you are talking about my constituency, you are invariably talking about Nigeria because my constituency is a mini-Nigeria. I have Hausa in a chunk size, I have Igbo, Ijaw, and Igbira. And they are all living within my constituency. So, whatever happens to my constituency, happens to Nigeria. What is happening in my constituency is the same thing happening in Nigeria. And the relief Nigerians are seeing is the same relief my constituents are seeing, the palliatives Nigerians are enjoying is what my constituents are enjoying. My constituents can also see that the cost of living is gradually coming down to our expectation and by the grace of God, it will take shape by December 2024.
What are your thoughts about the kind of palliatives the Federal Government put in place for Nigerians where some people are getting two Derica of rice while some others are getting N25,000?
It is called palliative which is aimed at cushioning the effects of the sufferings of the people so that at the end of the day they will get the final solution. And I can tell you that the solution is coming gradually. The name says palliative; it is not permanent. It is what the Federal Government designs to cushion the effects of the oil subsidy removal. It’s a palliative measure, with the permanent solution on the way. We can see it coming gradually. The permanent solution is in the reduction of the foreign exchange rate, which will bring a lasting solution to so many other things. The permanent solution is in the reduction in the cost of governance which is currently in progress, the permanent solution is to ensure that the right infrastructure needed for good governance is put in place, which is also in progress.
Political observers are of the view that the reason many political office holders engage in corrupt enrichment is because they don’t have any business to fall back on when they leave office. How would you react to this assertion?
To me, I don’t believe that because whatever response I’m giving about this assertion is based on what I’m doing as a person. Before contesting the election I have my business. While I was contesting my business was run by my family. And when I leave office as a lawmaker, I will return to my business. There was never a time my business was not in place. So, why should I believe that assertion? I cannot based on my own perspective. For me, it is no, no situation! In fact, those who know my background can testify that before I came into politics God has gifted me what a man is supposed to have in life. I have gotten them before venturing into politics, and winning an elective position: I have married, built houses, my business is running and I have some vehicles. All these were by the grace of God acquired before being in political office. However, by virtue of being in position, one way or the other, the position will give the political office holder/leader some leverage beyond what he/she has, such that he/she will enjoy some benefits more than before, which nobody can deny. I tell people that leadership has it own benefits. it is not until you dip your hands into the public coffer and loot the whole money, or engage yourself in dubious and falsification of financial records in public institution before you can open up your own business. The benefits of that office is enough for you to enjoy the spoil of that office and put up something for posterity.
From 2008-2014 when you called the shot as the executive chairman of Agege Local Government Council till 2023 when you were elected member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, how was it with your political gerrymandering and horse- trading?
I was still politicking, attending political meetings and lobbing for one thing or the other. The difference was that I was not holding any political office. But I participated in any activities of politicking for my party in Agege in particular and Lagos State in general. I enjoy being a leader, a figure and participant in the field of politics. And that was what I was doing before 2023 elections.
As APC chieftain and rep. of Agege Constituency 02 in the Lagos State House of Assembly. How many wards make up your constituency?
We have 11 wards that make up Agege Constituencies. Five are under constituency 01 which is represented by Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the Speaker of the House. In constituency 02, which I am the rep, we have six. So, the wards under constituency 01 are Wards A, B, C,D and E while constituency 02 has Wards, F, G, H, I, J, and K. The way we structured our constituencies makes them interwoven such that a project in one may spill over to another.
What are your plans for your constituents?
As the rep for Constituency 02, I’m not one of those politicians who boast about what they have to offer their constituents. When you are representing a constituency, do you know what it entails? They approach me for their needs because I’m their rep and they are my people. It is a relationship. But if you see someone boasting saying: “I will do this and that for my constituency,” the person is a baby politician. He is saying those things just to carry people along, to win their confidence. As a legislator, you cannot say exactly what you are going to do for your people. It is the job of the executive arm of government to handle it. Your job as a lawmaker is to facilitate the constituency project based on the request of your people. You are only representing them, you carry the interest of your people down to the House, discuss it at the floor of the House when it’s in session, thus presenting it as their needs and expectations from you so that whenever a budget is being put together, you bring it before the House, and it will be included in the budget and passed to the executive leaving you with the job of the oversight function for the the executive to carry it out by way of execution. This is the process of lawmaking of the House. So, if I begin to tell you that I will do this or that when I get elected into the House, that is for the baby politicians. I am not that kind of politician. I relate properly with my constituents because whatever is their need is also my need.
The removal of oil subsidy has become a nightmare to many Nigerians. What are your thoughts about the removal?
I can tell you that the removal of fuel subsidy was a tough decision for anyone to spearhead. For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove it immediately after being sworn in, was an audacious decision ever taken by any Nigerian leader and it’s to the glory of God. Even the opposition parties campaigned it: Abubakar Atiku, Peter Obi, all campaigned it. So, there was none of the major opposition parties’ presidential candidates who did not campaign for the removal of the oil subsidy.
The problem most commentators on public policies have with the removal was that President Tinubu did not consult widely before removing it?
Consult who? Who is he going to consult?
Some Economists
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an economist on his own. He must have consulted widely enough on his own. He has his own onus on what he is going to do and today everything is taking shape. The people that were against the removal of the oil subsidy were the those benefiting from the status quo and that was why they were fighting back when it was removed. Today no one is telling them to fall in line. Even those with dollar stashed somewhere are bringing it out and trying to sell it before it falls beyond their expectation.
If you go out in the streets, you will experience some Nigerians groaning, murmuring, complaining and grumbling about the worsening economic hardship especially those who don’t understand the workings of government…
You have said it. They don’t understand the workings of this government to better life and welfare of our people. To those people I will advise them to try a business on their own. They should also be interested in the way governance is run, and the way Nigerian government was structured before the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed as president. We can now see what the president is trying to put in place for us Nigerians to behold good governance by shaping the governance structure of the country to what it should be, which is the only way to get it better. And the signs of getting it better are gradually emerging.
