The game of politics in Nigeria has left a lot of people amazed; the way it is being played from the local level to the federal level. We have all experience politics filled with violence, thuggery, corruption, vote buying, to mention a few. It has now become like it is meant for some certain set of people, it has become like only some people are fit to practice politics.
Most people don’t even get to know their representatives because they came up as a result of god-fatherism and someone that hasn’t even been to a particular constituency all his life can emerge as the representative.
However, a reformation is about to take place In Oyo state House of Assembly, Egbeda constituency as the APC Flag-bearer, Hon Usman Olelekan Buraimoh, AKA Ultra, has a very different story from others who has sat in this same position.
Usman Olalekan Braimoh, Aka Ultra, grew up in Ibadan, from Lamini compound. He had his entire Primary and Secondary School Education in Oyo state. He then proceeded to Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) to where he got a Diploma in Law. Thereafter, He went to Lead City University, Ibadan formally Ambrose’s Alli University; he had accreditation issue so his parents told him to embark on some professional courses. I did computer and networking, I had my DBA, MCSE, in ABTEC, and I had the opportunity to travel abroad to the University of Leicester, I finished as a computer and information forensic, then I later proceeded to the University Of Teesside for my Masters. I came back, got another degree in International Relations, and went to University of Ibadan (UI) to study German language.
When moving round the streets of Ibadan, Oyo state, precisely Egbeda Local Government, the kind of encomium he receives is almost like that of a governor which shows how loved he is in the community and his constituency. While speaking with journalists about his ambition; when asked, he revealed the reason behind it.
“I don’t give them money, I listen to them and in every situation, I put myself in their shoes, I have had to beg for money. I trekked from Challenge to Iwo road, because one destiny helper assisted my academics tussles with N5,000 and I couldn’t remove N70 transport fare from it, because I thought to myself; removing transport fare from that money would hinder the plans of using the money to obtain my Jamb form; If I had someone to give me 100naira that day, the person would have been my god. Hence, I try to be the answer to people’s immediate prayer; they rally round me because I listen to them”
One of his major plans for the people which others don’t have is bringing government close to the people, making the people know their representative; although, he has no issue with the people of Egbeda Local Government identifying him. He has lived there all his life, played ball on every field in the local government, knows almost everybody in every junction, been to every spots since he was a child but it is always about bridging the gap between the people and government and bridging the gap between the government and the people. While speaking on how to implement this, he talked about his strategies.
‘’ If I say people should expect good governance, it has been over said. What they should expect is, Government of their own, by their own and for their own. I can tell you the junctions in Egbeda, they know I am one of them and what they should expect is bringing government and its gospel to every door step. like they all know, one of the first thing I’m going to do is to establish a constituency office in every ward which others don’t do, I will be separating party from governance; In larger wards where they have enormous population, if I may, I would have two or three constituency office there. They don’t want my money but they want to have complaint points, where to report their grievances. Others took government far to them, you only see your representatives on TV, I have never seen our present Representative before, he is going about begging for votes; he won’t get re-election, people are now wise. When you bring government to the people you will not do much, when they see you here today and talk to them; they will spread your ideas, visions and efforts you are putting together to serve them.
I’m not contesting because I want to be anything. Aside from the title and the prestige, I want to create leverage for my children, grandchildren, to ride upon. The incoming Governor of this state who is Adelabu’s grandson rode on the pedestal of his grandfather; I want to consent that legacy for my grandchildren. His election will be a walk-over, look around, it is him or him because his father has done well for the people. I told my team that we have to make a communal development every month, I have 48months to represent our people which means I would have affected 48 communities’
Furthermore, while speaking on godfatherism in APC, he revealed that the Party has nothing to do with such.
‘Progressive has nothing to do with godfatherism, it’s about giving honour to whom it is due, godfatherism is separated from governance, Tinubu isn’t a godfather, he is a great leader who took Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria to where they ought to be’.