The emergency of Rt Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff and the Speaker Yakubu Dogara was not without stress and storm as there were serious opposition from the All Progressives Congress and from different quarters but by providence and God’s hands they emerged as presiding officers of the Green Chamber.
Since the Deputy Speaker occupy the seat two years ago has combine the function of lawmaking with the empowerment and improvement of lives of his people in his federal constituency. Rt Hon Lasun contested to be in the House of Representatives from Irepodin/Orolu/Osogbo Central and Olorunda Federal constituency of Osun State
When Lasun became the Honorable member of the House of Representatives in 2011, his benevolence and genuine passion for development of his federal constituency brooded out. In his proposal he listed four development initiatives with which he hoped to impact vigorously on his constituents are his driving force when imediately he emerged as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives .
These are:
Human Capital Development Initiatives (HCDI) which features projects like training of about 600 people in fish farming and packaging, plantain farming, mushroom farming and digital technology selected across Osun state, where each of the participants were given capitals of cash between N50,000 and N100,000 and equipment. It also includes donation of three tractors, plowing accessories and a sum of N2, 000,000 to farmers in the state.
Educational Development Initiatives (EDI) featuring building of six school buildings in Osogbo, Ilobu, Erin, and Ifon and provisions of classroom furniture in Ifon, in his federal constituency. It also featured sponsorship of educational programmes and awards of scholarships for indigent students especially law students that were enrolled in Nigerian Law Schools in his federal constituency.
Infrastructural Development Initiatives (IDI) featuring the facilitation of the designing and construction of a new Ojutu bridge on Erinle river along Osogbo/Ilobu/Ifon/Ogbomoso road; completion of the abandoned Osogbo/Ilobu/Ifon/Ilajue border road; building of standard gauge roads with asphalting and drainage on Apiponroro/Ilesi/Orolu middle school in Ifon; solar powered street lighting of a kilometer distance at Oroki Estate road Osogbo; Comprehensive and maternity hospitals in Ilobu and Osogbo, mini water dams in Ilobu and Osogbo and ICT centres in Ilobu.
It also featured the supplies of electricity transformers and drilling of boreholes in all towns and cities in his federal constituency.
Direct Poverty Intervention (DPI) that featured cash grants of N10, 000 each to 470 women engaged in peasant trading; cash supports of N250,000- N400,000 each to fifteen entrepreneurs, distribution of quick impact capitals such as 106 tricycles and 260 commercial motorbikes; periodic but regular distribution of food items such as rice, garri, sugar and other domestic items across his federal constituency. He concentrated all his constituency projects funds on these four development initiatives.
Principally his interest is vested on developing human capitals rather than raising materials for people. He believes that development of human capitals in a sustainable manner is far better than given material things to human. According to him, majority of humans want to be independent in sourcing livelihood and that many have cognition of what to do to convert opportunities to a livelong asset, provided they are well tailored towards that.
Hence many of his development projects tendered towards liberating humans from the shackles of poverty and squalors. Lasun started by identifying artisans and entrepreneurs whose businesses have collapsed and granted them cash ranging between N200, 000 and N400, 000 depending on their business nature to rejuvenate their businesses.
In this category, in 2012, he selected fifteen people among the auto spare parts sellers; brick-makers; and a number of traders in different wares such as provisions and cements, whom he granted non-repayment capitals across his federal constituency.
Yielding to popular demands, as commercial motorbike has become a veritable succor for financial distresses among young male adults and adolescents in Yoruba land, between 2012 and 2017 Lasun had distributed 260 different motorbikes in his federal constituency.
Some of these bikes are used as commercial motorbikes and served as means of livelihood to their beneficiaries. Some were distributed for some members of his party executives such as ward chairmen and youth leaders to ease their movement for political assignments.
To encourage easy and shuttle transportation in his federal constituency, Lasun has purchased and distributed 105 tricycles being used for commuter services and serving as means of livelihood for the beneficiaries. In 2016, to encourage the sustainable growth of informal economic sector in his federal constituency, Lasun distributed 400 sets of pepper grinding machines and 50 sewing machines distributed among the women who are engaged in politics in his federal constituency.
As at March 2017, Lasun has distributed, installed and connected seventeen electric transformers to electricity circulation across his federal constituency to improve access to electricity and boosting local economy in the constituency.
Lasun justifies his interest in self development approach of human development as he arranged for the training of 600 youths from his federal constituency in agricultural entrepreneurs and digital technology. Specifically, fresh fish packaging, mushroom plantation and plantain plantation trainings were targeted. At the conclusion of four days training for each of the four components, a sum ranging between N50, 000 and N100, 000 and marching equipments were distributed for each of the trainees as starter recipes. Lasun invested vigorously in graduate employment as he solicited for employment opportunities for graduates from his federal constituency.
Through lobbying, he got employment spaces at the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, Federal Inland Revenue Services, Central Bank of Nigeria, Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority, Customs and Excises, and Federal Civil Service Commission, where he has fixed 87 graduates as at April 2017, in career and executive cadres across his federal constituency.
In support of agriculture in his federal constituency, as Lasun affirmed, agriculture is the quickest means through which Nigeria can get out of economic recession. To him, if enough local foods are produced locally, Nigeria will be saved of high foreign currency exchange, which was heightened by high importation of foods. To achieve this, Lasun donated three sets of tractors with all their accompanied inputs to All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria in his federal constituency. He also donated a sum of N2 million to the farmers to support access to fund to jumpstart farming in 2017 farming session.
Abiding by the provisions of his office as the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Lasun nominated Legislative Aides as Special Advisers, Special Assistants; Senior Legislative Assistants; and Legislative Assistants. In choosing these legislative aides, preference was given to his federal constituency and those who actually played strategic role in his election to the House of Representatives in 2015.
However some of these Aides were chosen among the respected individual in the society and party elders from his federal constituency, especially the party elders that have not had opportunity to be appointed into political positions.
As at 2016, Lasun had used his good office to facilitate the building of three school buildings containing between 36 and 72 classrooms in his federal constituency. In 2017, the school building projects increased to eight spreading across his federal constituency. All these school projects were to compliment Rauf educational projects in Osun State as the locations of Lasun’s school projects lacked the attention of Osun state government in the area of school intervention projects. So Lasun’s project was a gap-filling for Osun State government under the Rauf’s governorship.
As captured in the 2016 national budget, many of the projects which Lasun facilitated in the budget have begun as at March 2017. Construction of two cottage hospitals with 160 bedded spaces each, rehabilitation of Osogbo/Ilobu/Ifon/Oko deplorable road, construction and expansion of narrow Ojutu Bridge along Osogbo/Ilobu/Ifon/Ogbomoso road, construction of two mini water dams and two maternity centers had commenced across his federal constituency. All these are critical development interventions aimed at bringing the presence of federal government to the people of Lasun’s constituency, and thus improving the livelihood of the people.
In all his development initiatives, Lasun believes that the compulsory responsibility of elected political officials is to fulfill the social contract between them and the electorate. To Lasun, elected political officers had made themselves available for representation and build the trust in the electorate that they would make life better for them. Lasun often says that this responsibility must not be deterred. Thus, building schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, boreholes and providing security are basic responsibilities of politically elected officials, which need no celebration when done. Therefore, Lasun desists from celebrating any of the development projects which he facilitated.
Apart from the feat achieved by the Deputy Speaker by improving the lives of common people in his constituency, he cooperated with his Speaker, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara in ensuring that things went on smoothly in the House hence several Bill and motions were passed with the two years. Despite the initial crisis in the House, the two presiding officers with the cooperation of other principal officers and members, the House was able to achieve unprecedented feat that has not been achieved since 1999.
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