Oseni got my cap off

By Sola Abegunde

No matter your disdain for the present National Assembly, if you want to be honest with yourself, there are yet a few individuals who are doing Representative Democracy a great deal of good when it comes to the discharge of their primary duties which has to do with Law making and oversights.

One of such few individuals is the Representative for the Ido/Ibarapa Federal Constituency.

I will not discuss his series of interventions in terms of employments. He’s been known for that, in or outside public office.

I hardly know the Pastor cum politician and I think he also doesn’t know me closely.

The nearest I got to him was recently during the burial programs of the late chairman of our great Party, Barr. Isaac Omodewu.

I saw him and exchanged greetings with him during the Christian Wake Night in the Event Hall, opposite the Polytechnic, Ibadan and that was my first and only direct interaction with him.

I also saw him at Otu First Baptist Church during the burial the following day.

I think we exchanged greetings by glances because the program was on when I got inside the Church and he was already sited beside the former Deputy Governor of Oyo state and my Big Egbon, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan.

I just watched a video clip of Engr. Remi Oseni addressing the Minister for Works, himself , an Engineer and former Governor of Ebonyi state, Dave Umahi and I couldn’t resist the urge to put this piece together.

If half of those who populate the National Assembly currently could display the kind of courage and boldness with which Oseni took up Umahi, who himself is known for his fiery attitude, then the Government of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu would have been scored higher in various areas of governance.

It was not only Oseni’s eloquence and boldness that struck me as unusual, the seriousness and passion he displayed, coupled with the messages he passed across got me, I must confess.

You could be eloquent. You might be courageous but the content of your messages matter the most.

What are the takeaways from the less than two minutes video clip?

For me, Engr. Oseni was direct and on point when he alleged that the Minister concentrated his energy on ” less priority issues”.

According to him, if the resources made available for the Ministry were concentrated much more on the rehabilitation of existing Roads, Nigerian Roads would be far better than what we currently have.

His displeasures with the attitudes of the Ministry to be awarding contracts for Roads that would not be done is an issue and I agree with him in to to.

One of the biggest problems facing Governments at all levels these days is the misplaced priorities of awarding contracts for new Roads when there are a plethora of existing Roads which are left unattended to.

I must give kudos to Engr. Remi Oseni once again.

He just made my day!

Abegunde writes from Eruwa