I’ll Prioritise Education If Elected, Says House of Reps Aspirant, Lukman Adunmo

Lukman Adedeji Adunmo is a widely travelled IT professional with proficiency in Business and IT analysis. Born over four decades ago in Sagamu LG area of Ogun state, Adunmo has a deep grasp of grassroots politics spanning over 20years.

In this piece, he speaks on his aspiration to the House of Representatives and other sundry issues. Read on:

Who is Hon Lukman Adedeji  Adunmo?

I am Hon Lukman Adedeji Adunmo.  I am a politician and a business person and IT technician. I have been a politician from a very young age. I have been involved in active politics since 1999.

Before you go deep into that, can we get to know your background?

I am basically from Sagamu, my dad and my mum are from Sagamu. I attended St. Paul school ijoko then later moved to Comprehensive College, then I proceeded to Olabisi Onabanjo university, Ago Iwoye, in Ogun state here.

Why did you delve into politics?

Initially when I started politics, I never knew it will get to this stage, it’s like when you join an army, they will tell you the better side of it and when you are in the army , you will see a lot of things and as you progresses you’ll want to get to the next rank till you get to highest rank. I think that’s the best illustration that have given. When I started the politics, it’s just the politics of reading newspapers at Methodist junction Ijokun by just reading paper but along the line, I joined the politics then one thing led to another. Political Office came and appointment came then thing started coming in then the profile keep going up , that’s how I find myself in politics. Politics is like when you are in it, you are in it. You like it you like it, when you want to do it you want to do it. That’s why I encourage so many people to join politics.

Like you also know, Politics is about ups and down, what are the basic challenges you have faced so far in politics?

There are so many challenges but I can remember two, one is that people will say things you never did, things you’ve never attempted, people will be saying it emphatically that you are doing it, like character assassination.

Were you accused of stealing or what?

Somebody accused me of keeping gun, even the incident that they mentioned gun, I was not even there, I wasn’t even in town then and the person later apologized, what about people that have heard about it, but thank God for whom am known for and people know I can’t do such, many things like that but when you have a target and you know where you are going you don’t get distracted, you’ll just keep going.

What are the happy moments you have faced?

One of the greatest and happiest moment of my life was when I got a political appointment have never expected, base on my ability, my effort in the politics then when I was appointed and when I was elected. Let me give you a short senerio , I happens to be a youth leader for my ward, Sagamu Ijokun ward 3, AD then, one thing led to the other I became the local government youth leader. When you are so young and you find yourself in the local government exco, and you’re so young and you get to to the state level. There’s happy moments, ugly moment and there’s sad moment.

What is your view on godfatherism in Nigeria politics. Who is your godfather in politics?

At the moment I think I don’t want to mention names, but have passed through so many top leaders and politicians on which former Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel is one of them, former Local Government chairman is one of them, and many. Of blessed memory Alhaji Awofeso is one of them when I was in AD. So many of them give me political intelligent and what politics is all about

You so much love this few names you have given, what polical experience have you learnt from this people?

If you have been in Ogun State for quite years now, and Otunba Gbenga Daniel name is been mentioned, you should know what he is mentioned for. And of you have live in Sagamu for the past years and hon. Daisi Akintona I s been mentioned you should know what his name is been mentioned for , you will know for me to pass through those stages in my political career I must have learn great things.

Why did you want to go for the House of Representatives seat?

Sometime ago I was a personal assistant to Hon. Nasir Isiaka former House of Reps for Remo , and why I was doing this personal assistant, you know we sit in the chamber and as personal assistant we sit in the gallery. All those years I have this ambition of being a lawmaker, but not at the local level, the reason been that I love to impact life, and one of this places that can really impact people’s lives is the house of representatives, that’s why am starting there, have seen councillors, house of Assembly, but if you definitely know what you want to achieve.

Possibly if you’re elected, in the first hundred days what do you intend to give back to your people?

I have seen political office holders even around us, that will give excuses, like somebody running for a particular office and they want to give you excuse ( a mo pe Bose maari niyen) you don’t give excuses , you must know the nitty gritty of office you really vying for . As a lawmaker house of representatives member, everybody knows what it takes at least, intelligent people know what it takes, what you can get and what you are there for. The voting pattern is developing, that is why I will never mentioned what am not going to do. Basically education has  been my campaign promises all this local schools, this primary school. My first 100days in office, will determine what this legislation whatever they have done now will determine what my 100days in office will be and that is not charging my manifestation, because if some legislation have been changed and put in place, that’s not going to change what am going to do. What have always been campaigning for is rebuilding schools so that our kids can go there. That’s one of the best thing to take people out of poverty. So my first day in office is going be starting all that I campaign because  we have a lot of people supporting us and they are supporting us base on what we promise them, that’s is why if we look at magazine very well,  I only promise one thing because too many political promises have always been a scam, until  you are able to do one, and that one will forever be out of our problem, my first that will be serious starting of what we promise our people by rebuilding this schools. If you calculate 100days that’s about three months plus in office. You have to kickstart doing things, so that people can feasibly say that these man is doing something. Though Rome is not built in a day, but we have to kickstart and start doing things.

Hon Ladi Adebutu is perhaps the face of PDP in Ogun State, what is your relationship with him?

Apart from being a Remo indigene, hon Ladi Adebutu is our leader, locally and state wide,  he’s our leader in this side of the State, I don’t think anyone in PDP Ogun State as no his leader even by virtual of him rerunning for Governor makes him an automatic leader for everybody. Then coming from Remo makes him our automatic leader, thirdly, being a former House of Reps member in which I am vying for now, he should be a guiding mentor for me and somebody cannot be your mentor without be your leader, so has always been our leader and he will continue to be our leader and by the special grace of God, may he live long.

What is your message to the people on this ambition?

My message has  always been so clear,  we have been voting and people will continue to make promises, if you look at it very well, when people want to go to this office, they will tell our people they want to do so many things, at the end of the day what wee see is Okada, Maruwa, fridge, freezer, and I have never for once all my years in politics see anyone putting Maruwa on their posters, they will always say sweet things and what our people got is all these  things. There’s no way people will definitely follow whatever they say, our people are only used to that because that is what they know and that is what is being brought to them, my message to our people is this, we want to rebuild our schools and we have reasons for doing that, that primary education should basically be free for anyone, rand the best thing to take people out of poverty is when you have your kids in this schools and you pay school fees, and you ask yourself why is January always dull, one of those things that makes January dull is school fees. Lets us now imagine if the largest people of our population is not paying school fees,  look at how life can be more meaningful to them. So my message to our people is this, for how long are we going to be deceived, that’s why am sticking to that one campaign, am not campaigning for many things but basically targeting those schools. If you look at others campaigning rebuilding schools and you you look at others that are campaigning six, seven agendas, and they will later come up with Maruwa, freezer and fridge , I think you have accept the other time , ( Ibi ti ko ba so na, awon eyan ma gba Ibi ti won ri) we will show our people the way, they will know the right thing.