I Will Bring Development To Ikorodu- Jimi Benson
Babajimi Benson is a nephew of Otunba TOS Benson, Nigeria's former minister of information, and he is the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal House of Representatives candidate in Ikorodu.
The man popularly referred to as JB spoke exclusively with Naij.com on why he thinks he can win the mandate of the people in next month's election.
What actually made you get involved in politics?
My family background I must say, which is very political. My dad was one of the closest people to Otunba TOS Benson, his uncle, and going to his house enabled me to meet lots of great politicians in Nigeria. I met Baba Awolowo, the Great Zik and a whole lot of people that mattered in Nigerian politics. That, in a way, shaped my political views and I have been a political animal ever since.
Are those the only things responsible for your political ambition?
Not just those aforementioned qualities. I grew up liking Government as a subject in my secondary school days and I passed it excellently too. Besides, my love for the people of Ikorodu is top on the list. I want to see them smile always. Then, my profession as a lawyer is another reason I am going to the House of Reps. Most of the great leaders that I know are lawyers. Barrack Obama is a lawyer, Babatunde Fashola is a lawyer, just to mention a few of those great people who have changed our world as lawyers.
What are you really looking forward to reshaping in Ikorodu?
Like I always tell people, Ikorodu holds a special place in my heart. Lagos state was formed in 1967 with an acronym, 'IBILE' Division. The first 'I' stands for Ikorodu and I do not think that in the scheme of things, Ikorodu has been at the fore front. In terms of development, we have not reached the level that our status as 'Oga' that we are referred to, deserves. And I believe that there are lots of potentials to make Ikorodu Great.
How do you hope to achieve this?
We need a lot of good people. My sojourn at the LSDPC has helped me build relationships and as it is said, success is a product of relationships. I think I have the wherewithal, impetus and the required connection to drive the development goal of Ikorodu and make it a priority.
What are your chances of coming out tops in the election?
I started from ground zero, from the primaries. Nobody gave me a chance but I had a good team and strategy. I always put the people first and I believe strongly that the power of the people is greater than the power of the people in government. They know I'm sincere, they know I mean well. So, obviously they know what they want and they want change. They have seen the other party, they have ruled for 16 years and there has not been any change. The staple foods, the basic amenities are missing and the people know that it's time for change.
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Ikorodu could not produce any gubernatorial candidates: what would you ascribe that to?
Yes, we could not produce a gubernatorial candidate maybe the time is not right. I believe a time is coming when we will dominate the political scene. But we need to build, we need to be strategic, we need to be united and we need to be selfless. Once we have those, we can start thinking of dominating. Most importantly, we need to come all out and show our numerical strength in the forthcoming election. Because if we rank top three among the voters, we will get juicy positions in the state. That is being strategic. So when the time comes to appoint officers or patronages, Ikorodu Division would be considered. And that is where we can build capacity to come out big in the nearest future.
You seem to be the people's choice as you have been attending to virtually everyone who has come to meet you. How long will you be able to sustain this if you win this election?
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I will only stop when I see a smile on everybody's lips. They have tried to stop us but we will not. The other day, I was attacked by hoodlums in Eyita, but unfortunately for them, such things make me stronger. My philosophy from day one is to make everybody happy.
Barrister Babajimi Benson is from the prominent Benson family in Ikorodu. He is indeed one to watch out for, to occupy the political space in Ikorodu in the February elections under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Legit.ng
