There are politicians and there are politicians. Rt Honourable Michael Olusegun Adesina Adeyemo, the late Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly was a different politician. He was not only a beautiful man to behold, he was also beautiful from the inside.
In addition to this, he was highly communication compliant – hence, he was in touch with everybody including Parrot Xtra/PMParrot’s OLAYINKA AGBOOLA.
After chatting for some weeks together on FACEBOOK, he gave a Thursday, April 19, 2018, 3pm appointment to the Parrot Crew. And on the appointed day, he was waiting to speak with us not knowing that it was going to be his very last interview with us.
Though the interview session was rather brief because the focus then was the raging issue of the ‘abduction’ of the Senate Mace, we were able to ask him about his political future. Excerpts:
How did you feel when you heard the news of the hijacking of the Mace at the Senate on Wednesday sir?
What happened yesterday, Wednesday was a pure indication that our democracy is being threatened – because to the best of my knowledge the Senate is not where someone can just barge in without not being stopped because of the number of different security men on ground there. Before one can even gain entrance, one has to undergo screening exercises from the first gate to the chamber.
My own little understanding is that in a situation like that, the security is usually fortified especially when the Senators are in session, and also coupled with the issue of bomb here and there, I know the management of the National Assembly would have put a lot of security checks in place, so it wouldn’t have been so easy for somebody, an individual or group of people to stroll into the chamber, because for you to gain access to the chamber is a difficult thing – you would have met some people, because they won’t allow anything that will disturb the seating of the House so they have to put some checks – questions will be asked – who are you, where are you from?.
Then you will see that there are also places for the public, gallery to watch the proceedings of the house. So for that group of people to have that courage and get in, move in straight to the desk and pick the mace, there is more to it. We’ve seen cases where whenever there is a crisis and members are moving towards the mace you’ll see some members trying to prevent them, struggling within themselves, why that didn’t happen yesterday still beats me. We could see some of them watching even from their positions. Why that? Some even stepped back. The invaders were not armed, they did not have anything with them, no gun, so I’m still trying to figure out what actually happened. It was like a drama, house drama.
That means somebody was probably trying upstage somebody?
No. I do not think it was about anybody. It was not about Sakaki, I still find it difficult, Saraki could be anywhere and doesn’t mean that anything cannot happen…
So you think Senator Omo-Agege is innocent as he is claiming?
Let me say this, for a Senator of the Federal Republic to try to do that, does he have the kind of security that’s so powerful that he cannot be stopped from doing anything? Is he above the law? He knows the law, but I’m still somehow confused on the basis of the fact that nobody knew those invaders, who did they follow to the National Assembly? At the gate of the main entrance, if you are a visitor they will ask you, where are you going? Who do you want to see? In fact, at times they will get some kind of clearance from the person concerned before you will be allowed to move or to go into the premises of the National Assembly. Those invaders, did they fill those forms or did they answer questions at the first entrance until they finally got to where they were able to hijack the Mace. Therefore, there are so many questions that still need to be answered. Let us all consider the fact that visitors are given tags at the main gate. Did these guys register to get tags to show that they are visitors?
What is your own personal perception or how do you see the whole drama?
The way the scenario played out, I’m yet to be sure that something is not wrong, there’s some kind of under current note, so many questions to be answered.
What lesson did you learn as the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly from this?
Well, one thing I have to say on the matter is that, the entire Senate as a whole irrespective of whatever happens, owe Nigerians apology. They owe the entire nation apology. They will have to tender that for whatever lapses that might have occurred to allow the drama in the first instance, then I expect as a leader, the lesson I’ve learnt there is that a leader should show more of love, a leader should not be vindictive.
Are you referring to Senator Bukola Saraki?
Yes of course. The position he took in respect of that case- he should be seen as being moderate even while others were asking for Omo-Agege to be sanctioned, he should be the one that will be saying that okay let us be moderate.
I can recall from what we saw was that the committee recommended the sanction, or punishment, they used the word punishment and when the leader of the house stood up, he appealed that they shouldn’t use the word punishment, that the spirit of love they’re canvassing for dictates that Omo Agege should be compelled to withdraw the case against the Senate from court and also the Senate should over look and forget the suspension of the Senator. Two or three Senators spoke along that side, so the Senate President ought to have reasoned along that line and also make further appeal to the Senators that okay in view of what the senate leaders and some other members have said, ‘let us look at this but let us try to advice ourselves, warn ourselves from conducts that are unbecoming of our status as Senators. Therefore, in view of this, we ask Senator Omo-Agege to withdraw the case in court and he should tender an apology to the house. Once again that settles it, because we have serious businesses to attend to rather than engaging in warfare. It is Nigerians that are suffering at the end of the day’. That is why I am insisting that the Senate should apologise to Nigerians – for allowing the matter to degenerate to that level, while serious businesses are suffering.
What general message do you have for fellow legislators?
Well, the legislative aim of government in Nigeria is just growing. We are not there yet. We are developing as a result of the fact that it is the only arm of government that is recently trying to evolve. You will note that it is only the Legislative Arm that is lagging behind. The judiciary has always been there even during the military rule they’ve always been there but we have the legislative arm that comes into existence whenever we have a democratic government and a lot really needs to be learnt. We need members with experience, members that will be in house for as many years as possible like in developed nations.
What should we be expecting from the Honorable Speaker come 2019?
This question has been recurring anytime I have the press around me. They always want to know what next year will bring and the only answer I always give is, it is very difficult to know what next because your next will be determined by God. The future belongs to God. So where ever God wants me to be, that is where I shall be. God’s time is always the best.
