I AM DETERMINED TO HELP THE MASSES -Hon. Akeem Masha

Honourable Akeem Masha, who represents Lagos Island Constituency 2 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, is not leaving anything to chances. The first term legislator is determined to make life better for his people, and that he has been doing since he got to office last year. The urbane and articulate politician is in constant touch with his people and he has been contributing vigorously to debates on the floor of the House.

Hon. Akeem is not giving to frivolities and procrastination, so he is always on the move to take Lagos Island to the next level and get the teeming youths in the area engaged in one vocation or the other.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain is ready to seek a second term in office after the end of his tenure in 2015 and he has earned the respect and trust of the people with his people-oriented activities that are devoid of inconsequential actions.

The people's lawmaker speaks on issues of importance in this exclusive interview.

How are you coping with the issues of area boys and unemployment in Lagos Island Constituency

The issue of our boys, we have decided not to call them area boys again because we want to encourage them. When you see a thief and you call him a thief, you have tagged him already even before investigation. When we call them our boys, we are bringing them closer so that they won't feel isolated and neglected in their own world. To the best of my knowledge, the government is coming up with a Bill for a law on terrorism, so the government would put a stop to the menace very soon.

Some people have subscribed to the fact that the boys are doing what they are doing because of unemployment, so as a lawmaker from such an area, how are you addressing the matter

We are trying our best, but the unfortunate thing is that most of them don't want to work, but we are trying to keep them off the road and put them, where they can be useful to themselves. In my constituency, for instance, some of the boys are being used by the local governments to collect revenue for them. These sets are getting off the road gradually.

So, what are your plans for the people of your constituency

My plans for them are numerous, but first and foremost, my duties as a legislator are to make laws and perform oversight functions. But notwithstanding, we give financial support to the people such as bursary awards, we assist the aged, widows, we have a lot of programmes for them. We provide medical centres for the people for them to know their challenges and how to help them. We are the intermediary between the people and the government.

One begins to wonder what a young man like you is doing in politics, when it is believed that politics is a dirty game, that politicians are fetish, so what motivated you into politics

What motivated me actually is that we cannot fold our arms and just allow people that are not doing it right to continue. If you think you have an impact to make, why can't you join them and find solutions to the problems. You can't be complaining from outside, you have to come in and see what they do and bring about a change to better the lives of our people. However, I would not agree with you on the issue of being young because if you look at our predecessors in office, they even started earlier than us. Politics, they say is a dirty game, but I can tell you that there is no place they don't play politics even within the family.

So, what are your own guiding principles as a politician, we see a lot of violence during election period and all sorts of things happen amongst the political class

My guiding principle is to be determined, I am determined to help the masses. Though during electioneering period, we say things we are not supposed to say because you are not in office yet, if you tell them exactly what would happen, they would not vote for you, but we are not doing ourselves any good with that since you will face the reality later.  Violence during electioneering period was well managed in my time. I am from Isale Eko area of Lagos, that is where I grew up, I have always been in their midst, so we didn't experience violence during the elections in my area.

We will like to know more about your pedigree, your growing up years, when and how you joined politics

I studied French Language at the University of Lagos. I started schooling in a nursery school in Onisemo area of Lagos Island, then I went to a government college, all through these periods, I was living on the Island apart from, when I went abroad, where I got some professional certificates. I lived all my growing up years on the Island.

Would you say democracy is working in Nigeria despite the various stories we hear all over town about corruption and mismanagement of funds by public officers

We cannot say democracy is not working, in the past, the military men would do things and nobody would ask questions. Nowadays, people don't just read newspapers and put it by the side; they read and ask questions. The recent mass protest against removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government is enough for you to know that people are now free to talk, when you do something that is not palatable.

Many people believe it is difficult to get to political office without going through godfathers, is it also true in your own case

We have party leaders, they are our political godfathers, it is not just happening in our own time, it has always been there. Even in the western  world, that is what is happening. The political leaders are our godfathers. I don't subscribe to the word; godfatherism. It is a normal practice that there should be some party leaders you must follow. I am not the owner of the party and I am not an independent candidate, so I must go through a party, I must go through the party leaders.

Who are your own political godfathers

All the leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) are my political godfathers, both in the state and national.

What can make you leave politics or have you had any embarrassing experience in politics

I have been in politics for 11 years now, I had been Personal Assistant (P.A) to a local government secretary, P.A to a member of the state house of assembly, P.A to a member of House of Reps. It is very difficult for one to leave politics once he is there, even when you are not in an elective office, you still play politics.

How do you think the relationship between the legislature and the executive can be strengthened, though in Lagos people believe you always do the bidding of the executive

Yes, people will say we are rubber stamp because we belong to the same party with the state Governor, but we are not rubber stamp in Lagos State House of Assembly. The executive cannot do anything without the approval of the Assembly. The relationship is cordial, but they always listen to us.

How would you describe the National Leader of ACN, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as he celebrates his 60th birthday

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Governor Emeritus of Lagos State, Jagaban Borgu is a man that should be well celebrated. The precedent he set is what the incumbent Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State is working on and I want to say if Tinubu hadn't done some things, I don't think the first term of Governor Fashola would be as easy as it was. He had some things to follow and that really helped him to deliver.

How do you think the issue of corruption can be tackled in our body polity, we hear a lot about this in high places

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are there, let them do their job, if they do it, that would reduce corruption to the barest minimum.

Where are you heading after house of assembly?

 What do you mean by that, after house of assembly, first term, second term, even third term or what? I am coming back for second term, I am still learning and I want to learn more.

Can you tell us about your committees?

I am the Vice-Chairman of Committee on Public Accounts (Local), a member of the Committee on Information and Strategy, Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development and I am a member of Physical Planning Committee also.

Do you think the local governments are actually doing what they ought to do

In the last election, what we went through is because some local governments are not working. Now, the Committee on Local Government Administration has been visiting the local governments' secretariats to see what they are doing. I am an associate member of the committee; I go out with them once in a while. In the next four years, if the committee continues with what they are doing, we would have better local governments in Lagos State.

March 23, 2012