Between 2007 and 2015, Honourable Dayo Bush-Alebiosu was a member of the House of Representatives from Kosofe Federal Constituency, Lagos State. Today, he is
Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development in the admnistration of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwoolu. His footprint speaks louder than his voice. In this interview, however, he talks and talks frankly and pragmatically. Excerpts
In Kosofe Federal Constituency, politically and otherwise, there have been rumblings here and there, especially the demolition in Oworonsoki. What is your take on these?
What has happened in Oworonshoki has been a case of urban regeneration. If we go back in time and you know the story of Oworonshoki, at a particular time, you couldn’t even move freely after 7:30pm. It was a phase we went through. I have a couple of aides from there, and I remember sometimes once it’s a few minutes past 7pm, the wife would put a call through asking him where he was, because some level of violence would have erupted. But thank God that the community was on top of it, the government was on top of it, and through collaboration they were able to turn it into a thing of the past.
What is the situation now?
There’s been the case of urban regeneration, and it has nothing to do with my ministry (Waterfront Infrastructure Development). But according to the LABSCA and Physical Planning, they had served them a few times, I think over two years before then. It’s rather unfortunate that it also has to be my local government.
How?
My case is very peculiar, I was born in Anthony village, I grew up there, so the local government I know is Kosofe local government, my 80-year-old mother grew up here. Our father’s house is in Kosofe, so it is more like a hometown for me. It’s all that I know, and I feel the pain on one side of the people because they have always been supportive of me. Everytime I contested elections, I end up having high turnout of votes across board, and that’s always for a reason, but its rather unfortunate. However, on the other side, we have water running through Oworonshoki and Kosofe at large. In fact, we have water running through the three local governments and my local government, my federal constituency. We also have Agboyi Island, the beautiful Island that has the potentials of being a metamorphosing into the Ilashes of this world and of course that’s an area we are looking at. When you also come towards Odo Ogun, we have Waterfront from there, we’re setting up Waterfront scheme there too. As a matter of fact, Odo-Ogun Waterfront scheme will accomodate more than 4,000 housing units, that basically another city coming up there.
How beneficial are these to your people?
You can imagine the direct and indirect investment that would be happening there. It is also something that our constituents would benefit from, in terms of direct and indirect jobs. You dont want to imagine the magnitude of economy that will be going on there that will also change the face of Lagos entirely. When you also come towards Ojota to Oworonshoki, we have set up another housing scheme there and it’s important to know that Oworonshoki is specially located and there’s no reason why we can’t pull up the development happening on the Island backwards towards Oworonshoki, because the Island actually starts from Oworonshoki.
What does poverty allevation conote to you?
When you talk about poverty alleviation, I have never been a supporter of that idea, I’ve never believed in it, and I think I only have my right as a human being to have my beliefs and my thoughts. From the day I was born to date, I most times find it difficult to see anyone whose life has changed through those poverty alleviation schemes. So for me, I’m thinking, is there something we’re doing right or wrong? When my dad, for example, was in the state assembly, I stand bold to say three-quarters of Kosofe was under government acquisition. He fought then as a member of the assembly, during the Lateef Jakande administration, and the landlords whose properties were to be demolised ended up paying that 1,000 naira for regularisation that we know. They eventually became land owners. Now, that land they paid 1,000naira for then, is what they are selling at a 100 million today. What kind of poverty alleviation is better than that? It has to be deep. It has to be economic. But when you look at what’s going on, now, we are handing out blending or grinding machines to people, why do I want to alleviate some level of poverty by handing over clippers to engineers and handing blending machines to people who don’t need it. As a matter of fact, these people eventually sold those alleviation tools given, and nothing happens with it. But in this case, I see a great potential in Oworonshoki. Oworo Waterfront scheme it’s an amazing place, by the time we’re done with that, you can only imagine how we’ll impact on not just Oworonshoki’s real estate value.
Is it going to spill to your neighbours?
Of course, it would affect Ogudu further into Magodo, it’d also affect the Bariga axis and what does it become them? It becomes a win-win situation but that’s opinion, my own opinion that is backed up by facts and figures, but you’d always have people with contrary opinions, I don’t blame them and I’m not sure what they have based their facts upon but I can only tell what I’ve worked with in my own case. We’re also coming there with a jetty, we have approval for a jetty, I think it’s about a 7 billion naira investment coming there, you can imagine how it’d serve across, there’s Bariga, right across from Oworonshoki. Now, we have been in discussion with Mr Governor.
Really?
He has asked for a few things just to make sure that the decision is absolutely right and we’re looking at converting that thing to the proper first fish market in Lagos. So, I still can’t understand how we can be surrounded by water and we have to pay 1 million to 2 million naira for fish that’s caught out from water.
Is it true you have an ambition to return to the House of Reps, reason your name is being dropped in this Oworonshoki demolition?
You’d always have people who will always play games, ambition? Have I even finished with the duties I’ve been saddled with, for you know how technical Waterfront Ministry is? Do you know what we had to do to turn it around, 95-97% of the people working there already said they weren’t staying at the ministry anymore, by the time I got there, we were able to solve problems and turn things around, I didn’t have enough hours in a day to tackle this talk less of, what ambition, who have I spoken to? To go where? I’m going to share this with you.
Go ahead
When I started my political journey of very active politics, I was looking at becoming a commissioner, eight people approached me Alhaji Tasiru from Ojota, there’s a man called Oyinbo, he was the man called Muda, the ward chairman for Mende, some of then are dead, sadly, but we still have a few who are living and standing, it took nine months to be convinced, to convince myself that yes, it was something I want to do, to run for elections. I wasn’t even at that in the first place but they say, sometimes, man proposes; God disposes. I was elected into the house of reps when I thought I was becoming a commissioner, I wanted somewhere where I could exhibit, where I could put to use the gift that I know God has blessed me with. Eventually that didn’t happen, now that I have ended up being a commissioner, so it means that I just have to show up first and let God take me to the place he wanted for me. I know what works for me and what has worked, but you’d always have rascals who would try to throw things here and there. Whom have I mentioned ambition to, not one human being can say I have spoken to them about what I want to do, all I continue to do is to ask God to direct me so of course you’d always have those kind of things going on, of course I don’t want such kind of thing to distract me, as a matter of fact, same people have even said I was responsible for the demolition of Oworonshoki when actually, I am a commissioner for waterfront infrastructure development, and Urban regeneration is under Physical Planning and e-GIS. Yes, in Oworo, I have a scheme there. It does not even make sense, why do I want to demolish and then want to bring a jetty there, a scheme that can house up to 4,000 people? So, to put things in proper perspective, our scheme is a land that has been reclaimed by the state through my ministry, it has nothing to do with the place in question, that has to do with other ministries but to be honest with you, I took an oath of office, we all took an oath of office, it hurts and pains very much that the people that have helped me become who I am or whatever I am today are the ones facing the brunt, on the other hand I also swore oath of office to say that so I’d be a hypocrite to sit here and then condemn what is being done by the states when I know that it’s about urban re-generation.
In this circumstamce, what is politics?
Politics is about helping and governing the people for development, we call it dividends of democracy, it means helping the people get out of crisis and living a better life.
And don’t you think the victims of demolition need your intervention?
The people came to the assembly, we met there and I was there with them, we have two representatives at the house of assembly who also intervened. We have also brought some people together, then, through a foundation we have come up with people, I have some friends who have donated so far a total of 9 million, they’re my friends that I called to say how can we help? I know the number of people I have paid their rents to re-locate, but is this something I can do by myself? Absolutely not, and I have brought some friends, I have a target of where we’re going, we’re trying to raise about 50million naira, do you think I can just easily bring out of my own 50million naira. I didn’t want to speak up about it until when it’s ready. There’s a company that we are interphasing with that promised to assist, when they are all ready, we all go there and let them know this is what we’ve been able to raise for you. I know what I’ve done, I know the number of people I have given hundreds of thousands, that I can afford. I have also spoken with Hon Okanlawon Sanni, I’ve spoken with Hon Femi Saheed too on how we can come together help. However, how did you stand in the way to say you cannot do the urban re-generation but on the other way, you’re also feeling the pain and that’s why we apply a lot of wisdom, and that’s what we’re doing but if you know me well. Everything I’m today, I’m probably not supposed to be alive today but God chose to keep me alive for a purpose, why do you think I still live here? This is the hometown that I know. The people who are playing their games, who feel threatened, and who I haven’t even said I want to do this, even I don’t know right now, I’m just waiting for God to direct me, but let’s keep that out of the way and let’s keep focus on the task at hand like you said, how do we deliver on the dividends? I’ve mentioned a few things, at Agboyi ketu, by the first quarter we’re going to launch the jetty there, we just completed the channelisation there. We looked at the bridge coming from Opebi, how will it benefit us for this bridge to just run through here, how will it impact economically on our people? When you look at that Odo Alaro axis, we had to clear to say how would you come through? I’d give you an example, if you’re going to pass through Kosofe, how will it benefit the people of Kosofe? So we had the channelization done. If possibly to put a mini jetty there, what do you think those things will do, or how do you think they’d be affected? So whatever we do, we plan it, we don’t shoot and hope, you aim before you fire. That’s the only way you can hit the target. There is also the Odo-Ogun Housing Scheme; we have activated it. Re-generation is a thing of the future.
Congratulations on successful waterfront summit 2025. How far have you gone with your proposed collaboration with the Netherlands?
That’s the very first summit, and we have great take aways that we’ve been working with. Do we do demolition? Yes, but only on the waterfront in conjunction with the required relevant authorities. That’s how we’ve done. However, demolition is not the first choice for me. I look at the other. That’s why you heard her refer to me as fix it, there’s no problem that does not have a solution, except for death. But if at the end of the day, the solution is to remove this obstacles, only then, do we have to do that so so far. You’ve seen what we’re able to record. We’re grateful to God for that. People are now beginning to realise that we better go and meet them for the necessary permit and the necessary things; otherwise, they’re not joking. That’s been the secret behind what we’ve been able to achieve so far.
Leave a Reply