Former Permanent Secretary, Land Bureau in Lagos, Senator Gbenga Bareehu Ashafa, is also the senatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Lagos East Senatorial District in the March 28th National Assembly election. At a forum he held recently at a town hall meeting with residents and stakeholders, he spoke on his agenda and why he wants to return to the Senate.

By Olasukanmi Akoni

On transition from civil service to politics

There was nothing difficult about transiting from the civil service into politics. In both cases you deal basically with people. For example, as a civil servant, you are like a commuter who uses a chartered cab to move about while as a politician you are like a commuter who goes about in a commercial bus, popularly called “molue” bus. It’s really, an easy transition for me because its all about service to the people.

Impact at the senate and score cards at constituency level

As a legislator, I have three basic responsibilities or functions: Law making, effective representation and oversight duty. To the glory of God, in just four years, I have shown full commitment to the development of infrastructure across the communities in Lagos East. The people, traditional rulers in the area can attest to it that I have impacted positively on lives in the entire district and I have the capability to do more.

Health care and microfinance

*Senator Ashafa
*Senator Ashafa
In a broad sense, my achievements cut across ICT Training for youths, education, sustainable agricultural development, healthcare and micro-finance.

Till date, I have sponsored 17 bills and three motions on the floor of the Senate. Notable among them is the motion on the imminent collapse of the Third Mainland Bridge. The constituency projects that I facilitated to my district cut across 98 locations and they include; classroom blocks, Streetlights, transformers, ambulance points and motorized boreholes among others.

Assessment of INEC

In relation to PVCs, I will be quick to say that INEC has disappointed the entire country by waiting till few months to the election before commencing the distribution of the PVCs. However, I hope that at least, 70 percent of eligible voters will be able to collect their PVCs at the end of deadline as announced by INEC.

Security of the country, especially in the case of the Chibok girls

In my own candid opinion, the military is doing its best under the current situation by engaging the insurgents in warfare. However, I strongly condemn the president and the Commander in Chief for not mustering the courage to visit affected areas, especially “Chibok” until recently, Wednesday, January 14th, 2015, which to many is only to score cheap political point.

On postponement of elections

President Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led Federal Government is a monumental failure and as such should be resisted by all Nigerians using their thump and Permanent Voter Cards at the polls, on the postponed poll date of March 28 to vote him out of office. His unfulfilled promises have led to the deterioration of the nation’s economy, education, infrastructure among others and the abysmal devaluation of naira, insecurity in the northern part of the country and celebration of corrupt leaders.

The security reason among others given for the postponement of the February polls by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is untenable.

Nigerians were not particularly surprised at the postponement and many actually saw it coming. It was no doubt an executive coercion and Nigerians will remain suspicious of a premeditated plan to subvert democratic process.

What can be done to rebrand our politics and change it from this attitude of do or die?

To rebrand our politics, we need to rebrand ourselves first. This goes for the leadership and followership. Let the principle of internal democracy be adhered to by political parties and there should be a level playing ground for all and sundry. Let us have the fear of God and know that power is transient.

View on the recent reduction of Petrol Price

The reduction of pump price of petrol by N10 is laughable because this is not commensurate with the shrink by over 50 per cent in the international oil price. This is a slap on the face of all Nigerians. The government of the day should stop deceiving her innocent citizens, I will be modest if I say we should be buying a litre of petrol for N57.

Claims that the PDP is having upper hand in Ikorodu

It is a dream that can never come true. I don’t see the PDP winning our party in Ikorodu axis, it is just a mere dream that would never come true, since the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ikorodu has been witnessing several infrastructural development, Tinubu was the one that built the Independent Power Plant at Egbin, the Ikorodu road under construction is another indelible achievement that the Ikorodu People can feel as another dividend of democracy under the outgoing Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola and many other infrastructural developments in Ikorodu and across the state at large
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/how-we-will-resist-pdp-jonathan-in-lagos-sen-ashafa/

Chase the thief out.

GEJ...GMB...or whosoever, Nigeria needs a more rigid but vigorous leader. A Joshua that wudnt only freeze the sun,bt freeze the country n arrest d ''Corruption'' in it..we all agree Nigeria needs change but shdnt a bad egg be isolated from the good bfor they are bein preserved?

Senator ashafa, it is only the voters that can resist any political party/candidate...

Pa Ashafa.U dnt nid to resist anybody,tearing of the useless pdp cards will do the talking.Lagos mata nor consign mi,my focus is BUHARI taking over from the inept,corrupt laden,CLUELESS,misgovernance of d man from OTUOKE. SAI BUHARI FOR PRESIDENT.MARCH28 Loading

Mission impossible

eleko1:
Pa Ashafa.U dnt nid to resist anybody,tearing of the useless pdp cards will do the talking.Lagos mata nor consign mi,my focus is BUHARI taking over from the inept,corrupt laden,CLUELESS,misgovernance of d man from OTUOKE. SAI BUHARI FOR PRESIDENT.MARCH28 Loading

We saw a man barefoot, walking on a very hot day, we were about to offer him money/pair of shoes then we remembered Jonah. Ofcourse Never mind

temitemi1:
Mission impossible

kip deceiving urself.BUHARI loading to ASO ROCK MAY 29,2015

anyone assuming apc will win in lagos isn't serious

open ur mouth again and ask if this came from you?

Ikengawo:
anyone assuming apc will win in lagos isn't serious

Jona be like "stealing is not corruption" for now ;rigging in ekiti he never talk o <later he we be like "rigging is not corruption" abeg wat is now corruption<and dat fayose shld go &serve his people he is busy monitoring apc< i wonder wen pipu wil start to mind their business

politics ehnnnnn