Just recently, Hon. Tunde Lekan Olatunji a Lawmaker representing Ife-North constituency in the Osun state House of Assembly has said his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has the final decision on whether he will contest for the speakership of the Assembly or not.

In like fashion, his closest rival Hon. Timothy Owoeye, member Osun State House of assembly representing Ilesha East state constituency in a recent interview with the Sun newspaper believes the party has settled for his candidacy and has been anointed by the immediate past governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola as the next Speaker.

Needless to say that the struggle for the speakership seat in the Osun State House of Assembly has thus begun.

For those who say Mr Owoeye must become the Speaker based on been the highest ranking lawmaker, they must remember that the longest experience any previous Speaker who has lead Osun Assembly had was one legislative term and that was Adejare Bello who spent one term before becoming Speaker.

All others were 1st timers except the current speaker who spent half term before becoming speaker.

In the Lagos state Assembly today, we have people who have spent more years in the legislature than the current speaker, people like Hon. Bayo Oshinowo since 2003,even Hon.Eshilokun who first came to the assembly in 1999 and return in 2015 to emerge the Deputy Speaker. Despite these, Rt.Hon Obasa emerged the Speaker.

It is therefore not by ranking.

Competence and Capacity

With years of banking experience having worked with Union Bank, Wema bank, and Access Bank in the state of Osun and has been able to turn around loss-making entities to profit-oriented outlets.

He is known to be a man of great competence and capability in the discharge of his duties to ensure maximum delivery of benefits of governance to the people of the State of Osun. This, he will bring to governance and law-making in Osun.

Olatunji who is the chairman of the Osun State House of Assembly committee on Industry, commerce, cooperatives and empowerment is instrumental to a number of initiatives that assisted the State Government to drive towards making Osun an investment destination of choice. He deployed his skills and assisted the State in asset recovery worth several millions of Naira as well among another initiative.

He is currently a member of the house committee on Finance and Appropriation, where he has brought his expertise to bear as a very active member, and assisted the State to navigate the troubled water of financial crunch.

He is also a very resourceful member of the public accounts committee of the house.

He has no doubt left a visible footprint within his 4years stay in office and register himself as an asset to public service and good governance in the heart of many stakeholders and citizens of the state.

Hon. Tunde Olatunji had his basic education in Ile Ife before moving to Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho where he obtained a B.Sc in computer science. He further obtained a master degree in Business Administration and currently has a Master in computer science in view.

Zoning

Also, in adherence to the party's zoning policy and in combination with the Oyetola led all-inclusive government, it would only be fair to see Hon. Tunde Olatunji emerges as Speaker of the state seeing that his fellow contender from the same Osun East Senatorial district ( Ilesha) has produced a key member of the government.

The candidate of the APC for Osun East Senatorial district is from Ilesha, will it also be right for same Ilesha to produce the Speaker?

It is only morally right for Ife to get the Speakership slot and it wouldn't go down well with the big power players in the state and especially Ife domain if the pendulum swings otherwise.

His leadership traits cannot be called into question having had to manage a lot of people and resources. He also engages as a resource person for some notable organisations within an outside the state.

Leadership

An inspirational speaker who believes in the development of the human capital as the building block of a nation, capacity building and intellectual reasoning. A philanthropist by nature and an astute academician.

He is an avid believer that the quickest way to development is by embracing infrastructural development with technological advancement. With his vast knowledge base as a technocrat, Hon. Tunde Olatunji is set on bringing technology into the business of lawmaking in the State.

Youthful

With the increase in a clamour for youths to get engaged in politics and governance, Olatunji is also on the brinks of bringing this to reality by acting as a bridge between the "old guard" and the younger generation.

Olatunji is set to be the youngest ever Speaker of a State house of assembly in Nigeria should he emerge.

There is something uncommon about this youth role model, he also holds a record of becoming the youngest branch manager in 2 commercial banks in Nigeria while in his twenties.

With a long-standing relationship with the youths of the state and positively impacting in socio-cultural avenues, he brings with him, the energy and charismatic young trait a true leader should possess.

Face of the new government

During the electioneering process that led to the emergence of Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, Hon. Olatunji distinguished himself as a man who saw the vision and keyed into it by acting selflessly as the face of the campaign team.

He made strong and compelling cases for the Aregbesola led administration and the need to consolidate on its successes by voting in an economic expert team.

If anyone is in doubt of Olatunji's cross-appeal to the majority of the citizens and stakeholders within Osun, an independent and objective opinion poll will prove me right or wrong.

Femi Abimboye is social commentator based in Osogbo, Osun state.

Source: https://www.inoutnaija.com/2019/04/5-reasons-tunde-olatunji-should-be.html

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