Candid interview by a senator in ondo state, what say ye?

Robert Ajayi Boroffice (Senator, Ondo North - Labour Party), a professor of zoology, was formerly acting vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) before leaving to help establish the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure. He was given the 2011 Golden Merit Award in Space Science by the World Federation of Science Journalists. A former head of Nigeria's space agency before moving into active politics, he speaks on the challenges politicians face and why many fail to meet expectations. Excerpts:

We are all touched by politics. Whether you are in the university or the public service, you are touched by the action of politicians. We all condemn the political system by saying it is not clean and that the people in it are not delivering. It is something to be a critic, but on the other hand it is better one goes into it to see how you can change it. I'm in politics in response to the yearnings of our people. The expectation from the people is so enormous and requires, in some areas, the need to bring political leverage to be able to help your people. That is what I have responded to. So I said okay, if you want me to be Asiwaju of Akokoland, then you have to back me up so that I can be in a position to help you politically.

I contested the elections. I was in the field for almost two years going to the grassroots. The demand from you as a politician is so enormous. Almost in all cases, you are either being blackmailed or there are some expenditure that you are not supposed to make ordinarily but which you are forced to make because of the electorate.

The electorate has monetised votes. The people have monetised their votes. This is the reason why some politicians sell their properties and borrow millions for elections. The truth is that elections are becoming more and more expensive in Nigeria. If there was anything most politicians who lost out of the last elections, especially senators who failed to make their return to the senate, complained most of, it was the brazen use of money by their opponents who either financially induced the delegates or purchased cars or motorcycles which in some instances were kept not too far from election venues to be handed to those who were willing to sell their ballots. In my own case, I had to spend in the region of N5 million producing vests and caps which people have to wear. You have to buy vehicles, so I bought vehicles for each of the local government. I had to employ staff. I had to organise meetings in 72 wards on a monthly basis, and this goes with funding it. So, by the time you put all these things together, you would have spent millions. If you don't have the means, you have to either go to the banks or you sell your houses and lands to participate in the election. Of course, the first thing when you get there is how do you get back the monies you have spent? How do you pay back your loan? Nobody prays to go into politics to become poor. So, these are the pressures on you as a politician. There's hardly any politician who is not inundated by myriads of request from people seeking either school fees or medical bills.

Blame the electorate

Senators need money. Even before the elections, we have already been sapped and after the elections, we are also going to be sapped. I pity politicians. At a point in time, I asked myself does it really worth it, going into politics? Is it the type of politics we want to continue to play? We have problems in this country and the problem is partly caused by the electorate. If I don't spend more than N10 million winning an election, why should I be looking for money to settle my debts? If you come to me from my constituency I should be able to listen to you and attend to your problem. But when I am thinking of the loan that I have taken from the bank, or when I think that I have sold my house and I have to buy another one. Even when you come to me, you are likely to be told that I am not around or I am in a meeting. So this is the problem.

Cynicism of Nigerians towards politicians

Nigerians have lost confidence in government and politics. It is a vicious cycle. You took so much money from me to vote me in. When I get into office, I tell you I am trying to recover my money. So when I want to stand again for re-election, they say but we did not see you for three years. So we have to get our money from you. And because you want to get their vote, you say okay take the money. After voting them, you might not see them again until after another three years. It is a vicious cycle. We have to appeal to the electorate. The electorate must be told that when they monetise their vote, they are not likely to elect the right people. It is unfortunate that our politics may soon become that which goes to the highest bidder. This is a very serious problem that requires all of us to sit down and talk about it.

Jumbo pay here to stay

If you think the national lawmakers' jumbo pay will be sliced anytime soon, then you better think again. What you call jumbo pay, ask any senator and he will tell you he hasn't seen that pay yet. I haven't seen the pay, but I was just telling my friends that even if you pay me N20 million as a senator, it may not be enough for me because the pressure on me now is much. People are telling me that we elected you so you have to give back. I have to maintain constituency offices in each of the six local government areas. This is why it is important senators and house of representative members have to be well remunerated. Most members of the executive don't face these problems we are faced with, because they were not elected. Once you are an elected official, people feel that you owe them a duty to carry their burden on your own head.

If you don't go back to your constituency, say for one month, I am sure they will start accusing you of running away. You have to force yourself to go home, hold meetings and attend to complaints of people who need your help. So, your gate must be open and the people will come and eat. After eating they will tell you they have no transport fare to take them back home. So you feed them and then you give them transport fare back to their homes.

I have told them during my campaign that when you see people whom you voted for, who now have their cars tinted so that you don't see their face, I said it is because you force us to go and borrow money and sell our properties to win elections. What do you expect us to do? When we get there, we will be looking for money to pay back. So, since I know your case is money, I will wait till about three months or six months to the elections before I will bring money for you and you will vote me again. I told them I have nothing to hide, that the practice is wrong. But the question is, how many people are you going to tell?

Preeminence of Labour Party in Ondo

Most of the people you find in Labour [Party] came from either the PDP [Peoples Democratic Party] or AD [Alliance for Democracy]. So it is not the PDP we are angry with, but the leadership of the party in Ondo State. What is supposed to be government of the people became government of one person for his family and his children. With the calibre of people we have in Ondo State, the people of the state deserve to have dividends of democracy. Labour Party was formed on December 4th and by April 14th, we won the election. In the history of political party formation in Nigeria, no party has achieved the feat. It was a revolution, it was a mass movement. And our comrade governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has been addressing the needs of the people.


By Hindi Livinus

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5731924-146/the_financial_demand_on_elected_politicians.csp

How did this make it to the 2nd page without a single comment, what saay yee electorates? have we infact sold out our votes