Why Legislators Avoid Their Constituents

Lawrence Babatunde Ayeni, the lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly speaks on the challenges facing legislators

How did you make it to the House for a second term?

Some people in my constituency actually asked me to contest since a term of four years may not be enough to do everything one actually has in mind. But one thing in politics is that you are urged on but left to face the process and slug it out with other contestants.

It first started from the primaries within the party. As you know, anything good belongs to everyone, but I won and the people backed me up throughout the campaign even though it was not an easy race. We went from house to house during this period. I also appreciate the fact now that the electorate has become wiser and any reasonable person elected into office must not disappoint them.

In what sense have the voters become wiser?

The fact remains that as a legislator, your task does not involve making laws alone. He must learn to carry his constituents along especially in ensuring that they are remembered by the executive arm of government. I did this by persuading the executive and today, we have dredged the canal and cleared it.

We have also solved the issue of flooding and executed projects to make water affordable to the people. Apart from this, the little I earn here I use to touch people’s lives. I can authoritatively tell you that I have already trained and sponsored 13,500 people on computer literacy and engineering. I have given not less than 100 hair-dressing materials as well as sewing machines to less-privileged people in Oshodi.

The issue of area boys has reduced because I assisted in training and providing them with driver’s licences. I also sponsor students to higher institution in my area. I think this is what made the people of the constituency vote for me en-masse. It showed they appreciated me and my party.

When do you have time to relax?

Before I became a lawmaker, I thought it was an opportunity to have all the time to myself and get what I want. But it is not so. It actually took me one year to know what I should do as a lawmaker and I realised it was more than going to the chamber to sit down for proceedings.

Before you wake up in the morning, your house is filled with people, who are not there to advise you on how to improve, but tell you about their problems and how much they need. It is either their children are in school and need fees or that their parents have not eaten. You have to assist them. In town too, everyone wants to associate with you and this must tell on your finance.

Some of the challenges facing legislators are among the reasons some of them refuse to visit their constituencies.

I was also given a committee (Youth and Sport) with tedious job. You have to deal with issues of the youths in the state. But I thank God my family realised this and have supported me since then. I also thank the leadership of the House for giving me the responsibility and will continue to serve in whatever capacity I am chosen.

How did your wife react when you ventured into politics?

I have been in politics for about 33 years now but I never thought I would be where I am today. In 1992, during the era of the National Republican Convention and the Social Democratic Party, she was in school but protested against my going into politics. She even reported me to one of her sisters. When I contested later, she sent words to my mother to discourage me and I lost the election. I also got sick that period and she attributed my travails to politics.

But after I recovered from the illness and contested under the Alliance for Democracy and won a councillorship seat, she became happy and has been supporting me. One of my friends who criticised my going into politics then and almost turned into my enemy is now a politician. While I thank my constituents for allowing me a second term, I will continue to do my best and make sure I work in accordance to their wishes. We have pending projects which would be completed within the next four years so that people can make me a reference point in the constituency and in Lagos state.