Vice Chairman, Ayobo -Ipaja LCDA and a chairmanship aspirant in the forthcoming local government elections in Lagos, (Chief Mrs) . Bola Shobowale bares it all in this interview with AlimoshoTv. She took us through her political journey, her contributions towards the creation of LCDAs in the state amongst other issues.
Excerpt:
AlimoshoTv: For the records, what is your name?
Vice Chairman: My name is (Chief Mrs) Bola Abiodun Shobowale.
AlimoshoTv: Can you please lead us into your political journey?
Vice Chairman: My political journey started in the 70’s when I was still very young. My mother was a politician and a member of NCNC. Chief (Mrs) Akinrinade was her leader back then in Oyo State.
My political life has to be tied to her. I took interest in their activities but later lost the interest when I found out that politics is a venture that would take someone’s time among other things. My mother was a dress maker which we refers to today as fashion designer. She sells Aso -Oke which she gave to weavers, from oyo, ilorin and kogi to make for her and sell.
She also brings raw gold from Ghana. Which she usually gives to goldsmith for transformation into various designs and resale. She was a woman of many parts. She was equally into confectioneries business. She bakes and sell cakes, chin -chin, doughnut and sausage roll.She supplied them to various ministries. Infact, at the ministries, her customers often bring big bowls to come pick their orders.
She makes fancyful roasted chicken which she sell during the Christmas period. One thing I found interesting in all of these was that we usually had lots of people even at odd hours in our house asking my mum, Mama Tito what do you have that we can eat?
That’s the kind of environment I grew up in. She went into politics because she was a member of farmers association and you always find whole lots of people around her discussing on how to better the lots of the downtrodden.
She was a restless woman. If you don’t find her doing any of these, it will either be she was on her way to Kano, Zaria, Ilesha or Ghana to bring in her goods.
She was the first woman that brought kampala/adire to Nigeria. Kampala was made from silk and wax, her not the ones flying around today. By the time she finally joined active politics, we the children at the initial stage did not really understand why we are having large crowd in our house. You will see them having meetings and shouting their party slogans. We asked her what is all about and she explained everything to us.
She was always mingling with different people. Aside her blossom dress making business with about 24 sewing machines, she was also into cosmetics business then.
Alimoshotv: Cuts in… practically, your mum’s story was a motivation to you. At what point did you decides you want to join politics?
Vice Chairman: Thank you. Then when she was in it, it got to a point I was seeing her dabbling into a whole lots of things that I felt doesn’t concerns her. The turning point was when I was growing up and getting matured, I realised the people in my neighborhood were mostly poor and I preoccupied my mind with how do I contribute my own qouta in helping my community. I often discussed this with my friends and we equally gist about one meeting or the other in town.
AlimoshoTv: It then means that your love for your people led you into joining politics?
Vice Chairman: I never new I had the compassion for people untill those experiences came in. Their standards of living and environment generally were nothing to write home about. I subsequently joined the youth wing of UPN.
We would sit at the meetings, grasp the little we can and followed up on their activities. We never even saw it as something ‘serious’ and you know with the youths, a lot of things can happen because we were actually having fun. We would later suggest to ourselves, if Mr. A or Z is talking we should disturb and we do all sorts of childish things. After a while, i got myself fully involved in politics with all my body and soul.
And by this time, i was residing at Santos layout at Dopemu round about. There, we experienced a whole lots from armed robbers. They would come around demanding and searching for ‘IBB’ misplaced fund. There was this misplaced funds by the IBB’s administration. Lots of people were raped , maimed but God saved us. We later moved to Akowonjo. By that time, we had started our site at Asipa.
While building the site at Asipa, we discovered Shagari estate. Most people refused to live there claiming it was too small but today, you can only imagine how much a flat is being sold there. Though, it was JAKANDE estate that was heavily populated.
On completion of our house, we finally moved to Asipa. There were hardly vehicles to convey the people on a daily basis. So, I wrote the state government agency then in charge of municipal buses. At Asipa back then, it was farmers community. They do not have any means of moving their farm produce. On ordinary days, they would released three buses to us in the community while on market days, five buses would be released in order to enable the farmers to move their produce to town.
Mind you, I was not a farmer but I had to do this to ameliorate the suffering of the people and to let them feel the government’s presence and that the government really care about them.
Also in Ayobo, what has become international market today and the one that leads to Isefun, shops were built at these places but if you want it then, you will have to go-to Alausa to pick a form and the fee then was N2.00 or there about. I got five forms for five shops.
The woman they called Iya Sango was the Iyaloja then and she came to challenge me and we had an altercations. She demanded for some dues but I let her realised I never got the shops through her. I later handed over the shops to Baba Ibeji, he’s late now. It was given to him to share among my people in the community at Asipa. Whatever proceeds made from it was none of my business. What was important to me was to see my people happy.
It will also interest you to know that the Asipa Road you are seeing today was not there before. It was a foot part. I would parked at a distance or in the estate whenever I was going there.
Later i pushed for the grading of the road with – expansion and was laced with laterite. We also got a transformer later on, but you know what, the Omo oniles were a bit jealous of me saying I was out to collect their lands because they were suprised at the rate I was contributing to the development of the community.
They wondered why would an individual, a woman for that matter doing wonders in the community for the benefit of the people. All this activities were also part of what gingered my interest more in joining politics. Thereafter, I linked up with people to form several movements and groups all in a bid to see to the welfare our people. Most of these great people that we formed these movements together or formed some were no more today. The likes of Baba Orelope, Baba elediye, Baba Ogbomosho, Baba Agbado but we still have some who are still living. The likes of Baba Ayilara and few names I can’t recall. Please note, I was like a daughter to them.
Cuts in… All these were prior to zero party?
Vice Chairman: Yes. But I’m trying to actually remember some of these people. We had people like comrade Layi Olatunde, late Pa Ayoola ,Akinbolade and lots more. Then, if you are in a group, an invitation would be sent to come and join another group or any new found group having observed or heard about your contributions in your former group.
They were like pressure groups, committee of Friends, Solidarity People’s Forums, Women In Politics, Coalition of Rural Dwellers In Politics, and Movement of the Progressives in Politics. It was all about the people. By the time I grew much more in community services, it was then that the memory of what my mother was doing back then and the reality dawned on me. It was then I realised she wasn’t playing or wasting her precious time like we had thought.
So, before the Zero party, we had, had ourselves in groups and were holding meetings, planning on what we can do to develop the community. As at then, it was myself, Baba Aladiye, AA, Babakereem, Baba Orelope, and envagelist too with others. Later, when there were to be an election, we intended supporting Babs Kareem as our own chairman unfortunately, Fatai Shodimu was also contesting and had the support of Late Babs Akerele. They later came up with a plan that our people wanted to kill Fatai Shodimu. It was reported in the evening news paper and we were declared wanted. With the support of Babs Akerele, a strong politician, Fatai Shodimu had the day.
Back then, we belonged to Primrose and the other side were called ‘Ase’. The meeting usually comes up at primose at Akilo, Agege and that was where we discussed how to move Lagos forward. I was opportuned to be one of the representatives from Alimosho. Sarumi was our leader. The meetings of the group usually had in attendance the late Oba Hamzat, the father of the current deputy governor, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Dapo Sarumi, Late prince Ogunji, Baba Bankole from Surulere, Late Shitta Bay, Baba Orelope is one of the leaders from Alimosho, Baba Ajisebutu from ikorodu, all these people were our leaders.
AlimoshoTv: Challenges so far in politics ?
Vice Chairman: Whole lots but the ones that quickly came to mind were robbery incidents. It happened in my house at Asipa few days to election in our party. It was planned to deterred me because we later got know that it was a political robbery. Another one happened on a day we went for meeting. Immediately I packed my car and cross to the other side of the road, a man went straight to the car opened the door and started it, while at it, we were looking at him and people were saying go and challenge him but I responded with ‘you people here and I should go and challenge a robber alone’, that was it, the car gone.
I have had opportunities to serve at various capacities during the SDP under ward H in the old Alimosho era as ward delegate, state delegate and also contested as SDP Financial Secretary. There was also Baba Opebi, the first councilor in Ayobo. I thank God I was part of the people that put Ayobo on the map of Alimosho and beyond.
AlimoshoTv: How easy it is managing your home and politics?
Vice Chairman: Thanks for this question. It was never so easy but people like Baba elediye and ‘father’ (Baba Opebi) has been supportive. When issues arise, they were always there for me to pacify my husband.
Cuts in… where were you working at this period?
Vice Chairman: I was working with Nigeria airways as a ground hostess, British ca’, Swiss air and later I joined private airline, Intercontinental airlines owned by Victor Vanni. I was instrumental to getting their landing permit. I also worked with my uncle’s Biscordint travels, a co – owned company with the former and first Lagos State governor, Sir Mobolaji Johnson. I was also into business. I had a shop at Opeki. I was doing everything together like my mother. Though my husband was not a lover of politcs and it shows in his actions.
When ward H was developing I was developing with it. Ayobo was a rural area then, full of bushes. The ward B we are having today should have been Ward A because when anything is happening it was the center of attraction. All this time, morals and integrity were the watchword of our people. Later, the issue of Agbalajobi, Sarumi and Yomi Edu came up. I was a supporter of Edu and I sold him to my people in Asipa. They accepted him but he never emerged the party’s candidate. He was just an aspirant.
Subsequently, i supported Dapo Sarumi against Agbalajobi. The problem between the duo paved way for Sir Michael Otedola. We had the local government elections. We were formidable and that is still playing out in Alimosho till today. No matter how bad the situation is, you will still see us coming back together. Sir Ayo Akinyemi won but it was not easy and from our own end here, Hon. Dele Ojo emerged as the councilor.
AlimoshoTv:In all of this, did you at any point in time hold any public office or appointment?
Vice Chairman:In 1999, I was a first female secretary to the local government Alimosho (old Alimosho) now Igando-Ikotun LCDA. During this period, our current chairman, Hon. Sakiru Adisa was also a councilor from G North in Ipaja. Igando -iba road was constructed during that administration. Also as that time the traffic was closed from akowonjo to dopemu area at 3pm which it still exist till today.
Meanwhile, Alimosho was under Ikeja until her ‘independence’ and the 57 local government of today is also a blessing. But it would not have come to fruition if not for our efforts. Then, some of us went to Asiwaju when he was the governor and told him about this. We faced lots of panels and mind you, we were of the opinion that Ayobo should be on its own same with Ipaja, that a place like Agbado Oke -Odo should have even more.
Myself, Sir Ayo Akinyemi, late chief Sekoni started the push and what we have today was our idea and as an intelligent governor, Asiwaju gave a nod but he asked if it will fly? if we had had more people on this project we would have had more than what we are having today. Up to 90% or more though the committee were targetting 87.
Cuts in... Did you hold any other office?
Vice Chairman: Yes, I was national deputy woman leader, woman leader at the state level, at the local government level, woman leader for golden ladies. I told you about primrose and ‘Ase’ groups but we weren’t getting things much but Ase people used to get more than us. I wondered why. We were in the same party, we had to formed the golden ladies as a pressure group within the party. I called our leaders about our intention to form golden ladies but most of the leaders were skeptical. I went to Chief Dipo laitan ,the first senator from Alimosho. The leaders believe Chief (Mrs.) Adeoso and Alhaja Barakat were there already and that they were smart enough to get things done but we refused.
So, we felt we were not being carried along. We felt we were just working for them. At the end of the day, Chief Olaitan supported us. Meanwhile, Ogbeni Arebesola was part of all of these. In fact, we had rooted for him to be the chairman of Alimosho local government but he rejected it and said we should focus on Sir Akinyemi because taking Alimosho from opposition was our major task. He even gave us twenty thousand naira cheque to support Sir Akinyemi instead of him.
AlimoshoTv:You have once aspired to be the chairman of this local government but you couldn’t achieve it due to party supremacy. Here we are again, you are out for it, why do you think the people of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA should trust you with their mandate. What are you bringing to the table?
Vice Chairman:Well, truth be told one should not have entitlement mentality. We have come a long way. Here we are today moving our dear local government forward. I have been very supportive to my performing chairman. And now why am I vying? First, no woman has ever become the chairman of this LCDA and I believe I have the experience to represent our people.
To add my experiences to Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA. The women folk should be allowed and I believe I’m in the best position to lead this struggle for the women. I have a lots of programmes and innovative ideas to add what is ongoing. Infact, my CV and experiences are my strength. I have all it takes to excel and deliver at any position.
AlimoshoTv:Tell us about your educational background?
Vice Chairman:I started my primary school at Sacred Heart Nursery and Primary school inalende ibadon and Savior Apostolic primary school Eko tedo where I later completed my elementary education. I had secondary school education presdesly mary wood college franklin road in Lagos at Ebute -Mettaa and my HSC at Jubril Martin Iponri, grade || teacher course at Muslim Teachers Training College, Surulere, National Technical Teacher’s College, Akoka for my NCE and also studied public Administration at OOU.Tourism at Bell Air college in London.
On lighter note, I had the following chieftaincy titles;Yeye Meto of Lagos- Oba Adeyinka Oyekan of Lagos,Yeyelu’a of Egbeda Land by Late Oba Samson(Elegbeda of Egbeda Land,Yeyesewa of Ipaja Land, and Yeyewura of Agege Kingdom, not to mention but few.
AlimoshoTv: Any words for the people of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA and your supporters?
Vice Chairman: Firstly, to go out and encourage more people to join our great party APC, to remain the foremost political party in the whole of nigeria and register with INEC in the coming registration. They should work asidiously for the success of APC.
And to my supporters, i have come a long way, and I believe this is the right time to delivered the dividence of democracy to the good people of Ayobo-Ipaja and to continue the good work, where my predicessor stopped. That they should not be intimidated nor allowed themselves to be talked down .They should not listen to the lies that ‘mama show’ has stepped down. If they hear anything unpleasant they should meet our baba party and other elders. They should make use of jehovah witness approach i.e moving from house to house to sell my candidacy. We will achieve it this time because I have been stepping down for a very long time. success is near.. T’Oluwa Lase.
