Professor Robert Ajayi Borrofice is the Asiwaju of Akokoland, a scientist of no mean repute, Chairman Senate Committee on Science and Technology, a former Director General of National Space Research and Development Agency, Abuja and chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC). In an exclusive Interview with TolaBakare and Coker Ekyobade, he bares his mind on both state and national Issues.
When we talk of vibrant senators, you are one of the few Senators who are effective, how did this evolve?
Well, I want to thank you first of all, for coming to see me, asking me to make some comments on number of issues. The question you have raised depends on who is giving the question and who is giving the answer. This is because of the way people judge effectiveness in the senate varies from individual to individual. There are some people who believe on the numbers of bills and sponsorship of motions, before you are said to be effective.
First of all, in the senate we don’t believe in it. I can tell you that. In fact, I have a colleague, last week alone, he sponsored five bills, and he knew that those bills will not see the light of the day. But there is politics of it. It would be on record that he had sponsored five bills. So if I want to sponsor 20 bills, I can do that within two weeks, I will present several bills even though, I know that they will not pass the first reading. That is one of it, so that you cannot even access the effectiveness of such a senator, from the number of bills, or from the numbers of the motions, I think the effectiveness could depend on how he conducts himself, how he participate in the debate. How is he an absenteeism or is it the type of senator who is very effective in terms of attendance.
And I think, I have had at least nothing less than 99 percent attendance in the senate.
The only time that I was not in the senate was during the time of election in Ondo state for the campaign. Beside that, I have tried as much as possible not to absent myself in any session.
Secondly, I don’t absent myself from my oversight function, because the budget is funded from the people’s money which was committed to projects, and as the chairman of Senate Committee on Science and Technology conducting oversight function, I always ensure that project that are listed and funded from the budget are carried out in the interest of the people. I think that is very important. And apart from that, I am in three other committees, Air force and special duties and in all these committees I have been very effective. Attendance in terms of oversight functions. And of course in budget, as the chairman of the senate committee, I always make tremendous contributions to the budget of Science and Technology and also the budget of other committee. These areas, I think I have been very active in the functions of the National assembly. These I think I have been effective and I am satisfied with my performance. How it evolve? That’s has always been part of me. I always want to put up my best wherever I find myself.
Majority of the people of Ondo state who voted for you as a senator, for improved standard of living, holistically felt that they have not seen any benefits from the dividends of Democracy. What is your take?
The preoccupation of the National Assembly is to legislate we are not to execute. It is the Executive that will execute if there is poverty in the land, then it is the fault of the federal government, and the state government and that there is nothing we can do about it. We may even pass the budget but if the federal government may not do anything about it, then there is nothing we can do. So it is unfortunate that we still find ourselves in this situation. God has endowed us with so much resources and oil. Other countries have used these resources, to better the lots of their people, to provide services that make it easier for their people, but the money is being stolen through corruption. We hear of oil theft today. We hear of oil subsidy, tomorrow is waiver. You know, import duty. I wish the wealth of this country is geared towards the development of the people of this country. But you know there is not much I can do. This year alone, we had a serious look at the budget, since December last year, but this is September; the budget implementation is less than forty percent and there are excuses that the revenue is fallen, that is not true, oil is still the benchmark of the 2013 budget which is $79 dollars per barrel. The number of barrels we are producing per day is still the same. What is wrong, where is the shortfall in the revenue generated through the Inland Revenue, so, where is the money going? Yet we cannot fund the budget. Now, I am telling you, the budget performance is below 40 percent, so, how will people not eat from dustbin?
It is not the function of the legislative to provide 100percent solutions, we can make laws, we can even provide solutions to assist government but we cannot implement. Those of us here, that is why we are struggling to make sure that our consistency project are funded. And instead of the people supporting us, they are blaming us. They are telling us that our salary is about N900,000 which is even far below what I was earning as a Director General of the space Agency. But the way we are trying to help our people is through the constituency project. The contracts are given by the Ministry, not by us. What we are insisting on is that they should release the constituency project to us so that we could implement the area of street lights, healthcare, secondary schools, and libraries. Each senator is given an amount of money not physically in any of agencies; the MDA’S where you think they have this project. We usually put pressure on the minister of finance to release the money, to even get the contract implemented, A project in my town for instance if I don’t know the contractor, if he is somebody from south –east or north central and disappear, how do I follow up, if you give it to somebody that I know, we know the family, we know his traditional ruler, if he default, we go and report him to his traditional ruler that this man is depriving my people of the benefits of dividends of democracy. We don’t even know who they awarded the contract to, and that is the problem we have been having here on a daily basis, people don’t understand. They said we receive jumbo salary, what is jumbo salary? N900, 000a month so these are the problems, so on my own, I believe that I have kept to my campaign promises. I have many street solar powerslight, I have dug boreholes, building some classroom , by God’s grace the end of this year it will be apparent that some of us have done well as well as we are committed and have passion of our people.
What is your relationship with the Nigeria media?
I believe in the press, when I was in the university, I trained a number of scientists into journalism. And they became Science Editor Correspondents; but unfortunately, I could see that the media have its own leaning. When it comes to reporting and analyzing issue, in such a case there is not much we can do because the media is supposed to publish the truth. That is why I love the motto of the guardian “the conscience natured by the truth “It should be applicable to all practitioners of journalism. They say where in doubt, leave out, but now, when people are in doubt, they still publish .So when you foundyourself in such a situation and they said pen is mightier than the sword. Why do I have to confront the pen when I don’t even have the sword? The best thing is that when a person is infected by virus, and apply any treatment you can apply to the virus, it will run its course and die. So instead of confronting the media, it should be allowed to carry out its warfare on me and when it is tired we shall become one again, that is my own attitude. I know quite number of my friends in the media. They actually know that they are not doing the right thing. It is unfortunate that it happened like that I hope that in your meetings, you should be able to talk to yourself , when you know that even the politician themselves are cleaver . There are no permanent enemies. How could the press make people permanent enemy? Because the man you say you are supporting will be my friend, then you become a laughing stuff. We have to be very careful, we should not leave for today alone, but for future in anything we do, we must know that we do it with integrity, so that we have a good legacy, that our own children will be very proud of, I think it is very important.
What is your assessment of the media in a democracy?
Well most of the paper in the media houses have proprietors, they have no, choice than to hear the view of their proprietors, so that is why some of us buy four, five different newspapers, so that one could have a balanced story of what is happening and we tend to listen to BBC , CCTV, Aljesara , to be able to have a foreign perception of what is going through a period of trials in the sense that we have not gotten to the stage you can tell your sponsor and say look, I am going to publish this , if you will not align with my take , I am ready to resign . Everybody wants to leave a comfortable life. if you damn the consequence of not agreeing with your proprietor , then you lose your job in other not to lose your job , you will need to compromise your professionalism to that of your proprietor , so that is what is happening.
How will you react to the death of late former Governor of Ondo state, Governor Olusegun Agagu?
We have known each other as far back as 1960. When we were recruited as an uncertificated. He was my friend and classmate as far back as 1967, when we were recruited as an uncertificated teacher in old western region. We were all gathered in Oshogbo that was I met him, for the first time. Like the late Alex Adedipe. He was very sociable. He distinguished himself as a leader, fortunately for us, we both moved to the University of Ibadan, we both studied Geology and graduated in 1971. He went abroad for his PhD. I remained in the university of Ibadan for my PhD, after PhD we came back to lecture at the faculty of science. We both finished and also continued with our post graduate education. He was a very dedicated teacher and a very competent research fellow in Petroleum Geology. When politics came on board, he was with the Social Democratic party (SDP) he became the Deputy Governor of Ondo state. The Minister of Aviation, He was minister of power & steel, and later Governor of Ondo state. We were both members of the Ondo state consultative forum. We invited him to be governor of Ondo state as the governor of Ondo state, he was very effective. He started the Olokola project; he entered politics as a progressive. He was deputy Governor of Governor Olumilua. He carried his people along. But that period was short lived. He went back to his business. When politics came, he joined PDP. He was actually responsible for initiating the reforms in the power sector. He did not stay long to concretize the power sector, we were in Ondo state consultative forum, dragged him out to come and run the Governor of Ondo state. I was a member of the consultative forum with late Rufus Giwa , Admiral Aduwo , he did very well as the Governor of Ondo state, within one year , he was able to raise the Internally Generated Revenue by 300 percent , which is ok . Also he was able to fight that Ondo state should be given a status of oil producing states. It was not done, during the Adefarati; we actually assume that the state became an oil producing state. Most importantly, he completed the Olokola project. And that would have been a catalyst for people of Ondo state people. May God grant him eternal rest.
What is your future political ambition in Ondo state?
I always pray to God to guide me and direct me. My future political ambition is in the hand of God. I cannot impose myself on the people of Ondo state. I appreciate the interest that my people have shown; I am really prepared to provide effective leadership. I am not running away from my people. I am fully prepared. If God says I will be governor in Ondo state I will. It will be in the interest of Ondo state. I am looking up to God to guide me in my future political agenda. It is not a matter of must, but a matter of if possible. I appreciated the interest my people have shown in me. I am happy, I am excited. I will provide effective and productive
