The lawmaker representing Oyo South Senatorial districts at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Senator Kola Balogun, has said he is more concerned about delivering on his mandate than thinking about 2023 election.
Balogun, who made this known during a chat with the leadership of the South West Group of Online Journalists, SWEGOP, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Thursday, noted that any policy or decision that will inflict more hardship on the masses will always be rejected by the Senate.
This is just as he revealed that Nigerian Senate was not part of the decision to increase in the electricity tariff.
According to him, ”I am not worried about 2023, only God knows who will live up to 2023, I am worried about the 2019 mandate, if it pleases God, let him give me 2023. All i am concerned about now is to have a remarkable impact on my constituents.
Kola Balogun said further that he is instrumental to the upgrading of Ibadan Ibadan airport to international standard which is being considered.
Reacting to the critics of Seyi Makinde’s N100bn loan, the former commissioner for Trade Commerce and Investment said ”rather than condemning the act, they should have ask for transparency in the disbursement of the loan and monitor execution of projects the loan was meant for.
”Governor Seyi Makinde meant well for the state, he is contented and we need someone like him to govern the state, we are in this state before when a governor said there is no money to pay salaries, pensioners and no improvement on education, but here is a governor who is paying salaries regularly, building infrastructure and spend more on education so where is he maufacturing the money from? Seyi Makinde will not steal government money but rather use it to make life better for the people of Oyo State,” he noted.
“We are not a rubber-stamp Senate. We were elected to represent our people and we will always do what will make life better for them,” he said.
Balogun, who is a member of Senate Committee on Power disclosed how the Senate rejected the plan to increase electricity tarrif at a meeting organised by the National Electricity Regularly Commission (NERC), in Lagos.
“We told them they may have enough reasons to increase it but they should try and improve on their performances, that people won’t pay for electricity which is not being used,” Balogun added.
He said further that the problem in power sector started with the way and manner the system was unbundled.
Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on August 27 said electricity tariff reviews, going forward will only follow service-based principles.
Under these principles, DiSCos will only be able to review tariff rates for customers when they consult with them and commit to increasing the number of hours of supply per day and quality of service.
Speaking on Nigeria at 60, Balogun said instead of the constitutional review, the president should bring the report of the 2014 National Conference to the senate for ratification.
The 2014 National Conference was inaugurated by the former President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on 17 March 2014 in Abuja, Nigeria. There were about 492 delegates that represented a cross-section of Nigerians including the professional bodies group.
