ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY HON. ISIAQ ABIODUN AKINLADE ON HIS INVESTITURE AS PATRON, NIGERIAN UNION OF JOURNALIST (OGUN STATE COUNCIL)

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY HON. ISIAQ ABIODUN AKINLADE ON HIS INVESTITURE AS PATRON, NIGERIAN UNION OF JOURNALIST (OGUN STATE COUNCIL) ON FRIDAY 22nd NOVEMBER, 2013 AT QUARRY HOTEL, ABEOKUTA 1) PROTOCOLS 2) APPRECIATION Glory to Almighty God for making us see this day. On behalf of myself, my family, the good people of Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency and my teeming supporters in the nooks and crannies of Ogun state, I wish to most sincerely appreciate the executive and members of NUJ (Ogun State Council) for this honor done to me by appointing me the Patron of this great union. The NUJ is one of the oldest and most important trade union in Nigeria that has been at the fore front of promoting social justice and good governance. We use this opportunity to remember a number of your members that have paid the ultimate prize to ensure that this democracy comes on board. May their souls rest in perfect peace. As a politician, I deeply appreciate your roles collectively and individually in deepening our democracy and promoting the welfare of our people. I therefore feel highly humbled and challenged by this honor which I will cherish for the rest of my life. Let me use opportunity to assure the NUJ and all our distinguished guests here present that I will continue to do all within my power to support the journalism profession. As you are aware, the National Assembly has taking steps to promote the freedom of the press and transparency in governance through the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill which is now a law in our country. 3) Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our dear state, Ogun is gradually approaching the very important landmark of 40 years of its creation. We have to now start to insist that our governments promotes the central essence of democracy which are the people, their aspirations and their desires. The welfare of the people must be paramount and their interest uppermost While it is desirable to expand and build new infrastructure, this must never be done in a way that disregard the dignity and welfare of the people as it is being currently done in Ogun State. As we note the efforts of the state government in the area of road expansion, we call on the government to handle these road expansion projects in a way that protects the economic interest of the people , preserve their heritage and improve their welfare. The current approach is creating hardship, homelessness and joblessness for Ogun State people. We believe that it's completely anti-people to first demolish their homes, uproot their businesses before inviting them for compensation which the people are even complaining of being arbitrary and non-commensurate to their properties demolished. We should not expect people who are hungry and homeless to appreciate roads, even if the roads are gold plated. It is also important to state that government being the main creator of wealth and contracts in our developing economy must deliberately target it's project to engage local experts, improve the skills of our people and promote commerce locally. Ogun state people should therefore be made to benefit maximally through contracts awards in the ongoing projects of the government and not merely be laborers and casual workers. 4) Before I end this short address, let me use the opportunity of this August gathering to advocate on the policy of the Federal Government on utilizing cassava flour in bread making. As the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, I wish to identify myself with this policy which has the potentials of saving the country over N200 billion annually and also create a huge market for our cassava farmers. Cassava is mostly grown in Southern Nigeria and Ogun state is one of the leading producer of cassava in Africa. Our people will therefore definitely benefit immensely from the policy. The House of Representatives is currently working on a law to compel flour millers to add at least 10% cassava content to wheat flour for bread making in order to give legal muscle to the policy. I have had several opportunities of eating cassava bread and I can confirm that it's not too different from the regular bread. Let us all support this initiative in the interest of the nation and the economy of our state. 5) Mr Chairman sir, members of the high table, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all immensely for your kind attention. Isiaq Abiodun Akinlade Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology.