I do not know why the people of his constituency elected him. Though it is said you never know the true colour of a man until he has power and money, this explicit characterisation came to the fore in this House of Representatives member representing Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola, and Iwajowa Constituency, Oyo State. Though a vibrant and intelligent personality, since his election, this noble soul, Alhaji Abayomi Oshine Oyedeji, has been foolish and unworthy, not employing his vibrancy to better his selfish end. He has been so silly and unworthy of self-preservation; hence, he has eloped with serving the people who elected him.
Alhaji Abayomi Oshine Oyedeji, the member representing the Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola, and Iwajowa Federal Constituency of Oyo State, has acted contrary to expectation.
Hence, I have no respect for him and his bizarre act!
Firstly, and perhaps most bafflingly, he is the only one amongst all my esteemed friends in high places who had the temerity to personally send a letter to all his primordial friends before his elevation, explicitly stating that he did not “deserve” them. Imagine! A man on the precipice of power, begging not to be worshipped! It is truly a bewildering lack of self-importance.
Then there’s his bizarre obsession with accountability. He has made it a duty to constantly call us, his long-suffering friends, and ask, “Am I getting it right?” As if our opinions matter! And sometimes, he’ll even corner you, pleading, “You people cannot abandon me here. This is the time that I need your suggestions, support, and opinions most so we are in this together.” The sheer audacity of a public servant seeking input from the public he serves! It’s almost as if he believes in collective responsibility, a truly unworthy trait in today’s political landscape.
He has remained faithful, loyal, and—this is the most grievous offence—accessible to his primordial friends: no grand pronouncements, no security barricades, just a man who picks up his phone.
It’s a scandalous display of humility and responsibility that, within just two years in the House, has led him to commit the following unpardonable acts, which he has the gall to parade as achievements:
This man shamelessly awarded scholarships to dozens of students across 42 education wards, as if knowledge should be freely accessible. He then flooded primary and secondary schools with thousands of exercise books and mathematical sets, depriving pupils of the character-building challenge of sharing.
Not content with that, he oversaw constructing and equipping multiple classroom blocks in various schools, effectively forcing more children into proper learning environments.
And to top it all off, Alhaji Abayomi Oshine Oyedeji even established an ICT Training Centre and donated office equipment to higher institutions, facilitating actual learning and development. The nerve!
In agriculture, he committed the egregious act of providing subsidised tractor services to farmers, lowering their costs and making their lives easier.
He further exacerbated their plight by distributing hundreds of bags of DPK fertiliser and thousands of units of pesticides and herbicides, leading to higher crop yields. As if that wasn’t enough, he graded farm roads, making it easier for produce to reach markets. This kind of efficiency is simply bad for the economy of scarcity!
His infrastructure offences are equally appalling. He wasted public funds constructing modern toilet facilities in markets and town halls, presuming people needed sanitary conveniences. He then squandered resources installing over 250 solar-powered streetlights, illuminating areas perfectly accustomed to darkness.
And the ultimate indignity? Alhaji Abayomi Oshine Oyedeji facilitated the construction of a modern primary healthcare centre and a solar-powered borehole, suggesting that basic health and water are rights, not privileges.
His behaviour was particularly unconscionable when it came to youth empowerment and intervention. He trained scores of youths in software engineering and mobile application development, provided them with laptops, and even offered training in video editing. He then proceeded to dole out millions in cash grants to hundreds of youths, including those with physical challenges, effectively making them less dependent.
He even established a women’s cooperative society with startup capital and facilitated the registration of numerous business names, actively promoting entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, he distributed mechanical toolboxes, sewing machines, and hair dryers, enabling self-sufficiency.
His actions regarding job opportunities were nothing short of treacherous. He secured job slots for his constituents at federal agencies like the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria. He even orchestrated appointments as commissioned officers and constables in the Nigeria Police Force.
Not satisfied with federal interference, he then lobbied for placements in various state agencies, undermining the natural process of unemployment.
And if these past misdeeds weren’t enough, he dares to have more projects in the pipeline before the end of the year: more classrooms, renovations, more solar-powered boreholes, and even erosion control. And to rub salt into the wound, a bill for establishing a Safeguarding and Disclosure Agency has even passed the first reading in the national assembly—yet another inexplicable act of diligence.
So, if all that he has done and accomplished—from transparently communicating his unworthiness to actually delivering tangible projects and remaining shockingly accessible—makes him an unworthy representative, then I too want to copy being unworthy like him.
Perhaps then, we can all achieve such unworthiness for the benefit of our communities.
