– Steve Ovirih.
When the “not too young to run bill” first came to the fore, it was no doubt the required zeal needed by some young and politically endowed Nigerians, to present themselves for elective offices .
The bill’s background was an attempt to interrogate the time tested aphorism “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” against the social existential reality that ever since this saying had been made popular, the older generation of Nigerian politicians have not yielded an inch of a space to the youths of this nation.
If no space is yielded for the youths to take charge of issues in the polity, all hope is lost as the same old generation that had messed the socioeconomic structure of the country will continue to shape the future and call the shots based on their skewed whims and caprices
[1/16, 10:47 AM] Steve Ovirih Glo: It is a relief then that for the Irele /Okitipupa Federal Constituency, a young blood has shone on the political horizon with an iron clad resolve to take for the younger generation what rightly belongs to them in the realm of youthful political representation.
The 35 year old House of Representative hopeful, Ogunsakin Andrew Soga hails from Igbotako Osooro, Okitipupa Local government area.
He boasts of a degree in Public Administration from the prestigious University of Ado Ekiti, now Ekiti state University (EKSU).
Soga as he is fondly called by political associates, settled into agro-allied entrepreneurship after his first degree and latter veered into wood merchandising alongside palm – crop plantation.
As far as commitment to hard work and dignity of labour is concerned, Soga comes top among his peers.
His foray into participatory politics did not just happen like a bolt from the blues; his record of grass roots mobilization reverberated at Alagbaka, the official seat of power in Ondo state and the then Governor, Dr. Segun Mimiko, who equally was and is still a good judge of character, picked interest the young Soga, and forged him into a formidable political force for the ruling party from his Igbotako axis of the Ondo Southern senatorial district of the state. Since 2010, Soga has not looked back as he has continued his steady climb into political reckoning among his people of Irele/ Okitipupa federal constituency.
He served as Special Assistant on Forestry and Head of special Task Force on Afforestation. To his credit, Soga Ogunsakin’s team ensured the curbing of reserve encroachment, forestry poaching and illegal deforestation which resulted in a major drive for an increase in the tree regeneration exercise in the state.
In this beat which he anchored for seven years between 2010 and 2017, billions of naira was remitted into the state government coffers from the forest reserves, a slush remittance harnessed to sustain and buoy economic development .
Aside his steadfast commitment to the state’s economic growth, the grass roots mobiliser had over the past ten years been contributing a scholarship fund for the indigent youth of his district as well as provision of welfare package on a consistent bases for the aged women and elders of his constituency.
Talking about his belief, Ogunsakin has always said any political office one occupies which can not be appropriated to engender growth and economic balance for the people of his district is not worth it.
His opinion and resolve is that he will, God willing , deploy the facilities of his Representative position to attract necessary development Ikale , Utako, Irele and all the other suburbs making up his constituency.
His CREED and manifesto are Community well being, Restructuring, Empowerment of the youth, environmental development and an all round development of both man and infrastructure in his district.
While talking about his strong selling points, Soga Ogunsakin said he is young, active , cool headed and a staunch progressive at heart.
Throwing a political jab, Soga made it clear that he wasn’t going to the lower chamber as a bencher who sleeps at plenary, or those who relocate away from his people after election victory.
As the 2019 round of General Election approaches, Soga Ogunsakin , while presenting himself as a youthful candidate and the youngest and most accessible of all the House of Representative candidates from Irele / Okitipupa federal constituency, he appealed to the youths who have a chunk of the electoral strength to come together and do all things possible to ensure an Ogunsakin victory at the poll for quality and youthful representation.
