Hon. (Pastor) Remmy Hazzan is a two-term member of Ogun State House of Assembly who represents Odogbolu State Constituency. He was among the APC members that defected to Labour Party in the State. In this interview with WALE ADEWUMI, the Omu-Ijebu politician bared his mind on his new found party, Labour Party (LP).

Excerpts:
How can you describe the chances of your new party, Labour Party, (LP) in Ogun State?

Thank you very much, Labour Party in Ogun State is a moving train, it is a powerful force and an alliance for force. It is an enigmatic arrangement that will reposition party politics, what has helped us so far is that the ruling party, APC has become unpopular and within just a short period of time, Labour Party has been so popular among the voting populace. This APC government is now unpopular, an average man on the street is sick and tired of some of its policies. The driving force of Labour Party in Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) has proved his mettle in LP before making it sellable to our people, then members of Ogun State House of Assembly who are willing to join that trip, which I am one of them and so many of our citizens who are tired of what this particular government wants to offer. We have felt the pulse of our people at the grassroots level and have seen that, if there is any party that is actually and effectively mobilizing at the grassroots level, it is the Labour Party. PDP is still there, no doubt, APC is getting to a point, where it would no more be in existence. However, Labour Party is occupying a good position, we still have some few lapses where we still have work to do. The only reward or response for doing well is to do more work and that is exactly what we’re doing. We will keep on mobilizing people until we get to our point.
Hon. Remi Hassan, in the past few months has not been active in the floor of the House, is it because you’re not in the ruling party or what?

The Ogun State House of Assembly has been on long recess for some time now and I was very busy because I was doing my PHD at University of Ibadan and other things. But at any time that I need to speak on any matter, I speak because that is the more reason I am here and I will not keep quiet until God takes my life. But whenever we need to speak on any matter, I have never in any way kept quiet and I always speak on how it should be done.

You are aspiring to represent Ijebu Central Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, what has been your driving force?

Thank God for our people who are enlightened, enlightenment in Ijebu land is by far the highest in this country. To a very great extent, the acceptance is quite encouraging. However, I have an edge over others because I see them as inexperienced.  This would be the first time that we would be having an experienced legislator who will be representing us in the Federal Constituency, Abuja.    We have many people like Pa. Solanke Onasanya who was an inexperienced person, Hon. Deji Amusa from Ayepe-Ijebu who represented us between 1999 and 2003; my good brother, Hon. Wale Ogunbanjo represented us between 2003 and 2007. All of them had no prior experience. Hon. Gbenga Oduwaiye was there between 2007 and 2011 and presently, we have Hon. Kehinde Odeneye, representing us there, also a first timer. Hon. Dimeji Bankole was able to become speaker because he was an experienced lawmaker. Now, when you are not privileged to assume either the Chairman of the Committee or the leadership of the legislators, there is a limit to how you can attract development to your Constituency or locality. So, I am glad that,  I, Hon. Remmy Hassan will not go to Abuja as an in-experienced legislator, I am a two-term House of Assembly member and former Deputy Speaker. This experience would make an impact coupled with my academic background as well. I will go to Abuja with my doctorate degree. Meanwhile, I will go as a contender for any leadership position. So, we have an opportunity in Ijebu Central to send an experienced and viable material that can compete with the best at that level. When it is time to choose leadership, no one will push us aside.

During a rally of Labour Party in Sagamu recently, you declared that APC emergence in Ogun was a collective error committed by everybody, what do you mean by this statement?

You see when I said “Asise gbogbo wa ni”, meaning, it is our collective mistake, we should admit that we are part of those that brought in this government into life. Those of us who worked for this government to emerge and those who didn’t do enough on the other side should be blamed. But for those of us that have the opportunity to be in this government, it is our fault, because we expected so much from the man who heads the government in the State.  If you are part of the process that midwifed the emergence of something, and the thing does not meet your expectation, you should also be part of those that will push the particular government out and bring in an inclusive government that will address the mistakes in this particular government.

So, everyone of us should take the responsibility, those in People’s Party of Nigeria (PPN) and other parties should join hands to flush out APC government from office. So it’s everybody’s fault, I take the blame, as I said in Ijebu-Ode recently “I was guilty with an explanation”, that is the summary of the whole scenario.

What would be your message to the people of Odogbolu state constituency?

My message to the people in Odogbolu State Constituency, who I am representing now at the State House of Assembly and my people at the Ijebu Federal Constituency, which I am aspiring to represent at the House of Assembly, come 2015, for the first time; we should tell the people that Ijebus have the best and that the best cannot be negotiated. Only the best is good enough for us in Ijebu.