Profile of the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. (Engr.) Chief Sulaimon ‘Lasunkanmi Yussuff who is now gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming election in Osun State Rt Hon Lasun
Yussuff was born exactly on the 4th of October 1960, four days after Nigeria got its independence from the British colonial government.
A providence that further suggests that SL Yussuff was from the beginning a herald of freedom, development and national rebirth.Born into a very humble background parented by Alhaja and Alhaji Chief Amuda Yussuff of Woru dynasty of Ilobu in Osun State of Southwestern Nigeria, SL Yussuff grew up from a political elite, as his father later emerged a political leader not only in Ilobu town but in Osun division of South Western Nigeria generally.While his both parents are not educated Rt. Hon Yussuff benefited from both Quranic and westernscholarships, with which he combined Islamic spirituality and academic brilliancy coupled withnative intelligence as a product of strong parental socialization he enjoyed from his humblebackground.
Schooled in Ilobu, Eriin, Ifon, Ondo, Ibadan and Ile-Ife where he had his primary,secondary, advanced level studies and University education respectively,He was trained as an Engineer specializing in Mechanical Engineering. While in School, starting from his secondary education, he benefited from federal government scholarship and up to his university education, he did not lose the opportunities of scholarships and academic awards that came with his studious characters. Following his resounding undergraduate success, he had another Master’sdegree in Project Management also from his Alma mater Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.Upon his graduation from the University, he took appointment with the then Oyo State WaterCorporation, Ibadan where he worked for only five years and voluntarily retired to private life andpolitics. In private life, he exceedingly excelled as a public transport manager in Lagos; a cocoamerchant in Osun, a big time farmer in Osun and a hotelier with a magnificent edifice known asLAIM Hotels and Suites, Osogbo in Osun State.
As a politician, he demonstrated an enviably benevolent politician. Rising from political party executive position as the Secretary (1999) and Public Relation Officer (1999- 2002) of Alliance for Democracy, he becomes a state wide political leader in progressive political parties including All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria. He was one of the foremost architects of political victories of Chief Bisi Akande (1999-2003); Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (2003-2010) and Mr. Rauf Aregbesola (2010-2018) governorship elections held in 1999, 2003 and 2007 respectively.
.Rt Hon Yussuff eventually contested for the seat of House of Representatives, representingIrepodun/Olorunda/Orolu/Osogbo federal constituency in the House of Representatives,Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2011.
He won the election and he was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives and as a new member, he became Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, he also served as member of some other House Committees between 2011 and 2015. In 2015 he secured re-election and became Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Federal Republic of Nigeria in an historic election held on the floor of the House of Representatives in July 2015, where he assuaged a massive 202 votes out of 358 that cast votes in the House, leading victorious ahead of other colleagues and became a Rt. Honorable, the position he held for four years with milestone achievementsAs a Deputy Speaker, he doubled as the First Deputy Chairman of the ECOWAS parliament andthe Chairman of the Committee of a Whole in the House of Representatives.
He served in manystrategic ad-hoc committees set up by the President of Nigeria and the Nigerian parliamentbetween 2015 and 2019; where he displayed high level of integrity, commitment to nationaldevelopment and brilliancy.
Among such tasks were the chairman of the committee set up by President Mohammed Buhari to repair the infected 2016 Nigerian budget that was alleged of illegal and extraneous insertions. SL Yussuff handled the assignment successfully. He was also the chairman of Nigerian Constitution Review Committee of the House.
Through his singular interventions, many provisions that have improved Nigerian politics, economy and social well beings of many Nigerians were passed. He also headed the National Assembly Constitutional Review Committee between 2016 and 2019.
Rt Hon Yussuff used his position as the Deputy Speaker, to impact positively and remarkably on his constituency and Nigeria as a whole. He facilitated the appointment of 128 persons of various backgrounds as Special Advisers (5), Special Assistants (11), Personal Assistants (10) and Legislative Aides (102) in the House of Representatives between 2015 and 2019. He also facilitated 92 different senior graduate appointments in various Nigerian sectors such as Nigerian Police; Nigerian Navy; Nigerian Customs; Nigerian Civil Defense; Central Bank of Nigeria; Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority; and Nigerian Port authority among others. SL Yussuff facilitated monumental federal government development projects to his constituency which was earlier without much presence of the federal government of Nigeria.
Among these are the reconstruction of 40 meter bridge on Erinle River in Ilobu; Construction ofnine secondary school buildings across his federal constituency; Construction of 17 primaryschool buildings across his federal constituency; Provision and installation of seven electricitytransformers in his federal constituency; Construction of two mini water dams in Osogboand Ilobu; Construction of 46 kilometer solar street lights across his federal constituency;Construction of two maternity and dispensary centres in Osogbo and Ilobu; Construction of 27 boreholes across his federal constituency; Construction of three Internet Communication Technology Centres across his federal constituency and the reconstruction of 23 kilometer of roads across his federal constituency.
He also empowered vulnerable through provision of work inputs, cash donations and skill building trainings for 6,000 people in Osun state through series of training workshops held on Agriculture, Vocational training and Self-employment skills between 2011 and 2019.Rt HonYussuff in recognition of his contributions to community development, he givenm many township chieftaincy titles.
He is Ikolaba of Ilobu land; Bashorun of Oba’gun; Agabakin ofI Ilare-Ijeshaall in Osun State; and Ajagunla of Ikare Akoko in Ondo State.He is the Chairman of his company holdings. Until he left APC for Labour Party, He was a member of National Consultative Forum of the APC and a leader in All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state.
Rt. Hon. Sulaimon Lasunkanmi Yussuff is married to Alhaja Omowumi Rashidat Yussuff Nee Owolabi from Osogbo and the marriage is blessed with good children.