The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 24

1997, August,

Transcripts from AIT news interview with fast rising politician and senatorial candidate for Lagos State, Remilekun Phillips.

INTERVIEWER: The Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) announces new polls dates: National Assembly, April 25, 1998; Governorship and Presidential elections, August 1, 1998 and many notable men have expressed desire to run for many of these posts, amongst all these, we have a fast rising politician in the studio with us today, a man that has risen among the ranks of most esteemed activists in the country today - while facing the challenge of being one of the youngest in the game.

We have Remilekun Phillips in the studio today; a graduate of Medicine and Surgery from the esteemed Lagos state university, it is our honor to have you here with us this morning, sir.

RP: (laughs) it is an honor to be here, although the light you and everyone paints me in continues to brings me more stress in the attempt to do better.

INTERVIEWER: you opponents should take note of these intimidation tactics then.

RP: I suppose so.

INTERVIEWER: I will start with the question that has been on everyone's lips since you announced your intention to run for Senate, when was that moment you decided that your career lay, not in medicine but in politics, why did you decide so?

RP: I find it surprising that people are so surprised, politics has always been something I've been fascinated by. In my university days, I was involved with the student union, I also went as far as competing in elections which led me to being President of the union in my final year, so yes, politics has always been a part of me, not just a hasty decision.

INTERVIEWER: I see, that comes to my next question, a few weeks ago, an anonymous source reached out to a now obsolete newspaper and tipped them off of your less than stellar extracurricular activities, making a mention of you running a cult while you were in the university.

RP: nothing but nonsense rumour. It is funny that despite many of my old teachers and lecturers coming out to say kind words about my campaign there are still people out there trying to slander my name for no reason I can think of. People like to talk, so I let them do so.

INTERVIEWER: So We'd like to think, but a name was also dropped by the anonymous source, they claimed you were part of a political cult called The ORION Project, a claim that was further looked into and deemed a cult that once existed a long time ago and run by certain prominent political figures of the country.

RP: Like I said, it is nothing but rumour, politicians are no strangers to rumour mongers, there is no proof other than a so called source's word of mouth.

INTERVIEWER: One of your constant manifestos is your cry for public transparency with the government, could you expand a bit on that?

RP: of course, for so long we have seen our government cover up truths and silence the press when it comes to issues concerning the country's budgets and debts. Secrets are dangerous tools that continue to tear the bridge of connection between the government and the public. I aim for transparency.

INTERVIEWER: A man of integrity, I see.

RP: I try to be one.

INTERVIEWER: You have steadily become a fan favourite among journalists and the media who have constantly hailed you as an honest man. What do you have to say about the recent killings of journalists in the past few years?