Kenneth Efezino Odede
-Oba Shotobi urges lawmaker to get closer, represent Ikorodu well
Hon. Ogunleye Gbolahan Adetokunbo, the representative of Ikorodu Constituency I, has intensified his re-election pursuit by paying the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty (Oba) Dr. Kabir Adewale Shotobi, Adegorushen V, a courtesy visit to seek royal blessings and support for his re -election.
The lawmaker who is the Chairman, House Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), visited the palace in accompany of former Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon. Lanre Balogun, Secretary, APC Ikorodu LGA, Hon. Kehinde Ayanbadejo and Coordinator, Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Comrade Japheth Odesanya. Also present at the meeting were traditional chiefs.
While addressing the royal father, Hon. Ogunleye highlighted some of his achievements and assured the royal father that he has learnt a great deal in the house as a first timer and he is going back as a ranking lawmaker.
“I am here today to seek your support for my second term at the Lagos State House of Assembly. I have been there for three years and some months now and for a first timer, you go to the assembly to learn and I have learnt a lot which is why the people behind me want me to go back for my second term and I want to assure you that everything that the people want us to do is already in our plans and the plans and I am ready to do just that.”
He said that he would be facilitating a renewable energy project at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) in Ikorodu.
“I will be facilitating renewable energy for our school, Lagos State University of Science and Technology. I have been in talk with the people from China and one of them is the head of the company, Huawei.
“I was in Ikorodu with Flutterwave to distribute POS to our people but what we want is for them to finance the project of giving LASUSTECH a renewable and sustainable energy solution with Huawei and the total of everything has been agreed on and that’s one of the legacy projects I am handling.
“We are going to do it and make our higher institution become the first of its kind in Lagos State to have it,” he added.
He also listed rebuilding of primary, and secondary schools, roads, provisions of table tennis in communities, a game he said he chose because it is a non -contact sport which sharpens reflexes and aims at bringing youths together as some of what he has been able to do
Hon. Ogunleye also informed the royal father that he has been able to support the development of cultural festivals in Ikorodu
“As regards all our festivals, I am also involved in Magbo, Liwe, and Agemo. We are always doing it together and everything that belongs to Ikorodu will be done if I have your full support because we will always do what our people want and we will make sure we package Ikorodu properly and develop all our Lagoon sides and other areas.
“I know all the efforts of our Kabiyesi and I’m standing here as your representative to make sure that all these things come easy for Ikorodu,” he assured the Ayangbure.
Former Commissioner, Prince Lanre Balogun, also speaking appealed to the king for his support while describing Hon. Ogunleye objective to return back to the House.
“Anyone who is into politics and have been to the Lagos State House of Assembly will know that first time in the Assembly is for learning and we can’t compare him to the likes of Jimi Benson because when he went for his first term, things were not as rosy as this but now, he has become an oracle in his position and whoever that wants him out of that position would be cursed.
“We can all see what he has been bringing to Ikorodu and those that just emerged for their first term, we can all see that they haven’t done anything yet but for him, he has done his first term and we can have agreement that whoever has done his first term should be granted another term for us not to have issues between ourselves,” the ex-commissioner said.
Emphasising why Ogunleye must return, the APC chieftain explained:
“In Constituency II, they have their patterns from the beginning and anyone that wants to pass his or her boundaries will decide to go for the third term but we haven’t had that here in Central Ikorodu and that’s why people are coming out as they like and for those of us in Ikorodu, we already know the outcome of this and we have tried to speak with them but they insist on going for the primaries but we don’t do Primaries in APC because if it’s something we do, Hamzat (Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat), would not have been nominated before the primaries.”
The royal father in his royal remarks recalled his efforts in getting the Governorship for Ikorodu and pleaded with residents of Ikorodu not to abandon the ruling APC because of that.
While responding to the lawmaker, Oba Shotobi charged him to lobby for things that will benefit the people of Ikorodu.
“Ikorodu has never tasted any Vice Chancellor position in any university in Lagos State and these are the kind of things you should look around and lobby to get for the people of Ikorodu. We only saw one recently, Professor (Kazeem) Oshikoya and it’s in a federal university. It will be for your own good to make that happen and I want you to ask questions why we are not given the opportunity to be VC in any of the five universities in Lagos State.”
He also urged Hon. Ogunleye to see to how a big contractor can be facilitated for Sabo Market’s redevelopment to improve Ikorodu socio-economic development.
While calling for unity and cooperation among Ikorodu residents, Oba Shotobi also charged Hon. Ogunleye to move closer to the people, adding that he will do better in his second term.
“We are losing a lot because of friction among ourselves. We capitalise on mistakes instead of supporting anyone among us that needed to be corrected. We need to be together because that will be an added advantage and once we are divided we will be providing the government opportunity to look elsewhere.
“These are the kind of things I want you to support when you go back to the House and we will always call indoors to correct and not exposing you outside. So, I want us to work together for us to get results.
“As the people are agitating and accusing you of distancing yourself, I want you to meet, interact and interface with them regularly. If you have been seeing them once every quarter make sure that you let that be twice or more.
“You must always have your own inputs to issues and I know that you will do better if re -elected because Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your being quiet in the Assembly is not helping us and they have started knowing that you are from Ikorodu and that is how to let them know that you are vibrant,” Ayangbure admonished.
The royal father also appealed to the lawmaker’s aides and followers not to take advantage of his quietness to misrepresent him before the people.
