By: Kayode Odunaro
In contemporary times, Nigeria are going through a lot, to use a local parlance, in terms of the socio-economic challenges that majority are facing. Not a few of such Nigerians in desperate situation are looking up to the government at all levels to do something to make their lot better.
For many representatives, particularly at the federal level, the direct approach to touching the lives of their constituents beyond the customary ‘handouts’, are what has been loosely termed ‘empowerment’ through facilitations and directly from personal resources. The range of such includes skills acquisition and vocational trainings, entrepreneurship development programmes, purchase of equipment for trained constituents, farm inputs and cash grant as seed capital, purchase of books, laptops and granting of scholarships and bursaries for students and other direct impact programmes meant to alleviate poverty and provide means of sustainable income generating ventures. The numbers of the impacted differs from legislator to legislator and indeed some legislators are assessed for performance on the level of the empowerment for future elections.
One legislator who has made a name for himself as a ranking performer, if not the most ranked legislator in empowerment in Nigeria is Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola CON aka YAYI (APC, Ogun West), hitherto a prominent household name and performer in Lagos State, before relocation to his homestead in Ogun State. His empowerment programmes have a history. Back in Lagos as a state legislator and subsequently as a federal legislator as member House of Representatives and senator, empowerment programmes are cornerstone of his effective representation that saw his re-election at 5 consecutive times, representing the largest senatorial district in Nigeria in terms of population, Lagos West, twice. Indeed, he is not a ‘stranger’ to encountering youths walking to him to recount their success story from benefiting from his empowerment facilitations years back. His last empowerment as a Senator in Lagos West went viral on social media on the strength of its magnitude and the huge numbers of recorded constituents that were beneficiaries. It was indeed a parting shot that may not be rival for a long time in the history of Lagos State, and indeed Nigeria.
Since he moved to Ogun State, he has been replicating his trade mark of what is undoubtedly mega empowerment in his senatorial district of Ogun West to the joy of his constituents who openly confessed that such has never been experienced in the annals of their experience of any representatives of government. In just over a year, direct recorded beneficiaries of Yayi’s facilitated empowerment programmes numbers over 40,000 in trainings, provision of equipment like sewing machines, vehicles, mini buses, tricycles and bikes for transportation business, deep freezers, fishing appliances, catering equipment, hair making equipment, make-up artist equipment, cash grants, provision of inputs and scholarships and bursaries grants.
At one of his mega empowerment programme at Ilaro in less than a year as senator representing Ogun West, no less a personality than Senator Jubrin Barau, the deputy senate president, himself not a stranger to massive empowerment in his Kano North senatorial district, described Yayi’s empowerment as “supa duper’ in extent using an American expression adding that with this kind of empowerment no one dare ask the Senator what he is doing in Abuja or has brought home for his constituents. In that empowerment, over 15,000 constituents benefitted from the senator’s facilitation in one fell swoop. And expectedly the video of the mega event went viral on social media as example of what effective representation should be.
But it would be uncharitable if anyone want to encapsulate the phenomenal Yayi only in his empowerment of his constituents in terms of effective representation and attraction of socio- economic development. Indeed, his exertion and facilitations in the area of infrastructural development is second to none in the systematic and holistic fashion he is addressing the huge infrastructural deficit associated with his senatorial district. And in monetary terms the empowerment facilitations in billions are a drop in the ocean compared to the huge multi-billions outlay of his facilitated infrastructural projects. So far, over 100 projects including roads, school buildings, Police Stations, Primary Health Care Centers, Intensive Care Units (ICU), Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) centers, modern markets and town halls have been constructed, ready for use and some recently commissioned for use.
Road construction with ancillary structure like culverts and destroyed bridges are areas that Senator Adeola have concrete and durable accomplishment worth noting. So far, over 30 of such roads/bridges of various lengths has been constructed across the 5 LGAs of Ogun West. One can just mention a few already in use for brevity. They include Moboluwaduro-Ago-Ilobi Road, Old Oja Odan- Ebute Road and Ebute Igooro Township Road among others.
Educational infrastructure facilitated by Senator Adeola are just astounding to say the least. At least over 150 new classrooms has been added to Ogun West senatorial district at primary and secondary levels in a programme of block of 12 Classrooms with staff rooms and solarized boreholes in over 25 schools. Among them are Ansa ru-Deen Primary School, Igbogilla, Government Technical and Science College, Ayetoro, Yewa College, Ilaro, Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, District Community High School, Owode, District High School, Ipokia and Methodist Primary School, Ado Odo among others. The Senator also facilitated three well equipped Information, Communication and Technology Centres around the district in a drive to enhance literacy in computerization.
On health care infrastructure, the senator has facilitated some critical facilities including 7 Primary Health Care Centers with ambulances notably at OOU (Ayetoro Campus), Ayetoro and Oke Odan as well as the establishment of 2 Intensive Care Units at State Hospitals in Ilaro and Ota.
To provide conducive environment for trade and commerce, Senator Adeola facilitated the construction of at least 7 number of modern 40-Lock up and 60 Open Shops in his district with solarized boreholes. They include those in Agossasa, Ipokia, Oloola in Imeko Afon and Sayedero, Ilaro.
Related to infrastructure is the issue of security of lives and properties. Arising from requests and need, the senator facilitated the construction of two modern Police Stations at Igan Alade in Yewa North LGA and Pahayi, Ilaro in Yewa South LGA. Both have been handed over to authorities of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Equally, the senator donated 5 new operational jeeps to security agencies in the district including the NPF and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp.
One must not fail to mention the infrastructure dedicated to community development in the area of town hall construction. The major one is the Asade Agunloye Pavilion in Ilaro, Yewa South LGA. Obviously, there is no such other facility, not only in Ogun State but in the whole South West Region that host multiple ultra-modern halls for symposia and other events as well as a covered amphitheater that can host over 5000 seated persons.
Also, as at the last count, Senator Adeola has facilitated the supply and installation of over hundred 500KVA Electric Transformers for various communities with their energization to bring light to some areas that have been in darkness for upwards of over a decade as well as provided solar street light along all the roads constructed and in some markets.
So, while the soaring popularity of Senator Adeola Yayi as an effective representative par excellence may be highlighted by unprecedented “supa duper” empowerment programmes that directly impacted on thousands of individuals that are his constituents, his infrastructural interventions enjoyed by millions of citizens that are not ordinarily his constituents, is endearing him to the generality of the people of Ogun State in particular and observant Nigerians across the nation. Many genuinely love him for delivering dividends of democracy and good governance as a legislator. And it is small wonder that already, a powerful move and agitation is on for him to replicate his activities on a larger scale in higher office in the state and Nigeria.
For now, Senator Yayi is focused on delivering on his electoral promises to the people of Ogun West and as usual relying on the people, his performance and God Almighty to determine his ever-rising political trajectory since he joined politics. For some upstart politicians without any record of public service or accomplishments, opportunist wannabes and serial spoiler politicians miffed by the sterling performances and rising profile of Senator Adeola in Ogun State politics and beyond, one will counsel them to compete with performance for the people in their areas to feel their human and humane touches instead of their current fruitless efforts of blackmailing the senator for his good deeds. Ultimately, it is the people that matters in a democracy and not the whimsical selfish ambition of individuals.
Chief Kayode Odunaro wrote from Alaagba Street, Ona Ola, Ilaro.
kayodunaro@hotmail.com
