AGBAJE SAYS AYOBO/IPAJA RESIDENTS HAVE NOT SEEN MUCH OF HIM YET

"WE THANK GOD FOR GIVING US AGBAJE" -- LGA APC CHAIRMAN

Story by Razaq Adedeji Jimoh

The Executive Chairman of Ipaja/Ayobo Local Council Development Area, Hon (Dr.) Lukmon Abiodun Agbaje, has reassured the people of his local council that they have just seen a “tip of the iceberg” with the commendable developmental strides he has achieved just in 100 days of being in office. He said came to office with a firm determination to take the council to an enviable height of a suburban city where the residents would enjoy the comfort of meaningful life.

He made this statement at his interactive session with the press in his office on Wednesday where he fielded a range of questions touching on the philosophy driving his governance.

Speaking along this line of remarkable achievements of the Council Chairman, the LGA Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ipaja/Ayobo Chapter, Chief Wole Aina, said the party was lucky to have made the “choice of Agbaje” as the best to put forward for the job. He described him as an asset both to the party and council as a whole, adding that he had made the electoral campaign for the 2027 general elections easier for the party in the local council.

If there should be any attribute to pin to the Ayobo/Ipaja Council Chairman in the last three months, it should be an element of integrity as the real man to be described as “Talk and do” – a man whose words worth the bond to take to the bank. Those who said this pointed to alignment of his promises at his official inauguration with what they are seeing three months after. The most they talked about in reference was his completion of seven standard roads and distribution of ten electricity transformer.

The roads, as seen by Civics Weekly during independent inspections, were not mere resurfacing with asphalt. They were found to be organic construction works that started off with full drainage channels on both sides where it is permissible and standard culverts where they are needful. In the full quality of job intended without cost rationing, the built drainage were all the covered type as the standard already set by the administration of for Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. It should therefore be expected that people of the council would find themselves enthralling with their Chairman on this occasion of 100 days in office.

Asked whether he had resorted to taking loans to meet his promises or it was a judicious way of spending the peoples’ money being displayed? He said it was all about a mindset and determination to achieve a set goal, adding that "There is no any magic to it".

He explained further: "You see, all this infrastructure you are seeing in Ayobo; it's not that they (comparable council chairmen) are not capable or they are not able to do it. But when it comes to construction, Yoruba says "Omi la ma n te la to te yanri" -- literally to mean an event will always presage an event. All this that happens, apart from being asked whether the construction is being done with loan or federal allocation, one thing I want you to understand is that when you are going into a project, it is not that you have to pay 100% of the cost. The money you are going to pay will be based on the arrangement you have and at stages of the construction.

"What makes it easier for this administration is that ever before we being voted into office, we have already gone round to observe and assess what we needed. This gave us the opportunity and the edge such that as soon as we assumed office, we already knew what we wanted to do. We had prepared ourselves. So, immediately after the swearing in, the Tender Board, being led by the Vice Chairman, rolled into action. He listed out the roads and we went to work. So, there is no magic in all of this. It's just that we know why we are here.

"In the course of introduction when the Information Officer was introducing the Chairman, she said I "live within". The implication of this is that it gives me the edge and the opportunity to know how to start and how to go on about it. Let me also say it is about something in the mind. This is because when I was not in the government, I was part of the community people that were complaining about the road -- that how were we going to do it? This had already given me the mindset that if I had the opportunity, this is what I'm going to do.

"And these seven roads you have just mentioned, this is just a tip of the iceberg. So, you haven't seen something yet" -- a concluding statement that drew the applause of all.

Talking further on a note of caution, he said: "All this achievement is because we are determined and we believe we are here for a purpose; we believe, by the special grace of God, we still have much more to deliver.

But let me quickly add this because you are trying to compare us with other local governments; all this we are doing, we do not have the mind of competition with anybody. We are not doing it to be rated the best in Lagos State. We are doing it so the the people of our community will have to give glory to the Almighty Allah that they made the right choice by voting APC".