LAGOS COUNCIL BOSS, OLABISI ADEBAJO CELEBRATES 1ST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE WITH ‘LIVES’ TOUCHING PROJECTS

The Executive Chairman, Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Alimosho, Lagos State, Hon. Princess Olabisi Adebajo popularly called Abisco, has set a pace for others to follow in service delivery as political office holders in the country. The hardworking woman, within a space of just 100 days at the helms of affairs at her fast developing LCDA, has achieved what some would struggle to put in their score cards in terms of dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots, at the end of their 3 or 4 year tenure.

For Abisco whose—like many other council bosses in Lagos State—tenure just clocked 100 days on Monday, 7^th November, 2017, it was a catalogue of achievements for her weeklong celebration. The week started off with graduation of about 200 beneficiaries of what was tagged: Abisco Skills Acquisition Programme (ASAP) where the graduands, after acquiring basic skills for 4 weeks in different crafts including Fashion Designing, Hairdressing, Tailoring, Barbing, Beads Making, Pedicure/Manicure, Soap, Insecticide, Liquid Soap and Hand Sanitizer Making, Shoe and Other Leather Crafts Making, were equipped with the tools and facilities necessary to start off their own businesses immediately.

While the beneficiaries could not hide their joy at the kind gesture from the first female Executive Chairman of the LCDA for a project which was said to be only a 1^st Phase, Abisco who asserted that she believed in teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fishes, further admonished the graduands at the ceremony that: “While I would like to thank the instructors in the various crafts during the just concluded programme for doing diligent jobs, I want to encourage all the participants to nurture a cordial relationship with their different instructors so that they can always go back to them whenever necessary for clarifications on any grey area in what they learnt as the case may be. Knowledge is always continuous, so learning doesn’t end here.”

And like the acronym for her Day 1 project: ASAP connotes, the amiable chairman was apparently a woman willing to succeed As Soon As Possible (ASAP) as the Day 2 of her celebration of 1^st 100 Days in Office witnessed another laudable event. Tuesday, 8^th November, kicked off with the hosting of Widows and Elders from Mosan-Okunola LCDA where the chairman interacted and danced with them before they were all handed cash gifts for their welfare. According to some of the benefiting Widows and Elders, that was the “first time ever,” that they would be remembered by anyone taking charge of the LCDA. Meanwhile, Abisco had earlier told them in her speech that, “…While we may also not be carrying out an exercise like this day in, day out, we would ensure that it happens from time to time because we recognise that this set of people needs to be supported and cared for at this stage of their lives. Life is in phases and everyone’s turn to a stage like this is bound to come at some point in time. And it is whatever we sow today we shall reap tomorrow.” Hence, they all left happily as they looked forward to another round of such gesture.

Day 3 of the celebration was dedicated to what was tagged: Abisco Health Fitness Walk/ Health Talk during which the chairman led a section of people from the LCDA on a fitness walk that took off from Estate Gate, Mosan, and travelled through different areas of the local council as residents and traders who could not take part in it waved approvingly to those doing the exercise. The walk eventually terminated at the Multipurpose Hall of the LCDA where a fitness expert had health talk with the people at which they were told the importance of taking such walk. “…Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce our risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. And unlike some other forms of exercise, walking is free and doesn’t require any special equipment or training”, the expert explained as Abisco kept nodding in affirmation which went to show same was her rationale for initiating the exercise and for also taking part as a demonstration to all.

Because her aim was evidently to touch lives of everyone within her domain, and having done something for the youths on Day 1, and something for the old on Day 2, Day 4 of the celebration was then dedicated to children at school. The indefatigable chairman whom many from her LCDA have started referring to as “Abisco Talk and Do” donated 400 Chairs and Desks, 3000 School Bags and 27000 Exercise Books to all the 4 public Primary Schools in Mosan-Okunola. At the event for the donation which took place at Abesan Primary School where the chairman mingled and danced with the obviously appreciative children, she reasoned in her speech that her gesture was to make learning environment conducive for the children. “… If truly, they (the children) are the leaders of tomorrow, we owe them the responsibility of being soundly educated as a foundation. And that is indeed, our driving force in this direction.” She concluded before Student Representatives from Lagos State University (LASU) presented her with a merit award as the Best Performing Chairman of the Year 2017 at the event.

The final day of the celebration which was Friday, 10^th November, witnessed commissioning of Steel Link Bridge at Water/Cele Village which was constructed to make the adjoining communities more accessible for the residents. Residents carried placards to appreciate the gesture of the chairman in constructing the bridge for them while the commissioning proceeded. The next project in line for commissioning on the day was school toilet and potable water supply for African Church Primary School, Akinogun, and the two projects were commissioned promptly by Abisco. And to end the week of celebration, the chairman later led her Executive Committee members and some party chieftains to inspect patching of bad portion and overlaying of asphalt on Mr Biggs Junction By 21 Road (Gowon Estate) aimed at easing the stress usually faced by road users on the stretch of road in the LCDA. As at the time of this report, works have since been completed on the said road.

See pictures from the events…