HON OWOLABI AJENIFUJA, senior special assistant on wealth creation to the Lagos Island Local government,
EDITOR’S PICK:
EKO HOT BLOG reports that a senior special assistant on wealth creation to the Lagos Island Local government, Hon Owolabi Ajenifuja has made public his intention to vie for the Lagos State House of Assembly seat for Lagos Island Constituency 1 in the forthcoming 2023 election.
This online media platform recalls that Owowlabi, an astute politician and a volunteer, is a marketer, and a skilled entrepreneur. He is also a human resources management expert and a project implementation expert with a stellar public service record.
Hon Owolabi Ajenifuja
Owolabi made this declaration during his birthday and Ramadan lecture celebration organized for the indigenes of Lagos Island and all the people of Lagos Island in general on the 24th of April 2022 at the Idanganran club of Lagos, off palace road, Lagos Island.
The event had in attendance, different Muslim clerics and members of the Islamic community from different parts of the constituent as the event fagged up with prayers and the Ramadan Lecture, after which a special prayer session was held to usher in a new year and season for the celebrant as he declared his political aspiration.
Speaking with EKO HOT BLOG at the event, the senior special assistant on wealth creation described his aspiration as the collective aspiration of the people of Lagos Island as he reeled out his activities in the field of politics over the years.
“To God be the glory I was actively involved in politics, and my coming into politics was born out of the quest of rendering services to Humanity. I have been a member of different voluntary organizations that believe in rendering services to humankind. Having left school I came in through the era that was a little bit difficult when people will have to come together for the survival of our nation during the annulment of June 12.
“I was one of the youths who came in and believed in the principles of mankind, and other organizations that believed in one Nigeria and that democracy must come to stay in Nigeria, and to God be the Glory we had Democracy in 1999.
“Having got a democracy in 1999, I came into active politics. Coming into active politics my root is Lagos Island. And being a member of Lagos Island, During the Second term of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I was a research officer in the independent campaign group at Arumere, Ikeja to be precise. To God be the glory we were part of those people that led to the successful re-election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, having done that we still continued with our activities in politics
FURTHER READING:
“I aspire severally to become an honourable member of the local government that is Councilor of ward A1 Axis of Lagos Island. And that is how I have been playing my Politics. To the Glory of God, this has given me an opportunity to be involved in governance at a local level getting myself involved in governance started under the administration of Hon Wasiu Eshilokun. I was a member of the market board.
“Market Board simply means people coordinating the activities of the conventional market and in Lagos Island, we have seven conventional markets, these seven conventional markets are under the Market Board which you must go there to ensure they comply to rate payment; to ensure the local government is able to carry and do their project that they have promised the masses of the local government.
“This we were able to do without any violence but with proper coordination of the people and things started coming up. Having done that under the tenure of Governor Wasiu Eshilokun, there was another opportunity to appoint an Executive Secretary to the local government that should be in 2016, and welcome on board the Executive Chairman was then Hon Adetoyinshe Olusi.
“During his time I became the protocol officer, My sole responsibility was to relate with all political people coming together to dialogue and make a contribution toward the success of the government which avail the opportunity to interface between the government and the political class in Lagos Island. Having done this, we went into a break, and during the break, we went into the election.
“To the Glory of God, Governor Adetoyinshe Olusi was elected as the Executive Chairman of the local government. I came back as the protocol officer immediately after he was elected, which brought about another opportunity or responsibility to be bestowed on me by this same person. He gave me the opportunity to serve as the Revenue Committee Chairman.
“During this time of me being the Committee Chairman we were able to introduce an electric print bill, initially we do have the black and white done on a computer but this time around we now bring in the E-Billing. Which brought about the E-Billing system. Then we rate the revenue at the rate of 500 naira per conventional market which made it N6000 per annul we were able to consult and relate with the market men and women that things are not like that and won’t continue to be in that form.
“We have to look at the possibility of generating more funds because of where The Lagos Island is classified under local government in the 20 local government that we are operating. We are classified under A Plus and as A Plus you must be able to fund yourself and that is the reason why we went back to the drawing board and we were able to increase the new capacity of the local government to about 50% increment on revenue and were able to take it forward
Being the present Special Assistant on wealth Creation Lagos Island, Hon Owolabi also spoke about the impact he had made on his constituent being in that position, describing it as an opportunity to further serve the people of his constituent.
“Having done this as a Revenue Committee Chairman we came back for the second term in office. By the Grace of God and Honourable Adetoyinshe Olusi, I was drafted to become his Special Assistant on wealth Creation.
“Sincerely this also gave me an opportunity to interface with my people. Creating wealth is not all about sharing money, it’s not about doing poverty alleviation, it’s about ensuring people are adequately equipped to become skilful. We take people on skill acquisition having taken you on skills acquisition. We now bring about small scale entrepreneur development into it, because having been trained if there is no idea, no business plan, how do you put into practice what you have acquired. So what we introduce during this time as wealth creator is for us to train people to become skilful. We now tell them how to use their skill and turn them into a business that was lifting people out of poverty.
“It’s not by just giving them 20,000 for them to start a business, we train them to become skilful so that whatever equipment we give to them they will know how to manage and use it effectively.
“Having done all these together in this same local government living and residing with my people. This has availed me the opportunity that I can boastfully say that I know where the shoe pinches the people in my constituency.
Owolabi being a leader with so much passion for the youths in his constituency hinted at some life-changing plans he has for them if elected.
“I live with them, I wine with them so I can say this is what we really need. And because l am currently handling the World Creation, the new thing I want to bring in if I am given the opportunity to serve at the chamber is about creating that wealth more, allowing the youth who are the most important and integral part of every nation – if you think about the violent part you will see that majority of the people you see there will be our youth, and if you look at the most productive part of the country or community will still be our youth.
“We have three different categories of youth, We have those that are teenagers, we have those that are mature and we have those at about 18 to 20, So we have 3 classifications how can we blend that together seeing that they are Y2k complaint people. So we must ensure we bring compliant to the grass root and ensure our Youth acquire skills that can sustain them and that is the reason why I have come out to say that if I am given that opportunity my primary objective is to oversights function at the legislation
“The primary objective of any legislation is an oversight function. Ensuring the things that can better your consistency is brought to your constituent. Not by going there to throw chairs at each other or by engaging in violence but to dialogue and lobby other colleagues at the chamber to make life meaningful to my people here.
“Alhamdulillah, today is the three in one programme, This is a normal thing I use to do every year to celebrate my birthday especially if it falls in the holy month of Ramadan. To the glory of God, my birthday has been falling this way. And it Is not because of my birthday I am doing this. So it is a three-in-one thing. I am celebrating my birthday today and I am organizing a Ramadan lecture at the same time I am using that opportunity to do it as my flag off the campaign.
“After due consultations with the leadership and the youth of my constituents because without the youth we cannot say the leadership are more powerful than them. We know that in the political party we find ourselves we must honour our leaders. Because they are the DE-Factor. So having discussed with the leadership of the party and having reached out to the people of my constituents I have received notes some gave notes and some gave advice on how to go about it.
“With these notes and advice from the people of my constituents I believe in God and I invest in people it is only God that can ascertain that whatever we do is certain so believe that it is only God that I am serving and that by God’s grace I will be there
Hon. Owolabi who thanked all those who took out time to celebrate with him further promised to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people as he had always done in times past
“For those that came from far and near – because I told you Lagos is a cosmopolitan state where you must drive all forces together. I have those people from my belief who came specially for the Ramadan lectures, I have my political associates who also came because they know I want to do my flag off and I also have some elderly people in our midst as well who have come to give their blessings and I also have business partners too who are my associates in the profession and field and I also have my colleagues and my Alma mater, where I graduated from who have been supportive and have trust in me and want me to represent my good people of Lagos Island Constituency 1 at the House Of Assembly come 2023.
“Inshallah!I want to say thank you to everybody that attended my program I wish you a safe trip back home”
Click to watch our video of the week
You May Also Like: BREAKING: Amosun Officially Joins 2023 Presidential Race
Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), has expressed…
On Friday, December 20th, the Borno State capital played host to an inspiring literary event…
In a coordinated effort, troops of the 6 Division, along with other security agencies, have…