Kunle ADELABU
-Lawmaker also rehabilitated water scheme, graded major community roads
Before now, situation at the St. Saviours Primary School, Gbaga, Olorunda in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) was pathetic and unfit for learning as pupils were sitting on the floor and learning in an environment that is not conducive for academic engagements.
This explains while parents, the community, staff and pupils were full of prayers and praises for Hon. Ibraheem Balikeez Aderoju, the Majority Leader of the Legislative Arm of the Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area when she took it upon herself to start meeting the demands of the only public school in her Ward ( Ward E4) in Olohunda community.
The lawmaker, on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, fulfilled the promise she made when she met pupils sitting on the floor during her visit to the school last year.
Speaking with THE IMPACT, Hon. Aderoju stated that what she saw moved her to tears when she visited the school last year.
“It was a very serious and pathetic situation when I visited the school. I saw pupils who were meant to acquire elementary education seated on the floor while the head teacher and other teachers were helpless of the situation”, she stated.
“That experience refused to go away and traumatized me greatly. Today, I’m fulfilling the pledge I made to the school to provide them with chairs and benches. This is just my first intervention initiative” ,she added.
Hon. Aderoju, who also added that the Councilors had lobbied the Council Chairman for Constituency projects,said that she intend to donate a water project to the school as it also lacks portable water.
“The school lacks virtually everything. Unfortunately, this is the school that had produced virtually everybody in this area, including many councilors and supervisory councilors. I did not attend the school but I feel that we should intervene for the sake of our young children and their parents that gave us their votes in trust.
“The Council Chairman has assured that he will give Constituency projects to the Councilors and I will be donating the water project to this school and it is going to constructed in such a way that would make it to serve both the school and the public”.
Hon. Aderoju, who also rehabilitated the Lagos State Mini-Water Scheme at Araro community which has been out of use for over a year, also appealed to the state government to help her community in making the scheme serve the area adequately.
On the same day the chairs and benches were donated to the school, the grading of two major roads which were in a total state of collapse were also kick-started.
This initiative also gladdened the hearts of the residents.
According to her, “the grading was facilitated through Hon. Babajimi Benson’s iCare Foundation in conjunction with the Council and the joint community CDA. We are going to be grading only two roads because we can only have the iCare’s grader for two days because of the demands for the machine in other areas”.
“The Ikorodu North LCDA is also planning massive grading of roads across the council areas and we are going to be grading other important roads in my wards to make the community more habitable for my people”, she added.
Hon. Ola Ameen Apanisile, the Vice Chairman of Ikorodu North LCDA, who represented the Council Chairman at the occasion, thanked Hon. Aderoju for being a good representative of APC and her ward.
He listed some of the achievements of the council in 6 months to include constant clearing of refuse across the council, grading of roads, renovation of health centre, renovation of the Ikorodu North LCDA Cementary, organizing enlightenment programmes on LASSA fever and other diseases, ensuring the safety of lives and properties among many others.
He stated that the council is planning to commence house numbering across the council areas and solicited for the cooperation of the community associations during the exercise.
Incidentally, the meeting of the St. Saviours Primary Parents Forum coincided with the day Hon. Aderoju was donating the facilities to the school.
Speaking during the presentation, Chief Abraham Olubodi, Chairman of the Forum and a community leader commended Hon Aderoju.
“You all are aware of our efforts (the Parents’ Forum) in repositioning the school and we are still not relenting but here comes an intervention from a God sent representative. This is very commendable for you to have deemed it fit to give back to the community”, Chief Olubodi said thankfully.
“I don’t have any regret to have anointed you. I did not know you before your emergence but I have the conviction that you will make us proud and represent our party and community very well. This is a testatment”.
“May God continue to enrich your coast and give you power to do more as you have planned. You can always count on our supports because you are a worthy Councilor” ,Chief Olubodi stated.
In her short speech, Mrs Ene Mayrone O, the school head teacher who could not hide her joy, thanked the Councilor for fulfilling her promise to the school and humanity.
“I cannot thank you enough for what you have done today. It would go a very long way in solving a major challenge being faced by the school. I could recall that you were in tears the time you paid us a visit because of the situation of the school and today, I can see smiles on the faces of the parents and the pupils. Thank you”.
She, however, appealed to other spirited members of the public to assist the government in providing infrastructures in public schools.
