Kunle ADELABU
-As 10 former Councillorship aspirants get 10 buses for pilot scheme
Ten former Councillorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in three Council Areas of Ikorodu Constituency I ( Ikorodu Local Government, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area and Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area) and Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area, on Friday, March 9, 2018, benefitted from the pilot scheme of Hon. Sanai Agunbiade’s Transport Empowerment Scheme.
The ten beneficiaries were presented with the buses at a brief event held at the Ikorodu Constituency I Office of the lawmaker who is also the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Hon. Agunbiade stated that the presentation is the first leg of his new empowerment scheme for the APC youths.
“This is a pilot scheme to help these our youths benefit from their dedication and loyalty to our party and to our people “, Hon. Agunbiade stated.
“We came up with the idea of empowering some of our youths who participated in the last local government elections but were not fortunate to get the party’s ticket.
“Many of them have been coming to me for one assistance or the other. That was when I thought that it would be wise to empower them with a business and the idea of shuttle came to my mind.
“We are not giving them the buses free because we want to make them to be entrepreneurs. The dream is to see them progress by completing their counterpart funding for the vehicles and thereafter, adding more buses to their fleets.”
Hon. Agunbiade explained that he has paid half of the money for the buses while the beneficiaries are expected to pay the remaining half over time.
“Since we are conversant with their situation, half of the money for the buses has been paid to the company supplying us the buses. The beneficiaries are expected to pay the remaining half over time”, he said.
He warned the beneficiaries not to see the empowerment as their share of the national cake but as business.
“This is not a gift, though, we could give them out to you free, but it is our determination to see you become independent and entrepreneurs. We want to see how you can be able to manage this opportunity. Anyone that defaults would lose the bus to the company”, he warned.
He added that the beneficiaries are also being empowered because of their steadfastness, commitment and dedication to the party.
“We also considered you worthy of this opportunity because you have remained loyal and steadfast in your duties to the party and the scheme will serve as a motivation for your dedication. The scheme will also serve as a means of livelihood to you”, he stated.
“This is a pilot scheme, we are still expecting other batches of the buses to empower more of our youths and make them self-reliance and kick-start the entrepreneurship spirit in them” Hon. Agunbiade assured
The10 buses were procured by WADLAS Ventures Limited which would also manage and monitor them.
Otunba Waliu Daini, Ikorodu Chairman and State Vice Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), while speaking with THE IMPACT, described the initiative by Hon. Agunbiade as very commendable.
“This is a very commendable initiative. This is a very good way to empower the people and I’m not surprise at all because he has been doing it and I don’t have doubt that he will continue to impact on the people”, Otunba Waliu stated.
Otunba Daini, however, advised the beneficiaries to register their buses with the NURTW.
Among the guests at the ceremony were Alhaji Taiwo Longe ,Ikorodu APC Chairman, Hon. Matthew Adesanya, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajalogun, Alhaji Muftau Ajisebutu, Alhaji Awomodu, Comrade Japhet Odesanya and staff of WADLAS Ventures among others.
The beneficiaries are Babatunde Oyesanya, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Idris Adeyemi Fatai, Ikorodu Central LG, Muhydeen Yusuf Olatunji, Ikorodu West LCDA, Hon. Fasasi abideen, Ikorodu Central LG, Awobajo Saheed O., Ikorodu Central LG, Aregbesola Olarenwaju, Ikorodu Central LG, Mrs Adepoju Adijay, Ikorodu North LCDA, Prince Ademoloa Adesola, Ikorodu North LCDA, Buraimoh Oluwakemi, Ikorodu Central LG and Odudiran Muyiwa, Ikorodu North LCDA.
Comments By Some Of The beneficiaries :
Mr Babatunde Oyesanya, Ward C4, Owode-Ibeshe, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA
“Honestly, I’m surprised because I never expected it. Gesture like this has never happened in the history of Ikorodu division, where a political office holder will give out buses to empower people because they contested but were not picked. I say a big thank you to our party which produced Hon. Agunbiade.We also say thank you to our Opomulero ( Hon. Agunbiade), his family and the Onward Movement of Nigeria. I’m assuring them that I will do everything within my power to keep the bus on the road at all time and pay my counterpart funding as at when due.”
Mr Aregbesola Olanrewaju, Ward B, Ikorodu central LG
“I feel very elated and happy and I will deploy the bus for the commercial use it is meant for. This is a great gesture from our leader, Hon. Agunbiade. With this support given to us, we are going to rededicate ourselves for the good of our party.”
Comrade Muhydeen Yusuf, Ward B, Ikorodu West LCDA.
Sincerely, I thank Almighty Allah and Hon. Agunbiade for this privilege and initiative. My intention is also to make use of the bus as a form of empowerment for some other people whom I’m going to engage as drivers since I’m not going to drive it myself.”
Hon. Muyiwa Gabriel, Ward E2, Erikorodo, Ikorodu North LCDA
“I am very very happy for this opportunity. I also thank God for the life of Hon. Agunbiade for considering me worthy of this. He has been doing a lot for our party and our people. It is a huge surprise to us the beneficiaries. We promise to make good use of the buses. We are not going to disappoint him.”
Mrs Adepoju Adijat, Ward E4, Olohunda, Ikorodu North LCDA
“I cannot explain how I’m feeling right now. This is my first benefit from politics since I have been politically involved. It is a commendable gesture and I want to thank God for the life of Hon. Agunbiade. I’m going to deploy it for transport business and I pledge to make good use of it.”
