Kunle ADELABU
-Otunba Elesho donates nomination form as another aspirant endorses Abiru
Asiwaju Ganiyu Abiru, Chairman, Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS)
At last, the Chairman of the Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and an aspirant for the Lagos East Senatorial District in the last general elections, Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, has accepted to run for the second term after months of persuasion by the traditional institutions and other major stakeholders in Ikorodu.
The retired Permanent Secretary and former Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Monday, April 22, 2019, publicly announced his intention for re-election at a stakeholders meeting held at the IKODASS office located within the premises of the Ikorodu Town Hall, after what he called “enormous public pressure”.
At the meeting, Otunba Ayodele Elesho, the former Commissioner for Information and the Agbaakin of Ikorodu Kingdom, donated a chairmanship nomination form to Otunba Abiru.
He also urged Ikorodu people to be ready to maximum support to Abiru whenever he for their supports.
His nomination was also endorsed by an aspirant, Dr Bolaji Olukoya, the Medical Director, General Hospital, Ikorodu, who had earlier purchased nomination form for the position.
Otunba Abiru, while announcing his acceptance to run for a second term, said:
“On that basis, I am announcing today (Monday) that I will re-contest for another term as the chairman of Ikorodu-Oga Development Association.”
While accepting the call to serve his home town for another term of two years, Otunba Abiru called on the elites in Ikorodu to start supporting the association in taking Ikorodu to a greater height.
“It is true that I stated that I will not re-contest for another term because I have not had the opportunity of resting after my retirement. I was called to serve my town in the capacity of IKODASS Chairman immediately after my retirement.
“Also, my small businesses that I engage in are also suffering because of lack of attention. So, I decided to see to my source of livelihood.
“More in particular, I have a course on Criminology which I supposed to have enrolled for in the United States of America. It was just last month that I made a part payment for the course. Though, it is not a full-time course, but I will have to be travelling abroad when necessary for it.”
He added that there are other reasons he cannot reveal to the public but which he had confided in some elders.
He added that he and others have succeeded in finding a worthy replacement before the enormous pressure was mounted on him to re-contest.
“These are the reasons for my initial decision not to run for another term and we have succeeded in finding someone that we believe can do it but the royal father and other major stakeholders in Ikorodu have been calling on me to rescind my decision.
“I had clear my office of my personal belongings in preparation to welcome another chairman after the coming election but the pressure in the past few days has been enormous and that made me have a rethink. “
Speaking further on why he reconsidered his position to re-contest the chairmanship of the foremost socio-cultural organization, he stated:
“I had to reconsidered because I wasn’t the best person in Ikorodu neither did I give money to those that were clamouring for me. I think that their love for me is genuine and more so, I had to respect the wish of the traditional ruler, major stakeholders and other residents”, he stated.
“At times in human life, call to duty for humanity must supersede personal ambition and goal of an individual”.
He, however, solicited that he should only be allowed to spend a year of the two years so that other capable hands that will be coming on board would be allowed to take over.
“I want to appeal to entire Ikorodu people that I should be allowed just a year instead of two. After completing that one year of the two years, those that would take over from me would should be allowed to come in and learn the rope before actually taking over ”, he appealed.
“We need people like like Mr Ogunleye, a retired Permanent Secretary, Dr Bolaji Olukoya, Medical Director, General Hospital, Ikorodu, in IKODASS. There is no secrecy in our operations and we need more quality people on board. People must start seeing us as serious-minded people.
“Some people have already collected forms for the position and I do not want to carry my luck too far. Let me use a year and allow me to step aside for others like Mr Ogunleye, Dr Bolaji Odukoya and other quality men to take over. “
He also appealed to clubs and associations to always send quality members to represent them at the IKODASS.
“I enjoin our clubs and associations not to just nominate anyhow people to represent them here. We don’t want anybody that will not be able to contribute to deliberations and understand issues.
While seaking on the progress achieved since the inception of the IK0DASS in about three decades ago , Otunba Abiru also added that the state government recognition for the annual Ikorodu – Oga Day celebration has made it one of the foremost cultural events in Lagos State.
“Ikorodu-Oga Day celebration is one unique celebration that unifies everyone of us and both the adults and young ones are always interested to be part of the celebration every year.
“This is an annual festival that keeps improving every year. In the last two years, we have been able to get government recognition for Ikoodu-Oga Day celebration and it is placed in the Lagos State diary as part of the cultural activities every year.
“This implies that we have taken the celebration to a height that we cannot afford to relegate.
“It also shows that whosoever wanted to head this organization must possess certain qualities and attributes. Such person must be financially capable, connected and educated to certain level to be able to speak with government functionaries and captains of industry when the need arises.
“This is necessary because of where we are taking Ikorodu-Oga Development Association to. This also calls for improvement on the quality of the executive members so as to be able to meet with the challenges of the office.
“The work is tedious and we always find it difficult to get support from Ikorodu elites. They have the mindset that funds are not properly appropriated in the organization. This made whoever is the head of the organization to use his personal money and donations from his network of friends.
He, therefore, appealed to professionals in Ikorodu to come on board and contribute their own quota to IKODASS.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to all our elites to come on board and assist IKODASS because they do not have another town that they call theirs except Ikorodu.
“We want them to contribute to the development of Ikorodu with their God-given wealth. I appeal to them to always honour our calls for their assistance. “
He announced that his administration has taken the abandoned Civic Centre at Akasolori in Ikorodu to the lintel stage of construction.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank our clubs and associations for their immense supports and contributions and I want to announce to them that we have taken the construction of IKODASS Civic Centre to lintel stage. “
He stated that work is still ongoing at the site with the support of the donations from clubs, associations and market people.
An elated Otunba Ayodele Elesho, the Agbaakin of Ikorodu, in his remarks at the meeting, stated:
“At last, we are on the path to greatness.
“As the chairman (Otunba Abiru) has stated, it is not that he is the most intelligent, richest or educated in Ikorodu, because we have numerous medical doctors, doctorate degree holders and many other achievers in Ikorodu but, it is about consolidating on the achievements and progress made so far.
“I want to appeal to every stakeholder, son and daughter of Ikorodu, both home and abroad, to support Abiru. He has accepted our calls and persuasion because of his love for Ikorodu, whenever he asks for support in any form, we must respond ”, Otunba Elesho appealed.
“It is important to say this. One good turn deserves another. We must show him love and support whenever he asks for it.
“Whenever he needs our support, either politically or in whatever area, we must all standup to lend him the support”, he emphasized.
“I have been calling him to ask him to reconsider his position but he has not been picking my calls.
“All that I wanted to tell him is that he should accept the request of the people when the ovation is loudest because if he does not, people will tag him as arrogant.
“I thank God that today, he has reconsidered his decision and accepted the call of entire Ikorodu people to serve again.
“I want to appreciate Dr Olukoya. You are not a spare tyre. You are prima facie qualify on your own to lead IKODASS, but why people are clamouring for Abiru to return is because we want him to consolidate on the agenda on ground.
“He has established a foundation and we want him to solidly consolidate on it in the interest of Ikorodu. “
He also called for more eminent people to come on board and join hands in taking IKODASS to greater height.
“We need people like Dr Olukoya on board IKODASS and that is the reason that I gave him the go ahead to collect the form when it was nearing closing date.
“There is nothing we can do. We are going to bring Olukoya into IKODASS administration from the day one and I am going to call Ogunleye and others that we are bring on board as special advisers. We must not just give them position but they must be functional.
“Let us bring professionals in medical, finance and other fields on board. “
He condemned those saying that Abiru lacks integrity for rescinding his decision not to re-contest for the chairmanship position, calling them enemies of Ikorodu.
“Tell those saying that Abiru lacks integrity for listening to calls by Ikorodu people that they are the ones without integrity. They are the enemies of Ikorodu who do not want change and development for this town.
“Segun (Abiru) only listened to the voice of reason by re-contesting. We are the ones that pleaded with him against his interest and decision”, Elesho stated.
In his brief remarks, Dr Olukoya, one of the contestants for the IKODASS Chairmanship position, simply stated:
“There is only one thing that is common to all that we have been saying which is development, development and development of Ikorodu which I strongly believe will come to fruition.
“Right here at this meeting, we have the entirety of Ikorodu people’s presence and it is in forum like this that we can take the best decision.
“We have taken that decision and the person that we have agreed on is the man of the year 2018 (Otunba Abiru)”, he said while supporting the decision arrived at at the meeting.
