Kunle Adelabu
Organisers of the iCare Lecture Series have stated that the annual training is aimed at developing Ikorodu Division with ideas that will help her develop to her capacity by bringing residents together for training and discussing developmental issues.
The second edition of the Lecture Series kicked off at the Regal Hall, Olu-Odo, Igbogbo in Ikorodu division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, on Monday, January 27, 2020.
The opening of the 2-day lecture is themed, “Community First Initiative: A Selfless Service’.
The lawmaker representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency at the National Assembly in Abuja and the sponsor of the annual lecture, Hon. Babajimi Adegoke Benson, speaking at the opening day, stated that the annual gathering was designed to bring the best out of Ikorodu division.
“The reason why we are doing this lecture series is to bring the best to Ikorodu since I do not have any other local government, state and federal constituency except this (Ikorodu)”, he stated.
“I have sworn to myself that I am going to bring the best here. A lots are going on in Ikorodu Division that many of us don’t know”.
He revealed to the audience that new businesses are berthing in Ikorodu and that the youths need to be prepared to take the advantage of the opportunities inherent therein.
“A lot of companies are setting up their businesses here. There is a company called Kimberly Clark in America. They are opening $30billion factory in Ikorodu in 2021. They have started constructing their factory”, he stated.
“There is another company setting up in Ijede, a $20billon investment.
“Also, there is another Logistic company coming up in Ibeshe. They are going to employ our youths. They are going to make us self-sufficient and add value to our GDP of Lagos State and Nigeria. How best can we key in our youths?”, he asked rhetorically.
“I thought of how best to upscale our youths and that’s why we are bringing in top facilitators to come and speak with us. We also need to speak with the political class in order to discuss how to co-habitate and assist these companies when they come.”
Hon. Benson stated that as the host communities, Ikorodu needs to live peacefully with these companies when they final come so that they can ask others to come too and invest in Ikorodu.
“That is what today is all about; how the political class can key in and assist and add value to the companies that are coming. We shall be talking about how to upscale the skills of unemployed youths and made them become employable”, the two-term lawmaker stated.
The Director-General of iCare Foundation, Mayor Deen Sanwoola, in his opening speech, stated that the programme is sponsored by Hon. Benson and added that the lawmaker believe in the people of Ikorodu and that Ikorodu could be better by preparing the youths for leadership position.
He charged the audience to consider themselves as leaders who attended the lecture for further development.
“The moment you are in-charge of your CDA, you are a leader; the moment you are incharge of your house, you are a leader; the moment any responsibility is handed over to you, you are a leader.
“When you are a leader, certain things are expected of you and there are certain things that you cannot do. Leadership don’t come naturally; you have to build it. When you get it naturally,it is not full and when you go to programmes like this, you pick one or two things that might be of help to your development.
“When you go to training like this, don’t have the believe that you cannot be trained because you see yourself as a leader. Why do you think that a boxer that has the world champions belt in his hands still need a trainer? Mind you, they are better than their coach and that’s why they are champions, but they still need a coach .
“When you go to event like this, take everything that you have learnt and that you know and put them aside and come in with a fresh mind because if it is one phrase or line that you pick from such training, it will be with you till the end of your life and it may be valuable to you”.
The Vice Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, in his remark at the lecture series, commended the lawmaker for not only giving his constituents food, but also developing their minds.
“I must commend Hon. Benson for not only dishing out food basket every month. As he is doing that, he is also thinking about how to develop people’s minds. It is the quality of thinking that can affect our quality of mind”, he said.
“Don’t blame anybody for where you are today but yourself. It is the quality of your thinking that would affect the position that you will be occupying tomorrow and your living tomorrow.
“What he (Hon. Benson) is doing now is to give us new reorientation; to work on our mindset which can only help you to think differently in a manner that you will be able to help yourself and others.
“There are challenges in the society and there will always be challenges and there can never be enough, but within those challenges, there are opportunities”.
He challenged the youths to be prepared for economic prosperity that would be coming to Ikorodu so that can be beneficiaries.
“In the next twenty years, you won’t believe what Ikorodu will become. The fourth mainland bridge is coming and when that comes through Bayeku or Oreta and transverse through Igbogbo, Itamaga and Agbede to the expressway, it is going to open up another great economic opportunities. Are you prepared?”, he asked.
“You better be prepared so that all of us who had there and who had seen the bad side, would be the beneficiaries when the good side comes through.
“Hon. Benson mentioned three mega companies that will be coming here in the next two to three years. I am aware of just one. There is a company called Khalifa Garden City in Ikorodu. It’s a 35billion investment. It’s an estate that’s two times bigger than Victoria Garden City (VGC). By the time that comes, imagine the employment it will creates, imagine all the categories of skills that would be needed” , Asipa Kaoli stated.
He, therefore, enjoined youths to acquire skills so that they can be relevant in the scheme of things to come.
“The challenge to us should be I do we locate ourselves in all these? There would be lots of opportunities for skills. If you acquire skills and when the opportunities come, you will be as rich as somebody working in an office if not richer”.
If you don’t leave your comfort zone, you’ll remian the same. Challenge yourself, by doing that, train yourself, have a clear focus and be rugged, then, there will be chance for you to succeed”.
Dr Abiodun Fatai Abatan, a senior lecturer in the department of Political Science, Lagos State University, (LASU), Ojo, who spoke on ‘Leaders in Politics’, stated that what Hon. Benson is doing as a leader is to chart the course of mobilizing the people for common good and development.
“Good leaders ensure that the vision of the society are realized. What that means is that you are able to catch up with your future not only in terms of human developments but also in terms of infrastructural facilities.
Dr Abatan, while stating that leadership differs from one society to another and from one geo-political zone to the other, added that leadership is often defined by socio-cultural factors existing within the environment that the leader is going to operate in.
The University don defined leadership as “The process-oriented practices through which an individual or group of individuals inspired a shared vision, motivate others to act, modeling the way in a bid to realise set goals”.
He added that leadership is not about somebody just leading, rather, “it is a dynamic process which has to do with the ability to motivate your followers; ability to give them direction; inspire them and give them the pathway…”.
He stated further that there is an interface between leadership and governance, stating that wherever there are good leaders, there will definitely be good governance.
Society cannot develop without leaders that will chart the course for developments.
He commended Hon. Benson for being a transformation leader who is sensitive to the demands and yearnings of his people and their needs and aspirations.
The lecturer, who said that leadership in Nigeria has been problematic, also stated that, “To reconstruct leadership is to employ the conceptual framework of “Leadership Reality-self Check and Performance oriented Reality Index”.
Dr Abatan suggested continuous engagement and integration as ways out of Nigeria’s leadership and governance problems, adding that the lecture series have started the process which must be sustained.
Mayor Deen Sanwoola, speaking on the topic, ‘Leading your community’, stated that “in order for you to lead, you must be able to lead yourself first. You cannot lead others if you cannot lead yourself”.
While making reference to Ikorodu local politics, the iCare D-G stated that many of the political office holders who aspired and found themselves in positions to lead other people cannot lead themselves.
Sanwoola stated,”To lead oneself, you need to create a very high standard for yourself. Don’t just assume that you can do whatever you want because leadership comes with a lot of responsibilities. If you cannot lead yourself to do the right thing, how can you lead others?”.
While stating that a leader must be able to take advice from those he or she is leading in the community, Sanwoola added that a leader must believe in those he is leading, have empathy, invest time and resources on his people and get feedbacks.
Sanwoola also stated that good leaders must ensure that money go round by employing and engaging capable hands to do task for leaders, strive to leave a legacy but stated that unfortunately, politicians strive to get re-elected and have succession plan.
He insisted that youths must be trained to follow processes and procedures in doing things and be creative in their thinking for them to be good leaders.
Also at the lecture, the Chairman of Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, spoke on “Positioning youths for political leadership”.
He stated that youths have been positioned for leadership from time immemorial in Nigeria, adding that the problem is the difference between the youths of those days and present ones.He said that the present day youths are impatient to go through the rigor of training and are not patriotic.
Abiru, who stated that youths in Ikorodu are very dynamic and knowledgeable but lack integrity, also stated that:
“Nottoyoungtorule law has not changed anything because the political parties will not make it work due to lack of internal democracy in the parties.
“Youths should desist from blind loyalty by rejecting candidates that cannot offer them anything”.
He challenged youths, whom he said are in majority, to get their acts together and take over leadership with their numerical strength.
“If youths can get their acts together, they can take the reign of power by presenting common candidate.
“We can’t continue to run politics in the state and division the way we are running it and expect youths to take over power.
“Since politics in Nigeria is monetized, there is no way the youths will rule and this is why the #Nottooyoungtorule law is deceitful”, Otunba Abiru stated.
“Nobody will give power to the youths, they must fight for it and earn it. The time is now”.
Also, a member of the House of Representatives and founder of Naira.BET.com, Hon. Akin Alabi, also speaking, stated that youths must first think of what to give before expecting anything.
He stated that the act of giving is a way an individual can differentiate himself from others.
Hon. Alabi explained that after he lost the 2015 House of Representatives election, he went back to places that he had promised them to do those things he promised despite losing the election.
While stating that there is no perfect time to give, Hon. Alabi stated, “There is no day that you are going to wake up any day and say you are successful. It is a journey.
“You have to start giving now because if you cannot give from the little that you have, you will not be able to give when you have more.
“Impact on your community; family and friends. Make your life a life of service and sacrifice and you will be surprised at how people will surprise you. Learn how to share and how to give”, he advised.
“How you can help can come in different phases. You could help with your money, expertise, knowledge and with whatever you can afford to give”.
Also speaking on business, the founder of NairaBET.com, stated, “when your business is attractive, investors will seek you out and invest in your business”.
Other dignitaries in attendance at the lecture were His Royal Maesty, Oba Richard Ogunsanya, the Olubeshe of Ibeshe, the Agbaakin of Ikorodu and former Commissioner for Information, Sir (Otunba) Ayodele Elesho, former acting Commissioner on Tourism and Special Adviser on Arts & Culture, Hon. (Chief) Adebimpe Akinsola, former special Adviser to Lagos Governor, Mr F. O. Lasisi, Deputy Rector, LASPOTECH, Mr Meleolu, Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Buildr. Sesan Daini, Chairman, Ikorodu West LCDA, Hon. (Princess) Jumoke Jimbo-Ademehin, Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA, Hon. Adeola Banajo, Chairman, Imota LCDA, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, former Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Hon. Gbenga Basanya and Elder Titi Onafowokan (rtd) among others.
Participants were presented with Certificate of Participation after the lecture.
