Kunle Adelabu
The Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the retired Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Polaris Bank PLC, Mr Adetokunbo Mikhail Abiru, has stated that he will put the same energy which helped him to the peak of his banking career in the last 32 years into his legislative engagements to give the Lagos East Senatorial District constituents quality representation if elected as a Senator.
Abiru also pledged to continue with good legacy of his father who was the first Senator to represent the District in 1979 and his other predecessors.
He made the pledges at the Ikorodu Town Hall yesterday (Friday) when residents from the six councils in Ikorodu Division trooped out in large number to welcome during his campaign visit.
“My work which I have been involved with for about 32 years has prepared me for the task ahead. I worked an Economist, Banker, Charted Accountant, Commissioner for Finance, Executive Director in the whole First Bank PLC in Nigeria and the oldest bank in the Nigeria which is also older than the country”, Abiru said.
“I also worked as the Group Managing Director of Skye Bank and the Managing Director of the Polaris Bank.
“Why I am stating all these is that all the knowledge, experience, influence and connection that I have acquired has prepared me for the Senatorial task and they will come handy. You can see that I am very prepared for the challenges.
“I have no fear sitting at the Upper Chamber with former Governors, Ministers and retired professionals because I also reached the peak of my career as Managing Director with vast experiences.
“What all these imply is that you will have quality representation“, he assured the electorate”.
Abiru said that ideas and experiences that he garnered in private and public engagements which, according to him, are still fresh couple with his energy, will be deployed into his representation for his people.
“I didn’t retire five years ago, but August 31, 2020. I came into politics fresh from retirement as the Managing Director of Polaris Bank. While at Skye Bank, we saved 8000 jobs and these people also have dependants and we also managed over 4 million customers and with deposit of over 1 trillion naira. If we have not managed these well, what do you think would have happened?
“All the energy that l used in working in all these places are still very much with me and still fresh and that is what we are going to deploy into representation”.
He also assured the people of Lagos East that he will sue his connection with the executive arm of government to facilitate projects and also ensure that those that are ongoing are completed if elected to represent them at the Senate.
“Although, we are going to represent you and not to hold any executive power, but I will facilitate our connections and closeness to the government, I will be influencing projects that will benefit our people”, he said.
“We are going to be concerned about road projects, especially those ones needing attention. This is one of the things that we are going to be discussing with the executive arm to do for our people”.
He said that he will also use his goodwill to mobilize his networks to institute a sustainable poverty/empowerment scheme for the youths, women, old age and traders and others.
“We are also going to embark on poverty alleviation and empowerment programme for youths, old age, women, traders and others. We are going let you all know how we are going to implement the scheme. We are going to use our goodwill to get support for the empowerment scheme”.
Also, he assured the people of the Lagos East Senatorial District that he will give them quality representation, while he also promised that he will toe the steps of his predecessors including his father who represented the Senatorial District in 1979 and left a good legacy.
“I do not have any choice than to continue the good legacy.
“He was followed by the late Senator Ogidan and Senator Anthony Adefuye, they performed well. There is also Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe and Sen Olorunimbe Mamora, both also performed very well and became Minister after serving as Senators. You can all see that I have no choice than to perform.
“After Mamora was Senator Bareehu Ashafa, and you all know the position that he is now. After him was our brother, the late Sen. Sikirulahi Adebayo Osinowo, may God grant him eternal rest.
“I have to recognize the efforts of my predecessors and their activities, but what I want to do is clear to me”, Abiru said.
Abiru, who took time to identify major leaders and critical stakeholders of the his party and community at the event, also thanked them for picking him as the consensus candidate of APC at the party’s primary election and for the support so far given to his campaign.
He was equally appreciative of the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and all the Governor Advisory Council (GAC) chieftains for their support and contributions to his emergence as the party’s candidate.
“I really do not know how to pay you back for all these, but I can assure you that I will not disappoint you. I will care for you all and the party. I will not act in any manner contrary to the position of the party”, he further pledged.
He charged party members and residents of Ikorodu to work with him and his party in campaigning from door to door and street to street and ensuring that electorate troop out to vote massively for him and APC on the bye – election day.
“This is the only way we can galvanise ourselves and ensure that we record 100, 000 votes and promote our party. This is the only way to prove that we have the number in Ikorodu division”.
More so, party chieftains at the rally charged party members and residents to embark on door to door campaign to mobilize people to vote for APC and its candidate at the bye-election come October 31.
Some of the party chieftains that attended the rally were Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, former Deputy Governor, Lagos State and APC Apex leader in Ikorodu division, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, former Secretary to the Lagos State Government and member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Hon. Abike Dabiri – Erewa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians Diaspora Commission, (NIDCOM) and former three – term Federal lawmaker, Hon. Babajimi Benson, Member, Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the Majority Leader, Lagos State House of Assembly and Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, member, Lagos State House of Assembly, among many others.
