Kunle Adelabu
Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, has laudded the Chairman of Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Builder Sesan Daini, and his team for the building of a new ultra – modern council secretariat with state – of – art facility.
At the commissioning held at the council secretariat on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, the governor also charged other council chairmen in Lagos State to emulate the achievement of the council and see it as a standard for their own achievements.
“I am a happy man today being in Ikorodu Division and more importantly, in lgbogbo/Bayeku LCDA”, Gov. Sanwo – Olu said.
“I want to congratulate the chairman and entire staff of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA on the commissioning of this ultra – modern council secretariat.
“I must confess that when I saw the picture (of the secretariat) at first, I asked the chairman if he made a mistake of sending a picture of a building in Victoria Island or Ikeja, but he said that it is a building in Igbogbo and that the town deserves the very best.
“I want to commend the council chairman, Comrade (Builder) Olusesan Daini, for the courage to initiate this laudable project.
“I also charge other council chairmen that are here that the minimum that we expect is the standard we are seeing here in Igbogbo/Bayeku. I am sure that this would challenge other chairmen to meet this level of efficiency and delivery.
“Comrade Daini has shown a great deal of commitment in the completion of this edifice. This project gladdens my heart because it emphasises the commitment of people to institutionalize good governance in our society”, Sanwo – Olu said.
The governor said that he was convinced that when those in government have the right attitude and purpose, they can impact positively on the people that gave them the mandate.
“The completion of this project has shown that with a right attitude and a desired sense of purpose, we can touch the lives of our people at the grassroots and give sense of belonging and confidence to them. This elegant heritage will boost the confidence of staff and make them more dedicated to their duties which in turn will lead to an improved service delivery, a key goal of our administration”, he said.
He also commended staff of the council for their endurance throughout the period of the secretariat’s construction while also charging them to use the conducive atmosphere created by the new structure in delivering efficient service to the public.
“I commend the workers for their patience, tenacity and cooperation while this edifice was under construction. It is your secretariat and I know that it will become a rally point for all workers and residents in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
“I am hopeful that you will justify the investment in this edifice by being more dedicated to your duties because you have been provided with a conducive working environment and you will have no excuse but to continue to give your very best.
“As public and civil servants, we are in government to serve our people. I hope that this new workplace will encourage our people to work well, think and collaborate seamlessly to produce the very best for our citizens”, he charged.
“This should spur you to further bring governance closer to the people through the delivery of timely, efficient and quality service.
“Our enduring mandate as a government is to leave a legacy of a greater Lagos. We will ensure that no one is left behind in actualizing this.
“I am hopeful that the commissioning of this council will mark a new beginning of the fulfillment of this promise”.
More so, Governor Sanwo-Olu assured that the state government will continue to partner with councils in delivering dividends of democracy and good governance to its people.
“Lagos State Government will continue to play its part in delivering dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots. We enjoy a harmonious working relationship with all our council men as we strengthen our partnership and we will ensure that all our ongoing projects in and around Lagos State are completed in good time”, he said.
The Executive Chairman of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Builder Sesan Mayoku Daini, earlier in his speech, thanked the governor for accepting to commission the project.
“Mr. Governor sir, it is a great honour that you accepted to commission this legacy project which is the first local council fully funded project to be commissioned by the State Governor in Ikorodu Division since the creation of LCDAs in Lagos State in 2003, a testimony to the visionary initiative of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration”, he said.
“And we must continue to appreciate the state government’s vision and support given to Local Council Development Areas to thrive as a fulcrum of bringing development closer to the people”.
He said that his administration embarked on the project after staff requested for a befitting office building at an interactive session he had with them when he assumed office.
“It might interest you all to know that the first set of structures on this site were an office and a dispensary of the then Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council which was created in 1955 by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier of Western Region.
“On assumption of office in 2017, the first request by members of staff at an interactive session, was for us to bequeath a befitting and conducive office building to drive efficient service delivery.
“This request was also in tandem with our electoral promise to the people and we are grateful to God that we could deliver an administrative complex made up of 26-room offices, conference room, multipurpose hall and marriage registry, among other state-of-the-art facilities”, Daini said.
The Chairman said that the achievement is an attestation that LCDAs in Lagos State, which were created 18 years ago, are prepared to run as full – fledged councils.
“The completion of this edifice, in record time, marks a significant milestone in the life of our administration and alludes to the well-established fact that Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State are well-prepared to take off as full-fledged and statutory Local Government Areas as soon as the necessary constitutional amendments/provisions are effected.
“This building being commissioned today is the result of an effort that has lasted 2years for which a lot of people played critical roles leading to the successful completion of the project. I would, therefore, like to use this opportunity to express the profound gratitude of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA to the numerous contributors to the success we are celebrating today.
His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiuden Kasali , the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, while also speaking, commended the governor for the developmental projects that his government is embarking upon in Ikorodu Division.
Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, a chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and former Secretary to the State Government, traced the historical development of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA to the creation of Igbogbo Local Council during the Western region era.
“The lgbogbo/Bayeku LCDA used to be Igbogbo Local Council which, at that time, had a President in the person of His Royal Highness, Oba Festus Omolaja Ogunlewe”.
“The first chairman of the council was Mr M.J. Onisemo, followed by Pa P.K Bamgbala and later Pa Thomas Faniyi. They are all blessed memories.
“These people laid the foundation of this site which was a dispensing office established for the take – off of what Chief Obafemi Awolowo planned for the then western region.
“There was a local council here. There was Ikorodu Local Council, Ijede Local Council and there was Eti Osa Local Council coordinated by an Ikorodu Divisional Council. That was the setup”.
Asiwaju Basorun commended Builder Daini for proving his professional mettle as a builder with the magnificent structure that he has constructed for Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA.
“I want to congratulate our current chairman, Builder Sesan Daini. I am very happy that you have not betrayed your profession. You are a builder by profession and you have displayed this in the edifice I am seeing in front of me”, Asiwaju Basorun said.
“Please, don’t look back but continue to show diligence, commitment and determination that I have seen in you”.
The elder statesman appealed to Gov. Sanwo – Olu to ensure that his administration constructed a stadium on the expansive land acquired by the community and taken over by the government during the administration of Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN.
He also pleaded with the governor to pay compensation to residents whose houses were demolished to claim right of way for the ongoing Igbogbo road reconstruction.
Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Chairman, Lagos East Senatorial District, in his own remarks, thanked the governor for embarking on various projects in Ikorodu Division.
He charged party members and residents of Igbogbo at the commissioning to appreciate what the governor is doing in Ikorodu Division with massive votes for his party during elections.
