Kunle Adelabu
After a successful first year of existence as a political and community mobilization platform, the President of the Development Vanguard (De Vanguard), Mr Tolulope Faniyi, has assured the public that the group will engage more in politics and community development activities.
Speaking with THE IMPACT at the celebration of the Vanguard’s first year anniversary which was marked with ‘Walk for Fitness’, Mr Faniyi said that members of the group will participate actively in the coming local government elections and the general elections in 2023.
He also revealed that De Vanguard will be formally launched this year.
In his appraisal of the group, Faniyi said that the group has performed highly in achieving its aims and objectives in the last one year.
“You should expect a lot from De Vanguard in the next few years. The local government elections are fast approaching and so are 2023 elections, and people should expect a lot of our members to contest because that is a key area that we are encouraging our people to key into”, he said.
“We are asking them to show interest in elective positions and contest and De Vanguard will be available to support them fully”, he added.
“Though, COVID – 19 prevented us from staging many programmes, we shall be launching De Vanguard formally this year.
“We shall also be having a lot of health interventions for the community as well as entrepreneurship and humanity capacity programmes not only for the youths but the entire community.
“There is a lot to expect from De Vanguard.
“Our performances have been optimum in the last one year. We have tried to achieve what we have set out to do”.
Speaking on the achievements of the group, Faniyi said that there have been consistent meetings through which members the group is being engaged in political and community developments.
He also said that De Vanguard organized an online sensitization programme on COVID – 19 to educate members of the public on the rampaging virus.
“For the past one year that we have formed the association, there has been consistent meetings where we engage and sensitise our members about political issues, what the group stands for and how to be better youths to ourselves and the community.
“We have also been advocating amongst ourselves how to engage in positive politicking and also impact on our community.
“We also had COVID -19 sensitisation through a virtual session for members of the community” .
As a political platform, De Vanguard President also said that the group has been making consultations with leaders to tap from their wealth of experiences in contributing meaningfully to the development of Igbogbo community.
“We have also embarked on consultations with political, opinion and traditional leaders regarding how we can improve our society and make it better and how Igbogbo will be a force to be reckoned with in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.
“This is a continuous process and the reason we are saying that “even though we are not yet where we want to be, we are not where we used to be”.
“We have just had another programme which is walk for fitness, staged to commemorate our first year anniversary”.
