Hon. Wasiu Adekunle Agoro, Chairman, Imota LCDA
Hon.Wasiu Adekunle Agoro is the Chairman, Imota Local Council Development Area (LCDA), in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria. He is serving his second term in office.
Agoro, who is a Prince of Imota and former Secretary to the Council, spoke with THE IMPACT in an interview where he bears his mind on the Presidential aspiration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other candidates on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and rotational arrangement in Ikorodu Constituency II for the Assembly seat.
In the interview conducted by KUNLE ADELABU, Publisher/Reporter – in – Chief, THE IMPACT Newspaper, in his office in Imota, Hon. Agoro also spoke about projects being embarked upon by his administration and assured that the projects will be completed and delivered before the end of his second term. Excerpts:
THE IMPACT: You started some projects in your first tenure like a new council secretariat, town hall and Library among others, what is the state of these projects now?
Hon. Agoro: We are very much on the construction of the secretariat. It’s the flagship project of our administration. We started it in September 2019, despite the fact that we had meager resources. We are very ambitious with a dream of putting up an everlasting edifice that would last these generations and those that would come after us. We are still very much on it, but unfortunately, the state of our economy has been too unhelpful towards the project. When we started the project, a bag of cement was N1,800 but presently, it’s over N4,000.
The cost that we projected when we started has tripled and it’s a big challenge for us, but we are going ahead with it. Nothing will stop us from achieving it. We are bent on achieving it. You can imagine the kind of project that we are constructing there. It’s a story building but the foundation alone will take 30 to 35% of the total cost of the project. This is because of the reinforcement and the nature of the project. It might not be the biggest secretariat in Lagos State after its completion but definitely, it’s going to be one of the most beautiful and the finest. We are committed to it and getting along with it.
The town hall is also there. We are working on it and it’s at the roofing level now, but like I said earlier, as at the time we started the project, a ton of iron rod was N125, 000 but as at today, it’s N500,000. You can imagine what we are facing in Imota LCDA looking at our resources. It’s not going to be easy but we have put some measures in place that would make us finish these projects before we leave office, especially the town which we shall complete and deliver by next year. We shall also complete the secretariat before this administration winds up.
We have completed the library and we now have more materials, particularly books, there, but we still need more. We have written to many organisations and institutions and they are donating books and other materials. If you get there now, you will see that everything is fixed, we just need more materials. Today, we are in the internet age, and as a result, most of these books can be sourced from the internet, so, we are looking at making the library an e-library too and at same time, make physical books available on the shelf as well because some people here cannot access the internet and still prefer the physical books.
THE IMPACT: The issue of the rotational arrangement for the Assembly seat in lkorodu Constituency II, of which lmota is one of the components, has generated so much heated arguments and controversies with Council Chairmen, traditional rulers and other stakeholders meeting over it and have also made their position public, yet, there seems to be no way out of the issue yet. What is the position of the Imota LCDA Chairman on the issue of rotational agreement in respect of the Ikorodu Constituency II seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly?
Hon. Agoro: Truly, there is rotational agreement between the three councils and it is the turn of Ijede, but I want to remind people that about seven ago when it was the turn of Imota LCDA, the incumbent then, Hon. Nosimot (Adebimpe Akinsola) contested against our aspirant. The primary was held at Ijede LCDA but eventually, the candidate emerged from Imota because he won the primary election. What is good for the goose must be good for the gander too.
I believe in the rotational arrangement but then, when the incumbent, Hon. Solaja from Imota, believes that he has a chance if he contests, I cannot stop him from contesting. He has a right and for the fact that, during his own period too, he faced the same thing, there’s should be no outcry if he chooses to contest for the third term as well. If Hon. Nosimot had won the primary election then, what would have been the situation? But, that does not mean that Imota does not believe anymore in the rotation, we do, but Solaja is one of our sons and if he has decided to run, who are we to stop him from doing so?
The Imota community believes in the rotational system, so also are the Obas in Constituency II; that is Ranodu, Adeboruwa of Igbogbo, Obateru of Egbin and the Regent of Ijede. They have called us (the Chairmen) and told us where they are going. Our GAC member, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun told us that he is with the position of Obas and that it is Ijede’s turn. After which we were with the former Deputy Governor, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, he too said that it is the turn of Ijede.
THE IMPACT: In view of all these, what is your advice to all the aspirants?
Hon. Agoro: In politics, power is not served a la carte, you must fight and work for it. Anybody aspiring for the position should go and do his work and consult widely. You can’t just sit in your home and tell people that it is my turn and they will give it to you. My advice to the Ijede people is for them to work on their aspirants and probably come up with an aspirant to face the incumbent. I am not the Kingmaker that can just pick someone to go for the position. This is political and in politics, you fight to the end.
THE IMPACT: What is your view on the declaration by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for the Presidential race and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s Presidential aspiration?
Hon. Agoro: I don’t see any other person declaring or contesting. Asiwaju is contesting with himself. I don’t see any other aspirants. It’s Asiwaju all the way and I don’t see any other. Other aspirants just want to be heard.
Asiwaju has not spoken at all and the whole nation is shaking. It’s just Asiwaju and Asiwaju . It’s Asiwaju versus Asiwaju. That is all.
