Kunle Adelabu
Young Idowu Hammed Odunayo, popularly called and known as, ‘Collaboration’ or ‘Collabo’, by his teeming supporters, is a grassroots mobiliser and community developer in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and one of the aspirants seeking to represent the Ikorodu Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
His lineage is deeply rooted in the Igbogbo, precisely Olubi Ogasiki and Olu odo areas, spreading across Oliwo Amoju Street in the ancient town.
Idowu, who was a member of the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos Mainland before moving to Ikorodu, has been mobilising human and materials for his party.
The young man is also engaging in humanitarian and community works through Hamoj Foundation and is also into some business interests through his company, Jiro Logistics.
He spoke with THE IMPACT during the Easter holiday on his membership of the PDP, how he plans to mobilise constituents for the victory of the party, his programmes and view on the rotational Assembly arrangement in Ikorodu Constituency II.
What Is/Are Your Plan(s) For Constituents?
Sports: I will be engaging youths with my Sports Development Initiatives.
Widows programme: This program will be targeted at helping women who have lost their spouse and this will involves empowering them.
Care For The Elderly : The health care of the elderly people who are our senior citizens will be of paramount interest to me and I will ensure that the Health Care Centers within my constituency is be revamped to take care of their healthcare needs.
Care For Mother And Child : Child mortality will be brought to the barest minimum under my watch. I will ensure that care for pregnant women becomes issue of paramount interest to me.
Town Hall Meeting: Town Hall Meetings will be of great importance to me because this will be a forum for feedback from those l am aspiring to be their Chief Servant. The Town Hall Meetings will be held quarterly to ensure that the governed is carried along in the process of governance.
Open Door /Feedback Policy: As a Representative of the people, I will encourage an open – door policy once elected. My constituents will be enabled to have an unrestricted access to me and intimate me on things they want me to legislate on as their representative.
.Constituency allowance: 80% of my Constituency allowance will go for the development of our community which includes Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Imota LCDA and Ijede LCDA.
How Do You Intend To Bring Your Party Back On The Right Track/Mobilising People?:
Colabo is a silent achiever whose social and political investments are long overdue for returns.
I have tirelessly been mobilising human and material supports for the success and progress of the party. It is very easy, you have to preach the gospel and let the people know that PDP is still on ground. This is also a collective responsibility of all members.
I am not ashamed of my political party and I will always go around with our symbol and preach the gospel.
How Do You Intend To Win Your Party’s Primary Election And General Elections?:
I think I will take it step by step, starting with the party’s election which is more paramount to me for now.
Firstly, I wasn’t forced to contest for this position and with what I have been doing to bring the party back on track, in terms of mobilization, l can say categorically that all the 8 wards in my constituency feel my impact in one way or the other. In terms of voter’s card registration, I wish to make it easy for them by going to their various wards and do pre-registration for them and making a bus available to take them to the INEC office for their biometric.
I can say that only an aspirant that’s ready for this great task knows what to put in place, which is voter’s card registration.
Lastly, I know my people and they also know me. We all know ourselves. I am a grassroots mobilizer. I am easily at home with the ordinary people- the traders, the merchants, everyone struggling to make a living. I am in this contest to make a difference.
Your View On Rotation Agreement?:
What I will just say in this regard is that as a party, I believe we have what’s guiding us which is the Constitution. I have studied it day and night and the document didn’t say anything like that. It is only a verbal agreement among some political leaders.
But my worry is, what is our gain from this zoning issue? I think, taking power back from this direction-less APC, first, should be the main target , not this zoning which will not take us anywhere for now.
We should not let this zoning issue tear us apart despite the fact that the contest has been declared open for all the zones, even at the federal level.
