Kunle Adelabu
Residents of Ikorodu Division area of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, have commended the interventions of the Divisional’s security architecture that was berthed about five months ago for its impact in the area of security and education.
The Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative Limited/GTE (IDPIL/GTE) , which is an initiative of the traditional rulers in the Division, has been able to bring about ssecurity of lives and properties since its formation by deploying its operatives to all the six Councils, adequate security and operational equipment to aid their operations.
IDPIL, under the leadership of Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Odofin of Ikorodu and Chairman, MultiChoice Nigeria, provided the personnel of the Local Joint Task Force (LJTF) under the security architecture, who received adequate training before being deployed, with monthly wages and insurance cover to boost their morale.
As part of its efforts in tackling insecurity, the body has also intervened in educational development of Ikorodu Division by providing N20mmilion educational endowment fund which was recently distributed to 195 students in form of Scholarship and Bursary awards.
While 12 students were awarded scholarship with each collecting N200, 000, 135 successful Bursary I candidates got N100, 000 each and 48 successful Bursary II candidates got N50, 000 each.
However, the scenario which played out at the presentation ceremony of the scholarship awards; during which the six Councils in Ikorodu Division through their spokesperson, Builder Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, openly opposed the intervention of the IDPIL in security without their involvement and approval, has continued to generate reactions from residents.
A public commentator and critic, Tayo Odesanya, speaking on THE IMPACT platform, said that IDPIL is providing alternative government for the teeming populace of Ikorodu people who are in dire need of good governance.
“I’m highly delighted at the fast emerging new government that IDPIL is proving to be, that’s an initiative that has restored peace where the said local governments have woefully failed, yet again the recent scholarship event to further enhance our education sector. We, the people of the division, give our VOTE OF CONFIDENCE, don’t be distracted, you are going places without them”, he said.
He charged the Council administrators to accept the IDPIL which, according to him, came into existence due to their own failure.
“The IDPIL train has moved without them, they can only facepalm now as it stands, I do it on their behalf”, Odesanya added.
Also commenting, Elder Olu Omoniyi, while commending the IDPIL for its interventions in the security and educational sectors, said that the body is indiscriminate in its approach and by extension, promoting unity in the division.
“I am equally delighted to join my commendation with others on the manner in which the whole exercise was conducted without considerations given to politics, race, gender and tribe in the choice of beneficiaries”, Elder Omoniyi said.
“What in particular gladdens my heart most is that of an lgbo extraction young lad who made the list as this has gone to redefine our concept of unity in diversity with emergence of new order anchored on peaceful co-existence, humility, hospitality and dignity of labour which are the core values of IDPIL”.
Reacting to the opposition by the Council Chairmen to the intervention of the IDPIL, Elder Omoniyi said that they deserved the condemnations that have trailed their position.
“As regards the enfants terrible Mayors of the six LG/LCDAs in the division, l am happy they got more than they could ordinarily imagined. Our fathers who could not allow our revered kingdoms to wallow in a continued developmental and infrastructural deficits, have done justice to some mundane issues raised and championed by one of them. Case closed”, he said.
Canadian based Ikorodu – born, Alhaji Ibrahim Onibudo, while commending IDPIL for its interventions, also enjoined the body to open channel for indigenes in diasporas to contribute.
“The recent achievements by IDPIL in areas of security and education are highly commendable”, he said.
“I will like to suggest that IDPIL should open a channel for Nigerians living in diaspora to partner with them, if possible. I see great prospects in that for Ikorodu”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary, IDPIL/GTE, Otunba Ganiyu Olusegun Abiru, speaking with THE IMPACT recently, said that the body is not in any way in competition with he Council authorities or forming any parallel government, but only operating as an intervention force within the confine of laws of the land.
