By Dr Nurudeen Oshinlaja
Growing up in Igbogbo town where many of us went to farms in Agunfoye, Igbo-Owore, Igbe, Olumo, Olu-Odo, etc., it was common to hitchhike as we returned to Igbogbo town especially after strenuous farm work. For example, on Baiyeku Road, we would wish and pray that a benevolent car owner would give us a lift to the town – only 1 out of 100 times did I get lucky. I always wondered why car owners who drove pass with free spaces in their cars could not help poor hitchhikers like me. I would exculpate the drivers though by telling myself that they may have had their fingers burnt while given someone a ride in the past and vowed never to do so anymore. In life, most people require helpers who will serve as multiplying leaders in their life. Like hitchhikers, one must figuratively be on the road, for multiplying leaders to be able to help. Also, like hitchhikers who do not get lifts, one may not receive help from societal leaderships at the time of one’s hitchhiking.
If opinions are aggregated, a lot of people of Ikorodu Division will agree that the socio-political leadership of the division has dignified the division for decades with their impeccable strides. Of course, the few political indiscretions which worry many of us cannot be concealed. However, it is necessary to acknowledge that our division has been blessed with multiplying leadership whose accomplishments are inestimable. Stories have been shared of how many people got some forms of financial, academic, professional, and career help from one elder or another in the division. Personally, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, figuratively, gave me a ‘lift’ as an ‘hitchhiker’. That was over 30 years ago with his Ojuolape Basorun Memorial Scholarship that changed my orientation as a secondary school boy. That was my grace of meeting my own multiplying leader who is always led by compassion, faith, and sacrifice. The many lives Baba has touched shows that he is relentless in his selfless support.
It is also on record that many individuals in Ikorodu town benefitted from the benevolence of Alhaji Musediq Alogba in the 80s and 90s. Along with decades of quality knowledge impartation and public service under his belt, Prof Wahab is noted to have taken philanthropy and community development service to an unrivalled level with his Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab Foundation. Over the years, Sen. Adeseye Ogunlewe has extended scholarships to many students and, at the moment, he is offering STEM education, scholarships and various forms of assistance to secondary school students. The annual scholarships offered by Asipa Kaoli Olusanya to secondary school students in the division is another huge contribution that is lifting people up. The iCare and SAIL initiatives, respectively sponsored by Hon. Babajimi Benson and Sen. Tokunboh Abiru, are gracious investments that are extending the frontiers of our division’s human capital development. Another giant in our division to whom many are indebted is Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya, SAN. Beyond co-founding, co-funding and heading the Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative LTD/GTE (IDPIL/G), Odofin Ogunsanya is unsparing in spending his resources to nurture and support human capital development, and enhance the socio-economic outlook of our division.
In a peculiar society like ours where government structures are rarely well packaged to make life journey less erratic and less strenuous, the existence of community associations like the students’ unions, youth bodies, development associations, and private foundations provides lifts to many a hitchhiker. Many cut their teeth, grind their axes, and get mentored through these associations. In addition to their human capital development accomplishments over the years, these communal groups admirably work to boost the peaceful existence and physical development of our towns and division as a whole. Records of landmark actions and the resurgence of relentless actions by Ikorodu Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Igbogbo Development Association (IDEA), Ijede Development Foundation (IDF) and others to uplift the division are invaluable.
Recognising that our division still needs so much more, Ikorodu Division Peace Initiative LTD/GTE (IDPIL/G) comes to the fore. When the founders, funders, managers, leaders, and collaborators of IDPIL/G could be doing many other things to enjoy their personal resources, time, and social capital, they decide to invest in caring for and uplifting our society in remarkable ways. The organisation takes cognisance of the challenges of our division, demonstrates cultural intelligence and deploys courage in providing solutions within the framework of inclusive transformational leadership. The relentless positive actions of IDPIL/G since the inception of the organisation a few years ago are emblematic of what multiplying leadership does to uplift their community and the people around them.
The investment in the highly progressive IDPIL/G Peace and Security Fund is both novel and noble. The IDPIL/G Peace and Security Fund corroborates what has been identified as a key hallmark of transformational leadership, namely that good leadership is altruistic and pulls all strings to help people who they may never know. IDPIL/G galvanises all actions to pull the division out of the security disorderliness being faced and the organisation leads in making sustainable peace and security return to the division. So far, IDPIL/G’s actions contribute to impeding the pervasiveness of cultism and other crimes in the division. It is noteworthy that IDPIL/G takes the people as key stakeholders in finding solutions to the security crisis thereby the organisation is able to effectively utilise the collective power and extended connection of the people for the benefit of the division.
Perhaps it is the tertiary students of our division who qualify more to be called hitchhikers in the journey of life. IDPIL/G gives them lifts, figuratively, in exceedingly beneficial fashions. The scholarships and bursary awards arrangement, which keeps growing in size and effects, represents a source of inspiration for the students to lead impactful life. The foray of IDPIL/G into infrastructural development is demonstrably extraordinary as it complements other notable accomplishments in this regard. In particular, IDPIL/G’s investment in the Ijede health centre, state-of-the-art Renal Centre at the General Hospital, Ikorodu, and renovation of Oreta Primary School are initiatives that broaden and deepen the reach of IDPIL/G’s impacts and are highly significant to getting solutions to the challenges confronting our division.
To be more inclusive and forward-looking, IDPIL/G should open a fund-raising channel where the public can make voluntary donations. Since the IDPIL/G is well structured and well governed, donors and sponsors are assured of equity in the administration and distribution of resources. Another forward-looking necessity is for the Ikorodu LGA and the 5 LCDAs to embrace IDPIL/G – after all, “A kì rí èèyàn ran ni l’ẹrù kí a suké.” With special arrangements, all parties can work together to unknot any areas of disagreement insofar as the goals of the LGA/LCDAs is good governance and improvement of the division.
Journeys through life resemble that of hitchhikers to whom a simple help will uplift them and mollify their indignity. Ikorodu division is blessed with multiplying leadership that should be acknowledged and encouraged to be more progressive. These enigmatic leaders and leadership groups, too numerous to fully mention, are acknowledged even as the call for more positive, selfless actions is amplified. The groundswell of praises that continues to be directed at the IDPIL/G for its socio-cultural, -economic interventions shows that their impacts are felt in all nooks and crannies of the division. All leadership groups in the division and IDPIL/G should attract the highest level of interest, involvement, and participation possible so that the prevailing balance of leadership and resources mobilisation is sustained.
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails” – (Philosopher Henry David Thoreau).
Nurudeen Oshinlaja, a university researcher writes from Cardiff, UK
