Why I Am Contesting For Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA Chairmanship Position – Hon. M.K.O Arowolo

Kunle Adelabu

Hon. M.K.O. Arowolo, Chairmanship aspIrant for Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA

Hon. (Dr.) Matthew Kola Olufemi (MKO) Arowolo, a serving councillor representing Ward C4 (Owode/Ibeshe) in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ikorodu Division, Southwest, Nigeria, has stated that need to giveback to his Ward in the mainstream politics of the council and enable it have its fair share as one of the factors that is propelling him to aspire for the Chairmanship position.

Arowolo, like many others are aspiring to replace Builder Sesan Daini who is serving the last year of his eight years tenure of two – terms which ends in a few months.

The Chairmanship aspirant who spoke with THE IMPACT, alleged that his political ward has been short-changed in the last 11 years since former Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Hon. Gbenga Basanya, who is from Owode Ibeshe left power.

“One of the reasons I am contesting for the chairmanship is because in the last 11 years Ibeshe has been short-changed.

“Since the completion of Hon. Basanya’s tenure as the council chairman, they have given nothing to Ibeshe. I am supposed to be the council leader in this administration that is winding down, but they denied Ibeshe. They also denied us Supervisory positions.

“Out of the nine supervisory appointments, none is allotted to Ibeshe. As I am, there is no work that I do in Ibeshe that the council allocates even N100, 000 to. I have been doing everything by myself.

“I usually spend my hard earned money for the projects that I have been embarking upon. That’s why I’m aspiring so that I can change the narrative in Ibeshe and push the community forward. I expect leaders and entire Ibeshe people to support me. In the same manner, I also expect party leaders in Igbogbo/Bayeku to also give me their support, but if they think otherwise, I can always go back to my work and aspire when the opportunity presents itself again”, he said.

Dr Arowolo who said that he would abide by whatever decision that is taken by the party chieftain concerning who is picked as its group, Justice Forum’s candidate, said that his only interest is that a credible candidate who has served the party and the group should be presented to the electorate.

Speaking on his representative duty, and how he has been using his personal money to execute projects, charged those aspiring to serve in any political office at the council level to ensure that they have other productive things that they are doing:

“It is not my duty to do road and many other things that you see me doing. I have spent so much on grading of roads. My total take home as a Councilor is nothing and with the increment, my total take home monthly is N300, 000, that is N10, 000 per day.

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“I know how much that my immediate family lives on per day. Anyone serving as a Councilor or Supervisor today or aspiring to be and such does not have other things that he or she is doing will suffer. I do not know why people are fighting over these positions.

“As far as I am concerned, there is no position that I can be called upon to hold in the local government that can prevent me from sustaining my other businesses. If I am given the opportunity to be the council chairman, I will deliver but will still continue with my work that I have been doing because after serving the people I will still have to go back to it. The same thing if I am given an appointment from the state.

“I always tell my people that it is important that they have something good that they are doing if they are going into politics.

“I embarked on construction of five boreholes which cost me about N4million. The only thing that I benefitted from the council for my people as a Councilor in the last four years is one borehole project and it is the local government that executed the project by itself and not that the money was given to me. That is the borehole project at Insurance.”

While stating that he has also facilitated the establishment of Ibelefun Junior Secondary School in conjunction with the Community Development Association (CDA), he also added that he is also financing borehole water projects and others with his personal funds.

“To the glory of God, Ibelefun Junior Secondary School is my work. I did the fencing of Keme Balogun.

“At the moment, Asiwaju Kaoli Olusanya is building a block of six – classrooms because the school is already congested. In my capacity, I have also contributed N300, 000 for further development of the school.

“I have been doing all these legacy works which are not my duty as a Councilor. I hope that they would open doors and projects with the good hope of something better for me in the future. Now that it is time for another election, I am interested in becoming the Chairman, and if the leaders feel that they have somebody else that is better than I am, I won’t contest it,” the chairmanship aspirant said.

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