By Zik Zulu Okafor
Monday, June 2, 2025, will go down as yet another historic and heartwarming day in the Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA). On this day, beneath the soaring Lagos skies, the quiet but fervent prayers of some muslim faithfuls were answered. That prayer was to have a ram to decorate their premises before the final slaughter to be savoured by the family and in particular the children as the climax of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
So, how did these rams get to families who ordinarily couldn’t have afforded them ? How were their prayers answered? This was through the creation of a market. Not just any market. This was a Subsidized Ram Market, a visionary initiative launched by the Chairman of the Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Honourable Rasak Olushola Ajala, in the spirit of Eid-el-Kabir. This Subsidized Ram Scheme which he launched eight years ago as an annual event was designed not only to ease the burden on low-income Muslim families but to restore dignity and joy to their celebrations. Where a ram ordinarily sold for between N200,000 and N250,000, the LCDA, under Ajala’s leadership, stepped in to offer them at an unbelievable N75,000.
But behind this noble gesture lies a deeply personal story. It is a story that traces the quiet pain of a boy who had watched his own father, a humble Ward Chairman, struggle to buy a ram for their family. His father, a man with a deep sense of honour, during this festive period, would go out to borrow money. Not for vanity, Not for prestige . But just to ensure his children could eat ram, to taste the joy of the festival like their peers. The boy could sense his father’s pain in the quest to ensure a ram and a smile at home. But the old man bore his pain with stoic endurance.
That boy is now a man. That man is now Chairman , the Honourable Rasaq Olushola Ajala.
” Even though I was still very young then, I saw him. I remember clearly how he would go out to borrow money to buy ram during ileya “, Ajala recalled. ” And he didn’t borrow this money for anything else. It was to buy ram so that we too, as muslims and children could eat ram like other muslim families. I will never forget that experience, ” he confessed emotionally. ” My dad was an inspiration to me. He was a politician. I appreciate his sacrifice. “
Rising through the ranks, from Councilor to Chairman , Ajala has never forgotten his roots. The dust of his humble beginnings still clings to his heart, shaping his decisions and fuelling his empathy. This ram scheme is not just policy. It is memory transformed into mercy. It is a son’s tribute to a father’s sacrifice.
The process of selling these subsidized rams shows Ajala’s administrative wizardry.
Indeed, the process is as admirable as the idea. No chaos. No class. No favoritism. No politics. It was first come, first served. But it is not an all comers affair. No ! Every prospective buyer was first vetted. Only registered voters of the LCDA were eligible. One card, one name, one ram. It was airtight, preventing any attempt to manipulate the system. No one could buy two to resell for profit. It was clear : this scheme was for the people, not the profiteers.
Amidst the bleating of rams and the buzzing crowd at the LCDA Secretariat, emotions ran high. Gratitude glistened in the eyes of elderly women, echoed in the laughter of young boys, and vibrated in the firm handshakes of men who could now walk home with pride. Some called him a kind leader. Others went further ; they called him a messiah. A man sent by God to remind them that they mattered.
Remarkably, the Chairman’s generosity transcended religious lines. Christians in the community also echoed the same praises every December, during the Christmas season since the Chairman assumed office almost eight years ago as he extended similar support by subsidizing the cost of chickens and turkeys. His inclusive approach to leadership has not only eased economic burdens but also fostered unity across faiths in the LCDA.
But Rasak ever humble, deflected the praises . Instead, he raised his voice in honour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With visible emotion, he spoke of how the President spotted him early–a young man with ideas, energy, and integrity. “Without Asiwaju,” he said, “I wouldn’t be here. He guided me. He believed in me. He picked me out from the crowd, and I remain forever grateful.”
He then adds, ” Whatever we are doing today is to ensure that we keep our promises during our campaign, to ensure that the dividends of democracy get to our people in Odiolowo/Ojuwoye council.”
In that quiet moment, it became clear that this event was not just about rams. It was about leadership. About legacy. About lifting others from the shadows of poverty with policies rooted in personal experience.
In the end, what happened in Odiolowo/Ojuwoye LCDA on June 2, 2025, was more than a subsidization of rams. It was a restoration of dignity, of faith, hope and of the age-old Nigerian spirit of community.
And at the center of it stood a man who once watched his father borrow for a ram and now ensuring that no father in his LCDA has to do the same for his children to eat ram.
As Tajudeen, a young man in a chequered blue blazer at the Secretariat, put it, ”
Hon. Rasak Olushola Ajala is a chairman, a son, and a servant of the people and, above all, a symbol of hope for all of us. We are eagerly awaiting his next portfolio in government. “
For Ajala, his prayer is that his Vice, Hon Seyi Jakande, wins the next local council election. ” I know and I am very sure that he will continue with this good work. He is a perfect gentleman, committed and has people of this community in his heart,” he said with palpable conviction.
As time ticks for the Chairman to bow out, most people of the Odiolowo/Ojuwoye LCDA we chatted with
expressed their deepest gratitude for his outstanding service. His tenure, they say, has been marked by visionary leadership, tireless dedication, and a rare blend of innovation and compassion.
From infrastructural strides to community empowerment, Hon. Ajala’s impact , they opined, would be felt for years to come.
He has not just led. He has inspired.
And has left behind a legacy of excellence, integrity, and unwavering commitment to the people.
