Determined to address the needs of his Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and put smiles on their faces, an aspirant for the council seat, Derin Phillips, has unveiled a plan designed to restore confidence in the council’s leadership and solve its challenges if elected chairman.
Praising the residents for their determination to have a better council, the aspirant running under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised to structure the LCDA under the five-pillar agenda and reiterated his commitment to making the LCDA the pride of Lagos.
The five-point agenda (FAITH) offers solutions for Financing and innovation, Access to social welfare, innovation in education and technology, Transparency in governance, and Health and the environment. Phillip has said that the plan, when implemented, would ensure everyone within the Ikoyi-Obalende council benefits from the dividends of democracy from their government.
Addressing residents and party members during a massive rally under the Obalende bridge, Phillips said the plan was designed after a holistic review of the residents’ needs and his observations as a council resident and his understanding of the geographical and economic relevance of the LCDA in Lagos and the whole of Nigeria. “I am doing this because this is my home, I was born and bred here. Our LCDA deserves the best candidates to lift the council to greater heights. And I believe I am the most prepared and equipped to serve our people and run for this seat,” he said.
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The aspirant added that, over the years, he had acquired leadership skills necessary for political office through service to the state.
He is also an astute businessman with interests in entertainment, agriculture, and real estate, which gives him insight into how best to lead the council.
Giving a further breakdown of the FAITH agenda, which he described as a creative strategy for solving complex problems, the young expert explained that under his watch, petty traders and young entrepreneurs would have access to grants that could be used to boost their businesses. He added that the residents, especially the vulnerable within the council, would have access to social welfare, saying this was one of the dividends of democracy.
On Innovation in education and technology, Phillips said: “I believe we should be doing things now in compliance with global standards, so under this, we will focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI). I believe there is an emerging potential that we must tap into as Africans, Nigerians, and Lagosians”. The aspirant added that this digital skill exposes youth to more employment opportunities than they had never dreamed of.