If there is one thing the former Minister of State for defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, loves doing now that his party Peoples Democratic Party is out of power, it is riding bicycle. The ex-ambassador to Ghana, fondly called Koro, sources said, now rides bicycle in the morning and evening to the amusement of his neighbours in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, where he resides.
Tag: passion
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Want to find your passion? Learn from the story of Hansel and Gretel
In the beginning, there’s not enough food to go round because of famine. As a result people starved as such only few among family members could feed. One night, the children overheard their parents talk about abandoning them in the forest in order for them to be able to fend for themselves.
Fortunately, Hansel had a plan. He sneaked outside to collect a bunch of pebbles, placing them in his pocket before going to bed. The next morning, Hansel and Gretel were sent on an errand to collect firewood in the forest. Their parents reassured them that they’ll get picked up before night falls. As they walked away from the house, Hansel secretly dropped one pebble at a time until they went deeper into the forest.
By night time, the wolves were howling and naturally, Gretel feared for their lives. They got lost at this point, and the wolves’ yellow eyes gnawed at them like they were some ‘dinner’ to be eaten up!
“Let’s make a fire,” Hansel suggested. Once the flames burst up, they see a strange line of dots glistening. It turns out the pebbles that Hansel dropped earlier was reflecting the light from the fire. Thankfully, the trail of pebbles provided a sense of direction, allowing Hansel and Gretel to find their way home.
What are the pebbles you’ve experienced?
In your own life, you’ve been leaving behind a trail of pebbles all along as well. Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “I don’t know what to do with my life?”
There is a way to find your passion.
And what do we do in response? We just go about performing mundane tasks day-by-day, thinking that maybe a fantastic idea will sprout out of the ground and give us a sense of direction. Someday, we’ll just figure it all out. Of course, this rarely (if ever) happens.
And the worst part is, before we know it, years have gone by. Instead of just coasting, look for the pebbles in your life. Chances are, you’ll be able to find some things in your past experiences that provide direction for the future. For example, maybe when you look back you notice that you spend a lot of free time looking at books on building design. Maybe architecture is a big interest in your life.
And no, it doesn’t mean you have to run off and suddenly become an architect! What it does mean is that this is something worth investigating. You could enroll in an introductory class on architecture, or talk to architects about their experiences. Why not do both?
If there’s something that you’re interested in, look into it more. You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) jump something right away. Investigate a bit more into the pebbles to see how far along you should follow them.
Your pebbles are a reflection of you
Pebbles can also relate to the way you act. Overtime, these tendencies come out over and over again. It’s interesting how people can observe things about us that would never have occurred in our heads. They take notice of something and then might make a comment in passing:
- “You’re really good at connecting with people.”
- “You always seem to read what I’m thinking!”
- “Whoa, have you ever thought of doing ____?”
When various people make comments like this, there’s something going on. Listen when this happens. Looking forward, it seems difficult to figure out what we should be doing, or whether we’re making the right decisions. But when we pursue something that almost comes naturally, it almost seems blindingly obvious.
As Steve Jobs once said, “You can only connect the dots looking backward.”
In a world of choices, there are so many possibilities out there and we’re forced to choose without ever finding our passion. As a result, we find ourselves hopping from one thing to another. Other times, external pressures or current trends cause us to make decisions that we normally wouldn’t have done. After all, if your friends are doing something, it’s easier to follow along right?
Sometimes, we have interests, passions, or skills that we don’t even realize. Someone might say, “How’d you do that?” And we might shrug, figuring that if we can do something, it must come easily to everyone else. If you have people come to you for help on something or are surprised that something you can do so well, pay attention. You could learn something about yourself that everyone already knew.
What are the pebbles in your own life? Do they form a trail and lead you somewhere?
Culled from Lifehack.org
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Passion of truth
An inner beauty that is sweet
A soul food that that is fulfilling
An expression of truth
A feeling that showcases care and kindness.
Exhibition from the deepest part of the heart
The wind can’t even sway it to any part of the earth
Only you can.
Healing, warmth and fulfillment it brings
This behavior makes ones skin glow
It is an endless love in attitude
Its royalty attached to life when felt in our lives
It is not wicked, it is not sorrowful
It is peaceful and sugar to the soul
It’s a passion of truth.
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For passion or by compulsion
I do not think there must have been a more confused and undecided teenager than myself in my secondary school days. By the time I got to SS1, when I had to choose between Arts and Sciences, I was at least sure I did not want sciences, but what area of the Humanities I wanted to focus on, I did not have a clue.
I remember some SS3 seniors threw the question of what course I would like to study in the university at me and my response amused them so much that they replied that I would grow old in the university.
And what did I say back then? Advertising, Marketing, Insurance, Economics, Human Resource Management, Banking and Finance, and some others that I can no longer remember. It seemed I picked topics that I enjoyed reading in my Commerce textbooks as areas I would love to study.
Sincerely, I did not know why they laughed at me. When I spoke with them, I was serious about having interest in some of those areas – even if the interest was superficial or fleeting. It took some years before I understood them and had to laugh at myself.
By the time I was completing my secondary education, I was not much closer to finding out what I wanted to do with my work life. I settled for Mass Communication, not because I wanted to be a journalist or writer (I did not even consider writing as a skill I had), but because it was about the only programme that I could do with my subject combination. I had problem with my subject combination because it was an incomplete mix of social sciences and arts. I did not do literature, which was required to study many humanities subjects, yet I had credit in subjects like Geography, Economics, and Commerce. Unfortunately, I made a pass in Mathematics (in the days when a Pass could get one into school for some courses).
All that happened because I was not properly guided. But because I had a flair for writing, I did not do badly studying Mass Communication.
My experience came to mind after interviewing the best graduating student of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola after the university’s graduation last Saturday. It was interesting finding out that such an outstanding student had to try three courses before finding out what excited her. She started out with Information Systems, then changed to Business, before ending up as an English major. She was able to switch because the American-style education practiced by her university allows her to explore various programmes in the first few sessions before settling for an area of specialization.
She correctly noted that she would not have had that kind of chance in another university where she would have been told that her Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) subject combination could not support such move. Being a science student from secondary school (and that because of her brilliance), Hephzber likely did not have ‘O’ Level credit in Literature in English. However, today, she is a graduate of English Literature and Language because the university allowed her to follow her passion. Is she grounded? Given the caliber of teachers who taught the subject, I think she is. If it were elsewhere, Hephzber would have been stuck with Information Systems, learning about programming when she had no such interest in configuring computer software. The alternative would have been to re-write the SSCE, then re-write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to seek admission into a course of her choice. Many students find themselves are in such dilemma today. But because the system is rigid, they are unable to make the change that Hephzber made with ease. So, they live with the bad choices they made.
I agree with Hephzber’s conclusion in her valedictory speech that people would be more productive if they pursued careers more in line with their passion. And I think a fitting way to conclude this piece is with an excerpt from the speech below:
“Finally, to the Class of 2015, my friends and classmates, I must tell you the whole truth. It is not about 3.99. It is about the passion behind it. You cannot be a Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook) if you do not love programming. You cannot be Floyd Mayweather Jnr. if you do not love boxing. I have succeeded extremely well in English Language and Literature because I know my stuff and I love my stuff. What about you? Gone are the days when our parents used to tell us, you must be a doctor, lawyer or engineer to succeed. You cannot live your life based on assumptions. You have to love what you do before you can go beyond the student level and become an inventor in your field. If you studied a Major you don’t like, don’t worry. You can still change during your Masters.
“I will give you the secret of success — PASSION. You know why? Because, passion drives you to excellence. Nothing else does. So, go out there, pursue your passion and become successful.”
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The call, the passion, the destiny
Too many people hold on to the past and allow the negative experiences of the past define their present and future. This should not be. Where you are coming from should not in any way determine where you going.
In his book THE CALL; THE PASSION; THE DESTINY, Abiodun Mabadeje helps you understand that the success you desire to attain is predicated on how you move from your present state into the future you desire, irrespective of the circumstances of your past. If you desire to move forward, you cannot keep looking back into your ‘unfortunate past’.
Life is full of challenges. The road is never smooth for anyone and running away from challenges will not solve them. Many dwell only on what they have gone through in life, unable to look beyond their past or present circumstances. To succeed, you have to confront and overcome your circumstances. You must not allow fear and pessimism hold you back.
One very fundamental point the book explains in the detail, which many people are ignorant of, is the Law of Attraction. To succeed, you have to align yourself with the reality of the Law of Attraction. This Law states that “I attract into my life whatever I give my attention, energy and focus to, whether positive or negative.”
This raises questions which you must answer: What do you give your attention to? What do you focus on? What do you expend our energy on? When you fill your mind with negative thoughts, the Law of Attraction states that you will simply get more of the same. It is time for you to think deeply so as to determine whether the challenges you currently face are self-afflicted as a result of attraction or by reason of your thoughts.
In Chapter Two, the author raises another critical question: Who are you? This is a question of identity. It is one you must answer, because if you do not know who you are, you will not know what you are about or why you are here.
If you cannot answer this question, you will have the problem of misplaced identity. Many people are trying to be who they are not – they talk, walk and even dress like someone else. Knowing who you are helps you function as you should; living your own life and not someone else’s.
You must note that to truly identify who you are you must go back to your source, the One who created you – God Almighty – because you were created not by accident but to fulfill destiny. He has the blueprint of your life.
As the author clearly states, you MUST have a vision: a comprehensive sense of who you are and where you are going. Anyone without a vision does not have a future. Your vision might seem gigantic and your challenges insurmountable. However, keep the Law of Attraction in mind, envisage the future you want, forget the past and project into the future.
Everyone is called to do something or be something. What are YOU called to do or be? It is time to step out and be bold, bearing in mind the Law of Cause and Effect; that actions determine reactions and input determines output.
Get out of the “Good Old Days” mentality. To live in the future you dream of, consider the words of Isaac Newton, “Everything (or object, or life) remains in a state of constant rest until an external force is applied”, and do what you need to do right away.
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‘Journalism is my passion’
Journalism has never been interesting as it is at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Neonatar, a media outfit founded less than six months ago by Joshua Igba, a final year Chemical Engineering student, has grown from a press board to a campus-wide publication. Joshua shares his success story with CALEB ADEBAYO (500-Level Law).
What inspired you to start Neonatar Press Agency?
I felt there was need to engage students in intellectual discussion on events on the campus. I wanted to increase the tempo of community media and journalism. And we have been doing just that. Our aim is to make the campus an informed community by making information available to all. We also educate and entertain students with refreshing reading experience.
But, you are not a journalism student…
Well, that is not a requisite in today’s world. But then, my practising journalism today is accidental. As a pupil in high school, I was the best in my class all through. I was chosen as a senior prefect and even won a bronze medal in International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO). Then, I felt I could only do medicine or engineering. Along the line, my passion for media surfaced.
Do you have passion for what you do now?
I am already into media. I will make it a full-time thing after I complete my first degree, which is just four months away. The first degree is enough for me to make a debut into the world of journalism. I have passion for the profession. I just want to be a university graduate of Chemical Engineering, but journalism will be my practice.
What are your plans for Neonatar after school?
We are planning to introduce the publication to other tertiary institutions. We want to have our radio station, which is why we have been looking for investors. We are shifting our offline experience to the online market place. We also want to start an online television. We want to establish an award to celebrate young Africans making changes in fashion, entertainment and entrepreneurship.
Why the name ‘Neonatar’ and not the commonly-used media name?
The name ‘Neonatar’ is unique. To me, it means appealing vision because I saw the name in a vision when I was 17 years old and it was appealing to me.
Do you think the name also appealed to your reader?
Yes. Neonatar boards are ubiquitous at the most strategic spots on campus. We get thousands of people reading our materials every week. We have won a number of awards, including the Best Media Outfit, Media Outfit of the Year, Best Startup, Largest Coverage, Most Popular Campus Media, Most Enterprising Media and Best Press Team, among others.
What has been your motivation?
In the beginning, it was faith in God, because the idea was new and strange but a huge capital had gone into it. After two months, success came our way from every direction. Success is basically our motivation.
You will leave the school in the next four months, do you have a handing over plan?
We are battling with putting structures in place for transition and continuity. We have contacted a project management outfit within the campus to assist us with this.
What role is Neonatar playing towards the coming general elections?
We have been sensitising students and other members of the university about their rights in the election and how they should conduct themselves. We would love to go round during political campaign to educate people about their roles in the election.
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‘My passion for teaching
Titilayo Omodolapo Oduseso is the brain behind Royalbridge International Company Limited, an educational consulting firm that gave birth to Gapbridge Private School, Lagos. She has a wealth of experience in Cambridge International Examination and has conducted IGCSE English Second Language oral assessment examinations for the British Council for notable schools in and outside Lagos for sixteen years. The mother of two is also involved in IGSCE training for teachers and students ‘placement to colleges, universities in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and a few other countries. In this interview, she takes Adetutu Audu into her world.
Why are you so passionate about the profession?
I’m just passionate about the profession because I believe in building and moulding lives and my joy is always seeing my products doing very well in their chosen career. To me, that is the satisfaction of the job. It’s like there is no other job than being a teacher because of the passion I have for the profession.
Do you really set out to be an educationist?
When I left school, I had intention working with some big companies and banks and, fortunately for me, I was able to secure one with a bank but my husband resisted me from working with them. He told me to stay at home and take care of the kids. But when I was tired of doing that, I opted for a teaching job because I knew it would enable me take care of my kids no matter how busy I am. Though not my first love, my father was a principal and few of my siblings also taught before moving to other sectors, so I took it upon myself and went fully into the profession and today I thank God because I have been able to make a living out of it and also surpassed most of my family members in the profession.
Before delving into teaching line, did you consider the poor remuneration?
Yes, of course, people focused more on payment and they also look down on us because of our remuneration. But I can tell you, your job can stand you out once you know your onions. I actually started with the Lagos State Government before I moved to the private sector. As at the time I wanted to move, many said they would over use me in the private sector but for the vision I had then, I eventually moved and I allowed them to use me and that has made me to be useful to myself. I’m now master of the game, most of my colleagues that we started teaching several years back are still in the classroom teaching but I actually took the decision in order to build myself for the task ahead and it has placed me where I am today. And hard work, perseverance, the never-say-die-spirit and grace of God have also worked for me. Gone are the days when teachers were poorly paid, but as of today, if you know your onions and you know what you stand for, you will be well paid.
How much was your first salary as a teacher?
When I was in the public sector, I was earning three thousand naira but when I moved to the private school, my pay increased to twelve thousand naira. Three months after, it became twenty-five thousand naira simply because of what I put in for the short period I joined the school. Before I knew what was happening, my pay had increased to hundred thousand, though right from the beginning I had determined that I would never be a poor teacher and I so much thank God for where I am today.
The placement of students to schools abroad, no doubt, stands you out. How did you strike deal with all these international schools?
I got the exposure when I used to go abroad for one seminar or the other. During those years, I met a lot of people with like minds and we had a deal. Now we offer checkpoint, IGSCE, SSCE, IELTS, A level and foundation programmes. We also do placement for students going abroad to study in countries like the UK, US, Canada, Ghana, and many more, depending on students’ preferences. The school has a proud history of academic achievement and is renowned for its ability to meet individual needs and fulfil potential. Students are encouraged to believe in themselves and their ability to succeed. We promote the achievement of excellence in a learning environment that is safe, caring and accepting of diversity. We are committed to the development of lifelong learning skills that motivate and enable all students to make positive contribution to the society and themselves. Learning is designed to develop understanding and to challenge students to push the boundaries of their thinking. All students are encouraged to be creative, critical and caring thinkers. We want them to discover a passion for learning and life. We promote an environment that encourages students to be self disciplined, to learn from their mistakes, to be willing to take risks and to value their own and others’ thinking. Independent learning skills are developed within a technologically rich setting that includes collaborative online learning environment. Specialist teaching and a broad innovative range of subject choices ensure that each student’s individual strengths are fostered.
Why do you use both British and the Nigerian curricula?
We fashioned our system around both because the director has worked in the public schools where Nigerian curriculum is being used and the many elite schools in Lagos where British curriculum is being used. British curriculum gives a world-class education among other nations. The benefits are numerous which include; no exam malpractices, no special centre to favour any candidate. No cramming for students, they read, understand and apply themselves to the questions.
You are a single mother, has this affected you career wise?
It made me stronger and I was able to learn how to do things myself without looking for support from anybody. Some women who had similar problem with their marriage have also learnt from me. I’m a career woman and my marital problem had not deterred me from climbing the success ladder; it has even made me to stand tall.
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‘We ‘re driven by strong passion, professionalism’
The management of Arthouse Contemporary, an auction house, has identified passion and strict adherence to professionalism as the main impetus behind the success story of the outfit established in 2007.
Its Manager, Nana Sonoiki said aside being driven by a strong passion and professionalism, the auction house does not compromise on standard and that the experts work as a team. “Every auction is an improvement of the previous edition and we try to work with the professionals in the sector who are not bias. In fact, we have turned down an art work by Prof Ben Enwonwu at a time because we were not satisfied with the state of the work,” she said during an interactive session with Arts Editors in Lagos last week.
Founder of the auction house, Kavita Chellaram, said the thirteenth edition of the auction of modern and contemporary art will open on Monday, November 3, by 6 pm at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos. It is sponsored by Citibank Nigeria.
The auction, which will be led by notable auctioneer, John Dabney, will from Saturday, November 1, through Monday November 3 afternoon display works at the Wheatbaker Hotel for viewing in anticipation of the auction. The previous auction in May made a sale of N85,334,000 with 75 lots sold.
This edition will include 115 lots of artworks from 1955-2014, spanning the mediums of painting, sculpture, mixed media, and photography. Notable artworks from the modern period to be auctioned include El Antasui’s The Mask (1978), Ben Enwonwu’s Elongated Female Fiture (1978) and Ututu, Morning Meeting of Chiefs at Old Asaba (1970), Yusuf Grillo’s Hawker in Blue (1964), and Bruce Onobrakpeya’s Totems of the Delta (2003). Contemporary artists featured for the first time include Muri Adejimi, Cyril Omamogho, Tchif, Mohammed Abba-Gana, Samuel Ajobiewe, Abiola Idowu, Sam Maduike, Nengi Omuku, Julien Sinzogan(Beninese) and Silas Adeoye.
“The auction house has created the Arthouse Foundation, a non-profit organisation that aims to encourage the creative development of contemporary art in Nigeria. Through a residency-based programme, the Arthouse Foundation provides a platform for artists to expand their practice and experiment with new art forms and ideas. By establishing a network that supports cross-cultural exchange between Nigerian and international artists, the Arthouse Foundation embraces contemporary art as an educational model to engage communities, promote social dialogue, and advance the critical discourse of artistic practices,” she added.
According to Chellaram, the Arthouse Foundation has inaugurated its first year by supporting Nigerian artists in their participation in art programs abroad, including Victoria Udondian’s graduate study at Columbia University in New York, residencies for Uchay Joel Chima and Tayo Olayode at the Vermont Studio Center, and Chibuike Uzoma in Vienna, Austria. This auction will include a selection of artworks that have been generously donated to support the Arthouse Foundation from artists including Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, Uchay Joel Chima, Tayo Olayode, and Arthouse Contemporary Limited.
Recalled that Arthouse Contemporary also expanded its scope to include Arthouse-The Space, which organises exhibitions of contemporary art outside of the auction. Arthouse-The Space recently opened an exhibition of Nigerian photographer George Osodi entitled TRANSGREXION, which took place at the Renault Showroom in Victoria Island, September 28 – October 17, 2014. The exhibition was sponsored by Renault Nigeria.
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Medical student turns artist
His first love is in the health care profession but driven by an inner passion and love for the arts, a young medical student now ekes a living from painting, writes DANIEL ESSIET.
Etiobhio Samuel Osemudiamen, a 23 year-old final year medical student of University of Benin (UNIBEN), may be pursuing a career in the medical profession, but he has another love.
From a very young age, he had fallen in love with the arts, especially painting. And as his passion grew, he began to realise the potential in the vocation.
Today, he not only earns income from painting, more than enough to take care of some of his needs on campus, he is also imparting knowledge in other students that are interested in painting.
For Osemudiamen, the journey into the world of arts began with N2, 000 with which he bought some paints and materials and began to draw.
His experience with digital art keeps him connected to modern art as he continues his practice, while still studying medicine. Taking the stage at several events,Ose, as he is fondly called by his peers, has not only taken people on his journey, his paint strokes create a vibrant image and also inspires people to think about innovation, taking success to the next level and living the dream.
He has been selling art work consistently since his junior high school years. He paints, frames and sells them. He peeks inside a few galleries for more concepts whenever he can steal a moment between classes, and painting.
In 2012, Ose established a studio, Magnum Arts,to encourage and bring out the intellectual capability in young Nigerians using fine art, and painting in general. Members feature in trainingsthat help them refine their products and increase customer acquisition. The ideas and solutions showcased by young people not only address real customer needs and issues, but also help in the creation of local jobs and serving young people in realising financial independence. As an artist, Ose combines his two passions to demonstrate the journey for his entrepreneurship endeavour, while also providing motivation to others.
In the last two years, Ose has created online hub for lovers of arts and artists to meet, discuss and interact through sharing of ideas relevant to their field. The platform also offers a marketplace for them to showcase and sell their creations to lovers locally and across the world.
His latest achievement is an art blogging competition involving budding arts entrepreneurs and students.
So far, he has gotten responses from different universities and outfits round the country and people really want the competition to be more popularised.
His entrepreneurial achievements are becoming valuable pacesetters. This year, the club has recorded N350,000 as net profit from its activities.
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A legislator’s passion for his people
When Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, the lawmaker representing Ikorodu 1 constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly gathered a cross section of his constituents together last week for a special three in one programme, not a few went home with smiles on their faces. OZIEGE OKOEKI was there.
He has always shown unusual passion for issues concerning his constituents and his constituency; even while speaking on the floor of the Lagos State House of Assembly one could easily see a legislator with deep concern for the welfare and well-being of his people.
The same passion last week propelled Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, representative of Ikorodu 1 constituency at the Lagos Assembly to bring his constituents together for what he tagged a three-in-one sensitization and empowerment programme.
The event which held at the ground of his constituency office in Ikorodu was first to sensitize the people especially members of the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) about security issues around them especially as the nation battles the Boko Haram insurgency.
Agunbiade is also worried by the seeming distance between himself and the representatives of the people at both the Ward and local government levels a situation he reasoned does not augur well for the development of his constituency and constituents. Equally of concern to him was the low level of response by his people to the ongoing registration of residents of the state by the state government. Consequently the lawmaker put together a major programme to tackle these three issues at the same time.
The three-in-one programme was to create a platform for collaboration between him and representative of the people within the community, particularly on security and development matters, “that is the Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) that represents the people at the community level.”
It was also meant to sensitize and involve his people in the on-going registration of residents of Lagos state by the Lagos state Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) “so as to let them know that the essence is not for taxation but to know the number of people so as to aid in planning and provision of infrastructure”.
And thirdly to extend to members of the CDAs and CDCS a gesture he started three years ago with market men and women in his constituency, whereby they are given interest free soft loan from the bank to boost their businesses.
The programme tagged, ‘Interactive reception for executive members of CDC and Chairmen of CDA in Ikorodu LG, Ikorodu West and North LCDA’ has as its theme, ‘Imperative of community vigilance, mobilisation and protection in the face of insecurity in the country’.
The Special Adviser to Governor Fashola on Security Matters, Major Tunde Panux gave a lecture on ‘Security challenges/awareness in the country’, while the state Commissioner for Rural Development, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi spoke on ‘Inter-relationship between CDA/CDC and the government’. The Director-General of LASRRA, Ms. Yinka Fashola briefed the people on ‘Lagos residents registration exercise’. The chairman of the occasion was former Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye.
According to Agunbiade, CDAs and CDCs have not only become an integral part of governance in Lagos state they indeed have been formerly recognised as the fourth tear of government in the state through a law passed by the Lagos state House of Assembly.
He, however, regretted that there was no strong collaboration between him and these representatives of the people at the local level. “I see the need for more collaboration between the representatives of the people in government and those within the community. I know what the law passed by the Assembly on CDA and CDC contains, that there should be a lot of collaboration.
“But I discover that a lot of people do not know how to make use of their representatives at the state level yet they complain. I invited the CDCs in the three local councils in my constituency and chairmen of all CDAs; right here now we have over 600 CDAs from the three councils. Most of them when they write letters to government offices they don’t copy me as their representative yet they want the representative to act on it, how would he know? So it is a way to further tell them how best to make use of their representatives for collaboration.
“So it is a way to give them a sense of belonging and extend a hand of fellowship to them as fellow representatives of the people, for us to now start afresh and continue to collaborate on behalf of the people that we all represent. Also the insurgency in the country and the security challenges is something the CDCs and CDAs should take as their primary responsibility (and) we want to bring that home to them. And also to extend to them the gesture I have been using for the market people for the past three years, which is the interest free soft loan. I get the money from the bank, I pay the interest, I redistribute. I have been doing it with the market people, we now feel that the various CDAs should now benefit, that is why I am giving 60 slots to the three CDCs. We hand over the cheque to them and they will help us recoup the money after the due date”, Agunbiade said.
He said he brought the three government officials to speak to his people and further enlighten them on the various areas they spoke on, especially the security duties of CDCs and CDAs and registration of residents.
“So I intend to achieve by this event, more collaboration, more cohesion between the representatives of the people at the local level and myself who is the representative of the people at the state level so that there would be a very good rapport. They have just been elected, there is need to tell them I am there for you, make use of me to get what you want to get from the government because a lot of them do not know how to make use of their representative”, the lawmaker said.
While commending Agunbiade for providing the platform for such meetings in the constituency, “the first of its kind in any constituency”, Ojelabi in his lecture urged the CDC and CDA officials to see their position as an opportunity to contribute to the development of the community. He urged them to be focused and identify their roles at the community level.
“You have a duty to protect and sustain government projects in your various communities and apprehend anyone who either stalls execution of government projects or destroys government properties; you should always render account to the community which contributed money for the execution of some projects as that will encourage them to do more.
“You should partner with the government by putting your request and pressure through your representative at the Assembly, you should also work together with the council chairmen. If you do all these you are helping and assisting the government. You must be proactive so that we can all forge ahead”, the commissioner told CDA and CDC officers.
In his lecture, the security adviser to the governor, Panux told the officials to always assist the police to do their work as security issues have gone beyond the government “our eyes must be opened wide to ensure that we arethe police cannot be everywhere at all times, we must all be the ears and eyes of the police. He advised everybody to use the security lines of 767 and 112 and other phone numbers he gave out at the event in case of any emergency.
“The governor has directed that all the council chairmen must hold monthly security meeting and furnish him with the report which he works on. We must vet all our personnel including our domestic staff. We want proactive actions, we don’t want ugly things to happen or to start taking actions after things happen, be very observant because without security, serenity and peace we cannot do anything reasonable”, Panux said.
In her brief, LASRRA DG, Fashola said registration is for a database that will among other things enhance security in the state. “Through the data we are able to get information that will assist us in fighting crimes and know where there is high rate of unemployment; it also assist us to know what crime prevention measures to adopt in each locality. So our data fits into so many aspects of life; it will help in tackling unemployment, it will help refocus education and type of education being offered. Registration is for everybody, we must all move along together, if you must move forward and move this state forward you must register”, she said.
She disclosed that despite the fact that Ikorodu division is one of the largest in the state it has so far recorded one of the lowest registration figures. “It is not as high as those that have registered in Badagry division and this will tell on provision of infrastructure and other planning for the division,” she said.
While commending Agunbiade for the programme, chairman of the occasion, former Deputy Governor of the state Prince Abiodun Ogunleye said the CDA and CDC members will benefit from the lectures because they are the people that are involved in activities at the community level.
Agunbiade gave out interest free loan of N20,000 each at the event to 60 CDA and CDC members, 20 from each of the three local councils in the constituency and also gave same amount to 50 members of Onward Movement, a non political group meant to boost their businesses. He also gave out cash gift of N50,000 each to Agbede Idi-Orogbo CDA and Ladegboye CDA in Ikorodu central for their developmental strides in 2009 and 2011 respectively.