We congratulate and rejoice with Hon Olufemi Akanbi Okeowo on his victory at the recent Local Government election.
As the second tenure commences soon, posterity as usual, awaits the end of the eighth-year administration. Though adjudging by the first four years of the administration, it is not disappointing, but the administration needs improvements; even infrastructural contributions of the first four years that look impressive should be more promising. By this, the Chairman should look at improving on certain fronts, redirecting approach on some other fronts.
The first on the agenda for the Chairman in his second leg return should be to continue on his listening tendency and improve on his human relations outlook, the first that a public officer does is to wear an unassuming toga and humility because Occupying a foremost position such as the Council Chairman doesn’t make one the most brilliant, so having an attitude of knowing it all, certainly will not allow people come up with suggestions or advises for improvements of ideas but welcoming such and sieving them is strength for the office occupier.
Taking a posture of winner takes it all will even erode some goodwill earned, and even diminish impressions of the achievements of the first tenure.
The people of Ifelodun expect a more forward-looking approach that will translate to more positive changes.
First, a joint agenda would be that both legislative and executive arm should quickly understand that 2027 is a must happen for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and it will not just merely happen by armchair dispensing of instructions to some myopic, selfish lieutenants or tendency like attitude of sidelining some people whose faces the team do not like and later be looking for which tribe to make escape goats in a cheap politics.
2027 Political train had long moved, so realignments that will work should start immediately, not as it happened in the just concluded local government election, where it was a closed ethnic political business. Please, every effort should be made to shun without further delay every iota of ethnic jingoism as electoral victory by hook or crook comes with a task accomplishment, and Hon Okeowo should avoid every attitude of winner takes all and flee impunity, but being fair to the fairest.
The demands of this second term may be more taxing. I mean to be forewarned; the return of the Chairman surpassed political empowerment or superiority stance because he has seen it all. The task ahead is more herculean, especially as it leads to an election year 2027 and more so, Asiwaju will not smile with anybody who would play a role to truncate his 2nd term agenda. The agenda here would be to quickly reconcile election foes, that is, people who may have felt aggrieved or shortchanged at the way the election had happened, and so people with genuine concerns should be embraced. After all, the space and political perks are enormous.
Tribes and groups that feel alienated and yet are willing to join the fray should be accommodated. Sincerely, it is very important to keep away every primordial group and ethnic sentiments far away because of 2027, and this should be frontal, not keeping a wooden-headed political style of delaying it till the election draws near.
More seriously, building on FIRST term achievements would be necessary by churning out programs that will continue to bond and better the lives of Ifelodun residents. This agenda can help the Mayor consolidate on his first tenure achievements, address emerging challenges, and drive sustainable development in Ifelodun.
Primarily, the ounje or food palliative program should be sustained, re-strategized as it is one of the pet signature projects that endeared the first tenure to the hearts of the people, but sincerely making the distribution fair and equitable is utmost as there is no gain saying that the project’s benefit did not arguably reflect on the result of the local government election.
Water and Sanitation is another key area to sustain, but almost half of the previously provided water facilities have been vandalized and non-functional. Enhancing access to cleaner water, sanitation facilities, and waste management services is necessary and should be sustained.
A more sincere and fair support to local businesses will further promote government and communal bond, but not the type that returns to cronies and relatives.
A realistic revisit to the abandoned artisan skill acquisition centre of the previous government should begin immediately, and the centre should be resuscitated for the good of our youths, as it would enhance community development support and continuous engagement.
Efforts should be made to smooth cordiality between the Councilors ( Legislative) of the emerging 6th Assembly and the Executive. Every effort should be made to ensure rascality is completely avoided. They should be allowed to be functional because they have their constitutional roles, and their functioning will bring out the beauty of democracy and justify the huge cost of keeping them rather than making the office look like an empowerment of sorts.
It was indeed discouraging to find out that majority of the Councilors of the 5th Assembly could not explain what they did in the House for the past four years and even more terrifying is to find out that throughout the four years, the Councilors of the 5th Assembly could only enact two byelaws and yet a lot of the members could not remember that and that is the pettiness that results to having time to gossip around.
The Agenda for the Chairman on the 6th Assembly would be to approve training opportunities for them and to allocate constituency projects which will enable them to grip their constituency for the APC, rather than what the 5th Assembly suffered.
This will keep them engaged and out of the pettiness of discussing personal issues on the executive that almost cost a councilor a chance.
On the legislative side, every effort should be made to improve their acts; it should be more open and business-like to commensurate with the public funds expenditure on the House. The Ifelodun constituents should be made abreast with proceeding that concerns them, and on this, the 5th Legislative Assembly is most wanting, as their public hearing are more political activity than legislative business.
Again, the legislators are not cohesive as a body, and that is why discouraging issues that happened on the floor of the House were in the public domain, which made the House split into three separate camps with each carrying their issues outside of their legislative chamber.
To whom much is given, much is expected. Ifelodun people expect more
