love for children singles Lagos LGA Chairman out

 By Ezurike Ugochukwu

 Hon. Mrs Ramotalai Olariwaju Akinola-Hassan, the Executive Chairman, Oriade Local Council Development Area’s(LCDA) love for children which has earned her ‘Mama’ among the children in the area goes to say the least.

It is for the show of Love that the chairman kicked off the distribution of school uniforms, sandals and exercise books to pupils of the 21 primary schools in the area.

The amiable ‘Mama” as she was fondly and largely hailed by the children as she makes her way into the school compound, housing four schools of: Satellite Primary School 1&2 and Ijegun- Egba Nursery and Primary School 1&2 last Tuesday.

The over-joyed children sang, danced to music vibes to praise God as well as appreciate the warm-heartedness of the virtuous mama whose love for children knows no bounds.

Being cladded in the school uniform, dipicts her level of humility even as she looked elegant in the dress.

All her show of love to children, the amiable chairman ascribed to direction by God Almighty, stating that all her actions are by His dictate, even as she emphasized that seeing children going and coming back from school in tattered clothes as school uniform always cause her nightmare.

She said, “we are distributing school uniforms, books and sandals to the 21 primary schools in our LCDA, we are giving out 350 pairs to each school for now, schools that are more populated, we will later give them more. We are not unmindful of the fact that some schools have over 800 pupils.

“I have been doing this even before I became the local government Chairman, when I was in the House of Assembly, I sowed uniform for nine primary schools in my constituency, 50 for each of the schools,100 for the riverine areas.  For Ibeshe, I gave 150.

She unequivocally stated that the children seen today are the leaders of tomorrow, that the best legacy they need to grow is nothing but education, encouraging the pupils to take advantage of the educational materials given them to excel.

The chairperson who formerly represented Amuwo/Odofin II Constituency between 2011 to 2015 at the Lagos state House of Assembly said her administration has done a lot for her people and still wish to cover more mileage, “the more it comes to my mind, the more we embark on them, because I work in spirit,” she said.

For the highly elated Vice Chairman of the LCDA, Hon. Badmus Moshood Olanrewaju who doubles as the Supervisory Councilor for Education, his joy knew no bounds as most of the promises made to the electorate by their administration are being fulfilled.

On sustainability of programmes by successive administrations such as giving out educational materials to school children, he said so long as APC is in power in Lagos, the programmes would be sustained, saying they are in the manifesto of the party.

“these programmes cannot snappishly be stopped in Lagos state, it could rather get better. Since 1999 the APC came on board under our leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the govt of Lagos State has been paying WAEC fees of public schools, the local government has been giving free JAMB forms, free GCE and free exercise books.

We have just shared free mathematical sets, free sandals and free uniform.

On overcrowded classrooms in most schools in the area, especially the Satellite Town and Ijegun- Egba schools in the area, the Supervisory Councilor said plans are on the way to erect more buildings to decongest the classes in the school.

Speaking also during the distribution exercise, Hon. Kasali Abiodun, Leader of the Oriade Council’s Legislative Arm showered praises on the Chairman for her religious implementation of the party’s manifesto and fiscal responsibility.

The House Leader gave commendation to the chairman for implementing the budget as passed by the legislature, as he assured for more cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature.

The cordiality in the LCDA has given rise to the rapid development in the area, he said, “We carry out laws that engender development of our communities. there is no way these children will get home today with what we have given them their parents and people around them will not be happy, that is democracy in action”

Adeyemi Adebola, who is the Council manager, Head of Departments, said the educational materials being given out are part of the promises made by the chairman during her electioneering campaign in 2017.

He expressed satisfaction that as she tries to change the face of education in the area, she is also working on infrastructure

“the executive chairman is giving out educational materials to 21 primary schools in Oriade especially to needy pupils. Her developmental impacts are being felt on all roads, drainages, bridges both in the riverine and mainland of our LCDA. A lot of funds are required as you can see, our area is along the coastal line.

” we have continued to make our appeal to Governor Babajide Sonwo-Olu, to come to our aid, as the activities of the 14 tank farms and the over 4 container terminals located in this area have brought untold hardship on our people, our roads are in terrible bad shape.

“Our council does not have such resources to embark on this multi-billion-naira project, the activities of these companies no doubt rubs-off positively on the GDP of the state,” he stated.

However, Tunde Lateef Sansa, HOD, Education of the council said even though the standard of education in the country in its entirety is at a low ebb, the council boss is doing all within her reach to raise the bar.

He said, “I have not seen any other chairman in the state that can match my chairman, quote me, during the lockdown occasioned by the global Covid -19 pandemic, we all saw how every household was taken care of, her record is peerless.”

He called on Nigerian leaders to imbibe the habit of sustaining laudable programmes started by their predecessors, determined to finish them rather than embarking on new once that often do not have any impact on the people.

“There should be long term plans at all times by governments which successive governments would key into to bring about development.

“Until we take away party sentiment on policies, we may be far from getting it right. Let us jettison party differences and look unto sustaining good policies, throw away APC, PDP syndrome in nation building.

The new uniform given to the students by the LCDA chairperson will go a long way to stimulate academic interest in greater number of the pupils according to the Director of Education, and Head Teacher, Satellite Nursery and Primary School 1, Oriade  Ms Adegbemile Mujere Kehinde.

She showered praises on the chairperson for always putting interest of children first in all her policies, she prayed, “mere looking at some of them and the situation of the country today, you would notice that greater number of them come to school in rags, I think she saw all these and decided to come and change their uniform by extension their mind set.

“You can see the children are happy and we the teachers are happy too, by tomorrow those that are not here today will come, primarily to receive their own share. The almighty Allah will bless this LCDA, the Chairman and her team for us,”

The head teacher of Ijegun-Egba Nursery and Primary School,

said the administration is really on course, they know what the people want.

She advised the pupils to explore the advantage of the new uniform given them to cultivate the habit of coming out neatly and smartly to school as a virtue, she however stated plans by the school authority to send letters to the parents of the pupils.

The letter will inform them of the new uniform gift and remind them of their duty to encourage and assist their children to take good care of their uniforms; washing them as often as necessary, take care of their sandals and make good use of the books given them.

The head teacher further stated, ”I so much appreciate this government, they are doing wonderfully well.”

For Ms Olayinka Jimoh, a teacher at Satellite Town Primary School, the gesture of the chairman has gone along way to boost the psych of the pupils especially seeing the chairman dress in the same uniform with them.

“this is not her first time of doing this for the children, our father in heaven will bless her abundantly for this path she has chosen to tow.”

Ms. Jimoh however called on the authorities to provide the school with electricity to aid in the pumping of water, provide visual learning guides to the nursery pupils, provide fans to make the classrooms conducive for learning and build more classrooms to decongest the already congested classrooms.

Three pupils of the satellite Town Primary school – Pius Ishaat, Abdulraman Abdurasak and Eunice Kinsley all of basic six prayed God to bless Mama chairman who has deemed it fit to think of their welfare, to make them look like other children and for relieving their parents from the worries of getting them school uniform.

Ishaat thanked God for making them partakers of this gesture of the Chairman, Abdulrasak was joyful that the Chairman has given them sense of belonging and renewed their confidence, whereas Kinsley prayed for the chairman’s victory at the LGA election in the state coming up next year,

“her victory in the next election is guaranteed by God’s Grace. she shall live to see her grand and great grandchildren, and God in his infinite mercy shall bless our teachers,” the pupils prayed

The benefiting schools are, Central Primary School, Kirikiri; Ijegun Primary School 1&2; Satellite Town; Kuje Amuwo Primary School; LA Primary School, Ibassa; LA Primary School Ibeshe S/B; LA. Primary School Ilase Sand/Beach, LA Primary School Ilase, Town; Oyewole Primary School 1&2, Maza- Maza.

Others are; Navy Town Primary School 1&2, Navy Town; LA Primary School, Muwo Tedi; LA Primary School Kirikiri 1&2; Olumole Primary School, Oluti and others.