Gilbert Ekezie
As the 2021 Local Government Election in Lagos State is drawing closer, political activities are now gathering momentum at the various Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDA), one of the top Chairmanship aspirants in Ifelodun LCDA on the platform of APC and Medical Director of DEETAB Hospital Amukoko, Dr Raphael Oyedun Adeleye, has assured of more people-oriented leadership, promising to continue and improve on the good work of the incumbent, Shuaib Fatai Ajidagba, by giving the people more access to free health mission annually.
Could you tell us more about your background?
I was born at Lagos Island in 1966, but hail from Kwara State. I studied medicine at the University of Benin. Since then, I have been into medical practice. I have also been involved in politics.
Could you relay your political experience and contributions to the Ifelodun locality?
Well, obviously, I have a good knowledge of the political culture of the Ifelodun community, well equipped to assume the pilot position of the LCDA in 2021. I have been supporting APC with my little resources and have been practising politics underneath. In fact, I have been playing an important role of a politician supporting other politicians underneath with my background in the environment because majority of my medical practices have been in this environment. So, I have understudied the political terrain very well and I have been contributing to the progress of APC, with my little resources. And, in the process of doing that I have had interactions with some political leaders. Also, I am privileged to be nominated as the Chairman of the health committee for the Ifelodun LCDA, and that gave me another opportunity to understudy how governance is being run at the local government level, under the present administration led by Honourable Suaib Fatai Ajidagba.
What inspired you to aspire for the number one seat in Ifelodun LCDA?
I would say that my interest is based on various discussions and mind-rubbing with the indigenes to vie for the post, having assessed and found out the important role I am playing in the locality.
What exactly makes you think you stand a better chance to clinch the position?
To the glory of God, I don’t like praising myself, but I think I am closer to the people, I am part and parcel of them, rendering selfless services to them, giving them free medical care, contributing positively to the development of the community, and because of the nature of my job as medical doctor operating within the area, I have had a very close rapport with the majority of them in the course of rendering selfless medical services to them free of charge. So, this really endeared me personally to their hearts and has given me an edge over other aspirants. Presently, I am the patron of one of the local LA Primary Schools in the community and I have been rendering services to the school.”
What do you intend to do if elected chairman?
Certainly, the present administration, Ajidagba has done tremendously well. He has really transformed Ifelodun LCDA into the cynosure of everybody’s eye and based on his pedigree, and in order to be able to sustain this legacy, I am going to continue the good work he is doing, even improve on his outstanding achievements.
Could you state your areas of priority?
One of my areas of priority will be quality education. I will ensure that people have access to free and affordable education at the primary and even the secondary levels within the jurisdiction of the local government. Presently, there is no government owned secondary school in the entire Ifelodun LCDA, so I will liaise with the ministry of education to ensure that at least, one is located in Ifelodun during my tenure. This is one of my targets. Aside that, we hope to improve on the health mission programme. I am going to improve on the programme, increase the number of people who will have access to the free health mission on a yearly basis throughout my tenure by God’s grace, and with the level of infrastructural development that has taken place; other roads that have not been touched, will be given due attention during my tenure.
The youths will be adequately engaged and catered for by engaging consultants, who will be able to introduce them to other areas, where they can be empowered, so that they will not be idle, because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. This I am sure, will help to minimize youths’ restiveness in the community. By doing so, investors can come in to enhance the development of our area. In fact, we want to embark on all these, so that the community continues to witness tremendous development that would make Ifelodun LCDA become a mini Ikoyi in Lagos.