Chairman of Apapa Local Government Area, Hon. Owolabi Elijah Adele has empowered and given grants of #5Million to 100 residents who are into Small Scale businesses in the council.
While some of the business men and women that received the grant got #50,000 each, others got #150,000 each for partnering with the Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund.
Addressing the gathering, Hon. Owolabi Adele who spoke on the rationale behind the grants and empowerments, said those from the vocational centers were given over N10m equipments with the believe that the initiative will help to reduce illiteracy level amongst the youths in apapa.
In a press conference held immediately after the empowerment programme, the honourable chairman explained to journalists cardinal points of his administration’s agenda tagged YESSWHIAT.
Addressing journalists, Hon. Owolabi Adele said in the acronym “YESSWHIAT”.
Y stands for youth & Empowerment while E stands for Education and S stands for Sport,
S for Security and
W for women Empowerment
The chairman further stated that
H represents Health
I stands for Infrastructure while
A Stands Agriculture and
T represents Traffic
Hon. Adele maintained that, he is determined to achieve this agenda, pointing out that there can not be a better time to engage the youths than now, just as he made reference to the aftermath of the #ENDSARS Protest which he attributed to youths restiveness.
The chairman also spoke on projects executed so far by his administration and specifically spoke about the official commissioning of “Oluwole primary health* center.
He said the center has been renamed Senator Adekunle Gunsi primary health center. He pointed out that, the senator is a prominent leader in the local government who is worth the honor due to his years of service and impact to Apapa.
He said the senator had served at both the cooperate sector and in politics and that as a leader, he helped to facilitate 24hrs running of the primary health centre adding that he also helped to provide basic health kits for apapa residents.
Speaking on social welfare, the chairman said stomach infrastructure is key,saying his administration is committed to the welfare of staff and the people in general. ” There is a popular saying, that it is the inner strength that is used to push,We are here today because, we have inner strength,our government got it wrong by attending to infrastructural development though, it key but social welfare is more important”.
Hon.Adele further said,” infrastructural development is our key Cardinal point and the social contract which we have entered into, When you build good road, schools, you build good primary health center, at least,you have scored 70%, for good road, both private and public are going to ply that road, good school, even the children of the rich do not attend that school, they will say within their community, there is good school because, it is something viable”.
On sports, the chairman said, “To curb social vices within our community, state and our nation, all our youths need to be engaged in 9ne sport activity or the other. In the 80s, we normally talk about ” brother Musa” when are talking about table tennis, football,you 5alk about Jay Jay Okocha, Sam Okwaraji, look at what is happening at the National stadium, for more than 10years, we have not seen any active sports participation and this is a gigantic edifice that they are just allowing to be decaying.
He however said , he recently heard the minister of sports saying they are looking at giving it to the private sector for them to provide the fun and train the national team and provide the basic
Sport facilities so that our youths in their leasure, can go there and develop their talents just like what happens in the western world”.
He also commented on the security and traffic situation of Apapa which he said the solution vis not a rocket science insisting that, some people feeding fat on the traffic situation.” As I am talking to you now, we have a place, after series of letters and meeting, like three weeks ago on the 25th of November, we had security and traffic Apapa endowment fund and in attendance are more than 150 corporate organizations where we brainstorm and our committee has been sent to the Lagos State governor in whom we are sure is going to present it to the president. I have made my presentation that Apapa as a whole, just give us an approval to handle this traffic situation, from custain, ijora to ijora, ijora olopa to mile 12, give us 3 months,give us security personnel that are willing and will not compromise the standards,it is going to be a temporary measure,one lane policy while the other lane will be used for commercial business activities, those vehicular movement like commercial vehicle, LT that wants to come in that is community all persengers will use it but at night sometimes, it will be okay in the morning, at night whén those security personnel wants to make their demand, they will just jam-pack the whole road”.
He assured that the capital intensive projects to be embarked upon, will be funded by the local government through their internal generated revenue which he confidently said has been revived for the purpose of delivering good governance.
Reacting on the empowerment programme, the former chairman of the local government area and special assistance to the speaker house of representatives on political matters, hon. Ayodeji Joseph commended the siting chairman, hon. Adele.
He said ,” well, this is not the first time I will be coming for his programme, have always been attending and I must tell you have been very impressed, he’s been doing very well and am very sure he has written his name in gold in the record of Apapa local government area.
Hon. Ayodeji Joseph also adviced the beneficiaries of the grant to use it for the purpose for which they given.
