By Damilola Kushimo
One of the councillorship aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Apena Ward of Isolo LCDA, Isiaq Oladimeji Shonubi, who is popularly known as IOS, has explained that he is aspiring for the post to restore the hopes of the people in the community.
Shonubi complained that in the last few years, the community has experienced little growth in the area of development as he claimed that the incumbent councillor who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Remy Shittu Remy, has failed to deliver on his campaign promises which include qualitative representation and facilitation of infrastructural and human capital developments into the community.
He said the incumbent councillor who doubles as the council leader failed to effectively maximise opportunities.
He explained that Remy enjoyed the support of the defunct Ago Progressive Youths Forum to win the election in 2017 just as he got the Forum’s endorsement in 2014 when he lost out in the party primaries.
He said since he got elected, he has not lived up to expectations of residents of the community as he has failed to deliver on the various promises he made, this which has inspired him to put himself forward in order to restore the hopes of the masses.
According to him, part of his mission is to facilitate a public primary school into the community and the modernise the primary health care centre.
He promised to facilitate various empowerment programmes for all and sundry in the community.
His words: “When there is a will there is always a way. Unavailability of land shouldn’t stop the plan of providing for needed development. You should think outside the box. There are local council lands within Ago-Okota that could have been used for such a purpose. The market in Olusesi that was recently renovated could have been transformed into school.
“There are lots of land in Ago that are government-owned. Even if we need to purchase land we will because there is no price for education and health. I think the outgoing chairman didn’t get enough disturbance from our councillors about the project. If elected, I will speak with the chairman and will work hand in hand with him to make sure he prioritises the needed projects.
“Part of my agenda is to regularly have a town hall meeting with my people as it should be to make sure that their interests are well represented. We will have various empowerment programmes on sports, entertainment, skill acquisition. We will also explore the various ways we can put an end to the perennial floods we experience in this community. All these are practicable and achievable with God on our side as well as my political clout.”
Though it is rumoured that Remy, who is the leader of the council and also the deputy chairman of Lagos State Councillors Forum, is contesting for chairmanship, Shonubi boasted to have upper hand should Remy decide to re-contest for councillorship, stressing that he has the figures as he agitated for transparent election.
