Oladipupo Oluwoloni Becomes New Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA Chairman
Kehinde Adeleye
The leadership vacuum in the Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, created by the recent passing of its chairman, has been filled. On Thursday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appointed the council’s Vice Chairman, Hon. Oladipupo Oluwoloni, to assume the role of substantive chairman.
Oluwoloni took the oath of office during a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Alausa.
The appointment comes approximately two weeks after the death of the late chairman, Mrs. Bola Shobowale, who served the residents of the council until her final days, battling a prolonged illness.
Governor Sanwo-Olu commended Shobowale’s leadership legacy, praising her as “a woman of substance who served the people diligently.”
He further urged Oluwoloni to sustain the governance reforms initiated by his predecessor and expressed confidence in the new chairman’s ability to lead the council effectively.
He said: “Today, we are witnessing the swearing-in of Hon. Oladipupo Oluwaloni as a new chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA. This occasion is to fulfill the constitutional responsibility, which is to ensure that vacuum is not created by the demise of the former chairman, Mrs Bola Shobowale, who died recently. This statutory fulfillment will ensure governance continuity in the LCDA.
“The new chairman is no stranger to the council. His appointment is a testament to the confidence that the Government and people of the council has in his ability to lead. As he assumes this important responsibility, I urge him to govern with fairness, transparency and a deep sense of service to the people.
“The late chairman was a leader of substance who served the people of Ayobo Ipaja LCDA with diligence. Her unwavering dedication and commitment to grassroots development will not be forgotten. We owe it to her memories to sustain the legacy projects she started. By swearing in a new chairman today, the development agenda being implemented in the council will now be carried forward.”
Sanwo-Olu pledged that his administration would continue to work with the council leadership to fulfil his Government’s promises to citizens in the area. He said Local Government remained the closest tier to the grassroots, charging the new chairman to focus on initiatives that would enhance grassroots development, improve service delivery and uplift the standard of living of the residents.
The Governor also urged Oluwaloni to form a strong bond with stakeholders in the council, including political leaders and grassroots support groups, to accelerate governance.
He said: “Local Government is the closest tier of government to the people. It is the foundation upon which the structure of good governance is built. I, therefore, charge the new chairman to focus on initiatives that will enhance grassroots development, improve service delivery and uplift the standard of living of the residents.
Foster cooperation and relationships with various grassroots stakeholders, including the political leaders and traditional rulers. I trust that under this new leadership, the LCDA will witness accelerated progress and transformation.”
Oluwaloni, who took the oath in company of his wife, pledged to consolidate on the legacy of his predecessor, noting that his administration would focus on infrastructural renewal to drive more socio-economic growth in the council.
