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Ayo Ola
A social commentator, Stanley Inyang, has described the immediate Chairman of Surulere Local Government, Hon. Tajudeen Ajide, as a politician who has the interest of the people at heart.
He stated that Ajide’s view of a political office is that of a place of service to the people and nothing more.
According to him, the politician had demonstrated this in his two tenures as Chairman of Surulere Local Government Council.
Inyang made his view known through a statement titled, “Tajudeen Ajide: A man with the mix.”
Inyang who is also a journalist and a filmmaker wrote: “Without ambiguity, the level of determination a government goes into power with, however, depends on how much it was prepared for the task of governance before taking it up. Quality leadership does not come by happenstance or bequeathed on someone by providence. It is by sheer preparation. Therefore, it is important for one to be prepared and fully equipped for a political office. There must be conscious preparation to set up a blueprint and also to figure out a strategic approach to achieve the same. It must be in tandem with the demands of the people. This preparatory trajectory helps the leader to set and achieve desired goals with ease – this is an apt summary of Hon. Tajudeen Ajide, the immediate past chairman of Surulere Local Government.
“However, writing about Hon. Tajudeen Ajide is always exhilarating, as well as tumultuous to me. Exhilarating because he has left imprints on the sands of time that have consciously spoken volumes of his rare disposition in politics, governance, philanthropy, social life, etc. Tumultuous because he is the most haunted chairman in Surulere Local government’s history. While others view the political office as a platform to amaze wealth and for personal aggrandizement; Ajide has cut an entirely different path – his view of a political office is that of a place of service to the people and nothing more.
“He has demonstrated this in his two tenures as chairman of Surulere Local Government which attracted a heap of encomium across the nooks and crannies of the country on him through myriads of awards he had received while in office and after he had left office. No wonder he has been perceived by many as a Cat with Nine Lives, having survived many attempts to oust him from office by the councilors for refusing to divert money meant for infrastructural development of the community to them, but others see him as an enigma, a trailblazer, a technocrat, a gentleman with a spotless mien, etc.
“Though these descriptions are a true reflection of his disposition but they have not, in reality, captured the acuity of this character persona named Ajide, christened as ‘Omigborotiti’. I will sum it all by saying that Ajide is a servant leader – extraordinaire, juxtaposed with a high level of sagacity, deep intellectual acumen; above all exudes true character comeliness. These, in a nutshell, explain why he was able to dot the aisle of Surulere Local Government with myriads of infrastructure and legacy projects that stand tall like leviathan for even the blind to see, capped with human capital development, nevertheless the oppositions with which he had to contend.
“Like or abhor this rare personality, Ajide certainly deserves his place of pride in the rollcall of selfless leaders in Lagos State and Nigeria at large. He gets commendable remarks for his rare show of servant leadership, even within and outside his political class. As he rightly inferred, the quest to serve prodded him to seek political office. “I was elected to serve the people and I must be seen doing just that”, he harangued on a certain occasion.
“One of the prime leadership traits of Ajide is that he listens and shows empathy to his followers when needed. Focused, dogged, shrewd, and result-oriented, are the métiers that have stood him out from the crowd and also patent in the delivery of quality, legacy projects in his tenures. Also, Ajide works as much as he engages himself in positive and critical thinking. He prefers a quiet ambiance in asceticism than a space brimming with unruly roisterers. At any time, his drive is to bring about the ‘greatest good for the greatest number’ of the Surulere populace.:
He added, “Equally, Hon. Ajide is a grassroots politician, easily accessible, and responsive to the yearnings of his constituents. He literally has no office space while his homestead is a Mecca of sort for politicians, friends, and foes alike.
“Before going further to write about this rare individual, it is imperative to give an insight into Surulere Local Government Omigborotiti had met on the ground for you to appreciate his rare leadership deftness which culminated in the quality of infrastructure he had built to calibrate the present Surulere Local Government.
“Surulere Local Government is acknowledged as the heart of Lagos State. The reason is not far–fetched. Most of the national symbols are located in Surulere– some of them are National Theatre, National Stadium, National Population Commission, etc. These symbols created a beehive of activities in Surulere (Economically and socially) which eventually emerged as one of the hubs of social life in Lagos State and Nigeria. Surulere Local Government also housed Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos State Sporting complex.
“When you also talk about Surulere, you talk about Jotina Guest House where Dimka had gone to hide after he had murdered Murtala Mohammed, the then Head of State of Nigeria in a coup. Surulere also housed one of the first quarters in which the British had lived in the days of colonization after Nigeria’s capital was moved from Calabar to Lagos. It is also worthy of note that Surulere streets used to simmer at night, as streetlights provided illumination to further give aesthetics to the ecstatic topography of the place. In fact, it was said in those days that if you have been to Lagos State, and you have not been to Surulere, then you have not been to Lagos State at all. Surulere was the desire of everyone, as well as the cynosure of all eyes.
“However, the place suddenly lost its pride and ceased to attract people from all walks of life to it due to the decay in infrastructure caused by years of neglect of previous administrations of Surulere Local Government. The roads were in deplorable state, Akerele Health Centre; its only legacy and healthcare facility was left to rot, the school system had collapsed due to decay in infrastructure, the markets were in makeshifts, flooding became perennial due to blocked drains and canals, insecurity loomed over the place due to incessant clashes of cult groups that left tears and blood; the list is endless. These, in a nutshell, caused many businesses to relocate to the Island. Nightlife was put to abrupt end. Surulere then became a ghost town at night. The ruins of Surulere raised a serious concern among its residents, who reviled a local government that had fallen from grace to grass. Therefore, the task of cleaning the rots of Surulere became imperative. But who can do the job, was the question that had wagged on the mouth of many residents, bearing in mind that many leaders have been on the saddle yet had no erudition or capacity to restore Surulere to its past glory.
“However, there emerged someone with rare leadership prowess to salvage the lots of Surulere and return it to its past glory in 2011. He is none other than Hon. Tajudeen Ajide alias Omigborotiti. Immediately Ajide got into office, he set the machinery in motion to reposition Surulere local government. One of the areas that needed immediate critical intervention was road. It is on record that Ajide constructed over 30 roads in his first tenure. He rehabilitated most of the primary schools to make learning convenient to pupils. He also provided school bags and books to the pupils, as well as teaching aids to the teachers. He created Vocational Training Centre for skills acquisition and also empowered those who graduated from the school with equipment and startup capital to ease the burden of unemployment and youth restiveness. He also contributed immensely to the development of sports, particularly football in the local government since he is an ex–footballer, who had plied his trade with the national team before taking his foray in politics– this explains why the issue of insecurity was quickly addressed, business owners returned to Surulere and nightlife picked up in full gear.
“While celebrating his success story, it is imperative to state unequivocally that Ajide had achieved all these with a lean purse. Everyone knows that Surulere Local Government’s allocation is shared among 3 local councils – Surulere Local Government, Itire/Ikate and Coker/ Aguda Local Council Development Areas since the latter two are not recognized by the federal government. So, the task of building critical infrastructure, aside running overhead cost was daunting, as well as thought-provoking. He restructured the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) system to attract better revenue to the council. Without mincing words, people can emphatically say that it is Ajide that repositioned Surulere to what it is, presently. The better part of it is that he achieved all without borrowing a dime from anybody or the bank. While other chairmen across the country were using their allowances to acquire choice houses and automobiles for themselves, Ajide had denied himself such luxury but used same to build infrastructure in the local government. His leadership disposition is an infallible proof that Ajide had been well prepared for leadership long before he took his foray into politics. He did not gatecrash into leadership like his contemporaries, which is the bane of poor leadership, and its attendant effects are evident on the people, who are living at life’s lowest ebb.”
Inyang further wrote: “Ajide also had his murky waters in which to swim while in his first tenure, and consequently his second tenure. He was terribly hounded for refusing to use the local government’s patrimony for a rendezvous but for the intended purpose. Unfounded petitions bordering on financial misappropriation and abuse of office were written against him to the state assembly.
“For this reason, Ajide was suspended by the state assembly to investigate the allegations leveled against him. The then state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola had set up a Panel of Enquiry to investigate the matter. The panel members were in Surulere on a fact– finding mission and were shocked to marrow by the massive infrastructure Ajide had built. Some thugs were hired by his political enemies to boo Ajide while taking the team round the council to show them his achievements. This was done on the premise of giving the team an impression that Ajide has been rejected by the people due to the unfounded stories that they had bandied about him. Like the old adage says, “one cannot hide the truth for too long, no matter how much it has been embellished.” “The Panel’s report absolved Ajide of all wrongdoings after the petitions were found to be wrongly routed by his political enemies and was reinstated to his former position by the state assembly. He served meritoriously and completed his first tenure with legacy projects that speak volumes of his stewardship to the people. This conscripted plot of his political enemies resurfaced in his second tenure but Ajide came out with his shoulders high because his hands were clean.
“It is imperative to understand that Ajide’s second tenure, especially the primary was histrionic in the sense that some political camps were of the opinion that he (Ajide) will not secure the party’s ticket to return to office for the second time due to how haunted he was by his close allies in his first tenure.
“Ajide had led an armistice to his political foes, including giving them money to mollify them yet they would not relinquish their bellicosity against him. The sucker punch is that Ajide pulled a string to get the ticket unopposed, and it sent whiskers down the spine of his enemies, including their godfather, who had artfully schemed to scuttle his chances of getting the ticket – this is the tenacity Ajide is endowed with, which many are unaware of. His gentleman disposition has often placed him at a disadvantage on the surface but inwardly, he is a political tactician and a lobbyist, imbued with capacity to prognosticate into the future and make adequate plan to manage the outcomes yet come out strong.
“However, it is on record that Ajide got re–elected on a landslide victory at the polls in 2017, breaking record to become the first chairman of Surulere Local Government to be elected into office for the second time. This was an overwhelming demonstration of his popularity and acceptance by the people based on the track record he had set in his first tenure. It is no naysaying that Ajide’s generosity is a force of attraction to his people. A quality that will make observers to liken him to the proverbial earthen pot that is scarcely short of water for many to quench their thirst. Since he came into office, Ajide has played politics of inclusion while also displaying an aptitude to forgive even the most egregious sins against him. He is kind to everyone, not the least his traducers, who rejoiced at the cruelty meted out to him. As if the attack on Ajide was not enough, his opponents would brazenly attempt to change the narrative that he (Ajide) fell on his own sword. “They painted the victim as the aggressor, claiming he (Ajide) wrongly hit himself with the same amulet he intended to use on his aggressors. Given the human nature, not many victims of such encounter will easily let go. But Ajide did. After his inauguration, Ajide was seen to have led an armistice and genuinely forgiven everyone suspected to a hand in his travail. Hon. Ajide’s forbearance has left some witnesses and others, who later found out the truth, bewildered. Though the conspiracy theory was aimed at emasculating Ajide politically, it however produced reflex imports. Not only did the experience reinforce his drive to serve meritoriously, his itineraries in office put a new face to Surulere politics and consequently grassroots governance.
Imbued with a blueprint of what he was going to do and being already prepared and equipped for leadership, Ajide went ahead to construct over 45 standard roads with standard drainages in his second tenure, a feat no local government chairman in Nigeria has ever achieved.
“He also built a standard Customary Court at Benson Street, Surulere. From the rots of over 50 years old Customary Court sprung the imposing modern edifice, replete with administrative offices, a holding room and spacious premises with interlocking paving stones worth millions of naira. Hon. Ajide also refurbished and equipped the Legislative Chamber of the council to make the legislators effective and efficient in discharging their statutory duties. Also, the health of constituents was a priority of the Ajide- led administration.
“Many residents, including women, men, children, and the aged benefitted from series of medical services either by missions or supported by the administration. Such interventions include periodic child immunization programmes, free general medical checkups, free eye check and donation of eye glasses, drugs, etc. Ajide had also done well in the educational sector. Some of his achievements include training and retraining of teachers for effective performance, providing materials and kits to pupils and students to encourage learning, broken down facilities were fixed; one of such is the Obele Primary School, Lawanson, which damaged roofs were replaced, provided inner and outer premises of New Era Girls Secondary School with interlocking paving stones to combat flooding and also for easy mobility and comfort of students.
“Also, students with special needs like the Bethesda School for the Blind were being attended to. In fact, Hon. Ajide gave the school its present location, and has ensured that it is not evicted from there. At different occasions, Hon. Ajide donated materials and money for the running of the special school; the list of Ajide’s achievements in education is endless. Ajide also pulled down the ruins of what appeared like the Akerele Health Centre and built a world class healthcare facility that has attracted all and sundry to behold its cenotaphic grandeur.
“The Akerele Health Centre is acknowledged by experts as a one stop, topnotch healthcare facility in Surulere and across Lagos State, designed to provide critical healthcare services to the residents of Surulere and its environs. It is established to alleviate the suffering of the residents at Randle General Hospital, Randle Avenue, Surulere, Lagos that is already congested, with a shortfall of personnel and unable to address the concerns of many patients, who throng into the facility on a daily basis. The premise of the facility is to bridge the gap and to provide succor to the people. The Health Centre is fitted with state- of- the- art facility to address critical healthcare like minor surgery, diagnosis, consultancy, general medicine, maternity and pediatric services, etc. There are patient wards with about one hundred and fifty bed capacity and a doctors’ resident. It is on record that Ajide built the facility when Coronavirus pandemic had crippled many economies of the world. While many local governments in the country were struggling to roll out palliatives to the people to cushion the effect of the pandemic, Ajide was building the healthcare facility, roads, as well as rolling out palliatives to the people without borrowing a dime from anybody or the bank– this is an evidence of a man who has prepared and fully equipped himself for leadership.
“However, Ajide has set a benchmark for leadership in Surulere and the nation at large. The people of Surulere will no longer tolerate incompetence and wastage of revenue by any leader. By the benchmark Ajide has set, leaders in Surulere can be evaluated on the basis of their performance – this could not have been possible if Ajide was not prepared to change the ugly narrative of Surulere and write its name in the annals of history. His achievements, however, have accentuated the mix in Ajide’s idiosyncrasy, not only as a great servant leader, a thoroughbred politician, sagacious in nature, focused, dogged but also committed to the archetypes of leadership in sane climes that shaped his orientation about politics and governance.”
© Stanley Inyang is a journalist and a filmmaker; he writes from Ikorodu, Lagos State.
