By Adeyemi Adeleye

The Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Friday unveiled a remodelled council secretariat and network of roads.

 

Inaugurating the edifice, the Principal Secretary to President Bola Tinubu, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, emphasised the need for purposeful grassroots governance that lifts the downtrodden.

 

Muri-Okunola, who was represented by Dr Kolawole Peregrino, the General Manager, Lagos State Printing Corporation (LSPC), praised the LCDA Chairman, Mr Fuad Atanda-Lawal, for his impactful leadership,saying he was a blessing to the people of the area.

 

“It is an honour for me to return to Ikoyi-Obalende, a place that shaped so much of where I am here today.

 

“This is not just inauguration of a building, we are witnessing the ultimate manifestation of what is possible when leadership is grounded in purpose, people and progress.

 

“But that is not all we celebrate today, we are also inaugurating a network of vital roads all in Ikoyi that connect communities and businesses,” Muri-Okunola said.

 

He added that the roads were not just physical assets, but economic, social, and civil assets that would serve as catalysts for the transformation of the area.

 

“These are not just infrastructure projects ,but the instruments of transformation,” he added.

 

According to him, Fuad has, in the past eight years, demonstrated courage, consistency, and a commitment to excellence.

 

“You are redefining the boundaries of local governance.

 

“This single transformation, this newly transformed secretariat, has proven to be not just modern structure, it is a symbol of a new social contract between the government and its people.

 

“A space built for performance and efficiency. Let it be known to all, this is what legacy looks like.

 

“Today we celebrate an administration that has left its mark. One that has not only kept its promises, but has pulled away for even greater achievements,” he said.

 

 

 

Advising the Chairman-elect, Mr Bola Oladunjoye, Muri-Okunola said, “the work ahead is clear.

 

“You are standing on strong shoulders, and with that comes the responsibility to sustain, to deepen, and to innovate even further.

 

“Let it be a new standard for what is possible when vision meets execution.”

 

Nothing that the outgoing chairman had done his best, Muri-Okunola urged the incoming chairman not to disappoint the party and the people.

 

Earlier in his welcome address, Atanda-Lawal, appreciated those who made governance and execution of various initiatives easy for his administration.

 

He said his team had to inconvenience themselves to please the people of the council and in order to deliver transformative governance in the area.

 

“We knew how this place was before. It was built as an area office and was abandoned for a very long time, up until when the council was relocated from Glover down to this place.

 

“This is not something that we are doing for ourselves, it is something that we are doing for the incoming administration, because we understand what it is to serve the people.

 

“So, today is a deeply personal one for me, not just because we are unveiling the modern secretariat, but because this moment marks the final chapter of our eight-year journey that we are privileged to lead.

 

“Eight years ago, I walked into this building as chairman for the very first time with a clarity of mind and a sense of purpose.

 

“Purpose rooted in service, in sacrifice, and in a deep belief that local government can and should work for the benefit of the people,” Atanda-Lawal said.

 

According to him, the building is his final message to the people of the Ikoyi-Obalende that he came, saw, served, and built.

 

“”So today, as I stand here for the last time in this capacity as the chairman, I don’t just leave behind a remodeled building, I leave behind a structure that speaks;a functional edifice that represents progress,

 

“This project is one with new facilities, a proper elevator, and a work environment that matches the quality of service our people deserve,” he added.

 

He said that the inauguration of reconstructed Oluwa Road, Maitama Sule Road and other roads in Ikoyi remained a testament of his resolve to leave behind a better Ikoyi-Obalende.

 

Speaking, Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, member representing Eti-Osa 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, who applauded Atanda-Lawal for making everyone proud, said the outgoing chairman had made Eti-Osa constituency a reference point in impactful grassroots governance.

 

Also, the Chairman of LASACO Assurance Plc, Mrs Olateju Philips, said that the outgoing chairman’s experience in the corporate world prepared him for impact at the council. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bolaji Buhari