…God is using us to put smiles on peoples face
Mayor Olufemi Akanbi Okeowo, is the chairman of Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, of Lagos state who has become phenomenal not only in the provisions of infrastructural facilities for the people of the Council but has continued to touch lives and building the bridge of peace among the different religious bodies using the Christmas carol/concert every year. In this interview with The Unique Model magazine, the amiable chairman speaks more on the rationale behind the yearly Christmas carol/concert, the renewed hope agenda of the Federal Government of President Tinubu, and assured Nigerians of a better Nigeria in the New Year.
Excerpts:
Can you introduce yourself sir?
Yes, my name is Mayor Olufemi Akanbi Okeowo, the chairman Ifelodun Local Council Development Area, Lagos.
Sir, is this time of the year where people gather to celebrate the birth of Christ, tell us the significance of the season and why you decided to celebrate it this way?
I decided to celebrate it in this way, because I am very happy to be a part of this, the birth of Jesus Christ gives rise to the season of love that we all are experiencing now. And if you come with me, Ifelodun my Local Council Area is based on love. Ifelodun and Jesus Christ is a symbol of love, and care, so we key into that to bring everybody together, to be our brother’s keepers, to be our neighbor’s friend and to remain in one love in moving our Local Development Council Area forward and also to be at peace with one another.
And a season like this is a season that we feel sufferings of the needy, people that are of less privilege in life. So this is a season that we issue out a lot of helping hands, a lot of supports, a lot of food going around and, this is to mobilize love and care that we are keeping to it, because in doing that, we can bring all our people together. Can you imagine we have more than 30 different churches here, and the different choirs from different denominations?
We are singing in love, we are trying to bring our people together; there is no need for us to strive, there is no need for us to fight, just remain in love, and be at peace with one another.
For many Nigerians, there is no need for Christmas celebration this year because of the state of the economy following the removal of subsidy, do you share this position?
Yes, I have always said this, I mean one government will come one day and wipe out all the wrongs, and will fight all the abnormalities to be right. It takes a lot of courage and resolution to do what is right before God and man, the subsidy all of us know what it is. Nothing but fraud, money shared to few pockets. But now it has been taken off and shared all over the citizens.
The federal government is giving lots of palliatives out, giving salary awards that you can issue out to people. Bonuses, businessmen and women are supported from the subsidy money that is taken out from few pockets of few people. They are now using it to support individual business, entrepreneurs are keying into it to see where they can actually benefit and be doing their business, thereby creating employment, people getting jobs that is what it resolve to it in the end.
There is no gain without pain, we all have to go through this. Initially, it would be rough as we are experiencing now, but I can tell you that we will definitely land safely. And Nigeria will move forward. Nigeria will be better tomorrow and our tomorrow will be better than today.
You see, our today is better than our yesterday, so I can assure you that the subsidy money is being redirected to use on business aspect of the economy. I am feeling it, you are feeling it, if you don’t feel it today, you will feel it tomorrow. And I am very sure and positive that a good decision taken by the Federal Government led by President Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu is yielding positively. So that is my take on that one.
What message do you have for Ifelodun people and the congregation?
Yes, we are just starting, it is a government of the people and for the people, it’s not my government, and we are doing things for ourselves. We feel the pains of our people, we are still doing our best for them, God is using us to put smiles on peoples face, we will do more in construction, in health, we are there, in education we are there, and in everything we are touching people, and we are lifting Ifelodun higher and higher.
As I said, we are keying into Babajide Sanwo – Olu’s programme, THEMES agenda that we are applying here and we are to touch every aspect of that agenda, so I am very sure and positive with all these for our people, the sky will not limit us.