A former Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary, Somolu Local Government, Mr Abiodun Orekoya says he’s ready to engage ‘agberos’ and ‘area boys’ otherwise known as miscreants in the constituency to improve the security if elected in 2023.
Orekoya made the pledge on Wednesday while officially declaring ambition to vie for Somolu Constituency I seat in the Lagos State House of Assembly in the 2023 general elections.
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Orekoya, who is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), told newsmen during his declaration at Agunbiade Primary School, Somolu, that his focus was to address security through education.
“The basic thing is to sit them down and talk to them. When I was on board, I called all of them into a meeting, I sat down with them and discussed with them, and they were able to comport themselves.
“We need to bring them into a round-table, we cannot throw them away, they are part of us and there is nothing we can do about that.
“The only thing we can do is to call them to a round-table. Many of them are sensible, So, we need to get them.engaged,” Orekoya said
Promising to take Somolu to a higher height through peaceful atmosphere, Orekoya noted that there was no other sustainable empowerment of people than education.
He said that if given the opportunity to represent the people of Somolu, he would lobby his colleagues on legislation to provide qualitative and compulsory education for all children.
” It is something we are all going to look at together using education. Most of the boys that are involved in this menace are school aged children.
“We need to make our primary and secondary education free and compulsory; not just free but must be compulsory like we have in developed countries.
“We don’t see children of school age roaming about there. We must get our children properly educated. When they are educated, the issue of insecurity will be a small thing,” he added.
“We want to get our youths out of the street. Many of them get into drugs because they don’t have anything to do,” he said.
Calling for support, Orekoya pledged to provide quality representation that would end some of the night mares being faced by residents.
Also speaking, Mr Dayo Adefuye, an APC party leader in the constituency commended Orekoya for his record of sacrificial service, saying the aspirant knew how to talk to the youths and engaged them.
Adefuye, who described Orekoya as trustworthy leader that knows where shoes pinch, said:”We look up to him for the change we are desiring in Somolu”.
Mr Adedapo Oduduwa, the Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Somolu Local Government, said that the council needed people who understood the challenge of the local government especially the problem of flooding.
Oduduwa advocated community Policing to address the current trend of insecurity, saying “the number of security personnel is rather too small.”.
Hundreds of party faithful and leaders thronged after the aspirant in support of his aspiration.
