OGHA 2019: GGF host SPN, ANN and APM candidates

Good Guidance Forum, GGF, a non partisan community based organization organized a civic engagement programme in order to interact with candidates vying to represent Ifo constituency II at Ogun State House of Assembly and to listen to their manifestos.

The event which had people from all walks of life in the community took place on Sunday, 10th of February, 2019 at Idi Osan.

The Secretary of GGF, Mr Lawal while addressing the gathering said the forum was established in order to liberate the community from neglection, adding that the basis of GGF is to develop their community and as a force to reckon with.

The candidate of Solicialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto in his speech said he is delighted that the masses are now ready to emancipate themselves from the capitalists and commended GGF for a well done job. He then admonished the electorates to send reliable person to represent them at Ogun State House of Assembly, adding that he will start his developmental struggle from budget preparation. He said if dialogue fails, he will come back to the constituency to mobilize people and community leaders to the House of Assembly for protest. He also mentioned his four (4) cardinal programmes, which are; road, education, health and job creation.

Soweto also said, if elected, all road projects will be handled by Public Works Department, claiming that this will make project cheaper. He also said his political party did not support privatization, saying SPN is one of the bodies that kicked against privatization of NEPA 5 years ago.

The Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) candidate, Hon Akeem Oluwamayowa Ogunkoya aka Utility Mayor in his speech said by God’s grace he will emerge winner in the forthcoming election. “Ogun State should have the best roads in the whole of Nigeria because it has 5 out of 6 basic materials used to construct roads, which are bitumen, limestone, granite, iron, sand and water. Out of the 6 materials, is only iron we don’t have in Ogun State. If elected, I will be organizing scholarship programme and free holiday coaching for students in the constituency, he added.”

Akeem, a Microwave Engineer also highlighted his programme, which are health care, women empowerment and senior citizens care, agriculture and food policy, transportation workers intervention project as well as sustainable waste management.

The Allied People’s Movement (APM) candidate, Hon Ganiyu Alani Oyedeji aka GOCO, who is currently representing Ifo constituency II at Ogun State House of Assembly came late to the meeting, he arrived around 8:30 pm when other candidates and the electorates had left the scene. He however met some leaders of GGF on seat.

The leaders of GGF who couldn’t hide their feelings said the Hon did not represent their community well at the House of Assembly, adding that they didn’t enjoy any dividend of democracy in their community.

GOCO while responding to the allegations first of first apologize for coming late, saying he is coming from a meeting in Abeokuta. He then commended GGF for a well done job.

“I feel your pains because I also reside in the community, Akera in Agbado to be precise. Like any other community person, I also share the same experience. Just like any other person here, what do I desire from government? I just want good roads, electricity, hospital and all those things. But Haven been there in the last 3 years, the question is that, why is it that this expectations have not come to pass? But what we discovered is that there are some basic things that we suppose to have as foundation in the state that the previous administration did not do. Lack of continuity is the major problem in Ogun State.”

On Oke Aro – Matogbun road, GOCO who couldn’t denied the allegations leveled against him by GGF leaders said the road is one of the road approved by the state government for construction but funding is the major challenge. He said despite the fact that he was unable to do any constituency project in the community, he said he has done a good number of projects in the ward (Ward 7) in particular and the constituency in general, which include; sponsoring of LCDA Bill, Land grabbing Bill, Community Bill, provision of bore holes in Ijoko Lemode, Oyero, Isashi, Ijoko, among other communities and facilitation of school to Isashi.

GGF also informed him of their ongoing health centre project, he visited the site to see the level of the project and promise to contribute his quota to the project.