Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
“Water is life, and whoever gives water, gives life.” This aphorism captures succinctly the gesture of a renowned radio presenter and Secretary to the Local Government (SLG) of Ado-Odo/Ota LGA, Ogun State, Adewale Dada, when he provided potable water for pupils of Ansar-Ud-Deen Practising School I and II, Ota.
The event, which was graced by top political functionaries in the council, led by the chairman, Dele Adeniji, also witnessed the distribution of 1,000 water bottles to the pupils.
The representatives of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Jide Ojuko and Rahman, respectively, performed the unveiling exercise of the projects.
Similarly, a road on Mosalasi Street, Ota, which had been rendered impassable by erosion for the past 20 years, was personally graded and reopened by the SLG. It was also unveiled, to the admiration of the residents of the area.
In her welcome address, the head teacher of Ansar-Ud-Deen Practising School, Ota, Mrs. Omoteso, recalled that the project was informed by the discovery of challenges being faced by the school in terms of drinkable water, when the SLG came for a de-worming exercise in the school in the recent past.
According to her, the school had discovered, after resumption in January, that the borehole faucets had been damaged and removed, a situation that aggravated availability of potable water to the pupils.
The head teacher, therefore, lauded the SLG for not only hearkening to the school’s calls for help by constructing new and additional water taps, but also providing free water bottles for the pupils.
She called on other well-meaning individuals, private organisations and government to emulate the kind gesture of Dada by coming to the aid of the school in other areas such as renovation of dilapidated classrooms, provision of library and computer facilities.
In his remark, the SLG said he was moved to tears when he saw the worn water bucket that the pupils drank water from during the de-worming exercise.
He said he was further taken aback by the fact that all the pupils in a class shared the same cup. He, therefore, decided to intervene to correct the situation by fixing the taps of the school’s water borehole. He then went a step ahead to purchase water bottles for all the pupils in the school.
Dada, who informed the audience that he spent about N1 million to fix the road on Mosalasi Street, said individuals should learn how to contribute to the development of their communities rather than wait for government.
He, however, declared that, through his the Good Nigeria Initiative, he would continue to espouse and encourage more community development projects.
In their respective goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jide Ojuko (represented by a Special Assistant to the Governor, Isiaka Balogun), the chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahman, (represented by the vice chairman, Ado-Odo/Ota, Rotimi Ojugbele) and chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota LG, Dele Adeniji, showered encomiums on Dada for the initiative.
They described his gesture as a wake-up call to other political appointees in the state to give back to their communities and carry out selfless service.