There have been series of comments and reactions to the recent Lagos State Commissioners’ list forwarded to the House of Assembly last Friday by the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In the list, which contained 39 names of nominees spread across the State showed that, while Ikeja, Epe and Badagry Divisions of the State got between 5 to 10 slots each, the entire Ikorodu Division had just one slot.
To say the least, the list is an affront on the entire good people of Ikorodu Division who voted massively for the re-election of the Governor and the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, even when other Divisions could barely muster few thousands of votes for the ruling party.
Interestingly, the list has also exposed to the whole world a great mal-treatment and outright disservice meted out to the duo of Ikorodu-born Federal Lawmakers, Senator Adetokunbo Mukhail Abiru, FCA Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District and Hon Babajimi Benson, Member Representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency at the House of Reps.
Both gentlemen worked hard and laboured night and day, to mobilize and convince Ikorodu Division and by extension, Lagos East electorates to vote enmasse for the re-election of Governor Sanwo-Olu, inspire of very little or nothing to show in terms of State Government developmental projects in the entire Division.
It should be placed on record that most major roads in Ikorodu Division are not motorable till date.
The entire Igbogbo-Bayeku LCDA and Agric-Isawo Road have both remained abandoned construction sites, almost six years since the two roads were flagged off by the immediate past Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and over four years into the incumbent Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
The major semblance of government presence felt and seen by the entire good people of Ikorodu Division are projects facilitated by the duo of Senator Abiru and Hon Benson.
For this alone, the APC should not have gotten so much votes from the Division in the last elections, but for the efforts of these two dynamic and amiable representatives who mobilized men and resources to ensure victory for the party in the general elections.
It is in record that, Senator Abiru expended hundreds of millions on the East Consultative Forum (ECF) political platform, with thousands of foot soldiers to mobilize electorates for the party, between September 2022 and March, 2023.
His Doing Good initiatives like the Covid-19 Cash Support to the indigents, Bursary 500, N300 Million Naira Revolving Loan Scheme, SAIL Innovation Lab and recently launched Senator Abiru Food Packs gave the party a good pedestal to woo voters to its side.
Similarly, Hon Babajimi Benson’s dynamic representation which has changed the face of most critical road and health infrastructures across Ikorodu Division served as the basis for campaigning for Governor Sanwo-Olu in Ikorodu Division.
Hon Benson also led and participated actively in almost all the APC campaigns held in Ikorodu Division, particularly the two road shows where branded I-Care souvenirs and other campaign items were freely distributed to residents.
He equally mobilized voters for the party through his door-to-door campaigns to densely populated estates and neighbourhoods across Ikorodu Division.
This is not to mention the I-Care Foundation humanitarian programmes like the Monthly Food Bank initiative, which has brought succour to most Ikorodu Division indigent residents.
While Senator Abiru is said to have been a long-time personal friend of the Governor, Hon Babajimi Benson is seen as his protege and very close ally. This is also not unconnected to the fact that both of them worked at the LSDPC, where Sanwo-Olu served as the MD few years after Benson who also served the company as Company Secretary / Legal Adviser.
Going by the above, the One-Slot Commissionership slot given to the entire over 3 Million Residents of Ikorodu Division is therefore a big slap on the loyal APC party members and the voting public as well as a great disservice to the duo of Senator Adetokunbo Abiru and Hon Babajimi Benson, two men who is seen as friends of the Governor and have worked hard to save the face of the All Progressives Congress APC in Ikorodu Division and Lagos East Senatorial District at large.
