Vinod Obasa: The Youngest Local Govt Chairman In Nigeria, Redefining Governance At Grassroots Level

Hon. Abdulganiyu Vinod Obasa, Executive Chairman, Agege Local Government, Lagos State

When Hon. Abdulganiyu Vinod Obasa came into the political limelight in Agege Local Government few months ago, many failed to realize that this young man has determined with purpose and mission to carve a niche for himself in delivering good governance at the grassroots in one of the vibrant local councils in Lagos State.

Today, the world has been able to see how Vinod Obasa, the son of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has transformed and is still transforming Agege Local Government into a modern community where the people can thrive and where the people can become anything they want to be.

“My concern on a daily basis is how I won’t disappoint the confidence my people repose on me, and God has been helping me to hold on to the faith I have in myself that Agege and its people are my number one priority since I took the mantle of leadership in this local government,” said Vinod Obasa, who was elected Vice Chairman of Agege Local Government, later assumed the role of Acting Chairman, but few days ago the 10th Assembly of the Agege Legislative Council accepted the resignation of the Council Chairman, Hon. Tunde Azeez Disco, and confirmed AbdulGaniyu Vinod Obasa as the Executive Chairman of the local government.

Speaking during a media hangout with some editors at the Agege Local Government Secretariat on Friday, Vinod Obasa said that since August when he was elected during a free and fair election till now, the rapid development the local council is witnessing, is part of the drive and vision for Agege of the future.

“I took up this position to be a service provider and a problem solver. You will agree with me that in Europe and other developed countries, local council election is more important than the national election because the local government is seen to be closer to the people than the state and the federal government. This is the reason we should be able to give our all to ensure that our people receive the dividends of democracy. They are my people and I am their chairman. I have no excuse before God not to give them good governance and impactful leadership,” he said.

The performance of Vinod Obasa since he assumed office has been visible in every area of human life in Agege. The testimonials can be seen in the area of education, healthcare delivery, sports, security, youth and women empowerment, infrastructural development and more importantly, overall development of Agege and its people.

“We are changing the narrative to keep Agege clean, improve security architecture, give qualitative education to the children from nursery, primary and secondary schools together with quality healthcare delivery, and we are also trying to open Agege Local Government to the world.

“We want to change the perception that Agege is not a rural area but a great city. We want to make the best use of our closeness to Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos State. This is my plan and ambition. It is an opportunity to be on this seat and I won’t waste it,” Obasa said.

The chairman gives accolades to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian armed forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making more money available to the local governments across the federation, adding that because of the increased funding from the Federation Accounts and prudence, he has been able to make steady progress in Agege.

“No local government in the country should have any excuse not to deliver again. We have increased funding and the local government autonomy. With all this in place for us from the father of the nation, I can say boldly that Agege has just begun in terms of project delivery.

“I will also want to thank the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Obasa, who has consistently supporting us in Agege. He has ensured that Agege is being counted in the distribution of Lagos State wealth and projects and we are happy for this.

“When people told me of their surprises about what I am doing in the local government, I used to tell myself that this is an opportunity for me to change the perception about youth in government and I want people to talk about the legacy that young people can do great things in politics,” Vinod Obasa said.