Tayo Ayinde: The Laughable Lies VS The Laudable Legacy

I was introduced to him by my long-time leader and mentor, Chief Enilolobo. When I sought to contest for the chairmanship of Onigbongbo LCDA, it was like a handover, because Enilolobo’s statement was very clear and concise, “This is your leader now”. Tayo Ayinde, being a man of few words as usual, said, “I want to see your impact in the lives of people”. So I started enumerating what I had accomplished, to which he replied, “It’s not enough; you need to do more”.

As at then, I was conceptualizing the idea of a free ICT centre for the youths of Onigbongbo LCDA. Tayo Akinmade Ayinde motivated me to achieve that dream in record time! I tried to name the Centre after him, but he refused and asked that it be named after his boss, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. So I invited all Onigbongbo LCDA leaders. But to the chagrin of posterity, none of them availed their presence, except Tayo Ayinde and Dr. Shopeyin.

Today, that ICT centre has trained up to 200 Secondary School students, who had before then, never touched a computer. Now they are skilled in Microsoft Office and Graphics Design. In fact, we have 20 students working to develop a website for the school, including our borehole serving the community 24 hours non-stop.

The major problem in Onigbongbo is those who call themselves the Faleke Group. They seek to dominate everyone and siphon all good positions and empowerment benefits. They continue to deceive the gullible by distorting the face of empowerment through proxy collections. Their ploy is to make a bargain of percentage to someone to collect on their behalf. 

These problems started when the COS sought to have someone from other groups in a position where all these goodies can be evenly distributed. The nomination of Hon. Rekiat for Chairmanship was to correct some of these anomalies. But immediately that happened, they rolled out their arsenal against the COS, consistently lying to assassinate his character. And when lying is consistently peddled, it soon becomes truth in the eyes of the gullible. That’s why the gullible now seeks to abort this laudable step and the same was repeated in Hon. Obanubi’s case.

When I also wanted to contest for the State Assembly and I approached my leader, the COS, he opposed the idea, saying that he did not want any of his boys to drag positions with this group, so that they wouldn’t use their lying tactics to disturb the peace in Onigbongbo. How ironic that our leader, who prevented us from contesting against them, is the one they are now dragging into the issues they had with indigenes of Onigbongbo.  

These people have nothing to offer the masses who vote for us. Never before have they accomplished anything tangible, and neither can they achieve anything forever. Their leaders here did nothing other than collect largesse from Faleke, and the man himself has limited the destiny of his followers to Kowope. They can’t grow more than that. In this new age, where education and health have been identified as the major tools to eradicate poverty, our leaders in Onigbongbo should emulate the COS and Dr. Shopeyin for the betterment of this LCDA.

Onifitila wrote in from Onigbongbo LCDA, Lagos State.