Following the incessant armed robbery in Ibadan due to the effect of partial lockdown occasioned by coronavirus pandemic, the lawmaker representing Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East Federal Consstituency, Honourable Abass Adigun, popularly called Agboworin, has erected some gates in his constituency.
Mr Lukman Gbadamosi, vice-chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee for Felele-Olorunsogo layout in Ibadan South-East LGA who made this known, explained that “Agboworin did a gate for us in Felele-Olorunsogo community. In fact, it is a magnificent gate. It has proved to be an eye opener of sort, something other politicians should emulate to create high-profile security for the communities in their constituencies. We are very grateful for what Hon Agboworin has done.
“The gate has raised the profile of Felele-Olorunsogo community a lot. When people pass through Iwo-Road to Felele and they see the gate, they say ‘this gate is very beautiful and modern.’ And it is indeed a modern gate, first of its kind in our area. Hon Agboworin, through this gate, has changed the status of Felele to a modern community. It is not the way people see Felele before that they are looking at it now. Things have changed through the lawmaker.
“For this pioneering and innovative project, a lot of politicians have now approached us to tell us they also want to build and erect entrance gates for us. Hon Agboworin is a very good innovator. He initiated the entrance gate and now everybody is trying to copy it. We are very grateful to him. If you ask anybody in Felele, they will speak very highly of him. We were not expecting he would perform up to this magnitude.
“His performance is highly rated in Felele-Olorunsogo community. If youth as the youths, they will tell you that Hon Agboworin has done an eye-opener gate in Felele for all politicians to emulate. So, we are very proud of him,” he added.
Asked how the gate has been useful in the community, he added that “the gate is a ‘foundation gate’ for all other entrances and gates in and out of Felele-Olorunsogo community. There are about 15 exit and entrances into and out of Felele. So, by doing the foundation gate, he has opened ways for everybody to come to Felele and say Felele is now a changed community and is now beautiful. A lot of people are now coming back to live in Felele because they now know there is security in the community. About five other politicians are now trying to do other gates and they all want to copy Agboworin gate. They want to do gates at Scout Camp, one behind Ayefele Music House and other places.”
Corroborating Gbadamosi, Mr Abiodun Adebayo, who is a youth leader in Kajola-Irede community at Academy Oju-Hospital Area of Ibadan South-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, said that “If you get to the area as I am speaking to you right now, you will see the gate at the entrance with the inscription ‘built by Hon Abass Adigun Agboworin.’ That is not the only gate in that area. He also did build and erect another gate in Alake, another community in the area, making a total of two gates and both are completed.”
When asked whether or not the lawmaker approached them to ask what the needs of the communities are, he explained that “I am not a politician, but in the community they know me better. Immediately he was elected and sworn in, he came to the area and asked what the needs of the community were. The elders in the community told him we wanted gates to secure the areas and he came to do the gates for us. We are very happy that he did so and we are grateful to him.”
He added that the gates have been of value to the communities during this pandemic.
“During this COVID-19 curfew, the gates have helped to improve security in our areas. Prior to COVID-19 outbreak, area boys were having free entry and free exit into the communities to disrupt the peace when they clash. But now, such boys and hoodlums generally shut them out of the areas. Those who live in the communities but work far away are given 90 minutes to at night before the gates are locked. Even motorists and okada operators who used to over-speed and in the process hit people and run away no longer have access to our communities to do such. So, the gates have helped to reduce accident. These are some of the usefulness of the gates.”
