Ayodele Olalere
In furtherance of his committment towards the development of Iruland, The Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Abdulwasiu Lawal, Abisogun II, has reiterated his resolve to enhance the security and empower residents of the kingdom.
At a 4-day series of town hall meetings hosted by the monarch to engage stakeholders, residents and business entities within Oniru Estate recently, the former Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture turned monarch said that the meeting was meant to discuss the prospects towards improving livelihoods and fostering development of the Kingdom, adding that the parley was a deliberate effort to solicit, direct feedback about present conditions and future development strategies.
Issues bothering on security, effective drainages and traffic management were discussed extensively at the sessions with residents making recommendations and requests on how to tackle the challenges accordingly.
Oba Oniru, who joined the meeting virtually, also expressed his passion for frequently engaging stakeholders,describing them as allies and partners for the development and growth of the kingdom.
The monarch who spoke through his Private Secretary, Hakeem Akintoye, a lawyer, expressed gratitude to all the residents across the different zones, saying that the meeting was meant to seek corporation of the various stakeholders before embarking on other arrays of developmental plans.
“I always try to avoid the predict-and-provide theory or syndrome in all the leadership positions I have occupied.Therefore, before I set out to implement any policy program or project; I ensure stakeholder feedback is sought, hence this engagement,” he said.
“I am committed to leading large-scale change by inspiring climate leadership, impact investment, and deep social inclusion for a more sustainable livelihood,” he added.
At the highly interactive town hall meeting sessions which had the Oniru residents and stakeholders in attendants, Oba Lawal also highlighted some of the Palace’s interventions since his installation such as an opportunity facilitation training for female micro-entrepreneurs through the newly established Iru Empowerment Hub.
According to him, in addition to other interventions, palliatives were distributed to the vulnerable and less privileged during the Eid-El-Kabir holiday tagged: ‘Ileya Food Drive’ exercise as stop-gap social outreaches.
Speaking on behalf of the Estate Development Consultants from Estatelinks, Gbenga Olaniyan assured residents of ongoing consultations with various service providers and future advocacy efforts with relevant government agencies to consider the requests.
Harping on the socio-economic development needs, waste management, access to public health care services, Mrs. Abimbola Folawiyo, tasked the palace to advocate for the provision of a public school for children especially the Oniru resettlement area to cater to the needs of less privileged residents.
Oba Lawal promised to accelerate provision of such social amenities, and called for the stakeholders support and cooperation to ensure the success of current and future efforts for long-term impact.
