Ikorodu CDC Holds Annual Community Day & Awards
“As leaders of communities at the grassroots, it is expected that our communities are not only safe for living, but they must be conducive enough to allow for active participation of the citizens in the forthcoming general elections”. This was the admonition the Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lagos Directorate, Dr. Waheed Ishola gave to members of the Community Development Committee (CDC) Ikorodu Local Government, Lagos State during the 2022 Annual Interactive Session/Community Day and Award ceremony held on Tuesday, 26th July, 2022 at the Council Hall where he spoke as the Guest Speaker.
Speaking on the theme: “The Role of Community Leaders in Community Security and Effective participation in the 2023 General Elections”, The Director commended the organisers for choosing the topic considering the myriad of security challenges currently facing the nation amidst the preparation for another round of electoral processes in the discharge of citizens’ civic duties. He noted that as leaders of community, the understanding of the rudiments of community affairs should be seen to be generating solutions to common problems of the communities. Apart from being agents of change, it is their role to rally the people for effective participation in all obligations of citizens such as payment of taxes and levies, support for government programmes and policies etc.
As a build up towards the 2023 general elections, he appealed to community leaders to go back to the self-help security measures of community policing such as the vigilante groups, OPC members, Onyabo, mai guards, local hunters and others which compliments the efforts of the regular security agencies. He tasked leadership of CDAs and CDCs in the state to be actively involved in making sure that all eligible residents of their communities take part in the now extended Continuous Voter Registration exercise by the INEC in order to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) so as to be able to vote in the forthcoming general elections. In a more related manner towards tackling the challenges of insecurity in the various communities, he enjoined parents to show responsibility by creating a “community of responsible families”. The way a family is nurtured determines the way the society is organized. If a crime is committed in a community, such a crime must have been committed by a member(s) of the families belonging to the community. Hence, good parenting is very important.
In his goodwill message as the host, the Executive Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Honourable Wasiu Ayodeji Adeshina commended leaders of Community Development Committee (CDC) for a well organised 2022 annual interactive session and turnout of members. He said that it is an important day of sharing ideas on issues that affect communities, particularly in the area of security. He urged leaders and participants to pay particular attention to the guest speaker’s lectures. He further cautioned them not to play politics with the association but to be more vibrant and show support to the government when called upon or given a task to execute on-behalf of the government. He promised to continually partner and support the activities of the CDC in Ikorodu Local Government in giving the dividend of democracy to the people.
On his part, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ikorodu Division, CSP Aderemi Balogun thanked the CDC leadership for the support and good intelligence given to his division. He noted that crime and criminality within the area has been brought to the barest level where the people can sleep with relative peace. He used the occasion to request for more support in the area of logistics to enable them perform optimally.
Earlier in his opening speech, the Chairman, CDC Ikorodu, Mr. Sonibare Lukman said that as an annual event of the CDC, this year’s event was special and dear to the committee because of the peculiar nature of insecurity in an electioneering year. The more reason the topic for the lecture was carefully chosen. He added that to make it grand was the award ceremony to appreciate distinguished members of the society.
Highlight of the event was the award presentation to the Executive Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Wasiu Ayodeji Adeshina; Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru; Rep. Hon. Jimi Benson, Member, House of Representatives amongst others. In attendance were: pastor Taiwo A. Kayode, Chairman, Community Policing Forum, Ikorodu Division; Mrs. Bamishile Halimat, HOD, Agric and Social Services, Ikorodu Division; Hon. Misbaudeen Alejo, Supervisor for Agric and Development; The Iyaloja General Ikorodu Division amongst others.
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