Exclusive Interview With Hon. Ajidagba
Hon. Shuaib Fatai Ajidagba is the present Executive chairman of the Ifelodun Local Council Development Area (LCDA). He is the CEO of Ajifat Convalescent Home and Health care centre. He is fondly called as 'Ajifat or the Peoples' chairman'.
He is one of the Lagos State Local Government Chairmen you can see freely in his house office without due process.
He is a medical professional with integrity. In this brief interview with Godday Odidi, he spoke on his leadership agenda to the people he represented and area boys' violence in Ifelodun LCDA recently.
Excerpts:
What is the problem of Area boys in Ifelodun LCDA ?
Area boys are human beings. We must empower or engage them to prevent future violence in the local government. My government is all about the people that elected me into the office. I can't run away from them. I have been living in this community over the years so I know the problem of the people. I know the poverty level of people living here. As a trained medical professional over 20-years of practice, poverty is the bane of progress. The government is all about creating jobs for the people which we are doing now.
What has been your major agenda in Ifelodun LCDA since you were elected as the Chairman?
Every good leader must be God-fearing in terms of fulfilling his or her promises to the people he or she representing. My government is focused on education, environment, and construction of roads, health, welfare, electricity and massive infrastructure at the grassroots level.
I am a grassroots leader that knows the problem of the people. I must work for the people that elected me into this office. I am answerable to them. So grassroots development is my focus. You can be a leader and you are not listening to the people. We also provide welfare for our people too.
Your leadership is quite different from your past predecessors, what is the secret behind it?
There is no secret my brother is just God on my leadership. I live with the people till date. Every good leader must have an agenda for its people and nothing more. Grassroots leadership is all about the people not me. I see leadership as a sacrifice which we are doing here now. We also provide constant welfare for the people. We can't satisfy everybody but we can do our best.
Do you consider yourself to be re-elected for second term as Ifelodun LCDA chairman?
It is the people I am representing will decide it. I can't force myself on them. I have said it before that leadership is for the people not me. I will always do my best and live the rest for God.
Lastly, what is your advice for Ifelodun youths seeing you as a role model?
They should work hard and believe God in their lives.