Apapa Council Boss Ayodeji Joseph pledges support for Nigerian wrestlers

The Chairman of Apapa Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ayodeji Joseph, says he will continue to support Nigeria (Pro) Wrestling Federation in their efforts towards resuscitating the sport in the country.

He stated this when the executive members of the Federation led by its President, Prince Hammed Olanrewaju Mohammed paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

According to him, Apapa Local Government is synonymous with sport and will do everything within its limited resources to ensure that the mats-man game does not die in the country.

“I am very happy with what your Federation is doing since assuming office because prior to this time, wrestling was almost dying in the country. “Your coming on board has rekindled the awareness the game has in the past and my LGA will be willing to partner with you to develop wrestling and other combat sports, just as we are developing football through our pet team Apapa Golden Stars and other sports such as tennis and basketball.

Earlier in his speech, the President of Nigeria (Pro) Wrestling Federation, Olanrewaju Mohammed noted that the Federation decided to pay him a visit to officially inform him that he was one of the 23 Local Government chairmen selected to be honoured with the “Good Leadership and Peace Award” which will be presented to him during the third edition of BRF Wrestlemania slated for later in the year.

Nigeria: Senator Lauds Apapa LG Boss Ayodeji Joseph Over Skill Acquisition Initiative

The senator representing Lagos Central in the Senate, Moniru Adekunle Muse, Thursday lauded the efforts of the Chairman of Apapa Local Government Area, Hon. Joseph Ayodeji, in developing and creating jobs for the teeming youths in the area through skill acquisition initiatives.
The lawmaker also stressed the need for youths in the country to properly develop their skills, adding that due to increasing non-availability of jobs, youths should concentrate on non-formal education and skill acquisition to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Speaking at the commencement of the Apapa Skills Acquisition Centre in Apapa, Lagos State, built by the local government council, Muse encouraged the trainees at the centre to take advantage of the initiative to fend for themselves, create jobs and contribute their quota to the nation's economy.
According to him. "I commend the chairman for his effort to conceptualise and executing such project trying to take the youths out of the street and for taking Apapa to a greater height. Any where you are in Nigeria, you will know that Apapa is the best local government area.
"I appeal to the trainees to concentrate on what they are going to be taught in this centre because what you take from here is what you will benefit from in life.
He added that Apapa Local Government remains the first amongst others local governments in Lagos.
In his speech, Ayodeji disclosed that the primary aim of the project was to empower the people, get them off the street and make them realise that if a white-collar job is not available they can make a living on their own.
He affirmed that upon graduation, 20 students would be sent to further their education with technical schools in the state.
He said: "The skills acquisition centre is designed to provide the necessary skills for personal development in all areas of human endeavor.
"So far the following are some of the areas covered by the venture: computer studies, hat and bead-making, textile and soap making, catering, fashion design, hairdressing, cosmetology and barbing.
"There shall be no restriction of age. Once a person is out of secondary school and above 18 years of age he could apply for training.' Of the 114 vacancies available, 110 trainees have applied leaving a stringent portion of space."
Ayodeji decried the constant misuse and abuse of such projects by people who see it as 'government property,' adding that adequate measures have been put in place to insulate this concept against abrupt discontinuation. It is a project designed for our people as their own dividend of democracy.
"It is a legacy that has been programmed to outlive our administration. We are going to diligently pursue it for we believe it has inherent potentials to banish poverty and squalor from our midst," he quoted.

The Ayodeji case Study: Why Young Nigerians Should Participate in Politics by Oladokun Adedamola

 I have always been an avid believer in the fact that young people should be in government. Not as ball boys, foot soldiers or personal assistants/errand boys but as people who could actually wield the power to actually implement their ideas and policies.

I makes my stomach cringe each time I think about the fact that a young person at eighteen years of age can vote but not be voted for. Can be called to bar at the age of twenty-two to interpret laws as a lawyer but can't be voted into the house of assembly of a state or the federal House of Representatives to make those same laws that he is highly qualified to interpret. I throw up in my mouth every time I remember that the immediate past sacked minister of youth development is a 60year old man. And I die a little bit inside every time I remember that the youth leader of the PDP is a sixty-five year old. Afterall, a former military president (IBB) once said that young people didn't have what it takes to lead. In a country where 60% of the population is between the ages of 18-35.

However, anytime I see a young person who holding a public office and performing above par, I get excited. I feel like that person should be celebrated as a way of encouraging more young people to not just seek public office, but perform very much above what is accepted in our otherwise insane clime. And in this piece, I will celebrating a man who I strongly believe should be seen as a "poster-boy" for young people in government and doing great.

I present to you Honourable Ayodeji Joseph. The Executive Chairman of the Apapa local government. A.K.A the Golden Council.

I first heard about Ayodeji Joseph from a friend who opposed him greatly when he was contesting. This friend of mine told me he was against Joseph's candidacy then because according to him, he was "too young" and might be "too inexperienced" this was funny because my friend was also "young man" at least by Nigerian standards. Long story short, he is one of Joseph's strongest supporters today.

I wondered why the sudden change and decided to do my investigations. And my findings left my jaws shattered. Honourable Ayodeji Joseph has transformed every sector in the entire Apapa LGA.

Health: Ayodeji Joseph's administration has within a short period been able to build and fully stock a primary health centre in each of the political wards. In the local government. This is despite the unavailability of land in the LGA, his administration do regular outreach programs in areas that yet to have primary health centers and all the health centres provide free drugs and mandatory immunization programmes. The apapa general hospital's water treatment plant renovated and two oxygen machines bought. A collaboration between NAWOCA in provision of free testing/counseling and sensitization on HIV/AIDS. His administration as successfully organized free sensitization programme for teenagers and youths. And an Anti-fake drug campaign, free hypertension and diabetes screening exercise, free eye tests, free dental care, mass deworming of all primary school pupils in the local government.

Youths and Sports:
The Ayodeji Joseph Administration has shown serious commitment for the welfare of the youths. The methodist vocational centere for instance is one of the initiatives his administration brought about. To provide vocational training for those who cannot go through the formal educational system. One of the things that endeared me to Ayodeji is his passion for sports. I learnt that just recently, he partnered with an organization to spot football talents within the local government for foreign clubs. Football teams in the local government have regularly participated in the MTN street soccer through the support of this administration. His support for the game is astonishing.

Education:
Education remains the number one priority of the chairman,within the first 100 days in he office he commissioned the Nanti primary school 6 classroom block earlier abandoned by the previous administration.

The objective of Hon. Ayodeji Joseph was to upgrade the eight primary schools to that of the private schools. Therefore, he reached out well-meaning corporate bodies to ensure that this feat was accomplished. In collaboration with Kazuma Plaza, the ladi lak primary school has been rehabilitated and reconstructed. Also, Flour mills of Nigeria took up Ijora Oloye primary school and has since sank millions of naira to reconstruct and rehabilitate it. Pupils of Nanti village (a waterside area under Apapa local governmen) now have a 40hp engine boat to ferry them to and from the liverpool estuary. Provision of school uniforms for all the pupils in the primary schools in the local government on an annual basis, yearly provison of GCE and Jamb forms for eligble students of the local government since inception of this administration. Also Ayodeji joseph- led administration started strong educational programmes meant to enhance the potentials of pupils in his constituency like the annual spelling bee competition, the first Apapa school quiz competition and the Ayodeji Quiz competition.

Ayodeji Joseph is a recipient of over 100awards. Majority is education based and a perfect example of what every young person in government should aspire to be like.

In conclusion, more young upright people need to seek elective office rather than complain or remain trapped in the private sector where though admittedly they are celebrated and utilized to public service. The likes of Ayodeji Joseph are already putting the IBBs of this world to shame. We need more of them. And we need them now!

Oladokun Adedamola writes from Apapa

Apapa Chairman Distributes Free GCE Forms

The Apapa Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph last week personally supervised the distributon of 100 GCE forms to indigent young people in his constituency. Apapa Watch gathered that this is a yearly event. It was also gathered that there will be tutorials organized by the local government to help in coaching the students.