ALAKE, EGBA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL ENDORSES BANKOLE FOR REP.

…GETS MORE ENDORSEMENT FRM CDA’s, ARTISANS, GROUPS

The Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and the Egba traditional council, has endorse the candidature of RT Hon. Dimeji Bankole in the April 2,2011 National Assembly election to represent not only the people of his Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, but Egbas and Ogun State at the Federal level.

Speaking when Bankole and his campaign train visited the Alake Palace at Ake Abeokuta, the Paramount Ruler of Egba said he cannot recollect any person that has attracted so many multi billion naira human development project to his Egbaland domain in history adding that the Bankole is never tired of meeting the request of his Egba people.

Alake

He mentioned his role in employment for constituents, the multi million naira male and female hostel and Administrative block at University of Agriculture, Abeokuta among over 200 hundred well documented projects that Bankole facilitated, adding that only those who those want the interest of Egba will oppose the  return of Bankole to the House of representatives.

“ In advanced democratic countries that we aspire to be like, members of the parliament  are re-elected repeatedly based on performance in office and Bankole has discharged himself as a true son of Egbaland . Egbaland is with him in this election” he stated.

Also speaking, the Seriki of Egbaland and Secretary General of Supreme Islamic Council, Alhaji  Lateef Adegbite said the vote for Bankole is a family affair adding that we are not after PDP, PPN or ACN as far as the return of Bankole to Abuja is concerned.

Bankole who became emotional based on the endorsement had to force back tears to make his remarks, stressing that there is a need for legislative backing for the Abeokuta Master Plan to ensure it achieved the desired outcome.

He said most of his achievements in serving his constituency  are well known by his constituents who have been relating them to him during commissioning, adding however that he must mention some, like the UNAAB projects, projects at Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Imma Abiola Road, Oyan Dam project as well as ongoing New Lafenwa Bridge, Abeokuta Airport and  Dualisation of Adatan Odeda- Ibadan Road.

The Speaker had earlier commissioned various projects he attracted or facilitated to his constituency as part of his campaign, including ICT Centres at his alma mater, Baptist Boys High School, Erunwon, Transformers at Itoko and Isale Abetu Road.

Two hundred Community Development Associations, CDAs and a plethora of artisan and trade groups from Abeokuta South Federal Constituency have over the weekend endorse the aspiration of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Dimeji Bankole to re-contest the seat of representative for another four years.

According to the chairmen and secretaries of the associations and groups who paid solidarity visits to Bankole at his residence in Iyana Oloke, Abeokuta, after overcoming the challenges of PDP primaries, pledge of massive support for the Speaker is borne out of the ways he has impacted not only on the lives of his constituents but also for playing positive roles in the crises that has been the lot of Nigeria in recent years.

Alhaji Kolawole Ikupoluyi, who spoke on behalf of the CDAs, stated that their support for Bankole in 2003 and 2007 has paid off with many identifiable multi-million naira projects in the area of education, road construction, power and empowerment of constituents, adding that it is his good work that have made the numerous plots to unseat him as speaker a recurrent failure.

While appreciating the benefit the projects he attracted to his constituency, Bankole stated that while they voted for him previously on trust that he will do good, there are now ample evidence for voting now with many community benefiting from one project or the other.

Other groups that made similar pledges were Barbers Association, National Automobile Technicians Association, NATA, Hairdresser and Fashion Designer's Association, Association of Gravel Dealers and Collier as well Okada Rider's Association, ACOMORAN, whose presence in large numbers disrupted traffic around the Speaker's residence.

Addressing the various groups on his various constituency projects, facilitated projects and those completed with the aid of friends and associates like the administrative block, male and female hostel at University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Bankole said while he has progressed from about ten projects facilitation as a member, his record now stand at over 200 projects facilitation/ assisted or completed from personal resources in the last three years adding that they should come out en masse to receive President Goodluck Jonathan who is visiting the Abeokuta for his presidential campaign this week.

He disclosed a number of ongoing projects he facilitated like the dualisation of Adatan-Odeda-Ibadan Road, erosion control as well as the new bridge at Lafenwa which his audience applauded and confirmed ongoing work.

Among those present at the meeting were Alhaji Okanlawon Soboyede, a PDP Elder in the constituency and Alhaji Isiaka Odejimi, the LGA chairman of PDP for Abeokuta South LGA.

In a related developmnet, It was a payback time for the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Dimeji Bankole as major components of his Abeokuta South constituents pledge support for his re-election ambition in the April poll over the weekend in consultative meetings with interest groups operating in his constituency.

Mr. Tunji Ajayi, the chairman of the Trucks Owner's Association who led his 20-man executive council for a dialogue with Bankole stated that the group is appreciative of the contribution of the Speaker to their business in term of road construction particularly the completion of Ota Bridge and Adatan Road which has greatly reduce the time spent in achieving their daily business targets.

Mr. Ajayi who noted that some of their members have sympathies for other political parties however stated that the association has decided in council to support Bankole re-election as a representatives to enable him continue his good work particularly the ongoing Lafenwa Bridge which the speaker facilitated for his constituency.

Dimeji Bankole

 Also speaking at the meeting, Prince Adebayo Adewunmi, the Secretary of Motor Dealers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State, commended the Speaker for the completion of three buildings in University of Abeokuta which will soon be commissioned as well as other things like the provision of Solar Street light, transformers and scholarship adding that they have no choice but support him for in his re-election bid as he has done what a representatives is supposed to do.

Adewunmi however called on the Speaker to assist body against incessant harassment of their members by men of the Nigeria Custom Service who confiscate their sold vehicles from customers right inside Abeokuta metropolis.

The Speaker who promised to visit them during his campaign disclosed that he has so far facilitated or sponsored about 200 projects in the last three years stressing that what he is doing is laying a foundation that will result in economic boom in the constituency and Egbaland in general.

April 05, 2011