Hon Olalekan Rasheed Afolabi: A Model for Good Leadership

Good leadership is pivotal to the growth and development of a community. Any community without good leadership is an endangered species.

It is divine blessing that Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin Federal Constituency is well represented in the House of Representatives. Indeed, Hon Olalekan Rasheed Afolabi alias Aṣojú Rere is a blessing to this constituency.

Apart from the fact that he was the right collective decision of his great party, APC, his constituency will remain grateful for making the best electoral choice a year ago.

Among a horizontal sea of heads there is always a vertical one which stands out among them. This head, Hon Afolabi, stands out not because of his height; qualitative representation makes a him a special being among leaders in this country.

Some of the Packages distributed by Afolabi

Within a period of 365 days in his current leadership position, Aṣojú Rere, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Special Duties and Sports, has been proven to his constituents, through active participation in the House that he is indeed an agent of change which Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin Federal Constituency longed for.

Legislative Roles

Hon Afolabi has sponsored bills, moved motions, and supported others to the benefit of his constituency.

Prominent among his legislative efforts was the bill sponsored in 2019, towards the establishment of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Ikirun, Osun State. Apart from that, as part of his concerted efforts to economically fortify the enterprising and creative young graduates in his constituency, he sponsored Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Bank (Establishment) Bill in 2020.

Several motions, with positive results, were were credited to this amiable, active, dedicated and committed Afolabi.

Months after moving a motion on the urgent need to begin and complete rehabilitation of the abandoned Ikinrun Oke Ende- Oore – Ilie to Ogbomoso Road, funds were released to the contractor handling the bridge at Ore/Ilie to Ogbomoso to go back to site to continue the project.

Another motion he moved on the urgent rehabilitation of University of Ibadan College of Hospital (UCH) okuku Health Centre facilitated the inclusion of University of Ibadan College of Hospital (UCH) Okuku Health Centre in the 2020 Budget with necessary cash and recent placement of advert in newspapers for bidding for the renovation. Not only that, this man was the brain behind a motion for the urgent need policy to check the rising and alarming tide of the geometrical rate of Nigeria population.

Intervention Programs

Numerous intervention and empowerment programs were unveiled to support artisans, groups, students and indigenous associations in his constituency. In one of his social intervention initiatives, not less than 500 youth as well as women across Ifelodun Federal Constituency were trained in various vocational skills which include: digital business capacity building, bead making, hair braiding and tie and dye.

During one of the vocational training sessions organized by Hon Afolabi

Other laudable intervention initiatives launched by him are start up support to 120 selected youth and women, training on agricultural and environmental biosafety for productive harvest and start up support for 100 young farmers and women, training on crop preservation and financial discipline.

Another significant intervention, especially during the festive and lockdown periods, was the distribution of over 4,000 relief packages to cushion the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic among people within his constituency.

Employment Opportunities

Several employment opportunities have been secured for graduates and many were facilitated through letters of recommendation to goverment ministries, departments and agencies. Besides, an appreciable number of indigenes were employed as aides.