IDLE HANDS ARE THE DEVILS WORKSHOP PT3 (THE WAY FORWARD) ~ INN Nigeria
8 min read
As momentum builds on the first of its kind Initiative ‘Idle hands Are The Devil’s Workshop’, The 3rd Edition of the empowerment program took place Via ZOOM online on the 26th of July and hosted the finest of guest speakers across Ikorodu and Lagos State.
Ikorodu News Network (INN) which is also the host of the discourse kicked off the symposium by 5pm and lasted for approximately 4 hours.
Amongst the Contributors are both Hon Oluwatosin Onamade from Ijede LCDA and Hon Rotimi Balogun from Ikorodu North whom are both pioneer drivers of the Initiative.
The program powered on with it’s first speaker Alhaji Babatunde Tajudeen Rotinwa (Chairman Lagos State Local Government Service Commission & Chairman Ikorodu Division Resource Development Group IDRDG) who elucidated ‘The Roles Of Local Government To Creating A Youth Inclusive Agenda’.
“In this times, It is paramount for our Youths to be strongly empowered even at the tertiary level. Our local government must be Focused on strengthening our youths with programs that will make them useful and relivant to the communities” Babatunde Rotinwa
“There are contracts coming to the region that would actually be use to support our youths.
There must be a pre planned scheme to insert indigenous peoples into those projects.
This is meant to be arranged by the local government and they must ensure that some of these projects are training Platforms to developing the inhabitants of Ikorodu” Babatunde Rotinwa added.
On the part of the Idle Hands we see today, The role to bringing remedy to this Challenge cuts across builders of livelihoods:
- The Parents
- The Teachers
- The Community
- The Local Government
“If everyone on that list own up to their individual Responsibilities, It is very possible to see little or no Idle Hands on our streets as every one will find something doing.
I wouldn’t be where I am today if my parents didn’t create the right Platform for me to grow” Babatunde Rotinwa Concluded.
(His closing remarks gave us the need to look closely on the Local Government’s Synergies)
Afterwards, It was the turn of the Honorable Member Representating Ikorodu Federal Constituency and also the Chairman House Of Representatives Committee On Defence BabaJimi Benson, Who spoke live on the program about ‘The Importance Of Security To Foster Development In Ikorodu’.
“It must be noted first of all that Ikorodu has a population of roughly 4-5million inhabitants today, Which makes the issue of Security very important.
But let me say this from the get go that ‘Development & Security goes Together’.
If Ikorodu which I fondly refer to as the MIAMI Of Lagos State is having Security Challenges, It means that we still need to Strengthen our already layed down efforts in order to make our communities safe for not only our Indigenes, But also for businesses to thrive successfully.
Not forgetting the fact that we have lingering economic Challenges like UNDEREMPLOYMENT & OVERPOPULATION, But If we must elevate our security position then we must look at two key areas which are:
- DATA CAPTURING
- SECURITY TRUST FUNDS
On the part of the Data Capturing, it’s important to have a clear stats of the number of people dwelling in a particular area.
In the course of an entire day people are engaged in different activities, Most are legal while some are perceived illegal.
If we can structure out an effective data capturing medium across Ikorodu Division, It will enhance the effective efforts of our Security agencies and goes along way to keep our inner Communities safe.
On the second hand, The SECURITY TRUST FUNDS must be strongly enriched and constantly re-embursed to support our Different Security agencies in areas where they are short on logistics and mobility.
This fund is set aside to assist them across the region so they can be easily responsive to their duties as need arises.
We all know that insecurities scares off foreign investment plans to develop our communities, But how do we address it?
Let me highlights some suggestions that we should closely work towards implementation:
- We need to facilitate ITT Centres
- We need to train our teachers more
- We need to train women & unemployed youths
“I believe if we can work on these areas more extensively, It will further help Ikorodu in creating an adequate security system which will attract foreign businesses and also help the indigenous ones to be more successful than it is” BabaJimi Benson Added.
The session switched gears to the feminine side as the Acting Commissioner For Agriculture Lagos State Ms Abisola Ruth Olusanya came in to talk about ‘Lagos State Government Projections To Alleviating Idle Hands Through Agriculture’.
“Our Administration is Youth Focused! And our works are meant to attract them into varieties of sectors in order to get them very productive to the society” Ms Abisola Olusanya
With everything been equal we are looking at Empowering over a hundred thousand youths which we have targetted.
The Lagos Agripreneur Program is already in place and we are training at least 200-300 youths in Lagos State with adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines, Not to forget that we are responsible to housing these youths under the empowerment program.
We are keeping them thoroughly engaged and occupied so when they eventually emerged into the market space, It will yield returns and turn them into bread winners.
Since our sector is multi faceted we are Empowering them and also directing them towards their passion.
We also have the CONNECT TO WORK PROGRAMME (Which is a MasterCard Initiative).
As we look at the world in terms of Technological measures and advancements, The Agricultural sector in Lagos State is also working on Imbibing Technologies in the sense that just like we have IT hubs for information and technological purposes, We can also have Agriculture Hubs that will help the sector apply more sophisticated Technological Applications to aid what we do and enable us get more impactful results.
Not to forget about the IMOTA RICE MILL in Ikorodu which would be completed by the end of 2020.
A manufacturing facility that has the capacity to employ more youths and improve our production of Rice in Lagos State.
The ODOGUNYAN FISH FARM ESTATE in Ikorodu produces farm products Extensively for business and consumption.
It is our job to enumerate land usage in terms of Agriculture and we will make sure that every land space is fully utilised, If not there is every tendency to revoke it.
In all I will say this Administration is opened to empowering as much youths and we believe it will go along way to reduce the level of Idle Hands in Lagos State.
The Amiable President Of The Ikorodu Metropolitan Lions Club Mrs. Com. Lion Adefunke Esan NLCF came through as she stressed on the need for ‘Imbibing Selfless Service To Improving The Standard of Humanity’.
“Looking at what our Different guests has said concerning Ikorodu, The Way Forward I must say tally’s with the essence of selfless service generally.
Those functions can only be executed by people who are ready and willing to subject themselves to making the communities safe and Conducive for us all” Lion Adefunke Esan
It also exemplifies the goal and objectives of the Lions Club today.
People do not know where our service team would be seen next, We pick areas at random, Where there is Challenges and weaknesses, And we work around means available to our club to render Solutions.
During this Covid-19 pandemic Our District supprted the Lagos State Government with $10,000 to fight against the virus spread.
Not to even talk about the numerous ways we have helped in Sensitisation of regions at Community level to help individuals and less privileged ones in this time of both health and economic crisis.
This is the type of gospel we preach, Selfless Service in anywhere we go & Whatever we do to engage the youths, Which we shall continue to do.
“At this point if we have more partners like the Lagos State Government, We will be able to do more for our communities. Collective efforts will go a long way” Lion Adefunke Esan Added.
The last guest speaker was OTUNBA GANIYU OLUSEGUN ABIRU the Chairman Of IKORODU OGA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (IKODASS), Who talked about ‘LEADERSHIP’
As LEADERSHIP Is Key So also Is FOLLOWERHIP!
LEADERSHIP is an act that brings the best out of people. It is the act of motivating and inspiring people to grow.
We have two types of Leaders:
- VERTICAL LEADERSHIP
- HORIZONTAL LEADERSHIP
A vertical leader is one that Understands not the problems and Challenges of his followers and wouldn’t try by utmost means to cater to them in forms of rendering solutions and creating a positive pathway forward in unity & harmony.
An horizontal leader on the second hand is the empathetic type of Personality that mostly Contributes to support the efforts of it’s followers.
He understands the efforts inserted by his members. This type of Leader is able to allocate Encouraging rewards to his followers which in turn demands their loyalty and rigorous support at all times.
A good Leader must come to grips with the concurrent issues of his followers, It makes his role of mentorship visible and relivant.
Now in Ikorodu today we have Leaders who are doing their best.
But there should be a coordinated efforts because Leadership is about Team Spirit!
Like in the case of Insecurity we are talking about presently, It can only take a coordinated efforts from the Baales, Local Government and the Security agencies to Effectively Manage that Challenge! Because the BAALES know the families responsible for any community unrest, while the LOCAL GOVERNMENT can work on the DATA and the SECURITY AGENCIES would work on the CAPTURING. That is a coordinated Collective Responsibility.
Another challenge I have noticed today in our style of leadership is that we no longer have MENTORS & COACHES to guide our Youths.
Now it’s just all about follow me I follow you, Simply because the youths now just wants to survive.
But let’s ask ourselves this question, “If we engage our youths in thuggery for sake of elections, When it’s all said and done what else would they resort to doing for survival”?
“It must be noted at this point that “When The Poor Is Awake, The Rich Cannot Sleep” this is why we must endeavour to let our Youths have good mentors and coaches to shape their dreams and aspirations.
It will help them to know the right decisions to make in terms of Understanding what a real Leader truly stands for and the need to advance a Progressive Agenda for the common good of the entire Ikorodu Division” Otunba Ganiyu Added.
