Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, left, with Epe Local Government Council Chairperson, Sura Animashaun
Appraising Animashaun’s Leadership Character, By Aliykhal Lanre
In assessing a political leader, the primary qualities to consider include the theoretical ideals of vision, commitment and political will. Then, of the leader’s capacity to deliver in terms of concrete achievements.
A leader is adjudged to be a success, if her contributions are visibly evident, but a failure if there are little or no achievements to show for the period he/she was in office. Rarely, do we take into consideration the impossible state of affairs – that is, an imagination of the extent to which things would have been worse without the services of the pragmatic and energetic leader.
It follows, therefore, that a meaningful assessment of any leader must always take into consideration the special circumstances into which fate has thrust her and how much efforts and energy she has invested to make a change, a very positive one indeed. This is where history will be kind to Princess Surah Animashaun, the Executive Chairman of Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
When Animashaun assumed office after the 2021 local government, she inherited acute development challenges. More than ever, the council was politically polarised along unemployed youths and unmotorable road network across the council area. But, today, after four years in office, Animashaun has already recorded remarkable progress in all the sectors of economic recovery of the council, through her transformation agenda.
Within a short period of time in office, Princess Animashaun had been able to correct the negative view of the people of the council towards governance.
Our amiable Chairperson has within four years of her assumption of office proved critics wrong by being responsive and progressive in the discharge of her duties to the people of the Epe council. Even, the common man is not only happy in the council area, peace which was once eluded the people some years ago has returned. The entire communities within the council are witnessing massive reconstruction and rebuilding process or the other. Roads, schools, health institutions are being structured for lasting use.
Yes, Animashaun had done very well to reposition the economy of the council. She has further demonstrated the servant role of a government to the people. The Chairperson has taken the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to an enviable and sustainable position, thus deriving some funds to collectively embark on infrastructural development. Today, the people’s welfare and security is better off. A government is worth protecting and supporting, if it has met the yearning of the people.
In the education sector, groundbreaking educational reforms have increased. There is infrastructure improvement with the construction and rehabilitation of over 40 classrooms at primary and secondary school levels including the newly constructed of classrooms at Army Junior High School, Epe. The Chairperson also distributed bags, notebooks, and textbooks to primary schools in the council area education. This even leads to the organisation of lessons to the students intended to write jamb after given them free jamb forms, so as to boost and encourages both students and parents that education is key and bedrock of any developing or developed country.
In the health sector, the council Boss has supplied drugs and equipment to the general hospital and other primary health care centres. The Chairperson took a decisive action with the rehabilitation of some Primary Health Care Centres (PHCs) in the council, she provided them with basic medical and infrastructural facilities.
The rehabilitated centres are spread across the LGAs.
Towards meeting it’s target of connecting all communities in the council to the national electricity grid, Animashaun’s rural and urban electrification project has seen more communities in the council connected to the national grid. Epe LG Secretariat, is especially more beautiful with infrastructural development and the new construction of staff quarters and urban street light project.
Obviously, the present administration of Princess Surah Animashaun has done a lot to salvage the obsolete transformers in the council area and bring to an end the shortage power supply to some communities in the council and also to wresting the people of the LG from dark out or black out in the council.
Lanre, a Journalist, and political affairs analyst, writes in from Epe Local Government Area.
Can be reached via; aliykhallanre@gmail.com or 08060799328, 08055544854.
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