Abiru facilitates 960-capacity mini stadium, empowers 1250 traders with N62.5m

Senator representing Lagos East senatorial district, Tokunbo Abiru, has facilitated the construction of a 960-capacity mini stadium in Epe and the reconstruction of Oluwo fish market.

The mini-stadium, according to the Senator, comprises football pitch, basketball and volleyball courts, administrative offices, changing rooms and other amenities.

Addressing guests at the commissioning of the projects by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday, Abiru said that the remodelled Oluwo fish market comprises 240 open stalls, 82 lock up stalls, 5 open floors, 12 toilets and 4 new offices for Iya Oloja and Baba Oloja, Tourism Board and local government staff security post.

Aside the sponsoring of 13 private member bills and co-sponsored three other bills, which included motions, Abiru said he had prioritised three key pillars of legislative role, empowerment and endowment to deliver dividends of democracy to his constituents.

“I must publicly acknowledge and appreciate the magnanimity of the Presidency, through the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the projects we are commissioning today, those we had commissioned in the past and the ones that are yet to be commissioned. I specially thank His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and Her Excellency, Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on SDGs,” he said.

The senator also said that ,250 market women and traders have been empowered with N62.5million. According to him, market leaders in the 16 LGs/LCDAs were given the direct responsibilities of selecting 50 members each in their localities, totaling 800, while the remaining beneficiaries were nominated by the party structure.

The empowerment also includes the distribution of hand-planters to about 200 farmers, along with financial grants of N20,000.

Abiru noted that the projects and the support for market women and rural farmers were part of the fulfilment of the social contract he had with the people of Lagos East Senatorial District while seeking their mandate in 2020. 

Commissioning the projects, Sanwo-Olu said that they will have direct impacts on the socio-economic reality of the town, praising Sen. Abiru for “diligently” representing the district in the National Assembly.

Sanwo-Olu said: “Over the last 18 months, Senator Abiru has dutifully delivered the dividends of democracy in several areas and on multiple fronts, not just in the primary mandate of law-making, but also in terms of life-changing empowerment and endowment.

“Today, we are here to commission a number of infrastructure projects by him, some of which are facilitated through the Office of the Special Assistant to President Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), occupied an esteemed daughter of Lagos, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.”

He appealed to the beneficiaries to see the projects as public resources entrusted in their care, urging them to productively utilise the facilities with the utmost sense of responsibility.

Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire, in her speech, applauded the lawmaker for making women empowerment as cardinal focus of his activities, noting that such action remained key to strengthen inclusion.

She said the Office of the SDGs in the presidency had facilitated rehabilitation of more than 10 schools and four healthcare projects in the district.