Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
The Chief Executive Officer of Ace Shipping and Cargo International Limited, Ayodeji Oniyide, a.k.a Dejavuu, has declared his intention to run for Yewa South Local Government Chairman in the forthcoming council elections in Ogun State.
Oniyide, who is the son of late Chief Solomon Abiodun Oniyide, an educationists and former secretary to the local government, said he decided to run for the position to relieve the people their plights and bring more development to the council.
He disclosed this at his residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while reeling out his plans if he becomes the chairman of the council.
The business man said he would create a home to cater for the welfare and wellbeing of the old people, especially those labelled witch or wizard by the community because they have been abandoned and lack care and support from family and relations.
He explained that the home would cater for the breakfast, lunch and dinner of aged people, where they would also have privilege to play local games like ‘Ayo Olopon’ and do few others things, including interacting with people so that the elderly could live a healthy life.
“One particular thing I have in mind to do and it will be very unique, I plan to open a home for elderly people who have nobody to cater for them and people in our society label them as witch or wizard.
“They just need basic care. I intend to have a home like that where they pick elderly people up in the morning, take them there, give them breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“There will also be so many games for them like ‘Ayo Olopon’ and few other things and they will have people to interact with, and labelling them as witch or wizard because they are old and have nobody to take care of them, I think that is not good. I have looked across the local government areas in the state and there is nothing as such. The programme is going to be under my foundation.”
The CEO also said he would embark on youth empowerment programmes such as entrepreneur training and assist those brilliant ones in their academic pursuit but who do not have money to write West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination( WASSCE) or Joint Admission and Matriculation (JAMB) exams.
He said he would pay for the exams of this brilliant youths, especially those whose parents are poor to afford the fees in order to save them from joining bad gangs, who might introduce them to illicit drugs or violent acts which may affect their future negatively.
“I will do youth empowerment, I will focus on education because my late father was an educationist. He retired as one of the directors of education in Ogun State. You can go and verify, his legacies still stand and my dad made us to realise the importance of education.
“So, I will focus on education, helping the youth, there are so brilliant children out there that their parents can’t afford their school fees, they will drop out of school, some will drop out and still make it in life, others will not make it in life, they will join hoodlums and start smoking, but if such student have the privileged of going to school and someone pays for their education it will really and when they grow up too they will become useful for the society and who know how many children they will sponsor too.” he added.
Oniyide, therefore, opined that most of the programmes he has for the youths and the old in the council will be done under his foundation, which he would officially launch soon.