The 2023 political dice is cast, and office-holders for the 2023 general elections have emerged and resumed offices, so this gives me the opportunity to eulogies the people of Ibadan Northwest and Southwest local government areas for handling the affairs of their communities, benefit from government and others in the hand of Hon. Dhikirulahi Adedeji Olajide popularly known as Odidi Omo.
A trial given to him, Odidi Omo in 2019 was justified, thereby convincing them to trust him for another four years, as it showed them that, the lawmaker remains the best alternative among candidates who contested in the election.
In 2018, when Odidi Omo showed his interest in contesting in the 2019 general elections, many doubting Thomases refused to believe that, he had the true mind, and leadership character, with the capacity and ability to deliver real dividends of democracy to their doorsteps.
The critics stood on the side that, Odidi Omo had spent the majority of his recent life abroad, so, he would find it difficult to understand the political terrains and know where the shoe pinches the poor masses.
While at the actual time, pointing to another political dispensation, the Ibadan Northwest, Southwest federal constituency is being argued that for the constituents to enjoy the dividends of democracy, the constituency badly needs a transformational representative; a representative who will be responsible, honest, and responsive. Someone with integrity, who can inspire the masses.
After managing to get the Federal House of Representatives ticket in his party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Odidi Omo who has been destined to lead, crossed several hurdles.
Though, it was a difficult task for Stanley Odidi Omo to convince his people for their support, and votes, as many even easily got discouraged while listening to him, as his English language accent made them assume, he would be more of a Yankee man in his locality if he eventually voted to represent them.
Thereafter, a careful review of the plans, programs, and visions of all House of Representatives candidates in the race came to the unassailable conclusion that Adedeji Stanley Olajide Odidi Omo is the only available option for the people of his constituency.
The people of Northwest and Southwest Federal local government areas trusted, and risked their votes for him in 2019, and today, the rest is history, Odidi Omo not only surpassed his predecessors in performance, but he also made his people understand the truth of democracy and its dividends. He was not only given a passed mark for his first four years, but his constituents gave him a free ride for the second term thereafter.
There is no gainsaying the fact that,
NorthWest/Southwest Federal Constituency over the last four years recorded a brilliant representation. The effect of Odidi Omo’s representation could easily be felt in his constituency, his satisfactory performance since he resumed as a lawmaker in Abuja has overshadowed the lackluster outing of his predecessors.
After making his way to the National Assembly in 2019 with brilliant legislative deliveries, he continued this in the ongoing 10th Assembly, with the insistence that, I must deliver what my people want.
His quality of being honest, severe self-discipline, abstention from all forms of indulgence, and strong moral principles have not only made him a political brand, but his ability to understand and share the feelings of others has also made him an unavoidable option to his people.
Odidi Omo’s ability to know what to do when his colleagues do not know what to do has made him be outstanding representative. According to his contemporaries at the National Assembly, he has the strength of being able to convince the Honorable Speaker, and his colleagues on the floor of the house with logical, emotional as well and cooperative appeals.
Some of his self and joint motion raised and bill sponsored during his first term includs: Urgent need to complete Enterprise Infrastructure and application projects of Galaxy Backbone Nigeria Limited, Motion on the need to Digitalize and Automate National Assembly Activities, Motion on the Need to regulate the Spate of modification on Roads and other public infrastructure by telecommunication companies in Nigeria, Motion on the need to Revitalize the textile industry Nationwide, A Bill for an Act to Upgrade the College of Agriculture, Moor Plantation to Federal University of Technology, Moor Plantation, Motion on the need to enforce the resolution of the House on Central Bank of Nigeria’s Police to impose processing fees and or Charges on Cash Deposit and Withdrawals for Individual and Corporate Accounts in Nigeria, Motion on the need to end the practice of pre-trial parade of suspected criminals by personnel of the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Directorate of State Security Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigerian Army, Motion on the need to Curb Corruption in Civil Service, A motion of Urgent importance to examine the Ministerial Nominee submitted by the President, Motion on the need for Federal Government To review the procurement process.
Despite being a first-term lawmaker, Odidi Omo is arguably one of the best-performing lawmakers in the just concluded 9th Assembly. While meticulously engaging in all the lawmaking activities in Abuja, he never neglected his people at home, his periodic, popular demand and mouthwatering empowerment for his people stand him as a determined visionary leader and outstanding representative.
Most of his empowerment programs between 2019 to 2023 were talks of the town. Doing the right thing at the right time when it is needed by his people also usually gets him in the bad book of opposition. Even, when everybody knows Odidi Omo is doing the right things, the opposition will set aside courage, and humanity and adopt political means to criticize the performing lawmaker.
Earlier during his first term, the lawmaker empowered about 300 widows and aged women between 55 and 60 years in his constituency with she-goats, thou, few people based on politics criticized such unusual empowerment, it was justified by many to be a good initiative, they applauded the lawmaker for finding a way to keep his constituency’s Widows and older people at home with steady income generating business.
She-goats for empowerment sound strange, but considering the set of beneficiaries, its relevance, and economic gain, it could easily be deduced that Odidi Omo, is ahead of his peers when it comes to thinking and effort to make a meaningful impact. It was learned that the lawmaker gave out the goats on popular demand.
The lawmaker at the time also contended that the least amongst about 300 widows and aged women between 55 and 60 years who felt having goats in their backyards would make them financially stable as the she-goats, he gave them, were of special breeds and could produce between three to four offspring twice a year.
Also on December 11, 2021, Odidi Omo Empowered Over 2000 Constituents With N150m Items. He made another effort to contribute meaningfully to the standard of living of his constituents, most importantly to end hardship and starvation livelihood. Part of what he distributed were: Laptops, Motorcycles, Sewing Machines, Dryers, Generators, and cash among others.
Earlier to that mega empowerment,
A large number of youths in the constituency have been trained in poultry farming and were given the needed support to sustain the business upon completion.
The lawmaker has also collaborated with some relevant federal government agencies to lift his constituents, part of this was the Youth Digital Training program he organized for the youth of his constituents.
After the program, the lawmaker gave out laptops and other gadgets needed to run online businesses to the beneficiaries who are mostly youth.
Unlike other elected politicians with
Greek gift with political tones to people, Odidi Omo’s empowerment beneficiaries were always drawn from all areas within his constituency, in other to ensure that no one was left out in the programme, irrespective of their political or religious affiliations.
The lawmaker February 2022 equipped his constituency’s elected councilors with ICT Equipment, to make sustainability rates come out better as well as sustain self-development and proper documentation of the record of their office.
Odidi Omo’s contributions on
Water Supply, Electricity Supply,
Environment, Healthcare Services, and Education within his constituency can never be overemphasized.
Aside, from being a politician, Odidi Omo
endowed with the tremendous gift of giving, and his philanthropic gesture is second to none. Part of his
Philanthropic gestures in recent times were the distribution of 350 Rams, 250 Bags of Rice, and Cash donations to Moslem Faithful, community leaders, religious leaders, and market leaders in his constituency during the Eid Kabir – 2019 worth over Twenty Million Naira (N20Million), Distribution of Rice and Cash gift to Christians, community leaders, religion leaders, and market leaders in his constituency during 2019 Christmas worth well over Fifteen Million Naira (N15Million), Distribution of Rice and other gift items to Moslems, community leaders, religion leaders, and market leaders in his constituency during 2020 Ramadan (Eid-Fitri) worth over Five Million Naira (N5Million) among others. The Distribution of 250 Bags of Rice, 50 Cartoons of Indomie Noodles, and 50 Packs of Spaghetti to people of his constituency to alleviate the hardship occasioned during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Items worth Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N6 5 million) were distributed. He continuously renders financial assistance to numerous members of his constituency anytime the need arises.
As part of his responsibilities, Odidi Omo
has been helping his constituents resolve their problems. He has on most occasions used excellent interpersonal skills to understand and defend his constituents’ interests and solve pressing personal problems.
Odidi Omo since he resumed his job as a lawmaker often acted as a mediator to resolve a clash of interests within his constituencies. He has been often called upon to play a public role during local events and ceremonial occasions.
However, returning Hon.Stanley Olajide Odidi Omo to the green chamber for a second time is not enough, his hard work and consistency need continuous support and prayers from his constituency.
Micheal Adepoju, an Ibadan-based communication specialist writes via ccrescentonlineservices@gmail.com
