The Chairman of Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, Honourable Rasaq Olusola Ajala has highlighted the problems of alleviating poverty in the Nigerian the society, particularly at the grassroots level.
Ajala, Secretary of Conference 57, umbrella organisation of elected Council Chairmen in Lagos State, highlighted these problems while speaking at TheGazelleNews 2024 Public Lecture held at Radisson Blu Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos State on Thursday, 5 November, 2024.
While stating that, as council Chairman, he believes in the philosophy of putting smiles on the faces of the residents by initiating various empowerment programmes to eradicate or reduce the level of poverty, on most occasions, people abuse the gesture, and deviate from the aim of the programme.
“For instance, I initiated a zero interest loan scheme for residents of my council area.
“We gave them the cash and expected them to pay back the loan within 12 months but up till this moment, eight months after one year, less than 30 per cent of the beneficiaries have paid back the loan.
“How long are we going to sustain this? Other people are being deny the opportunity to benefit from the scheme because if we don’t recover the loans, there is no way we can give to others. Many see cash loans as their share of the national cake. They take but refuse to pay back, not realising that their decision not to pay back is depriving others from benefitting in the scheme,” he lamented.
He stated that, “When we give free tools for artisans to make use of and better their lives and that of their families, they sell it. Is this not inimical to eradicating poverty in our midst?
Ajala, who said he has resolved to do whatever it takes to put smiles on the people’s faces, especially the ordinary people in his council area, said “we are not there yet in the war to eradicate poverty in our society with this attitude being displayed by our people”.
He said that for poverty to be eradicated, everybody must make use of what he or she is giving to make life more meaningful not only to them, but to their families. “If they don’t do this, the war against poverty will not be won.”
