Lagos State lawmaker, Mr Gbolahan Ogunleye, has called on youths to embrace self-reliance and personal development through sports and skills acquisition rather than depend on government jobs.
Ogunleye made the call on Saturday while donating table tennis boards to youths at the Ita-Elewa Sports Centre in Ikorodu, as part of his community development efforts.
He also donated similar equipment to primary schools in the area to support talent development and enhance extracurricular activities among pupils.
“I focused on sports so that youths in Ikorodu can develop themselves and probably choose careers in it.
“My focus is not only on school children but to also consider those who are out of school that can make us proud as table tennis players in Ikorodu,” he said.
Ogunleye, said the reason he prioritised and focused on improving sports in the community was to engage youths and drastically reduce crime among them.
The lawmaker said the choice of table tennis was because it brought people together, easy to learn, not a physical contact game and could be organised on a small space and also a game of peace, played world-wide.
He said the focal part of his inclusive representation is basically human development as done by the late siege, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in his time.
According to him, Awolowo prioritised building of schools, providing teachers and building personnel that would eventually usher in the desired economic development.
He added that the idea worked for a very long time in the Western region until the military took over and introduced a unitary system of government.
“I intend to take human development as far as I could, as Awolowo did during their time, his priority wasn’t building sky scrappers but building schools and personnel that would bring growth to the western region.
“The sure part of greatness was no secret other than Awolowo’s investment on the people,” he said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Olayinka Kamoru, Chairman, Youth Centre, Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu, expressed gratitude to the donor for providing the facility to the centre, adding that it would reduce loitering as well crime rate.
Kamoru, who doubled as Itundofin Community Development Association (CDA) Chairman, appealed to the donor to organise empowerment programmes for women, widows and vulnerables on quarterly basis to alleviate their sufferings.
