A Portrait of a Rare Gem(Hon Omowunmi Ogunlola)
By Oke Aruleba@Deprof
Men and their accomplishments in Ekiti political landscape have been overwhelmingly awash in the social media. Little attention has been accorded the invaluable contributions or achievements of our dear Amazons in politics.
Can this be attributed to the mistaken belief that it is men’s world? Is it a conspiracy artfully hatched from the sphere of partriarchally dominated polity?
Finding solace in Thomas Carlyle’s moving expression: “when the oak is felled, the whole forest echoes with its fall, but a hundred accorns are sown in silence by an unnoticed breeze”, I , therefore, channelled the radar on Ekiti women in politics.
Only a person of worth can recognize the worth, therefore, Hon Omowunmi Olubunmi Ogunlola,a Member representing Ijero/Ekiti West/Efon Federal Constituency is on the radar. My facts-finding entailed a traverse through all the nooks and crannies of Hon Wunmi Ogunlola’s Constituency which offered a very useful insight into the laudable achievements of Hon Olubunmi Omowunmi Ogunlola, a member representing Ijero/Ekiti West/Efon Federal Constituency House of Representatives.
Far from a flagrant act of hero-worship, Hon Wunmi Ogunlola has demonstrated that she carved her humanitarian teeth like Parka when she built and donated a habitable modern house to a Septuagenarian , Mrs Omowe , who was rendered homeless due to Nature’s malevolent nature to man: the roof of her house was violently blown away by the angry Gale.
In a twinkling of an eye, Hon Omowunmi Ogunlola validated Sola Sonubi’s moving poetic output:” Homeless but not Hopeless” by giving a big lease of life via building a new sprawling house(a well-furnished three bedroom flat) for the Septuagenrian, Mrs Omowe, who had lost all hope of having a roof over her head before she dives into eternity.
Another beneficiary of Hon Wunmi Ogunlola largesse was Elder Tade Akande, whose motorbike was stolen by the men of the underworld. Before saying Jack Robinson, the kind-hearted Amazon in the Green Chamber, Hon Wunmi Ogunlola indemnified Elder Tade Akande, thereby making him a proud owner of a brand new motorbike. This simple act of kindness will surely create an endless ripple at poll for Hon Omowunmi Ogunlola.
Ikoro Ekiti, in Ijero Local Government, was Hon Wunmi Ogunlola’s epicentre of people-oriented programme.
Cognizant of the spate of insecurity in Ekiti, Hon Omowunmi Ogunlola donated a state -of the -art Police Station to Ikoro Community. With this life-saving gesture of the Amazon in the National Green Chamber, the entire Ikoro Community could sleep with their eyes comfortably closed.
The soothing and alluring rain of Hon Wunmi Ogunlola’s empowerment fell mightily at Aramoko
where 14 vehicles, 60 motorcycles, 58 sewing machines, 40 generators, 20 grinding machines, 10 wheel chairs and 12 mowers were given to the Constituents to enhance self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
The need to provide her Constituents with germ-free portable water inspired Hon Wunmi Ogunlola to provide six solar boreholes in different communities such as Iwaji-Ekiti Ido-Ile, Ijero Ekiti, Araromi Ekiti, Iwaji Ekiti and Ikogosi Ekiti. This singular action of hers corroborates the truism that political offices are held in trust not for self-serving purposes!
In order to lend credence to the dictum that Education is a tool of social advancement and empowerment, Hon Wunmi Ogunlola gave out bursary awards to
a hundred(100) Constituents while financial largesse was extended to 100 Widows to help them cope with the disenabling situation in our economically depressed Nation.
Hon Wunmi Ogunlola has many empowerment programmes to her credit. One of such empowerment programmes had about 150 beneficiaries (Farmers) drawn from three local governments in her constituency.
The empowerment programmes which was channelled towards boosting agricultural outputs fetched each trainee
Items such as fertilizers, pest control chemicals, fortified maize, spraying machines and financial assistance of N20,000.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed”. Hon Wunmi Ogunlola did not abandon her Constituents in the moment of dire needs, especially during the COVID 19 pandemic. Relief materials were adequately given to members of her Constituency.
Apart from this, the NURTW in Ekiti West Local Government will forever be appreciative of the whooping sum of One Million Naira Hon Wunmi Ogunlola donated towards the completion of the Union Office. It is big step towards making life comfortable for road transport workers in her Constituency.
Hon Wunmi Ogunlola, in no little degree, detests the corruptible effect of the Fraud Triangle which compelled one’s surbodinate living with dire needs in an environment of abundance to commit a fraud due to lack.
Her gifts of a car to her Senior Aide and a motorcycle to her gatekeeper during Yuletide speaks volumes for her belief in a “Win-Win” strategy.
No fewer than 80 young women in Aramoko Ekiti were empowered through cutting-edge trainings. The grapevine has it that all the aforementioned are just a tip of the iceberg!
In the light of the above espoused impressive ground-breaking people-oriented projects of Hon Wunmi Ogunlola, she deserves another chance for her to accomplish further feats via delivery of the Dividends of Democracy to her Constituents.
Oke Aruleba@Deprof
University Lecturer
Indigene of Ikere Ekiti
08027906799
leorexinitiatives@gmail.com.