REWARD FOR QUALITY REPRESENTATION: FESTAC Residents Eulogize PDP’s Dipo Olorunrinu, Says They Will Miss Him & His Leadership Qualities.

Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu.
Member, Lagos State House of Assembly.

The qualities of member representing Amuwo-Odofin State Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu has been eulogized by residents of FESTAC Town, who expressed disappointment over his defeat in the just concluded state constituency elections in Lagos State.

           

Hon. Olorunrin, has for a long time now, the only member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Lagos Assembly, after all how party men who won election on the same platform with him all jumped ship and moved over to the ruling APC, he remained steadfast in the PDP, maintained his resilience and stewardship, resisting all gestures thrown at him to join others, a move he overlooked, with the assurance that he won the election on the platform of the PDP, and there he would remain, a rare quality only the brave possess.

In the March 9 elections, he lost his re-election bid into the house of assembly to Mrs. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a result he had accepted, even in the midst of agitation by his supporters to seek redress, as the election was characterized by massive rigging, ballot snatching, vote buying and rigging and with promise to work with the winner to move Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1 forward.

Dipo was among the eight PDP lawmakers elected into the Lagos Assembly in 2015 general, seven decamped to the APC, while he remained the last man standing till date, which actually was the reason the election went the way it did.

A survey by NAN correspondent on the constituents’ assessment of the first term of the young lawmaker, revealed that he was admired by the constituents and very close to the people.

The residents who spoke in separate interviews with NAN across different avenues and roads in FECTAC, described Olorunrinu as a man of the people, who had touched their lives in different ways.

A resident on 204 Road, Mrs. Josephine Kanu, described Olorunrinu’s loss at the polls as painful. “I feel so bad that Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu lost the election. He won in many polling stations in FESTAC Town, but I don’t know what happened in Mile 2. Only God will judge.

“He did well for us, he bought cylinders and gas for women on the streets. He paid school fees, bought cows for people. I will miss him, when he leaves office. I wish they can repeat the election,” Kanu said.

Also speaking, Pastor Adekanmbi Aderemi, a cleric on same road, corroborated Kanu’s opinion, saying that he had not been voting in the past, but that he had to vote in the last election because of Olorunrinu. He said that the lawmaker was very close to the people, and that “if you go round, you will see what he has done. It is a great loss for us. He tried a lot, we have never experienced what he did for us in the past.” “Keke Marwa and Okada riders were talking about him. He used to go to mosques and churches and gave people gifts,” the cleric said.

In his view, Umar Malam Umar, a Chief Security Officer of one of the roads in FESTAC Town, said that he was not happy about what happened to the lawmaker. Umar said: “Olorunrinu used to give food to the residents to break their fast during Ramadan since he got to the assembly. We don’t know what will happen now as another Ramadan is approaching. “We will continue to pray for him as we also do during the Ramadan. Olorunrinu used to give cows and rams to the residents during Sallah. ” He gave me a ram for Sallah last year and he is not tribalistic. He is good to the Hausas, Yorubas and Igbos,” he said.

A panel beater at 3rd Ave, FESTAC Town, Mr. Kehinde Yisa, commended the lawmaker for providing free buses to convey students to and from schools. “He discusses with us a lot and shares his experiences with us. He gave us rice, cows and a lots of things. “We are not happy that he lost. He used to attend our meetings. He used to invite us to events and gave us food during Ramadan,” he said.

All these were corroborated by a herb seller, who simply gave her name as Mary as well as some commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders who gave their names as Dennis Gadama, Samuel Peter, David Dandi, among others.

According to Dandi, Olorunrinu’s electoral loss is painful to most of them saying Olorunrinu has helped a lot of people including old men and women.

“He has helped to stop people from seizing our okadas. It is painful that Olorunrinu lost the election. Okada people love him because he has done a lot for them,” he said.

A trader, who gave her name as Mama Blessing, eulogized the lawmaker saying: “Olorunrinu deserved to win the election.” “He is “talk and do” just like his nickname. He lost because people were discouraged, they did not come out for the election. It is so painful. We will never forget him. “He didn’t deserve to lose. I have seen others before, but this man worked. He campaigned vigoroursly and most people are annoyed that he lost the election,” she said.

A car dealer, Mr. Akinsola Olagbegi, also said that Olorunrinu had been a very good person, adding that people had been saying good things about him. “They say he is ‘talk and do. He provides free buses for school children. We will miss him as he lost the election. It is so painful to us,” he said.

Olagbegi added that he was surprised that Olorunrinu took care of the politicians in the PDP and the APC, wondering if such a politician was common in this part of the world.

The story was the same in Agboju Market in the area, where a trader, Mr. Omotosho Nurein, a fruit seller, Mrs. Maryam Fatimon and Mr. Kehinde Adeyemi said that Olorunrinu was a man of the people.

Mrs. Gift Popoola, who was making her hair around Agboju Market and a hair dresser, Mrs. Bolanle Rilwan, among others jointly eulogized the lawmaker, whom they described as a man with a large heart.

In his assessment, Mr. Sola Fakorede, the President of FESTAC Town Residents Association, described Olorunrinu as one of the best lawmakers who was passionate about the constituency and constituents

“I never met him until he started representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1 in the state assembly. I didn’t give him a chance, but when he got to the assembly he performed beyond our expectations. “God knows the best despite everything. Everybody will miss him. He has a large heart, he is very accessible. He is ready to listen, he attends to all the problems affecting FESTAC Town and other places here.

“He is a generous giver. He has given scholarship awards to people. He does not discriminate on party lines. He should continue his good works, he can still bounce back.

According to him, “Governor Kayode Fayemi was defeated in Ekiti State in 2014, but he bounced back. Olorunrinu can still bounce back, he is still young,” the community leader said.

He further said that he met the winner of the election in the constituency, Alli-Macaulay before and after the election, and said that Olorunrinu would leave very big shoes for her to fill.