Deacon Banjo Omole, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos state said on Sunday that Nigeria needed more compassionate people in politics to serve humanity.
Omole made the remark at an empowerment programme for widows and old people organised by an NGO, Touch of Love and Lifting Hands Foundation founded by an APC chieftain, Mrs Atinuke Owolabi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Owolabi was a leading female aspirant for Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area chairmanship seat in the last council poll before her withdrawal for party supremacy.
“We are always happy because she (Owolabi) is a member of the APC and I am especially happy with all her philanthropic gestures and compassion for the needy.
“She does good deeds with her resources and money. This is what we want in politics; we don’t want corrupt people, but people that will make life better for the people.
“Those that will do good deeds to people, and people can attest to their kindness and compassionate heart are the ones we want in politics,’’ Omole said.
Reciting a poem for Owolabi, titled “Roll out compassion two times’’, the APC chairman said that the Foundation had executed immeasurable projects to better the lives of the people, especially the needy.
“Atinuke is imbued with blood of compassion. For this eloquent personality to further the cause of service to humanity in giving from her sweat is exemplary.
“Atinuke is a mother who gives voluntarily and with human face.
“This woman uplifts others. She answers the directive of God for compassion to fellow men,’’ the APC chairman in the local government area said.
According to him, Owolabi’s rank of philanthropic gestures is fast rising and her profile rising also among NGOs.
Omole added that Owolabi was marching in the footsteps of most notable Nigeria’s female philanthropists such as Funsho Alakija, Amina Oyagbola and Olajumoke Adenowo.
He commended Owolabi for providing shelter for the blind, enrolling out-of-school children in schools, feeding the poor and caring for unemployed youths, among others.
Omole said that no act of kindness done for humanity would be forgotten by God, stressing that Owolabi’s foray into politics would be an added advantage to affect many lives.
In her response, Owolabi, an engineer, said she joined politics to make good use of every privileged position for the greater good of the people.
She said that more than 200 widows and the aged were empowered with different gifts items like clothing, foot wears, foodstuffs and ingredients.
“The next empowerment in December will be mega when we will be doing a one-week humanitarian service. We will do more of empowerment, awareness and a workshop,’’ she said.
Owolabi described accolades from the APC Chairman as heart-warming and assured that the accolades would strengthen her to do more for the people.
She said that her belief was that if she could touch so many lives with her meagre resources, a good number of the poor would rejoice if she was given opportunity in politics.
An 85-year-old beneficiary, Mrs Oladipupo Rebecca, who prayed to God to continue to bless and keep Owolabi for the gesture, said she had been benefitting from the foundation in the past. (NAN)
