5th November, 2010
Aside the fact that legislators are primarily elected to make laws that would benefit their people, Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, GOS, who represents Lagos West Constituency at the National Assembly has been taking steps to ensure that residents of his constituency enjoy the goodies of governance.
His philanthropy did not start in 2007 when he was elected into the National Assembly, nor did it begin when he became a member of the House of Representatives. It began while he served as Chairman, Mushin Local Government, for over two terms.
Besides his achievements in terms of infrastructure development in his domain, he has in his private capacity, alleviated poverty in and around the area.
GOS Foundation, his non-government, non-profit humanitarian organisation, has organised skill acquisition programmes in which he has trained over 4,000 women in various vocations.
Over 1,000 people benefited from his interest free loans while more than 1,000 others enjoyed his business take off grant. He has provided crates of soft drinks to more than 1,000 traders, and given pay phone facilities to over 1,000 others.
Besides financial assistance to needy families and other individuals, the senator single-handedly repaired and maintains the federal boreholes at Agbelekale and Ayantuga/Falolu junction, in Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area. Apart from financial assistance to the sick, he gave free eye glasses to 1,500 people in his constituency.
He has distributed 1,500 free GCE forms to indigent students, distributed 50,000 exercise books to various groups and given scholarship awards to 50 best final students in various public schools in the senatorial district.
On June 8, last year, the Lagos secretariat of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, was aglow with showers of praises on the lawmaker as he distributed various poverty alleviation items to each of the 28 local government councils that constitute the Lagos West Senatorial District which he represents at the upper chamber of the National Assembly. The items include motorcycles, generators, crash helmets, massagers, clippers, sterilizers, deep freezers, sewing machines, hair dryers and grinding machines.
Among those who will forever appreciate the philanthropic gesture of the senator are the people of Panada in Agege area of the state. Just last month, a borehole which he provided for them was commissioned while efforts are ongoing on the construction of toilet facilities for the same community.
In a letter dated 14 September, 2010, Panada Community Development Association wrote to appreciate the senator’s gesture. It was jointly signed by the body’s chairman, Chief Babs Diyaolu and its secretary, Mr. P.A Ajayi.
Currently, the electricity transformers he donated to seven communities are being installed on Abbey Street, Onipanu and at Olateju Street, Mushin, among others.
Through the Millennium Development Project, MDG, he has ensured the supply of furniture and other equipment to six healthcare centres in the constituency.
Eleven primary schools across the constituency have also been supplied with classroom furniture while some others are ongoing.
According to GOS as he is fondly called by admirers, “there is no big deal about what I have been able to do. I have simply been doing what I was elected to do and we won’t relent because to do so amounts to an unpardonable sin against the people who are the real owners of the mandate that I have.â€
