By Lanre Adesanya
Stakeholders in the Lagos International Trade Fair, situated along the Badagry expressway corridor of the state, have vowed to give their unflinching support and massive vote to President Muhammadu Buhari, for having given them an Executive Director (Chief Lucy Ajayi), who turned their tales of sorrow to joy.
Chief Pascal Udeh, the former chairman of Balogun Business Association and also a key player in the LITFC, made this assertion at a rally initiated by them at the instance of Chief Lucy Ajayi an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Lagos for the President’s second term bid.
According to Pascal, Lucy Ajayi is a rare breed whom they least expect could pull any stunt in the trade fair, but she had done tremendously well and painted a picture of the kind of person Buhari is to them, for which they are ready to vote Buhari as President again, that the good work may continue.
“We have never had it so good,the ED’s in time past were not accessible,they also lack vision but Madam Lucy Ajayi had a listening ears that informs the feat she was able to achieve here.
“Imagine a situation where we are having this kind of edifice and no payment duly made,was remitted to the federation purse.
“The situation here was worse compared to what it is now, she is doing a great job,prior to now we had crisis here,the roads were bad to the extent that trucks fall every now and then, but she did some palliative measures and normalcy was restored.
“I don’t know Buhari but I know Madam Lucy, there is a relative peace in the trade fair now, so I will vote Buhari for the continuity of this good development here.
Pascal however, urged the Federal government to consider the creation of wards and proper delineation of the Trade Fair.
“Owing to the large numbers of people doing business here who will like to cast their votes there, I call on the federal government to create wards and delineate this place to enable us vote”. Pascal pleads.
Chief Lucy Ajayi however, hinted that due to President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on delivery, she has resolved to embark on the construction of the 5km roads leading to the trade fair,describing the attainment of this dream as a landmark victory which is possible before the end of February.
“This rally here is organized by the business clusters in the trade fair,they sponsored it in testimony to the good works they claim I have done here.
“They should expect more of it once President Muhammadu Buhari is voted in the second time because he has given me mandate to listen to them and see how we can move Nigeria forward from here.
“If you visit this place by the end of this month you will see that we have started constructing the 5km road by the grace of God and we be named after President Muhammadu Buhari, instead of the old ways of naming halls after past Presidents.
“So many things done wrongly in time past have been corrected here,since I came as the new Executive Director.
“Their papers were revalidated to give them a legal sense of belonging here, monies were properly remitted to the government’s coffers and the ease of doing business was reactivated.
“I have remitted more than N1.5bn to the federation account within the space of one year and few months,and at least we had N900m in the consolidated revenue account as I speak”.
The LITF boss also noted how she was able to stem the ugly trend of violence recorded in the trade fair, through direct empowerment of the hitherto bad boys, who had since turned a new leaf doing quite beneficial things to heck a living and consequently restore sanity in the area.
She also took the opportunity to sensitize the eligible voters gathered there to vote right,citing the appropriate finger that they would use to avoid having voided votes.
Some of those gathered at the rally gave testimonies of where they were in time past and how their lives have been transformed, due Madam Ajayi’s style of administration in the trade fair.
One of the beneficiaries of the Lucy Ambassador, a group of young able individuals who were previously regarded as never do well in the community, Mr Ifeanyi Anikpeh gave a picture of all he has been through before the favour came in a near tears tone.
A graduate with technical know-how about software engineering, painted how APC led administration brought live as he was largely transformed.
“I have been around for some times now prior to APC taking over government,I had no help with all the competence, I have written so many proposals but they never gave it any reckoning.
“Now I am a better person, thanks to Madam Lucy Ajayi who rework the view point of many youths who were seen as miscreants in time past.
Former Executive Members of the Trade Fair stakeholders present at rally are; Chief Oscar Paul Odogwu,Chief Alex Obi Odurukwe and Comrade Uba Ameachi.
Alhaji Musa Gwari Chairman Arewa Ojo division, who came along with many members in solidarity with the Buhari second term movement, was also on hand to air the views of the Arewa front in the axis.
“We in Arewa are ready to vote Buhari back to the office, we have our PVCs and nothing will stop it,he is better than all the other candidates, being a sincere and untainted personality.”
