When nature chose to shoulder one with the onerous responsibility of direct representation of the people’s collective will, it found a willing and ready idealogue at Ilaje/ Ese Odo Federal constituency in Hon. Kolade Victor Akinjo. Interestingly , Victor Akinjo did not just happen on the Ilaje political scene or even national consciousness like a bolt from the blues; he has come a long away , learning the political rope and paying his dues along the line.
When young Kolade Akinjo gained admission to the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile Ife, he simply wanted to study Agricultural Economics , yet nature had a more predestined and huge responsibility for him on the OAU campus that transcend learning and “jumping from one lecture theatre to another.” It goes to motive that Kolade learnt the art of popular political participation and representation in that ivory tower , OAU-Ife, reckoned as one of the most viable bedrock of virile student unionism in Nigeria, nay Africa. His first experience at representative unionism in the university saw him projected as President of the Student union Government in 1998, a position he anchored with aplomb and finesse and since then , he has not looked back in his bid to replicate on the large political platform his active political participatory skill.
Hon. Kolade Akinjo having carved a niche for himself as a foremost student Union leader, it was little wonder that his broad based and fast rising profile caught the attention of former President Olusegun Obasanjo , who in his administration recruited him as a Personal Assistant between 2006 and 2007. Under the same administration , he was later reappointed as Special Assistant to the President on Student and Youth Affairs.
In this capacity as a Presidential aide what were his landmark achievement ? Akinjo it was, who introduced the ideal of “nonviolence training as enunciated in the six nonviolence principles of Martin Luther king Jnr” as foundation for Ethnic harmony among Niger Delta youths in 2005. Interestingly, the concept he introduced as SA to the President on Youth Affairs about a decade ago eventually formed the fulcrum of the foundation for Amnesty initiative of the Federal Government. His intervention in the politics of National Association of Nigerian students (NANS) to enhance and stabilise progressive student unionism produced union leaders , the likes of Jude Imagwe, Daniel Onjeh, Philip Shuaibu, Tony Nwoye, who has also just emerged the flag bearer of his party in the forthcoming Anambra guber poll.
Hon. Akinjo contributed in no small measure to the advocacy for the establishment of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), particularly, the establishment of its Youths Directorate. In addition , he influenced the establishment of Presidential Consultative Stakeholders’ forum on Niger Delta under President Olusegun Ovasabjo , a platform through which he gave unfettered access to Ilaje/Ese Odo Delegates. Akinjo’s Youth Affairs office in Obasanjo’s government pro actively contributed to the drafting and adoption of Federal Government Draft of the National Youth Policy Framework.
An icing on the cake of his support for the people of his constituency even when he had not become their representative is seen in how as leader of the Nigerian contingent to world youth festival in Caracas , Venezuela in 2007, he ensure Ilaje / Ese Odo youths were ably represented in a fairly huge number as members of Delegation. Also, between 2007 and 2008, Akinjo aided OSOPADEC to organize in two segments “Ilaje Youths Peace Summit ” which eventually led to the famous declaration of ‘Ilaje charter of peace.’ It is worthy of note that in 2011, Kolade Akinjo assisted Ilaje to singlehandedly supervise the construction of the secretariat road, using interlocking paving stones, and the construction of the new car park at Zero-Zero junction. Furthermore, his foundation, Kolade Akinjo Foundation for Advancement and Development (KAFAD) has intervened in many poverty reduction programmes and projects , scholarship awardsin Ilaje/Ese Odo .
Why engaging in all these humble, yet giant strides , nature was preparing him for a higher political calling and when he eventually aligned with nature and contested to represent his constituency at the lower chamber of The National Assembly, his overwhelming victory attested to the fact that his constituents are not unmindful of his love and passion for them over the years. As a member , House of Representatives, Hon.Akinjo serves as Deputy Chairman ,House Committee on Population and as members in other committees of the House. The Oginiso of Etikan is one Representative, whose concern for his constituency hangs on his chest like a badge . He doesn’t shy away from projecting on the floor of his chamber the pains of his people in the Coastal Niger Delta region of Ondo state. In the recent past he has presented bills on the challenge of the coastal line and how to prevent the dangers of the coastal waters overrunning its bank in his constituency.
Akinjo, a life member, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) , and Bobaselu of Obe Ogbaro has always said if there is one mandate he has , the mandate is to wage war against poverty in his constituency. Hear him: “poverty is not the creation of God. It is an affliction created by human beings to afflict lesser human beings. Unfortunately, it has spread to all aspect of our lives particularly among the innocent rural dwellers .” He is therefore channelling his resource towards financing education challenges of the needy and indigents in his constituency through the outright payment of their school fees and payment of their registration fee for Wassce and GCE. He is also engaging in free community services including clearing of blocked drainages and water ways in the Ilaje/ Ese Odo constituency.
(Look forward to a broad based personality interview with Hon. Akinjo in our subsequent update).
