20th February , 2025
Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu.
The Board Chairman of Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA), Hon. Abideen Adetokunbo Adeaga is not a new comer into public service. He has done so in his capacity as a leader of thought and philanthropist, a business tycoon and a popular political actor.
His assumption of office as the Chairman of the agency, saddled with the responsibility to provide succor to communities in need of basic public services like access to water, conducive learning environment under education, erosion control and easy access to community healthcare, has therefore witnessed tremendous impacts in the lives of the people of the State.
From Abebi Opoyeosa in Ibadan North West to Lagun community in Lagelu local government, to Aroro Makinde in Akinyele local government, Otesin-Maye in Oyo East local government, to Lagbedu Orile in Ajaawa, Ogo-Oluwa local government, to Okan Awuru in Saki East local government, Irawo Parapo in Atisbo local government, to Olorunbawase-Oke Odo in Ibarapa Central among the ninety-four communities that benefited from the three different disbursements for micro-projects in 2024, Hon. Adeaga traversed these terrain to monitor, supervise and encourage the communities to deliver quality in good time.
He did not mind the stress of traveling the hilly, ardours terrains, the security of himself and his staff and the stress that accompany such long distance field trips, but would be seeing making corrections at drainage construction sites, classroom buildings undergoing construction or renovation or community helthcare centers that were just constructed with NG-CARES fund.
I remember that he doled out cash donations to mothers of new-born babies in some of these community health centers to support the parents in taking care of the infants. His words rings bell: “A o kuku mo ibi ti omo naa maa de l’ojo ola.”
I was on the entourage in August 2024, when he led a team to visit the H.L.A Special Basic’s School, Agodi Gate in Ibadan North-East local government. He saw the condition of the classrooms and hostels and other facilities of the students and immediately promised the intervention of OYCSDA. He parted with over #200,000 of his personal money for immediate repair of the school’s fence, through where miscreants were gaining entry into the school.
Adetokunbo loved the development of every part of Oyo State like he loved his federal constituency (Lagelu/Akinyele) and has made sure that micro-projects were distributed among the communities across the State, according to the State’s Poverty Map, which indicates the areas that have over-riding needs than the other. Such decision made him the darling of traditional rulers across Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa and other areas.
These Obas and their community leaders took turns to pray for Adeaga and the State government for remembering their communities for development.
At the homefront, the Board Chairman took the welfare of his staff to heart, making sure every entitlement due to the contract and government staff was paid as at when due. Least I forget that he took it upon himself to buy birthday cake for every staff member that celebrated his or her birthday and it got to his notice.
Like Mother Theresa would say, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Hon. Abideen has not only etched the act of compassion to humanity in us who have less capacity, he has made us believe that gretaness is achieved not through money and power alone, but through small goodness to others who are in need of such.
His act of compassion has reverberated across Oyo State and catapulted the image of OYCSDA across the nation in the bid to deliver on the mandate given by the World Bank, the Federal Government of Nigeria and Oyo State government on Nigeria Community Action (for) Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).
Alhazan Abiodun Rilwan is the Project Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of OYCSDA.
