Baale Lisa foundation seeks development for Lisa village

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6 years ago

In order to alleviate the suffering of the people in his community and empower his people, the Baale of Lisa community in Ogun State, Chief Oladele Odugbemi, has launched the Oladele Odugbemi Foundation, majorly to facilitate the development of his community which he believes has been abandoned by government.

Lisa village came to limelight in 2005, when the Boeing 737 of Bellview Airline crashed in the rustic community of Lisa, putting the hitherto unknown community on the radar.

After the plane crash, Lisa community got a temporary new lease of life as the attention of government and the whole country shifted to the community.

Federal Government immediately engaged in the rehabilitation of the only existing road linking the community to different parts of Ogun State. And the community had it good for a short period.

But today, the attention on Lisa has waned; no one remembers Lisa again and the road rehabilitated is a shadow of itself, making communal life hellish and crippling economic activities.

Grieved by this situation and with a passion to change the situation, Chief Odugbemi set up a foundation to cater for the needs of people in his community.

The baale stated that his major concern is to “breathe life into this once-upon-a-time healthy community almost overshadowed by years of neglect and lack of patronage.

“To achieve my plans for this community, I solicit the support of the people for the Oladele Odugbemi Foundation, positioned to make life better for Lisa rural dwellers. The foundation will raise the bar and I call on all well meaning Nigerians, philanthropists and people with like minds to help pull Lisa out of the dungeon of poverty and want,” he said.

According to him, the foundation will give back to the society by empowering students, artisans, traders, market women and elderly not only in Lisa but other neighbouring communities that are gravely threatened.

“Looking back, one will discover that our society has continued to witness a downturn in the standard of living. A higher percentage of the population is being emasculated by the effect of the harsh economic situation of our country. The oil boom we witnessed in our country over the years has not given us the required economic base that could lead to self-sufficiency of the citizenry.

“Democracy as a system has also not given the required frame to a working and buoyant economy that would have translated to good life for the populace. This is why I set up this foundation to make remarkable development and add value to life in Lisa community.

“We have done a little within the years that we had been in operation and we are launching now and calling on others to support the cause of humanity for the greater fulfillment. The journey as far as the vision of the foundation is concerned is still very far. The foundation has been able to spread its tentacles through the building of a police station in Lisa, healthcare centre, a five-day market, full financial support to students in tertiary, secondary and primary schools.

“It has empowered market women, Okada riders, the elderly and other artisans. Let me through this medium appeal to government at all levels to come to our aid concerning the bad Lisa road. We all knew what happened many years back when Lisa was in the news. The only road linking Lisa with other major communities was tarred.

“Today, the road is in a sorry state; the community is at the brink of total economic collapse. Visitors recall horrible tales each time they visit our community and are often discouraged from making a repeat visit. We call on relevant authorities to look into our plight, honour those who lost their lives in the ill-fated flight from Lagos to Abuja by making the monument erected in their memory evergreen.”

The launch of the foundation witnessed an award giving ceremony anchored by the Nigerian Top Leaders Magazine which bestowed on Chief Odugbemi the Kwame Nkrumah/Nelson Mandela award of integrity and good governance.

The occasion, also witnessed the display of the Igunuko Cultural

Troupe from Lisa while Chief Odugbemi’s was also made the patron of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association (FIBAN), Lagos State chapter.