Undoubtedly one of the key factors that play a pivotal role in a nation’s economic growth is the presence of a reliable, effective and efficient transportation system, this is mainly due to the fact that a well developed transportation system provides adequate access to the country which in turn is a necessary condition for the efficient operation of manufacturing, retail, labour and housing markets, etc.
Commendably the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has deeper understanding of how critical transportation is, in the economy of a nation, especially that of FCT, Abuja, hence he announced the appointment of Comrade Kayode Opeifa as Mandate Secretary in charge of Transportation in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
This laudable intervention is in line with honourable minister’s commitment to reposition the FCTA into a more robust and service-oriented administrative structure and enhancing its operational capabilities. His choice of Kayode Opeifa in his team is indeed a good step in the right direction.
Kayode Opeifa is a trail blazer. The number of developmental initiatives embarked upon by him when he held sway as Lagos State Commissioner of Transportation attests to his vision and determination to catapult Nigeria to the horizon of progress and purpose.
In Lagos State his achievements as a cabinet member elicited applause from everyone both home and abroad. This credit is shared by him and the egg heads in Babatunde Fashola’s cabinet, the immediate past Lagos State Governor, who is now Minister of Power, Works and Housing.
Part of the rare feat Opeifa recorded in Lagos was the introduction of robust traffic regulations which brought sanity on the roads, Lagos residents, corporate organisations, motorists, commercial motorcyclists, popularly called ‘Okada riders’ and other road users would attest to this. His bold steps helped to restore sanity on the roads where many lives have been lost due to recklessness. Lagosians will remain eternally grateful to this resourceful patriot.
Opeifa equally made impacts in building culture of decency and indiscriminate use of vehicular horns in the nation’s commercial nerve centre. Still resonating and of value in the minds of Lagosians is Opeifa’s “No Horn Day” a campaign aimed at solving a public health issue through a social intervention idea, described honking as an environmental and health issue, explaining that the noise level in the transportation sector is about 90 decimal according to World Health Organisation.
Kayode Opeifa is a son of the Asiwaju of Aworiland, Pa Opeifa of Orile-Agege. He was one of the early leaders of the Campaign for Democracy in Lagos. Opeifa was a lecturer at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, before he travelled abroad for further studies.
He was appointed as the Special Adviser on Transportation in 2007. He was a House of Representatives aspirant in Agege Constituency. When he couldn’t get the ticket for the legislative seat at that time he did not betray the party. He supported the candidate, Hon. Samuel Adejare at the poll.
The human rights activist of note has also served the state as a member of the Lagos State Scholarship Board, Bursary Awards Screening Committee, 1992-1997, and Lagos State Forum. He was a member the Alliance for Democracy, United States Chapter, and founding member of the Action Congress (USA) and Action Congress, Lagos State. Today Opeifa remains a key member of the ruling All Progressives Congress from Lagos State whose loyalty has remained exceptional.
Written by Emmanuel Ajibulu, an infopreneur and online publisher
The post Kayode Opeifa: FCT Transport Secretary, A Minister’s Right Choice appeared first on Pearl News.
