When Hon. Joseph Baron Okwoli was appointed Chief Administrator of Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area, there were some hopes and some doubts concerning how well he will fare in office. Pessimism and optimism ran neck and neck. To be honest, this writer was more of a pessimist than an optimist.
However since his appointment, it is fair to say that Baron has largely been successful in reducing loud skeptical voices to inaudible whispers. He did didn’t take the dishonorable lane of blaming his predecessors for everything wrong in Igalamela/Odolu local government before he took office. Rather, he decided to hit the ground running. His groundbreaking performances in the the works and education sectors have sent Baron’s approval ratings skyrocketing.
Conspicuously ensconced in a location so strategic that it is more difficult to miss than see was the old Igalamela/Odolu secretariat. It was once a structure to be proud of but any form of beauty it possessed upon construction had been harshly beaten off by time.
I once embarked on a tour of some local government secretariats in the state with a former boss and we unanimously agreed that Igalamela/Odolu secretariats was an eyesore. We also agreed that it needed extreme makeover or total reconstruction.
Upon assumption of office, Baron wasted no time in ensuring that the old secretariat received some form of make up and began the construction of a much more befitting secretariat complex at an awesome pace. The project will not only provide adequate and convenient working environment for the workers but will also save the local government the cost of renting additional offices for some departments such as works and education. It has also improved the image of the local government before its contemporaries.
Attempts have been made by previous administrations to renovate Igalamela/Odolu Guest House and reposition it for profit making but none has been as comprehensive as the one currently ongoing. Design, roofs, doors, windows, floor (interior and exterior), fence and much more have been upgraded. The Guest House will give all other private hospitality businesses in the area a good run for their money. That was the vision of its founders. The vision was lost but has been restored.
The Baron led administration has scored high in the the area of security by ensuring that those whose businesses revolve around the breeding and perpetration of violence are put out of business.
Education has equally received a big boost through the administrator’s magnanimous payment of JAMB registration for hundreds and the ongoing payment of school fees to all the students in public schools in the local government. Many would have preferred a situation whereby the funds are paid into their private accounts as some form of political compensation but Baron has repeatedly proved that is not his modus operandi.
Only those with their eyes constantly fixated on finding only what is wrong and using same for selfish political gains will fail to acknowledge the fact that Joseph Baron Okwoli has surpassed a lot of expectations and has deep inside him abundant wealth of administrative initiatives.
– Vincent Adaji
