WHEN Kola Olotu, ace broadcaster in Oyo State, celebrated his 30 years in broadcasting and journalism in Ibadan recently, it was done in an unusual way of compensating fans and his listeners over the past years. Many of them went home with different prizes won through a raffle draw.

Temitope Olatoye Sugar, chairman of the occasion, who donated most of the gifts, congratulated the winners of the coveted prizes, encouraging them not to lose faith in government as the situation of the country would soon change for the better.

Sugar who represents Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency of Oyo State have been at the forefront of youth empowerment and grassroots development especially for the generality of Oyo people through his Olatoye Sugar Foundation. He noted that events like this should be seen as an opportunity to make life better for the people who elected them to various position they occupy today.

A visibly elated petty trader who won one of the Toyota Camry cars donated by the federal lawmaker for the raffle draw expressed joy that she had dismissed the possibility of owning a car in her lifetime. She thanked God, the organiser of the event and the OSF for the kind gesture.

Other items donated by the Olatoye Sugar Foundation, includes freezers, generators and motorcycles.

Reacting to the report of non performance by some politicians, Sugar said his empowerment programmes cut across the seven geopolitical zones of Oyo State without any discrimination or party affiliation. According to him, the Olatoye Sugar Foundation has carried out lots of poverty alleviation and empowerment programs, free medical care, where free eye glasses were given to people with eye problems. Rural electrification project in Igbo Elerin community where the foundation  procured 361 poles as well as transformers ranging from 750 kva, 500 kva and 33kva respectively also form part of his efforts to bring development to the people and create employment opportunities for the youths.

Sugar charged fellow politicians across party lines to imbibe the spirit of giving and not to neglect the electorates, stressing that to who much is given, much should be expected. He seized the opportunity to appeal to state governors with salary arrears to do everything in their powers to pay the people’s salaries as a labourer deserves his wages.

—  Jul 17, 2017 @ 12:15 GMT