- We All, By Choice Decided To Adapt Love, Peace, Decency, Strict Obedience To Rule Of Law – Fatungase, Chairman Of Residents’ Association
Can you believe that there is an estate in Lagos where residents actually live as if they are Londoners? Well, it is true because they decided to create their own ‘little Washington DC’ where there is strict obedience to the rule of law and other laws guiding decent living.
Welcome to the world of simplicity, the world of peace of mind, the world of love for your neighbour where Christmas and Sallah are jointly celebrated as Nigerians used to do in those golden days. Welcome to Abimbola Awoliyi Estate, New Oko Oba, Lagos.
In addition, there is no aspect of ‘good living’ that a Victoria Garden City or Lekki Resident wants to talk about that is not existing inside Abimbola Awoniyi Estate. Residents here even have more because the newly commissioned Pen Cinema Overhead Bridge has made life easier for them. They worry less about traffic.
They also do not get visited by perennial flood waters! This is perhaps why folks like the present chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also lives there… Of course, there are bankers, surgeons, top civil servants, engineers, business moguls and ‘diasporan’ Nigerians and others who own and live in their properties there because the security architecture here is almost 100 per cent efficient.
PMParrot recently paid a visit to the esoteric environment and was lucky to meet and interview the present chairman of the Residents’ Association, Alhaji Hassan Taiwo Fatungase.
Excerpts of the interview:
Do you wish to tell us about yourself and what you did and is still doing…
(Smiles) Well, I attended Ositelu Memorial College in Ogere Remo, Ogun State because I am from Ilisan, an Ijebu man without any apology! (General laughter).
I proceeded to the University of Lagos where I had my first degree in Zoology and Marine Science and Master of Business Administration. After then, I moved to Abuja where I was opportune to be one of the pioneer management staff members of Hilton Hotel in Abuja. So, that was where I cut my teeth in the hospitality industry and business. This was in the 80s.
Shortly after Chief Moshood Abiola’s presidential election of 1993 was annulled, I resigned from Hilton Hotel in Abuja and relocated back to Lagos State. I then joined our family business, the popular Bakers’ World on Allen Avenue in Ikeja.
As regard the family business, The Baker’s World, this is basically a cake baking industry. I was there for about 10 years and we were able to make impacts. When I left The Baker’s World, I formed a partnership with a white/foreigner friends’ – we formed two companies and we were into industrial catering – we served so many companies within and around the country which was done till when COVID-19 broke out.
I am currently a farmer. I retired from the hospitality industry shortly before COVID-19 broke out. I intend starting goat rearing and that’s what I am planning towards now.
Can you talk about your emergence as the chairman of Abimbola Awoniyi Residence Association?
This is a unique system as I was the vice chairman for four years. Our constitution is structured in such a way that we don’t have rancor when we are having our election. Anyone that is the vice chairman would automatically become the chairman once the person is accepted by the whole house. It is two years for the first term and two years for the second term after which the vice chairman would take over.
What were the challenges you encountered when you became the chairman?
We have been able to have trustworthy past chairmen who have done so many projects. Most time, the shoe that is left behind is always very big. So, one has to challenge himself to meet up with them in terms of quality jobs. We started light up project three months ago, and we have been raising funds to complete the project. We have about hundred plots in the estate in which we have duplex and flat apartments. So, we are having about 350 houses in the estate.
You have a serious security arrangement in this estate, how did you arrive at it?
The foundation was laid by the past chairmen. When we came in, we resolved that all the residents must inform the security at the gate as regard the kind of visitors they are going to have. If the visitors are not cleared, they won’t be allowed into the estate.
You tarred the roads in the estate, how were you able to achieve this?
This was done by one of the past chairmen, they were strictly done through contributions from members and donations without Government’s intervention.
What other unique policies do you run here in this estate?
We have rules and regulations in the estate which is the code of conduct of behavior that members must adhere to. We have unique packing system, electricity generating set must be put off by 12 midnight and anyone that goes against any of the rules will be fined. I was a victim one day when I put on my generator and woke up around 3am, I felt so bad because I was supposed to lead my example.
Maintenance of your infrastructures, especially your tarred roads, what message are you trying to pass to the people in positions of authority especially, to the Local Governments in the state?
The cost of tarring roads is enormous, we spent about N13 million on two of the roads seven years ago. If we need to quantify that, it is a lot of money. We cannot afford to let the roads go bad. Anytime we notice potholes, we immediately move workmen there to get them fixed.
What are your future projects?
Light up project is our major project.  Thank God we have been able to achieve this largely. We are now using solar to power our estate’s street lights. We are optimistic of making our environment to be carbon-free. Equally, we have a parcel of land beside the canal area in which the Government has started work on and we are hoping that they will complete it for us to be able to take up the lands we have around that area which will become a recreation ground for our children and adults. This is one of our future projects.
Do you collaborate with the Local Government to do some of these projects that you have been doing?
No collaboration with the Local Government really, but there is no way we are going to build the recreation ground without involving them because it is a unique project.
You have been given so many awards, which one is the dearest to you?
The most recent is the one the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the Association of Town Planners gave us, it is the award they called the most livable estate in Lagos West Senatorial District which we won in October 2021. A lot of things were put into consideration. We have gardeners and sweepers because we clean and sweep our roads and drainages which we believe they were the feats that were considered. We also have arrangement with LAWMA – they pick our dustbins on weekly basis. The estate is quite neat. We do fumigation to get rid of rats and snakes in our estate. All these measures make our estate unique.
What is your advice for the people in positions of authority so that they can attempt to emulate what you do here in the state generally?
No renumeration in our job o! If we can do jobs like this without renumeration attached, those that are being renumerated heavily are expected to do very well in terms of being sensitive and proactive. They should be able to do more. They should have the interest of the people at heart as well as the fear of God.
