THE BRIDGE BUILDER

Tola Ogunnubi pays tribute to Gbenga Bareehu Ashafa, administrator and politician, at age 62

Abrilliant bridge builder that I know politically after Asiwaju Tinubu in the South West is Senator Gbenga Ashafa. I first met him at a mutual friend’s daughter’s graduation in 2001 and I must confess, I admire his person. He is a reliable person, loyal, dependable and very selfless. The humility he eschews is in its climax. A very approachable senator who operates an open door policy of attending to not only members of his constituency but also the larger Nigerian federation.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa was born on Friday, July 22, 1955, my daughter’s birthday mate. An indigene of Lagos representing Lagos East Senatorial District I am coincidentally one of his subjects. He attended the prestigious CMS Grammar School, Bariga. Having obtained his West African School Certificate in 1973 he proceeded to Morgan State University, Maryland, USA, and earned a BSc in Biology. He thereafter went to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1979 to obtain his Masters in Public Health.

He returned to Nigeria in 1980 to start a rewarding, selfless service to humanity. A grassroots person that he is, he started off at the Lagos State Local Government Service in 1981, and thereafter for a decade worked in the cocoa industry from 1990 to 1999. He later joined the civil service in1999 where he was outstanding in the state civil service.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa was in the Lagos State civil service. His name is among the topnotch player in the state civil service hall of fame. His contributions via the transformation of the Land Ministry are outstanding, unique and unparallelled. Ashafa joined the Tinubu administration in September 1999 as Director of Planning, Governor’s Office in charge of local government administration. In this role, he effectively co-ordinated the activities of local government areas in the state; acting as the liaison between the Governor’s Office and Local Government Chairmen across the state.

In January 2001, Ashafa was appointed Executive Secretary, Lagos State Land Use and Allocation Committee. In this role, he was responsible for land allocation and management in Lagos State. He ensured efficient allocation of land in the state, transparency in land transactions and the timely release of title documents to land owners.

Ashafa was appointed Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau in February 2005. He led his team to execute the computerisation of documents in the State Land Registry, the creation of the Land Regularisation Directorate and the implementation of the 30-day governor’s consent policy on land transactions. The computerisation of documents in the State Land Registry created a digital database of all land title documents in the state, making it infinitely more efficient to conduct land transactions in Lagos State. Notably, he laid the foundation for issuing electronic certificates of occupancy to land owners and had to oversee the pilot scheme before he left office. While at the Lands Bureau, Ashafa re-started several stalled housing development schemes such as: Lekki Phase II, Ijanikin Rose Garden, Ipaja New Town, Imota Residential/Industrial, Agbowa Residential/Industrial, Obanikoro/Oke-Ira, Oworonshoki Residential, Gbagada II and Ibeju Iberekodo mixed development schemes. He also led his team to develop new housing schemes such as: Ikorodu GRA Scheme III, Odo-Nla, Ijede GRA, and Millenium Model Scheme Igbogbo – Ikorodu.

He is such a good human resource manager with a resounding human relation. Senator Ashafa is a matured man. Watching and listening to his contributions on the floor of the upper chamber of the National Assembly will tell anyone he is not your regular senator. His matured contributions to debates is admirable, his presentations are enviable while his approach to topical sensitive national issues are captivating.

He is the Chairman Senate Committee on Land Transport and also a member in other several Senate Committees like Establishment (Pension & Public Services), Foreign Affairs, Water Resources, National Security & Intelligence, amongst others. He has successfully seen to the passage of the Nigerian Railway bill 2016.

Over the course of his tenure at the Senate, he has implemented several community development projects such as the ICT Training Programme, which has trained over 500 youths in the senator’s district since 2011. Senator Ashafa has also implemented the Youth Energy Career Programme, a six-month internship designed for graduates. Attendees are trained on power and energy systems at the Siemens Power Academy, in collaboration with the Lagos State Electricity Board. This programme is designed to equip midmanagement officers with the skill set required to drive the emerging independent power sector in Lagos State. Another programme, the Education Enhancement Programme provides scholarships to students at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education. The senator’s office also implements a monthly health screening programme free of charge, in several local government areas.

Senator Ashafa has sponsored many bills at the Senate among which are the income Tax Holiday Bill 2011, National Agency for the Preservation & Promotion of Local Languages in Nigeria Bill 2011, Treaties (Making, Procedures, etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill 2012, Criminal Code Act (Amendment) Bill 2012, National Directorate of Employment Act (Amendment) Bill 2013 and many others.

Married to his childhood sweetheart and mother of his children, Alhaja Folashade Omobola Ashafa , the ever supportive and prayerful wife, his life has been a life of service. His constituent is very much proud of him and hope he will answer their call for more state and national assignments in the nearest future.

OVER THE COURSE OF HIS TENURE AT THE SENATE, HE HAS IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUCH AS THE ICT TRAINING PROGRAMME, WHICH HAS TRAINED OVER 500 YOUTHS IN THE SENATOR’S DISTRICT SINCE 2011