…Says Traditional Institutions Must Become Stronger Channels Between Residents and Government
Hon. Gbenga Abiola, popularly known as AGBELEBU, has announced plans to establish Information and Feedback Boxes in the palaces of all Baales across Agege Constituency 01 to strengthen grassroots engagement and make representation more accessible to residents.
According to Abiola, the initiative is designed to provide residents with a convenient and trusted channel to communicate their concerns, suggestions, challenges and community development needs to their representative.
He noted that Baales occupy a strategic position in their communities, with their palaces serving as accessible points of contact for residents seeking assistance, guidance and solutions to local challenges.
“They are closer to the people. Their gates are always open, and they are often the first responders when members of their communities have challenges,” he said.
AGBELEBU explained that effective representation must extend beyond campaign promises to include practical structures that enable continuous communication between elected representatives and the people they serve.
The proposed Information and Feedback Boxes will provide an additional avenue for residents to submit requests, ideas, observations and complaints, particularly those who may not have direct access to political representatives or government offices.
He added that feedback collected through the initiative would help identify recurring challenges across communities, understand residents’ priorities and inform efforts to address issues requiring government intervention.
“Representation must be about listening. We cannot claim to represent the people if we do not continuously hear from them. The people must have a voice, and that voice must reach the representative,” Abiola stated.
He said the initiative forms part of the broader AGBELEBU Agenda, which places people-centred service, measurable impact and valuable representation at the heart of its approach to public service.
The Agege Constituency 01 representative also emphasised the importance of traditional institutions in grassroots development, noting that they should serve not only ceremonial functions but also play active roles in community engagement, information gathering and communication between residents and government.
According to him, the established trust between residents and their traditional leaders makes Baales’ palaces suitable contact points for gathering community feedback and communicating pressing needs to the appropriate authorities.
“The palace is not far from the people. The doors of our Baales are open, and people already trust these traditional institutions. We want to build on that trust and create a system where the concerns of the people can move from the community to the representative and, where necessary, to the appropriate authorities,” he said.
Abiola maintained that his vision is to build a constituency where every community has an opportunity to be heard, residents can communicate their concerns and issues receive appropriate attention.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to people-oriented representation and sustained engagement with communities across Agege Constituency 01.
“AGBELEBU is about listening, responding and delivering. We will bring representation closer to the people, because government and representation must never be far from the people they are meant to serve.”
