Christopher Oji
The Chinese Youths Association (CYA) in Nigeria has donated a 500-seater multi-purpose hall to Lagos State Model College, Ojo, Lagos in honour of Assistant Commissioner of Police Akinbayo Olasoji, who the association described as an incorruptible officer.
Mr. Jack Zhou, who is the Secretary of CYA, said members of the association were moved by the need to assist in developing the country in whatever capacity they could.
He added that CYA found ACP Olasoji, who is the Area Commander in charge of Area D, Mushin, as a worthy Nigerian through whom such development could be extended to people.
He said when the association approached Olasoji and requested to know what they would do for him, the police officer told revealed there was a school that for over 20 years, needed a multi-purpose hall.
“We were moved by his request because some other person would have told us to give them the money or to build personal house for them. We asked him to take us to the school. We really found out that the school needed the hall. We promised to deliver the hall within eight months. The principal was skeptical about our intention but at exactly eight months, we delivered the hall.
“We appeal to the school to maintain the hall as we spent a fortune to build it. We are also appealing to other Nigerians to emulate the virtue of ACP Olasoji, who is always selfless in his service to humanity. We have investigated the senior police officer and found out that he is incorruptible. We discovered also that he rejected N20 million bribe by oil bunkerers who wanted him to kill a case against them.’’
Olasoji recalled that his first encounter with the Chinese was when he served as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ikeja Division. He narrated how his men had arrested some Chinese who went out for night event driving while already drunk. Their arrest was to protect them from any danger from criminals who might take advantage of their drunkenness.
He said they were allowed to go the next day when they had regained consciousness and over time the news of his policing with human face began to spread among members of the Chinese community in Lagos who understandably had searched the internet to get more information about him.
Olusoji said it was in appreciation of his dedication to duty that the leadership of CYA approached him to know what they could do for him as a person. He opted to align with the aspiration of his old students association of 1987 set which had intention to build a multi-purpose hall and he urged the benevolent Chinese to build a hall for his alma mater.
The immediate past principal of the college, Mrs. Olufumilayo Adenekan, who was full of praises for ACP Olusoji and CYA recalled how the police officer in company with some officials of the old students association had approached her in early 2018 to intimate her of the intention to build a hall for the school.
She said she almost dismissed them as unserious people with the contention that the old students were fond of coming to ask for what to do for the school only to end up doing nothing. She gave a listening ear to Olusoji and his colleagues and subsequently the Chinese were introduced as people who were set to embark on the project.
The former Deputy governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Adebule, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in charge of the Teaching Service Commission ( TESCOM ), Mrs. Olatokunboh Adeleye, said the newly constructed multi-purpose hall would create “an enabling environment that will help secure the students dignity and safety while also ensuring a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning” stressing that the CYA had chosen “a very important sector to touch and impact lives in this school.”
She appreciated CYA and the old students association for the synergy in making the dream a reality and assured that the state government “would continue to partner with all stakeholders committed to the education and development of our children.”