By Ibrahim A. Jagaba
Contrary to common fashion and practice, where high profile celebrants in our society, will usually invite select friends and acquaintances to mark their birthdays in choice locations, with the accompanying flamboyance, the commander, Lagos state Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Saheed Olayinka Egbeyemi, rather, chose an utterly different and unique way to mark his special day, as he seized the moment to give back to his immediate community of birth, the famous Isale Oja of Agege local government, in the form of empowerment for dissidents and people living with disability (PLWD).
About two hundred individuals with varying forms of disability, were physically handed lifelines in form of investable cash sums by the RRS commander, joined by his immediate family and good spirited community members, in a unique econo-humanitarian exercise in Agege, to the admiration of hundredths of sundry observers, on Thursday, August 4th, 2022.
The RRS commander, it will be recalled, has overtime, continue to demonstrate uncommon penchant towards improving the lots of the less privileged members of his cherished community, Isale Oja and beyond.
Proofs abound all over the place of his many support and sacrifices for the upliftment of deserving citizens of Agege and environ.
CSP Egbeyemi, who could be said to be in the mould of an uncommon senior police professional, in terms of passion and dogged successes in crime bursting in Lagos, featured prominently for the good reasons, during the government imposed lockdown, occasioned by the corona virus pandemic; residents of Isale Oja and environ, were regular callers at his residence for the collection of the daily food and other provisions, which he termed as his modest support to the masses, to cushion the excruciating effect of the pandemic forced, stay at home, while, it lasted.
To say that, the unique birthday exercise as carried out by the RRS commander, is commendable and worthy of emulation, is an understatement.
Citing his reason for the uncommon fashion, he has chosen to celebrate his new age, the RRS commander in a terse comment, posited that, it was important a new way of celebrating good times, where less privileged citizens are empowered is embraced, philosophically, adding that, “the welfare of the needy lies in the hands of the rich, while, the safety of the rich lies in the hands of poor”
Strikingly, a cross section of some of the beneficiaries engaged in a chit chat, revealed that, the beneficiaries cut across numerous Nigerian tribes including Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, amongst others and they were overwhelmingly full of joy apprexiation and prayers for the RRS commander, declaring that, they were going ro make judicious uses of the seed funds received.