By Zik Zulu Okafor

In the bustling heart of Lagos, amidst the pursuit of dreams and the chaos of survival, a quiet revolution is reshaping the lives of thousands of people in Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA It is not a revolution of guns or slogans but of syringes, stethoscopes, compassion, and vision – all driven by one man’s audacious belief that health is wealth.

Honourable Rasaq Olushola Ajala, now serving his second term as Chairman of the LCDA, may have been born on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder, but he has risen with a heart attuned to the cries of his people. Armed with a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Studies, he brings intellect, insight, and infectious empathy to governance. And nowhere has his impact been more profoundly felt than in the field of public healthcare. ” We know that health is wealth. So, for residents of our community to contribute meaningfully to the development of our locality, they must be healthy. That’s why we are investing a lot in primary healthcare .”he stated.

A Hospital in the Hood : The reclamation of Ajisegiri

The story of the Ajirisegiri Primary Healthcare Centre reads like a chapter from a redemption novel. Once a den of criminal enterprise and underworld notoriety in Mushin, Ajisegiri was the last place anyone imagined could become a symbol of hope. But Ajala, defying convention and fear, stunned the community and silenced sceptics by planting a gleaming, state-of-the-art healthcare centre in the heart of the jungle. ” Our people didn’t think anyone would dare to dream of doing anything at Ajisegiri. I mean, that was a den of hardened criminals, men of the underworld. But we had a different agenda. And by God’s grace, we have a very beautiful healthcare centre there now,” he stated in his soft, spoken manner, a smile of satisfaction playing on his lips.

Today, that same soil once soaked with stories of fear has become a destination that receives patients, heals wounds, a place where women give birth to babies, and lives are saved. It stands as a glittering symbol of visionary leadership, monument to transformation, and to Ajala’s audacity to dream beyond danger .

Healthcare, Not Lip Service
” To take good care of the residents of Ilupeju, we have remodelled the primary healthcare centre there, just like we did in other places in our LCDA. Our goal is to ensure that everyone in our community feels the impact of our healthcare programme. And I think to the glory of God , we have been successful in this quest, ” he said with a tone of conviction.

But Ajala’s vision was never for show. It was a strategy, a blueprint of compassion, and care for the vulnerable. He turned the Coker Healthcare Centre in Ilupeju into a modern, well-equipped medical sanctuary. No longer just a clinic in name. It now meets the growing health needs of a buzzing urban population with efficiency.

Not stopping there, he breathed new life into the Ayantuga Primary Healthcare Centre . He didn’t only redesign it. He increased the medical staff strength and extended the operational hours from a mere eight to a full twenty-four hours, ensuring no emergency arrives to meet a locked gate.

In an era when healthcare workers are fleeing the country in droves in a phenomenon now widely known as the Japa syndrome, Ajala confronted the crisis head-on. How ? By choosing to value those who save life. He improved remuneration, forged training partnerships with private clinics, and maintained a 24-hour service culture in public health centres. These were not perks. They were a lifeline to keep and sustain critical hands at home.

” We know that our medical personnel prefer to travel abroad instead of working here,” he narrates. ” We know about Japa . That’s why we do everything to keep our healthcare workers, and so far, so good. You see, to get some results as a leader , you have to be innovative and think outside the box. That’s just what we are doing, and thank God, we are seeing some good results. “

Ajala’s healthcare map continues to expand

At the newly built primary healthcare facility near Awolowo Market, new policies are being implemented to scale up their operations to 24-hours . The healthcare centre, a project he credited to Honourable Yemi Alli, a dedicated Representative of Mushin Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, aligns with Ajala’s vision and amplifies it. In Ajala’s world, collaboration is not competition. It is shared responsibility. ” Our brother, Honourable Yemi Alli , represents our constituency. He is doing well, and we are proud of him,” he added. ” He was the one that built that healthcare centre, and we can’t thank him enough. We are doing our best to strengthen the place so that it can operate 24/7, you know, open for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, “he stressed.

Bringing Healing Home: The Free Health Mission

Perhaps the most moving embodiment of Ajala’s compassion and commitment is the Free Health Mission, a mobile miracle for the immobile. For the aged, the weak, the marginalised and those tucked away in forgotten corners of the LCDA, Ajala brought doctors to their doorsteps, and they are treated free of charge. Not just check-ups, but real treatments. Real surgeries. Real second chances.
Special attention was given to those with visual health challenges, with ophthalmologists deployed to correct their impaired vision. Primary school pupils who once sat looking blackboards with blurred vision are now seeing the chalkboards and their future more clearly. Hundreds of lives have already been touched and indeed saved, and the mission rolls on.

Toye Bakare, a 68 year old man, summarized the people’s appreciation of their chairman. ” He is a leader. He is kind. He is understanding, he will listen to you and he will be calm. He is not arrogant. He is very humble. I can tell you, he has touched every life, everybody in this our community. We thank God for giving him to us. I benefitted from the free medical mission, and I thank God. God will bless that young man,” he said, his voice laden with emotion.

A Chairman With a Healing Touch

What sets Ajala apart is not just the projects but the philosophy that drives them. To him, healthcare is not an obligation of office but an expression of humanity. He has chosen to invest not in applause but in life. Not in the temporal glitter of politics but in the quiet dignity of wellness.
In an age where many leaders are content with ribbon-cutting ceremonies and headline-chasing antics, Rasaq Olushola Ajala is proving that real leadership leads, sweats, and serves. His legacy in Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye LCDA is not just cast in concrete and mortar. It is etched in the heartbeats of healed children, relieved mothers, and grateful elders.
Healthcare, to Ajala, is not a sector. It is the soul of service. And he has chosen to nurture it with everything he’s got.

Indeed, in Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye, health is wealth — and Ajala is the custodian of both.