Olawale Atanda Babalola, a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) from the department of Animal Health and Production and a current NYSC Corps member, serving in Yobe state, has built and donated a bus stop as his Personal Community Development Service (CDS) Project to Damagum community in Fune Local Government Area of the state.
The State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Grace Adzer, disclosed this while inaugurating the project in Damagum.
“It is a very laudable project, successfully executed out of passion for the benefit of Damagum community in the North-east.
“You will all agree that the weather condition in this region is very harsh; Atanda has shown concern over the living condition of the community members,” she said.
Adzer, however, tasked corps members to embark on life-changing projects in their respective places of primary assignment.
In his remarks shortly after the inauguration, Atanda, said, “my desire to build this bus stop was borne out of a sad experience I had when I was newly posted to Damagum community.
“I discovered that they don’t have a place to stay and wait for a vehicle. I kept my luggage where people stay and it rained that day and spoiled my credentials”.
Had it been there is a shade, I wouldn’t have encountered such experience.
“Similarly, I witnessed people staying under the sun and rain waiting for a vehicle despite the harsh weather condition of the place.
“I made up of my mind to build such a shade as part of the community development project,” he said.
The Assistant Secretary, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Damagum branch, Samaila Isa thanked the corps member for initiating “the long awaited project“ in the area.
“We have been looking for this project for quite a long time from the government or non-governmental organisation. This young man however, has put smiles on the faces of our passengers,” he said.
He urged other corps members to emulate the initiative of the outgoing Batch “B” corp members in impacting their host communities positively.