Lekki residents and stakeholders have paid tributes to the late Chairman, Victoria Garden City Property Owners Residents Association, Gihan Mbelu.

They described him as a community developer, an environmental sustainability enthusiast, a visionary leader with deep passion and commitment to youth development and community advancement.

They spoke during a night of tributes organised for the deceased on Tuesday in Lagos, following his demise on April 26.

Mr Mbelu, until his passing, was not only the Chairman, VGCPORA, but was vice president, Lekki Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association.

Mr Mbelu, aged 42, was reportedly found dead in his car within the community after purchasing water and soft drinks.

His corpse had since been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

The Majority Leader representing Eti-Osa Constituency 1, Noheem Adams, described the late Mbelu as the driving force that brought government down to the people of VGC and the people to government.

He said the late VGC chair expended every effort to address obstructions at the canals and stood for the truth in all things.

He stated, “The shoes he is leaving behind are too big to be filled and today would be recorded as the saddest day in 2024 for me. The kind of person he was, I had envisioned that he would one day be one of those to lead the country due to his immense leadership capabilities.’’

President, LERSA, Sulyman Bello, said his contributions to the discourse surrounding the development of the Lekki region were always compelling.

Mr Bello said relating with Mr Mbelu would leave one in awe and wonder as he dished out facts, data and incontrovertible point of view without being combative all for the development of VGC and the entire Lekki-Epe region.

“As long as it was for humanity, Gihan would give it a try as he was an oriented problem-solving individual. His type is not very available in every generation or even a lifetime and he would be sorely missed by us all,” he said.

Chairperson, Board of Trustees, VGCPORA, Idunu Oyebelu said his passing left a profound gap in the hearts of everyone.

She said throughout his tenure as chairman, his visionary leadership and tireless efforts were instrumental in shaping the VGC community.

According to Mrs Oyebelu, under Mr Mbelu’s stewardship, VGC witnessed tremendous transformation, infrastructural development and made giant strides in environmental sustainability.

“Mbelu’s leadership was marked by a deep sense of purpose and compassion. May his memory serve as a source of comfort and make us uphold the values that he embodied particularly his spirit of service. We will continue to build on the foundation he laid,” she said.

Also, General Manager, VGCPORA, Morufat Yusuff, stated that the late VGC chair did everything to ensure a drug-free environment within the VGC community.

She listed some of the achievements during his tenure to include fostering a safer and healthier environment, installation of efficient energy feature lighting, and facilitating VGC recycling hub to drive environmental sustainability.

“He also facilitated efficient access control, identified opportunities to optimise expenses and was deeply committed to the safety and wellbeing of all VGC residents. He increased security surveillance and we had commenced installation of CCTV cameras with 150 installed and 64 ongoing to be inaugurated in August. He forged partnership with government entities to resolve issues, mitigated flood risks and this is such a sad occurrence that our hearts cannot fathom. He would be sorely missed,” she said.

In her tribute, Secretary, VGC, Jane Phillip-Odey, said the late VGC chair though gone, left impacts, developmental activities and legacies that would never be forgotten.

“Let us honour his memory, cherish the time we had with him as we pay tribute to him who would forever be in our hearts and memories,” she said.

Head, VGC Basketball community, Adejo Adehi, said the late Mbelu ensured that the youth were engaged in sporting activities to take their minds off drugs and other vices detrimental to mental health and general wellness.

He said his passing would leave a great void but his legacy, dedication and vision would continue to inspire the youth to build a thriving community of lasting impact.

“You would be deeply missed but your memory would live on and we pray you find comfort that your legacy would continue to flourish,” he said.

A brother to the deceased, Ishan Mbelu, lauded the entire VGC community for giving a youth the opportunity to lead and serve.

“On behalf of the family, I would like to thank you all again and I want to say we are proud of the community and love you all,” he said.

(NAN)