Agenda item

To invite a vote of thanks to the outgoing Mayor, in accordance with Standing Order 27(c).

NOTED

(1)        the vote of thanks to the co-opted and independent members serving on the Council’s committees.

(2)        the vote of thanks and tributes paid to the outgoing Mayor.

The Mayor then invited Councillor McLennan, as Deputy Leader, to propose a vote of thanks to all co-opted and other members serving on the Council’s committees.

Councillor McLennan began by thanking the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Ezeajughi, for the example he had set in undertaking his civic duties and in fundraising for his chosen charities under such difficult and challenging circumstances.

As this was the Annual Meeting of the Council, she also advised it was an ideal opportunity to again highlight the valued work of the Council’s co-opted and independent committee members, given the core role they played as critical friends in the Council’s democratic process.  She advised that their independence and objectivity were highly valued and integral to the role of the bodies on which they served including Scrutiny, Audit & Standards and the various health and education bodies.  She ended by thanking all of the co-opted Members for their work in supporting the Council’s drive towards continuous improvement.

The Mayor then invited Councillor M Butt (Leader of the Council) to propose a vote of thanks for the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Ezeajughi. In doing so, he praised Councillor Ezeajughi’s commitment to working with young people in the borough alongside the likes of the Jason Roberts Foundation, Brent Youth Foundation and Brent Youth Parliament. He remembered the interactions he had seen between Councillor Ezeajughi and new residents at Citizenship Ceremonies, in which he had shown such genuine excitement at seeing people become residents of the borough. He then highlighted the work Councillor Ezeajughi had undertaken with local community groups and organisations, particularly during the pandemic, which he recognised had been hugely valued by residents.  Councillor M Butt ended by once again thanking Councillor Ezeajughi for being such a strong representative of the borough during his Mayoralty.

Councillor Kansagra, as Leader of the Conservative Group, advised that he would like to second the vote of thanks moved by the Deputy Leader to all co-opted and other members on the Council’s committees. He also took the opportunity to congratulate the newly appointed Mayor and Deputy Mayor on their appointment before ending by thanking the outgoing Mayor for the way he had conducted himself and undertaken his civic role during such challenging times throughout the pandemic as well as for the way he had chaired the Council meetings both in person and online.

The Mayor then invited comments from other members in recognition of the role undertaken by the outgoing Mayor.

Councillor Dixon opened the tributes by thanking Councillor Ezeajughi for his hard work over the previous two years as well as his friendly nature and warm smile. She also took the opportunity to congratulate Councillor Colacicco as incoming Mayor and was confident that she would also excel in her new role.

Councillor McLennan once again thanked the outgoing Mayor for his hard work during the past two years, especially in response to the pandemic. Despite having done so well as Mayor, she was happy that he would now be able to turn his attention back to his role as a ward councillor supporting residents in Stonebridge. She also welcomed Councillor Colacicco as the incoming Mayor and advised how much she was looking forward to working with her over the year.

Councillor Mahmood then spoke highlighting what he felt had been the excellent work undertaken by Councillor Ezeajughi as Mayor, particularly in light of the pandemic.  He also welcomed Councillor Colacicco into her role as Mayor and hoped that she would have a successful year.

Councillor Shahzad also took the opportunity to congratulate the incoming Mayor, whom he felt had shown her commitment to the people of Brent and would do a great job as Mayor. He then thanked the outgoing Mayor, who he felt was an excellent representation of what it meant to be a resident in Brent, and wished him the best for the future.

Councillor Sangani also thanked the outgoing Mayor and Mayoress on behalf of the Alperton community, and highlighted the work they had undertaken to support community groups during the pandemic. She congratulated and welcomed Councillor Colacicco into her post as Mayor and wished her luck for the forthcoming year.

Councillor Dar also thanked Councillor Ezeajughi, as outgoing Mayor, who he felt had been a great example to residents over the past two years. He then welcomed the incoming Mayor and Deputy Mayor and assured them that the Mayor’s chosen charities would be fully supported over the next year. 

In concluding the tributes, Councillor Johnson highlighted some of the work the outgoing Mayor had undertaken over the past two years, including his support for the Windrush Generation. He praised Councillor Ezeajughi for the lead shown in the Covid-19 response which he felt had been pivotal in helping residents access the support they needed throughout the pandemic. He ended by also congratulating the incoming Mayor and wishing her every success in the role.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Ezeajughi to return thanks and review his time in office.

Councillor Ezeajughi, in returning thanks, began by expressing his pride at having been elected as Mayor and being able to serve the people of Brent during the previous two years.  Reflecting on his initial appointment in May 2019 he remembered with pride his Mayor Making ceremony with guests attending from across the UK as well as Nigeria.  It had been with honour that he had been able to serve the borough and support his local charities with particular thanks extended to the Chief Executive, Leader and Deputy Leader and the borough’s Deputy Lieutenant for their support during his the Mayoralty.

Commenting on how quickly his extended time in office had passed he then went on to thank his fellow Stonebridge councillors, Councillors Knight and Aden, for their support, which he pointed out had enabled him to focus on his mayoral duties.  He also thanked all other councillors who had supported him and his charities during his Mayoralty, and in particular Councillors Denselow and Patterson for their support with the charity runs and Councillors Ahmed and Kabir for their regular support and advice.  He also expressed thanks to Peter Gadsdon and Hakeem Osinaike for their help in organising the abseiling event for his charities.

In terms of his immediate team, he also took the opportunity to thank the Executive Support Team, and in particular Katie Smith, for their continued assistance during his Mayoralty as well as Thomas Cattermole for his advice and guidance.  As final thanks he also highlighted the much valued support provided by Kim Gordon in managing the civic diary, organising civic events and supporting fundraising efforts along with Brian Kennedy for the professionalism, respect and courtesy he had demonstrated in his role as the Mayor’s Attendant.

Moving on, he then took the opportunity to thank Councillor Colacicco for her support as his Deputy Mayor and to wish her along with her family all the best for the coming year as Mayor. He also congratulated Councillor Aden, who he felt was an excellent choice for Deputy Mayor.

Reflecting on his two years in office, Councillor Ezeajughi advised that he had been privileged to be able to engage with people locally, nationally and internationally in attending over 500 events as Mayor.  This had included visits to a range of organisations including schools, churches, places of worship, residential care homes, Council housing developments, mutual aid groups, food banks, and new construction developments as well as representing the borough at various civic events, ceremonies and awards.  As a result he had been able to meet many inspiring, talented and generous individuals who had made him proud to be a resident of Brent.  He went on to list some of the highlights of his Mayoralty, which included:

·                Hosting the first Windrush event in Brent with the help of Councillor Hylton;

·                Visiting a wide range of community groups, faith groups and resident associations;

·                Visiting Yibin, Southern China and Nigeria to gain support for the London Borough of Culture 2020 and UEFA Euro Championship 2020;

·                The New Year’s Day London Parade 2020 where Brent had won first prize and a £10,000 cheque for his charities;

·                Welcoming the Duchess of Cornwall to Brent to visit the Granville Centre and the Kiln Cinema Theatre;

·                The opening ceremony for Brent as London Borough of Culture 2020;

·                Attendance at London Lord Mayor and other London Mayoral events;

·                Hosting national and international delegations visiting Brent, including the First Ladies of the Anambra, Abia and Kwara states of Nigeria, the Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, the Ambassador of Senegal, the Mayor of Yibin and the Wulliangye Group, a former Nigerian Presidential Aspirant (Peter Obi), the former Governor of Nigeria Central Bank (HRH Emir Dr Muhammadu Sanusi II), the Interim Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (Dr Cairo Ojogboh) and ambassadors of various other countries;

·                Being able to promote the Borough internationally in China, Nigeria and beyond

·                Initiating and forming the Brent Chinese Community Group with help from Councillor Chan;

·                Working with Brent Communities during the pandemic and recognising all the charities/donors within Brent who had worked tirelessly during the height of the pandemic and were still working hard;

·                Hosting the opening ceremony of the pink visitor car park in Brent;

·                Visiting Nigeria, where he was able to meet the First Ladies of Kwara state and Anambra state with whom he was collaborating in tackling Sickle Cell disease;

·                Working with the Council on communications for local residents concerning the dangers of the Covid-19 pandemic, assisting with delivery of food parcels and opening the Covid-19 testing and vaccination centres in Brent;

·                Being able, on his most recent visit to Nigeria, to hand over a Dental Bus donation from the Angel Foundation UKJA in collaboration with the Denver Wesleyan Church, North Carolina to the CAFÉ charity in Anambra state.

He then highlighted the work he had undertaken to support his two chosen charities during his time as Mayor, the Jason Roberts Foundation and Sickle Cell Society, in order to elevate their profile and fundraise. He felt honoured to have been able to support and work alongside these charities to raise awareness of the impact of sickle cell blood donations, and engage with young people in tackling knife, gun and gang crime.  He then asked members to join him in a round of applause in recognition of the work they did and impact on local communities and beyond.

Councillor Ezeajughi then announced that it was with much pleasure he was able to announce that during his time as Mayor he had been able to raise over £50,000 to be shared between both his nominated charities.  He thanked all of those who had donated and fundraised, however big or small for their contributions, and also took the opportunity to thank all his major donators and fundraisers including Quintain, SISK, Wates, Dominvs Group, Paul Harrison of Tropical Sun Foods, Alan Hovell, Wing Yip, Bang Bang and Ace Café.

Highlighting how much he had enjoyed his time as Mayor, Councillor Ezeajughi ended by thanking his wife for her patience, humility and immense support during his Mayoralty whilst also caring for their young family. He also thanked his family, and especially his four children, for their love, support and understanding during his time in office and in closing, once again took the opportunity to thank all members, council staff, local community groups and residents for their support during the pandemic and beyond.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Ezeajughi for his comments and highlighted how much she had personally enjoyed working with him and his family during his time as Mayor.  She ended by wishing him well for the future and then advised that as this now concluded the ceremonial part of the meeting she would move on to deal with the remainder of the agenda.