Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday charged Local Government (LG) and Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairmen on programmes that would alleviate poverty in the state.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Thursday during a three-day induction/retreat for the newly-elected 57 LGs/LCDAs chairmen in Lagos.
The theme of the retreat is “Engendering Peace, Security and Development at the Grassroots”.
He admonished the council bosses ‘to think out of the box’ and create enabling environment for wealth creation among the people at the grassroots.
The governor called for peace between the council chiefs and the electorate, saying that it was only under a peaceful atmosphere that jobs could be created and progress ascertained.
He said that it was the responsibility of the chairmen to serve the people and write their names in gold.
“Let every nook and cranny in your local government feel you, ensure that the resources that is with you is judiciously used. Create programmes that will eradicate poverty in the land.
“You have that responsibility as a chairman to work for the peace and security of Lagos State. Set yourself as a chairman of all and you will have your name written in gold,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said the state government would keep an eye on the local government chairpersons to ensure that they remained on track. The governor also urged the chairmen to always carry the traditional rulers in their communities along in their activities.
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the chairmen were bound to face challenges and so should be ready to handle such challenges.
Hamzat said it was important for the chairmen to have equivalent of public works that would ensure road were being fixed, engender infrastructural development and address flooding.
He also urged them to work with the councillors in their areas to finish the 377 roads being undertaken in their communities.
In his welcome address, Dr Wale Ahmed, the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, said that the retreat would enable the chairmen add their collective contributions towards the actualisation of the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.
Ahmed said the theme of the event was carefully chosen to address some very important discourse, which included ‘Administrative Guidelines for Local Government and Due Diligence on Project Procedure and Implementation in LGs/LCDAs on Chieftaincy Matters’.
He said it would also address ‘Drainage, Waste Management and Sanitation of LGs and LCDAs’ and ‘Effective Communication and Strategic Public Relations Skills’.
The commissioner said that through the retreat, the chairmen should be able to map out templates that would help them build strong and lasting institutions.
“I urge you, therefore, to put the knowledge acquired at the retreat to good use in your positions of leadership by re-working flawed programmes.
“You should collectively chart a new course for improved administration in our state; one that would inspire us towards the ‘Greater Lagos Dream’,” he said.
Giving vote of thanks on behalf of his colleagues, the Chairman of Bariga LCDA, Mr Kolade Alabi, promised that they would all perform creditably well and work to make the All Progressives Congress proud.
“It is all about collaboration and synergy between local government and all agencies of government. And of course, we will take a lot away from this and we are going to administer it at the LGAs,” Alabi said.
The local council boss promised that his colleagues would address the issue of deficit in infrastructure.
