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Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday, asked the newly elected chairmen and their deputies at the 57 council areas in the State to unite in the interest of the people and strive not to be the weakest link.
Sanwo-Olu made the call during a three-day retreat organized by the State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development to assist in the business of Governance for Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas across the State.
The Governor was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat which was with the theme, “Driving Grassroots Development through Strategic Governance,” held at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.
The retreat was to equip the council bosses with salient information and the requisite knowledge on the intricacies and guidelines for Local Government Administration, as well as Public Sector Ethics.
Hamzat said, “Your victory at the poll is not just a political victory. It is a mandate from the people for the APC to have a clean sweep.
“The retreat is an understanding of a group. Nobody should be the weakest link. The only way is to learn from each other. The retreat is supposed to equip all of you.”
He added, “I think the Procurement law was introduced into our country by the world Bank because corruption starts and ends with procurement. There is an assumption that everyone who occupies public office is a thief.
“We must learn from one another, if you think you won’t have a problem, sorry, you are not here for the job,” he warned.
Continuing, he stated, “However, the sad part of it is that we begged for the job. I remember when I was made commissioner under Asiwaju and I went to his office to thank him but he said, don’t thank me ‘i welcome you to hell.’”
He explained that he did not understand him until after the challenges became manifest, saying “Governance is more than rocket science. The work ahead of us is very urgent, the expectations of the people are high, you will never satisfy them.”
He advised, “For me, as chairmen of local government, why can’t you look for a small job, for instance, if there is weed on the road, I get them cut. I beg you to get the data of your local government, roads, hospitals, how many people are there in the council.
“The problems of West Africa are physical planning and procurement. The challenges are, how do we organize ourselves?” He queried.
The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Hon Bolaji Robert noted, “As you begin your four-year term, the expectations of the people are high. They await the fulfilment of promises, the delivery of critical infrastructural projects and people-inclined services, which are the visible dividends of democracy that would improve the socio-economic lives of the people.”
He therefore urged them to make the most of the retreat to listen, learn, and engage meaningfully. “Take notes, shape action plans, and set the tone for responsive governance in your various Councils,” Robert stated.
Chairman House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Sanni Okanlawon urged the chairmen to be problem solvers, “Leadership is not a title but trust that you must earn.”
In his remark, the chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Kamal Bayeiwu who was represented by Commissioner Ahmed Seriki said, “the retreat is going to foster better working relationship. It is a path to prosperity.”
He asked for cooperation between the Chairmen and the local government staff, saying “I impl
Source: Championnews.com.ng | Continue to Full Story…
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