Create room for good governance, Sanwo-Olu tells council chairmen

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged the newly elected 57 local council chairmen and their deputies to ensure that they are not the weakest link in the state’s governance.

Sanwo-Olu made the call during a three-day retreat held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja and organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development.

He said the programme with the theme “Driving Grassroots Development through Strategic Governance” was designed to assist in the business of governance for the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the 57 local government areas and local council development areas of the state.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, explained that 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.

He said, “Your victory at the polls 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.

“I am happy when I came in and I saw procurement officers engaging you. 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 will not have problem, sorry, you are not here for the job.

“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 said

He acknowledged that problems in West Africa are physical planning and procurement, saying efforts must be geared towards the grassroots, towards a better understanding of the space.

The Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, Bolaji Robert, said the retreat is to assist council chairmen in settling down quickly to the business of governance and equip them with the necessary information and knowledge on the intricacies and guidelines for local government administration.

“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,” the commissioner said.

In his remark, the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sanni Okanlawon, urged the chairmen to be problem solvers, stressing that leadership is not a title but trust that must be earned.

In his vote of assurance and on behalf of his colleagues, the Chairman of the Ibeju-Lekki Local Council Development Area, Sesan Olowa, expressed appreciation to the governor for approving the retreat, stating that the successful swearing-in ceremony was a testament to their commitment to upholding good governance.

“I want to assure you that at the end of the retreat, we would have been equipped for the task ahead. Our role is very crucial at the grassroots to the survival of democracy, and we are ready to deliver,” Olowa promised.