YESTERDAY, the day our newly elected Chairmen were sworn-in, is a day to hold to heart for the records. We want to be able to look back and pick the words of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's heartfelt address to the elected when the elected's tenure ends and for us to be able ask questions on accountability.
Governor Sanwo-Olu's swore-in Alimosho's 6 Chairmen alongside 51 others representing other LGs. 4 of the 6 were re-elected and 2 are new, but not new to the areas they represent. In short, Alimosho's 6 new elected leaders were somewhere sunk in that crowd with the others listening to the governor's sermon.
"Today, we swore-in elected Council Chairmen that will lead our Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State with a charge to them to get down to work immediately to justify the confidence of the electorate and not to dissipate any energy fighting opponents.
I reiterated that the administrative and financial autonomy our LGAs and LCDAs have enjoyed for the past two decade should be a catalyst to achieve bottom-up development across the State and it should not be taken for granted.
In Lagos, we are witnessing the dawn of a new era in Local Government administration. With this election, a resounding statement has been made, once again, that our state remains firmly an APC state and that our people continue to regard our party as the most viable and most credible political choice for the most populous State and biggest subnational economy in the country.
We consider this overwhelming support as a vote of confidence in our administration and our great party, and it will never be taken for granted.
While I congratulate the newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen, I want to remind them that their victory is an affirmation of trust in their competence, capacity and capability to discharge the responsibility of the Office they are stepping into.
Being the closest tier of government to the people, any gap or shortcoming in administration will be keenly felt by the people. As a result, policies and programmes must be people-oriented, focusing on how to improve the lives and livelihood of the people at the grassroots...."
Policies and programmes must be people-oriented, focusing on how to improve the lives and livelihood of the people at the grassroots. So said the Governor.
We hope this sinks in. Good roads we ask for (kudos to the re-elected on roads, Jelili Sulaimon in particular), Youth empowerment we crave, ease of trading and business operation by our our business owners are delights we relish, even health care distribution, and education and vocational advancement we dream about.
These are the interpretation of Sanwo-Olu's heartfelt address. We shall be out in the sun to ask how our 6 elected faired when the rain stops falling.
