[b]Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has told the newly elected Chairmen of 20 Local Government Councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos, to go back to their respective areas and clean up all the posters they used during the election campaign for the Local Government election.

Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola

Fashola made the statement while addressing the newly elected Chairmen of 20 local government councils and 37 local council development areas at the Blueroof Hall, LTV 8 Complex, Agidingbi, Ikeja in Lagos, at the weekend.

Fashola added that to maintain the cleanliness of Lagos, the numerous posters pasted all over the city by the Chairmen must be disposed of properly.

He said: “Now that you have been sworn in and and you will be resuming work officially on Monday, there is need to make sure our environment remains as beautiful as it was before the election campaign. Hence, I am tasking you all as you commence work to go out there and remove all the posters on our walls and other places in the city of Lagos.”[/b]

Reacting to the admonition of the Governor in his vote of thanks, Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government, Kamal Bayewu, promised on behalf of other chairmen that as they will start cleaning up the posters immediately.

Bayewu also said they will not disappoint the state government, the party and Lagosians as a whole in the discharge of their responsibility to the people of the state.

Fashola also used the avenue to call for support on the revenue allocation formula which he said should be in favour of the states and local governments.

He explained that a revenue allocation formula that gives 52 per cent to the Federal Government which is further from the people and 26 per cent and 20 per cent to the states and local governments which are closer to the people will remain a huge hindrance to local development and the implementation of policies and programmes at the local level.

The governor said the new chairmen are taking office at a time when the world attention is focused on the attainment of certain targets within the time frame of 2000-2015, adding that the goals ordinarily should be minimum goals of any society, which are now referred to as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“These goals which have been described as the world’s time bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions consists of eight goals namely-eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education, promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and development of a global partnership for development,” he explained.

Council chiefs who spoke with P.M.NEWS after the event include Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan of Ejigbo LCDA; Apostle Oloruntoba Oke of Ifako Ijaiye LGA and Mr. Adeyemi Alli of Odi-Olowo/ Ojuwoye LGA.

Bamigbetan thanked the party leaders and the people of Ejigbo for voting for continuity. “We cannot thank our people enough. It is imperative to salute those who came out even during the downpour. They have again restated belief and commitment to the survival of democracy,” he said.

Oke said the people of Ifako-Ijaiye would witness a new dawn during his tenure and promised more infrastructural development.

“Our Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola has repeated it on several occasions that the reward for hard work is more work. On my own part, the reward for a renewed mandate is more people-oriented programmes. We would look into areas where urgent attention of government is required and move in without delay to address them,” he said.

Alli expressed appreciation to the youths, religious bodies, community leaders and traders for their zeal and support.

—Ayodeji Dedeigbo and Bamidele Olowosagba


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