Development of rural infrastructure key to economic growth —Lawmaker

A Lagos lawmaker, Honourable Abiodun Tobun, has urged the government at both the federal and state levels not to relent in efforts at bringing development to both urban and rural areas, saying the development of infrastructure at the rural level will ultimately help engender national growth in the long run.

Tobun, who represents Epe Constituency 1 in the Lagos Assembly, made the appeal in a chat with the media, where he commended the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, for all his strides toward taking development to the hinterlands of the state.

He said, “The approach of leaving the rural areas to develop urban areas has led to migration of people to the city.”

“The idea of developing the metropolis is the mind set of people at the helms of affairs, some governments develop the centre and leave the rural areas.

“This approach usually leads to rural-urban migration and makes the centre to be congested while some governments believe in developing the rural area to decongest the city to make more people comfortable living in the rural areas,” he added.

“The best approach is to develop both the rural and urban centres simultaneously. The government should not allow the infrastructure at the urban centre decay while at the same time take development to the rural.

“This is the approach the present government is adopting. There is no rural area that is not touched. We are encouraging the governor not to relent his plans to develop the state,” he further noted.

He commended the governor for picking two roads from each of the 20 Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to prevent the influx of people into the urban area.

He urged the governor to sustain his determination to light up all communities and construction of roads to improve socio-economic activities in all areas.

According to him, before the present administration, Epe and Ikorodu did not have master plans, but that currently, the government had awarded the work to a consultant who will be expected to come up with master plans for the two suburb communities. He said that such moves would bring about overall development to the areas.

Tobun, who commended the governor for all developmental initiatives, said that House would ensure monitoring of all projects for the benefit of the masses.