Live up to people’s expectations, Lagos deputy gov charges new LG chairmen

…commissions projects in Mosun-Okunola LCDA

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr.  Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has charged the newly elected Chairmen of Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council development Areas (LCDAs) to live up to the expectations of the citizens who elected them, urging them not to disappoint the electorate who reposed confidence in them.

The deputy governor gave the charge on Wednesday at the official commissioning ceremony of the ‘Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administrative Block’ and Abeokuta Street, which took place at Mosun-Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos.

Dr. Hamzat, while giving the admonition, said the newly elected officials had no option but to perform as, according to him, the standard has been set so high by their predecessors in office.

The deputy governor insisted that the citizens had high expectations of them, and must ensure that they surpassed the already established performance of the outgoing chairmen, saying that they cannot afford to fail the citizens and the party, who would be on their neck.

“They have no option. The standard is set so high that, as a matter of fact, they must do well. The party will be on their neck. The citizens will be on their necks. They are filling a big shoe, they must raise the standard of performance already established by their predecessors in office. I wish them well, and we will not let them rest,” the deputy governor charged.

Speaking further, the deputy governor commended and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the initiative in creating additional LCDAs in 2003, which he said had helped in extending development to the grassroots across the state. 

“So, for me, I’m very proud as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Because I remember that Mosan-Okunola was part of the 37 LCDAs that were created then by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when he was the governor of Lagos State. Our money was even seized then, though we suffered, but God didn’t make us suffer. 

“Come and see what is happening now. We must commend a man with a vision, who said, let us create more areas to lead to development. That is why we must be grateful to our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for creating those LCDAs in 2003,” Hamzat recalled.

The deputy governor, while commending the outgoing Chairman of Mosan Okunola LCDA, Princess Olabisi Adebajo, for the good job she did while in office, charged the incoming chairman to improve on the standard set by her predecessor.

He pointedly declared that local government remained the bedrock of development in the nation being the closest to the people, stressing that they were key in the overall growth of the nation.

This was just as he affirmed that all the local governments’ chairmen in the state had performed excellently, saying that they were the best in the country, having built schools, primary healthcare centres, roads, mong others .

Earlier in her address, the Chairman, Mosan Okunola LCDA, Princess Olabisi Adebajo, stated that the commissioned edifice represented a significant investment in the future of the society called Okunola, emphasizing her administration’s commitment to innovation, productivity, and growth.

She said such commitment enabled her administration “to better serve the internal and external public creditably.”

Adebajo said she looked forward to witnessing the impact the facility would have on the LCDA and the community, urging the people of the community to celebrate the remarkable achievement.

In her goodwill message, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who spoke through her representative, Barr. Ayo Olugbenro, said the commissioning was a monumental achievement that reflected the commitment of the LCDA to effective grassroots governance and inclusive development.

According to her, the event is more than a celebration of infrastructure but a celebration of vision, service, and effective leadership at the grassroots level and, therefore commended the chairman, Hon. Adebajo, for championing such an edifice and naming it after President Tinubu.

Similarly, in their goodwill messages, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Akinyemi Ajigbotafe and his counterpart in the Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mr.   Bolaji Robert, commended the efforts of the council chairman, stating that she had performed well in terms of health, infrastructure, welfare and all other aspects.

They both called for the support of the community for the incoming chairman, and prayed that the incoming chairman perform better too, stating that governance was continual. 

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