Ambode Restates Commitment To Community Development, Urges People To Participate In Governance

The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday charged the people of the state to be actively involved in the process of governance at the local level so as to bring about efficiency and participatory development.

Ambode, who spoke at the Police College Ground, Ikeja at the 2015 Community Day celebration, said it was very important for the people to know, engage and interact with the leadership at the Local Government Areas and the Local Council Development Areas because the Executive Secretaries, Ward Chairmen and other Executives at the local levels are representing the people’s interests.

Stating that everyone has a role to play in securing the future and that the people must contribute in various ways to development of the community, Governor Ambode stressed that the community, being the connecting factor and identity to all, must be supported with the cooperation of all.

Ambode, who reiterated the commitment of his administration to community development, said he has adopted a bottom to top approach to governance and that he has equally made the communities an integral part of the decision-making process.

He said it was in furtherance of the commitment of his administration that he decided that the LGAs, LCDAs and community development associations must decide and award the planned construction of 144 roads to be constructed in all local levels, with each LGAs and LCDAs benefiting two each.

The Governor added that in keeping with his promise to intensify community security, his administration has so far donated 48 patrol vans, 385 walkie talkies, 11 base and repeater stations, 1,150 uniforms, 570 handcuffs, 1,150 belts, berets and boots to boost the operation of the Neighbourhood Watchers to keep all the communities in Lagos safe.He said his administration is also working with the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to ensure that Lagos is safe and secure for residents and investors.

Ambode said: “We recently acquired 26 Transport Ambulances and 20 Mobile Intensive Care Units. These are distributed all over the State for easy access to our communities. We have purchased 22 generators for our General Hospitals to ensure they are ready to treat our citizens round the clock. We are in the process of recruiting 1,300 teachers in our Public Primary Schools and 100 Fire Fighters.

“We have rehabilitated, repaired and maintained over 268 inner roads. The Blue Line which shall be delivered in December 2016 will convey over 500,000 passengers daily between Marina and Okokomaiko. It will be followed by the Red Line from Agbado to Lagos Island. These Rail Projects will run as we expand junctions, build flyovers, rehabilitate thousands of roads and open more waterways to move millions of our people to work and home”, he said‎.

“Forty-Nine (49) communities that were in total darkness have received transformers from the State Government and are now fully lit. Sixty-Three (63) communities in Ibeju Lekki starting from Eleko to Ode-Omi who have not had electricity in the last Five (5) years, will have power by December 2015.”

Ambode said all the projects were undertaken with the socio-economic development of the communities in mind.Ambode also charged Lagosians to pay their taxes and be law abiding by refraining from breaching the environmental laws, especially the ones against smoking in public places, urinating in public places and polluting the neighbourhood with needless noise