Protocols
It is with great pleasure and honour that I address you at the auspicious event geared towards the development of our Local Council Development Area and by extension Lagos State. This maiden Stakeholders’ Meeting and Budget Interactive Session is crucial at this time to further reiterate the commitment of our administration in addressing the several challenges we face as people and to collectively fashion out a way forward in which each of us individually and collectively play our roles as citizens, community leaders, and government.
We are a government of the people and we value the input of our people in the administration of the council. We run an open door policy thus the highpoint of today’s event is to get direct inputs from you in developing an inclusive budget for 2018 fiscal year. We want you telling us your priorities and not what we think you need.
We are all aware that no meaningful development can be achieved in budget execution without adequate funding and in this regards, our administration is working relentlessly to increase our internally generated revenue (IGR) in other to balance revenue with the needs of our people. Our revenue generation drive is formulated on the tripod of Efficiency, Transparency and Accountability. Inline with this, we are working to establish and brand new revenue collection centres across the LCDA.
From January 2018, our revenue collection officers will wear their numbered uniforms so any revenue officer not dressed like this should not be attended to and can also be reported to the council via dedicated phone number we will release to the public soon. In the coming weeks, we will be implementing an electronic billing and payment system for the collection of levies, dues and charges. Still on revenue generation, we will be embarking on enumeration of all collectibles within the council with the intent of revenue projection and accountability.
As a government, the security of lives and properties of our people is a priority. I want to specially thank the good people of Igbogbo-Bayeku LCDA and our gallant security agencies for their efforts in curbing the crime rate within the council. We thank God for the uprooting of Badoo menace threatening the peaceful atmosphere of our council but we should not rest on our oars and sleep with our two eyes closed yet. In order to maintain peace and order, a new security formation is being set up within the council and more details will be made available as events unfold.
We have conceived and designed an “Igbogbo-Bayeku Development Plan” in tune with the State Government’s megacity masterplan. The Igbogbo-Bayeku Development Plan is currently undergoing intense scrutiny before it is presented to stakeholders for their inputs and thereafter presented to the public. The Developmental Plan has been phased into short, medium and long terms for ease of implementation and it was conceived to take Igbogbo-Bayeku LCDA to an enviable position amongst local councils in the state and the nation at large.
On the environmental situation within the council, it is important to state this clearly before our enforcement unit starts taking drastic actions henceforth. It is against the environmental laws and masterplan of Lagos State to erect structures on canals and wetland. Furthermore, encroachment into the road will not be tolerated and we are using this medium to call those found wanting to relocate and readjust now.
We will not tolerate the blocking of roads and parking of vehicles on the roads especially by Trailers (Dangote Trailers) for whatever reason as this act further worsen the traffic congestion within the metropolis. Street trading adds to the traffic congestion on our roads spurring us to give our existing markets face-lift or complete modernization. We are calling on road transport unions to charge their members to be law abiding and obey traffic rules.
Today, we are launching the Road Safety Corps Club in our primary schools to educate and orientate the pupils and by extension their parents on obeying traffic rules and road safety measures.
We are charging owners of unregistered street names to come for regularization and documentation of the street names with the council. We are also calling on registered street name owners to regularly renew their street names annually as and when due.
The Oba Molaja Ogunlewe Road is the gateway to the local council and it is becoming an eyesore. We are not comfortable with the outlook of the place now being the gateway to the council. We are urging you to do the needful before our enforcement unit will be deployed to arrest the situation.
On agriculture, we have plans for our farmers and one of them is partnering with companies to train and support them in the areas of fishery and piggery.
We believe health is wealth and the council can boast of four (4) Primary Health Centres at present. We are working to partner with National Primary Health Care Development Agency, State Health Board and Donor Agencies to garner donations towards equipping them for efficient service delivery.
On first day of resumption for the 2017/2018 academic session, I visited some schools and we identified some pupils with tattered uniforms and new uniforms will be presented to them today while a new drum set will be donated to Methodist Primary School. We are also distributing exercise books to our pupils today.
It is our plan to give the council secretariat a facelift. We are currently designing a new office building. The befitting new storey building when completed will house offices, hall, health clinic and other facilities for smooth and efficient administration of the council.
In our quest to put the council on global map in tune with e-governance drive, we are developing a befitting website to showcase our council to the world and to make government accessible online. A section of the website will be dedicated for the electronic billing and payment system earlier mentioned.
With an improved security and bustling socio-economic activities within the council, we now have a functional UBA ATM Gallery within the council secretariat. Furthermore, Sterling Bank Plc is constructing a branch opposite the council secretariat. With this development, our people do not have to go to Ikorodu Garage to do some banking transactions.
Ladies and gentlemen, the essence of today’s meeting is not roll out drums regarding what we have accomplished so far but to get direct inputs from you as we prepare 2018 budget.
We implore everyone to be law abiding, be security conscious, take care of the environment and always pay levies and rates.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Lo’jewa Logun!!!
Comrade Daini Olusesan Mayokun,
Executive Chairman,
Igbogbo Bayeku LCDA, Lagos
October 12, 2017
Good speech…i wish you luck.