Kunle Adelabu
-Commends council over new ‘massive’ secretariat project
The Lagos State Hose of Assembly Committee on Local Government, on Wednesday, paid a working visit to the Imota Local Council Development Area (LCDA), where they were hosted at the permanent site of the council which is under construction.
The Committee, led by its Chairman, Hon. Sanni Ganiu Babatunde Okanlawon (OKLA) representing Kosofe Constituency I, toured the structure which was described as massive, and commended the council boss, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, for embarking on such monumental project.
The committee, however, asked the council chairman to take his time in completing the construction against the decision that it would be completed by the end of October this year when council operations will be moved in.
One of the notable members of the committee that was part of the entourage was Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun (AMA) who was on ground to give support to one of the council chairmen in his Constituency. In his remarks, he emphasized the massiveness of the project and also echoed other achievements of the council.
Also in the entourage were Hon. Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode (Oshodi Constituency I), Hon. Surajudeen Olatunji Tijani (Ojo Constituency I), Hon. Kehinde Olaide Joseph (Alimosho Constituency II), Hon. Samuel Oluwafemi Apata (Somolu Constituency II) and Hon. Oladele Ajayi (Ibeju Lekki Constituency II).
Hon. Okanlawon, speaking about the visit, said that:
“We are here to carry out one of our cardinal duties which the oversight as provided for in the Section 128 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“You will recall that this LCDA is a product of our law. If we have the power to create, we also have the power of oversight and that is exactly what we have come here to do.
“We are here to know actually what the Chairman has been able to do in terms of governance and how he has been able to impact the people of Imota LCDA. We want meaningful government for the people
“We want to know whether he has been able to deliver the dividends of democracy or not, and to know basically, whether the resources available to him commensurate with what are on the ground. That is why we are here”, he said.
Aside from the tour of the ongoing secretariat, the committee also engaged the council boss, councilors, council supervisors and members of the management team on state of projects, market developments, roads, primary schools, Primary Health Centres, ICT, capacity building, sports development and project financing.
While the Council Chairman, Secretary to the Council and Haed of ICT, were able to state all that the council have been able to achieve, the Supervisors for Youth and Sports and that of Agriculture and Tourism were not that lucky with the committee members who charged them to initiate proposals on their various portfolios on how they join the council boss in moving the council forward.
Hon. Okanlawon charged the council to look more into areas of tourism, ICT and sports development in improving the council’s income and developing youths of the community.
Hon. Kehinde Joseph, who raised question on why the council is funding all its projects through direct labour and beyond the N500, 000 mark placed on such, commended the council on realization that it has corrected the anomaly since past years in accordance with necessary project funding regulations.
The committee members also visited other councils in Ikorodu division.
