The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa has called on the Chairmen of 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to ensure they embark on at least one project a year that will meaningfully impact their constituents.
Speaking at a summit held at the weekend with the chairmen, vice chairmen, council leaders and majority leaders of the local governments and local council development areas (LCDAs), organised by the House at Lateef Jakande Auditorium in the Assembly Complex, Obasa said the members decided to invite them to avoid the mistakes of the past, when most council officials didn’t know their responsibilities.
He emphasised that this was why the assembly had made so many laws, including the statutes creating the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), the office of the auditor general, and the laws that councillors rely upon to perform their duties.
Obasa pledged the House’s readiness to partner with the local governments, as members should be ready to talk to one another.
“The people are the most important thing to us because your mandate is from them. How do we serve them? We keep saying that our votes are dwindling. Who are the closest to the people? It is the local governments.
“If our votes are dwindling, we should blame the local government’s chairmen. Don’t just say you will spend eight years and go like that without achieving anything.
“It is when you serve the people that you will benefit. Don’t just go there and say you only want to make money. Ensure you provide what you promised the people so that life after office will be convenient for you. No amount of money you appropriate will sustain you if you do not serve the people well.
“You should have council chambers and necessary offices for your local governments. You can buy and convert a building if you don’t have space.
“You should not be happy when your councillors don’t have chambers. This used to be our old chamber, but now we have a new one. How do you develop your local government if you don’t care for them?
“Your councillors are your partners. They are not your subjects or subordinates. You must accord them respect, and they must also respect you. We have the Governor, the Speaker and the Chief Judge of the state; each has roles to play.
“If the Governor wants to spend money, he comes to the House, when we make laws, we pass the laws to them, and the judiciary interprets the laws. So we should all work together.”
