As a way of fraternizing himself with who’s who in all the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in the states, the newly appointed Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr Wale Ahmed has embarked on a familiarisation tour of local government councils and Obas in the state
Dr, Hamed who was redeployed in January 2020 by Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu from the Ministry of Special Duties to Local Government and Community Affairs commenced his familiarization tour with the premier local government in sub-Saharan Africa, the Lagos Island Local Government.
The former Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos Chapter first pot of was the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu, where the commissioner had a closed-door meeting with the Lagos monarch before proceeding to Lagos West local government.
At the Lagos West local government, the commissioner and his team which includes Supervisory Commissioner and his entourage which included the Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs to Governor Prince Bayo Osiyemi, Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Community Affairs Hon Olusi, Permanent Secretary of the ministry Dr Salaami Taiwo Olufemi, Directors of the ministry which included Mrs Bisi Olufuwa Director Public Affairs and media crew were warmly received by the council chairman, Hon. Prince Tijani Adetoyese Olusi and the executive members of his cabinet who briefed the guests about the exploits of his administration with loads of achievement while reiterating his commitment to do more.
The Permanent Secretary while highlighting the essence of the visit stated that it’s a fact-finding visit to familiarize with the activities at the local government level, mostly developmental projects and the working relationship among the people.
On the expectations, after the visit Dr Wale Hamed alluded that “We will be better informed about the activities of the local government administrations. When you’re informed you will be able to make suggestions and share ideas. We are able to identify those places that earnestly required state intervention” posited the Commissioner.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry Dr Salaami Taiwo Olufemi
“So you need to first embark on such visit to be able to identify and familiarized with the actual needs and challenges. We are starting with the premiere local government, so we used the opportunity to first pay homage and courtesy call to the Olowo Eko, the permanent Chairman Lagos State Council for Obas and Chiefs, His Royal Highness Oba Rilwan Akiolu”.
“It has been a successful visit. With all our leaders in Lagos Island present. Most especially the Leader of GAC (Governing Advisory Council) Prince Oluyole Olusi and all the other leaders that you would expect were all in attendance, that gladden one’s heart a lot”.
“You heard what the leaders said about what the chairmen here are doing and we also can see by ourselves”.
Prince of Lagos, Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi Chairman of the Governing Advisory Council of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos in an interview with Voice of Lagos and other media at the event commended the council chairmen for their efforts in developing sustainable projects.
He stated further, “You know it’s a familiarization visit by the Commissioner who just assumed office as the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs and it would also afford the Chairmen to give an account of their activities. We are living witnesses to their good work, they have tried. They’ve performed excellently by my own standard.
“However there some other challenges that are bigger for them but meant for the state government. I have channelled this through the Commissioner”.
“For example in Lagos, we have Idumagbo Avenue that needs a major repair. Always waterlogged, it’s beyond the capacity of the local governments. It’s a trunk-A road that is not in their schedule but the state government.
During his remark at the event, Prince Olusi also gave historical background on the establishment and construction of the City Hall and library now taken from the council who was the original owner of the properties.
“I was a councillor then and the chairman tender’s board that oversees the construction of the City Hall. The City Hall should be returned to the local government” he demanded.
The Chairman Lagos Island East LCDA Comrade Kamal Olawale Salau-Bashua stated that the visit is apt considering the fact that it would afford the supervisory ministry to appraise the real situation of things in the respective councils.
Comrade Salau-Bashua expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for the visit “We thank the commissioner for kicking off his familiarization visit with the premiere council, Lagos Island Local Government”.
He also appealed on for the state government’s intervention on the repair of Idumagbo Avenue and Adeniji Adele road.
He enumerated some of his achievements to include “so far in Lagos Island-East 21 roads have been rehabilitated, these are identifiable and verifiable roads. And 5 roads have been newly constructed with 3 commissioned and 2 in 75% complete stage”.
“But critically, Adeniji Adele and Idumagbo Avenue required serious repair and they affected both councils”.
On the preparation for the raining season, the council Chairman noted that “in Lagos Island East a total of 157 drainages have been desilted and carted away. That is why last year and the year before, Lagos is a coastal city being below sea level and Lagos Island further being below the sea level we had no major water challenge” concluded the eloquent soft-spoken Council Boss of the premiere local government in sub-Saharan Africa.
In his closing remark, Dr Wale Ahmed thanked the council chairmen for the honour they accorded him and his team with a promise to look into every need and complaints made which he sees as part of the way of moving the state forward.