The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, has charged the chairmen of the 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) across the state to ensure that they deliver the dividends of democracy to the people who elected them.Obasa made the call while addressing Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Council Leaders, and Majority Leaders of the LGs and LCDAs at a leadership summit organised by the Assembly on Thursday.
The Speaker emphasised that effective grassroots governance remains pivotal to strengthening democracy and improving the lives of Lagosians.
He urged council bosses to build cordial working relationships with their councillors, stressing that councillors should not be treated as subordinates but as partners in progress.
“Your councillors are your partners. They are not your subjects or subordinates. You must accord them respect, and they must also respect you,” Obasa said.
The Speaker also encouraged the local government leaders to regularly engage Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs), noting that sustained interaction with residents would enhance trust and ensure inclusive decision-making.
According to him, leaders at the grassroots must always make themselves accessible to the people.“If the chairman fails to do what the people want, you can come to the State House of Assembly, we will resolve it.
We must learn to work together because that is where our successes and achievements lie. You must be constantly available to your people and community leaders,” he added.
Obasa further charged the council chairmen to prioritise empowerment programmes and youth development projects in their respective localities.
He suggested that every council should establish a park and a sports centre within the first year of tenure as part of efforts to groom future talents in athletics and football.
The Speaker disclosed that the Assembly would soon organise seminars for councillors to sharpen their legislative and administrative skills. He noted that the training would be held in four districts, with Lagos West divided into four zones, while chairmen would be required to support and participate to ensure wider impact.
“Use government money to do good things for the people. Let us help our children and those around us. We will provide resource persons to drive the seminars while adding political inputs from our end,” Obasa explained.
In response, Chairman of Conference 57 and Chairman of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government, Hon. Sesan Olowa, pledged on behalf of his colleagues that council chairmen would work harmoniously with councillors and stakeholders to entrench grassroots development.
He assured that the local governments would continue to improve on their service delivery and remain committed to enhancing the wellbeing of Lagos residents.
