Sanwo-Olu administration empowering Lagosians

By Raymond Mordi

 

IN line with the resolve of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to ensure safety of all citizens, including students of tertiary institutions, it recently organized a one-day sensitization programme on the menace of social vices in tertiary institutions in the state. Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale disclosed this at a ministerial press briefing in commemoration of the first year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in office last Wednesday.

The Special Adviser said the programme was organized to create awareness on the social and economic costs of engaging in cultism, drug abuse, sexual harassment and examination malpractices, such as impediment of their academic performance, loss of valuable time as a result of school closure, untimely deaths and disruption of social and economic activities in their host communities.

Princess Adebowale said the government has also fed 11,965 pupils in primary schools across the state in the last one year. The pupils, drawn from crèche and primary four to six were fed under the ‘Snacks for Thought’ pilot scheme of the government meant to complement the Home Grown School Feeding Programme of the Federal Government which covered only pupils in primary one to three.

She said this was to ensure that all pupils in the state partake in the school feeding programme, since those in primary one to three are benefiting from the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme. The special adviser said the importance of the initiative could not be over-emphasized as the nutritious snacks and juice were to energize pupils for memory retention of lessons learnt, improve school attendance and academic performance and also serve as an incentive for higher enrolment and retention of pupils in public schools.

Adebowale said the administration also recently organized a financial assistance programme, tagged ‘Eko Cares’, as part of its social inclusion programme. Under the scheme, she said, financial assistance of up to N20, 000 per beneficiary was disbursed, partly in cash and partly in the form of micro-investment.

She said: “In the first phase of the programme, some Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies were on hand to provide instant investment in micro-distributive trade by supplying their goods to the 2000 beneficiaries. The essence of this is to have a populace that can feed themselves, contribute to the development of the state and promote a stable and secured society. While no efforts would be spared at creating understanding and support for the various programmes and policies of the state government, particularly the THEMES agenda, our efforts at promoting civic responsibility of the citizenry will not be relented as it is central to attainment of a greater Lagos.”

She said her Office is also saddled with the responsibility of engendering a very strong cordial relationship among all arms of government towards achieving good governance, timely delivery of dividends of democracy to the good people of Lagos State and attainment of A Greater Lagos through the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.

She said the Office organized a three-day Executive and Legislative Parley with the theme: ‘Harmonious Relationship among Various Arms of Government: A Necessity for A Greater Lagos’ held from 3rd to 5th March, 2020 at the Orchid Hotel, Lekki Lagos. The parley, which was chaired by Governor Sanwo-Olu, was attended by legislators in the Lagos State House of Assembly, representatives of the various constituencies at the National Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, Governing Advisory Council members and other key stakeholders in the development of the State. The parley reviewed activities and mandates of each arm of government and developed a strategy for dealing with potential areas of conflicts in the overall interest of the state.

She said her office also organized the Civic Week Celebration, aimed at reawakening the consciousness of Lagosians towards their civic duties and to remind the good people of Lagos State that the task of building a greater Lagos was a responsibility for both the government and the governed. The occasion was also used to sensitize Lagosians on the new development agenda of the State tagged – T.H.E.M.E.S and also admonished the youth on the need to develop productive skills and talents so that they become agents of positive change in their communities and embrace civic responsibilities.

As part of efforts to checkmate the spread of Coronavirus, the Special Adviser said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved the production and distribution of 100 units of handwashing stations at markets, bus-stops, hospitals and other high traffic public places within the state, adding that these handwashing stations were innovatively made by local fabricators with regular supply of dispensable soap and reticulated water supply.

She added that the deployment of these handwashing stations were aimed at fostering the culture and practice of promoting good hygiene among the citizenry towards curbing the spread of the COVID-19 in the state. She however called on Lagosians to adhere to all safety measures as directed by the government.

Speaking on the ‘National Democracy Day’, the Special Adviser said it is common knowledge that Lagos State, in conjunction with the Democratic Coalitions, had been at the forefront of sustaining the celebration of June 12 in commemoration of the June 12, 1993 election which was adjudged to be freest and fairest election ever conducted in the country. The office also organized the 2019 “Democracy Day” (June 12, 2019) with the theme, “Democracy and Restoration of True Federalism in Nigeria”. Adebowale said the government would continue to associate with all progressive forces by embracing democratic principles and ideals that would engender the wellbeing of Lagosians and attainment of A Greater Lagos.

The Special Adviser stressing the importance of the Office Civic Engagement said the office would continue to work hard to ensure peaceful co-existence among the people of Lagos State through meaningful engagement and amicable resolution of issues that could lead to breakdown of law and order in the state.