Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged former Chairmen of local governments in Nigeria to use their wealth of experience and knowledge to chart the way forward for the development of governance at the grassroots, the state, and the nation in general.
He said the association of former chairmen, which he described as stakeholders, is relevant to building democracy in Nigeria, especially at the grassroots level.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke during a courtesy visit by the representatives of the Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria led by its President, Hon. Albert Ashipa, at the Lagos House Marina on Friday.
Sanwo-Olu, who expressed his government’s support for local government autonomy, said his administration would continue to partner the Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria to achieve its aim of fostering development as well as deepening democracy and knowledge.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who acknowledged the 5,000 members of the association from the 774 councils in Nigeria as critical stakeholders, urged them to continue to use their wealth of experience and skills in supporting serving Chairmen in Nigeria.
The Governor said the theme of the upcoming National Retreat of the association, tagged “Local Government Autonomy, Bringing Governance to the People: A Case Study of Lagos,” is a testament to the Lagos State Government’s proactiveness in supporting development at the grassroots.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Association, Hon. Ashipa, praised Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration for setting the pace in Nigeria by making Lagos State a good example of how local government autonomy should work.
Ashipa, who acknowledged the giant strides of Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, especially in delivering critical infrastructure projects across the nooks and crannies of Lagos State, also commended the Governor for ensuring the promotion of the local government autonomy and embarking on developmental projects, making Lagos the best.
He also congratulated Governor Sanwo-Olu for leading the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to victory in the last Saturday governorship election in Ondo State as the Chairman of the party’s National Campaign Council and Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum.
Ashipa said Governor Sanwo-Olu has performed very well by delivering the dividends of democracy and contributing positively to development at the grassroots level, noting that the Governor’s performance made the Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria award him the Best Governor in Nigeria.
