Tag: Senbanjo

By Muinat Ajibade-Alasela

The Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Idowu Senbanjo has stated that the private sectors and property owners are the people to drive the council ‘s economy.

The gesture was made at the stakeholders’ meeting tagged “Regeneration of Apapa” and was held at Atlantic Enterprises, Creek Road, Apapa.

The council boss said having highlighted the challenges bedeviling Apapa, the aim of the meeting was for all the stakeholders to collaborate and proffer ways to regenerate the community.

According to her: “I think to drive the economy of Apapa, the private sectors are the people to drive the economy and we are saying that the private sectors and property owners should come in and take charge of real developing and regenerating the economy of Apapa”.

She added that that the support and turn outs from Non-government organisations and captains of industry among others is alarming and encouraging.

“It is encouraging and I am happy to know that the residents, the stakeholders in Apapa are ready to support me at every step that I am taking,” she stated.

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She urged the residents to be patient and support the government in improving the economy of council.

Lagos State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Cornelius Ojelabi,  noted that in regenerating Apapa, the way to go is by soliciting for the partnership of major stakeholders within the local government such as the industries, the captains of theindustriy, Community Development Associations (CDAs) and the political class in the community.

“I am glad that she has really outlined her programme, education wise, action wise, asking the community, the companies what they can do to complement the effort of her administration. For social development, highlighting the needs of the people. There’s need to pay attention to the drainage so that the issues of flooding, cholera, out break of epidemic will not happen within this particular corridor, I think it is a welcome development and it is a good initiative she has represented to do”, he said.

Ojelabi implored the community members to embrace the engagement and support the government to do what’s needed.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage and Water Resources, Olalekan Shodeinde, who was one of the panelists and a Stakeholder noted that

regeneration is about engagement and being proactive adding that there’s need to start putting in place solutions that had been planned for not reactive to what is happenings around.

“We need to be focused. This is our plans and we will put it in place. Government is really trying with fund and we expect people to bring their money into the picture. There are master plans that had been done for Apapa that we need to put in place. When this is done the built place will now be more sustainable”, he said.

The Representative of Chairman of Apapa GRA Residents Association, Dr Ayesha Akinkugbe, expressed that she was excited that the regeneration of the community is coming about to take place adding that it is just about time that Apapa will return to what it used to be and even better.

Dr Akinkugbe encouraged the community members to always support the government in whatever way they could because the government can’t do it all alone.

“We have to help and collaborate with them”, she said.

The Representative of the Igbos Association, Chief Okano Ifeanyichukwu, said that they were ready to support and collaborate with the chairman because she has done so well for the community adding that they had seen the improvement and they wanted it continue.

The Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Idowu Senbanjo, has demanded better performance from the council officials.

Senbanjo spoke during a Three-Day Workshop/Retreat for Political Office Holders and Management Staff at Dover Hotel, Ikeja.

The theme of the training programme was “Repositioning the local government for good governance and quality service delivery.”

The council boss lamented that many things that could move the council forward were left unattended to by the officials.

She tasked them to look into their scope of work and what the offices they held required from them.

“We cannot sit idly and expect things to move forward. Government is not run like that. The office holders have to come up with ideas that would make the council grow and serve the residents better.

“Those who elected us are expecting solutions to myriads of challenges facing their communities. It is our duty to critically look into challenges of each community and come up with solutions.

“I expect that this training would spur our officials on, especially the political office holders. I want to see a change in the next few weeks,” she said.

Council Manager of Apapa Local Government, Mrs Mosunmola Otaiku-Okoka, urged the officials to be opened to criticisms.

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This, she said, is part of the way to make the council progress.

Senbanjo said: “Our officials should always come up with fresh ideas. The Chairman is a woman that is efficient; she’s active and effective. She believes that people need to be exposed to modern ways of doing things and that’s what we’ve been doing since her administration has commenced.

“She believes in motivation and supports all things that will make your job easy. She carries everyone along in decision making no matter your level. If you give her any idea that you think it could improve the council, she will accept it.”

The Council Treasurer, Mrs. Ronke Oki, said the officials should not just look for what to benefit from the council, rather making their impacts felt by contributing meaningfully to its progress.

She said the council’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) needed to be improved upon.

The officials, she said, must device ingenuity ways of improving the IGR without causing much inconvenience to the public.

According to her, with improved IGR, the council cannot carry out lofty projects.