By Adeyemi Adeleye
President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu and the10th National Assembly have been charged to focus on grassroots development by recognising of inchoate Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State.
Mr Taofeek Adaranijo, pioneer chairman, Orile-Agege LCDA of Lagos state, gave the charge on Thursday in Lagos
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Tinubu created 37 LCDAs as governor of Lagos state in 2003.
The LCDAs were created from the original 20 Local Government Areas officially recognised by the constitution to foster and accelerate grassroots development.
Adaranijo, a former lawmaker who represented Agege federal constituency, spoke while inspecting a two-storey Taofeek Adaranijo Event Centre constructed and named after him by the current Chairman of the council, Mr Johnson Babatunde.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Babatunde, who was vice chairman under Adaranijo, commissioned the centre to augment the Internally Generated Revenue of the LCDA.
“Our president-elect is not new to grassroots administration. In fact, this is paramount in his heart. We are praising him today for the creation of the LCDAs here in Lagos.
“I know our Tinubu will encourage other states to emulate this because it has helped Lagos to develop more.
“The national assembly can also look at creating more local government areas and also confirm these 37 Lagos LCDAs to become full-fledged local government areas.
“We encourage the president-elect and the national assembly to ensure constitutional recognition of the LCDAs in Lagos state as local government areas,” Adaranijo said.
The former council boss said that grassroots development remained the foundation for a sustainable impact on people through governance.
In his remarks, Babatunde said that his administration emulated the foundation of good grassroots governance from Adaranijo, adding that he laid a solid foundation which the council was building on.
He said the feat was made possible because Adaranijo did not fail the people at the grassroots.
The chairman thanked Adaranijo for the procurement of the land on which the event centre was built.
Babatunde said that his administration had built several inner roads, constructed and equipped Primary Health Centre, mini-stadium, schools and legislative building among others. (NAN)
