A Lagos lawmaker, Moshood Oshun, has urged Nigerians to stop treating their elected office holders as semi-gods saying such political officials are supposed to be servants.
Oshun, a member of the Lagos state House of Assembly, stated this while addressing residents of Lagos Mainland Constituency 2, which he represents, during a town hall meeting on Friday.
The lawmaker, who commended the constituents and the police for the relative peace enjoyed in the area, begged the electorate to learn to ask questions from those they voted into power.
He noted that, as a lawmaker, he had vowed to remain honest with the people. As a result of this, he said he currently has two constituency offices which he visits twice to attend to correspondences and requests.
“Are those elected truly representing us? Do we see them always? These are the questions we should always ask ourselves.
“I am happy that after the second town hall meeting when you all agreed to the creation of the Neighbourhood Watch, we now have at least 5,000 people in the scheme,” he said.
Oshun also argued that the constitution of the country needs a review in the sense that some items in the exclusive list should be reconsidered.
“Our democracy still needs rejigging. There are items in the exclusive list that needs to be removed. One of this is state policing. This would make officers know every routes and corners of their jurisdictions,” he argued.
The lawmaker thanked the constituents for constantly speaking out about challenges adding that as a result of this, he had been able to facilitate the construction and rehabilitation of at least 20 roads in the Iwaya area of the Lagos mainland.
In his position paper, Derin Ologbenla, a professor of political science at the University of Lagos, said it was time younger Nigerians are encouraged to seek elective offices to pump fresh ideas into the system.
Noting how younger politicians now take offices in other countries, Ologbenla particularly said those seeking to contest for local government chairmanship position should henceforth not be more than 40 years old.
Aina Faseyin, a resident of the area, commended the lawmaker but asked the state government look into the issue of the traditional stool in Abule-Oja, a community in the constituency,
Abiodun Olaleye, another resident, asked that the lawmakers carry out enlightenment campaigns on the danger of using cooking gas since it is now being encouraged in the country.
Comrade Olabisi Akinyemi, a retired headteacher, lamented that the constituency lacks adequate teachers.
She said in some cases, a teacher is made to cater for 120 pupils in some of the schools.
Omobukola Nasiru complained about Maurice street saying in the area saying because it is always dark, it has often provided robbers an opportunity to attack victims. He pleaded for the mounting of streetlights on the road.
Primate SA Jagun lamented that the canal in the provided by the last government had not been cleared for months now adding that the channel is now blocked and forcing flood water into homes.
In his reaction, Oshun said their complaints would be compiled and presented before the House for onward transmission to the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.
He also pleaded with the residents to take care of government infrastructures.
