By Rasaq Adebayo
As part of the efforts of the State Government in ensuring that Councillors are equipped with requisite skills to perform their legislative functions, Lagos State Government has organised a two-day capacity building workshop for 376 councillors across the 57 councils of the State.
The event which commenced on Thursday, November 7, 2023 at Odeya Centre, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Lagos is a strategic effort of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development geared towards aligning Councillors with the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of the administration of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to cascade these policies to the grassroots, thereby engendering social and infrastructural development at the grassroots.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mr. Bolaji Kayode Robert applauded the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for providing the workshop to equip the councillors to perform better in discharging their legislative duties.
Robert, while delivering his keynote address, urged participants to see the workshop as a platform to interface with other councillors across the State to birth a synergy between the chairmen and councillors that would make the dream of a Greater Lagos possible “and bring u closer to the reality of the Lagos of our dreams.”
He added that the workshop would be the berthing of conversations relating to efficient management of resources, creation of a better outlook and modality for governance, which would promote good governance at the grassroots and equally give clarity to governance through the appraisal of constitutional and political principles on which governance and law making at the grassroots is premised.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development; Mrs. Kikelomo Bolarinwa, reiterated the commitment of the State Government to continually build capacity for Councillors who have been entrusted with the responsibility of making laws at the Local Government Level, as it is the closest to the grassroots, hence the need to build strong foundation through strategic workshops such as this.
Bolarinwa disclosed that the essence of the workshop is to help Councillors make better legislations and to understand the principles behind making legislations that would engender productive and citizen-friendly collaborations with their principals at the various Local Government Level.
She urged every participant to seize the opportunity to learn and relearn news ways of legislating and collaborating with their chairmen in way that citizens in their Councils would benefit from the dividends that democracy offers.
Chairman, Lagos State Local Government Councillors Forum; Hon. Alimi Nurudeen, commended the State Government for organising the workshop to keep councillors abreast with standard practices for Local Government Legislation.
He added that the workshop would equip councillors on improved methods to represent the good people of Lagos State as it concerns legislation and bringing the dividends of democracy the people at the grassroots Nurudeen also assured that Councillors would take the lessons from the workshop to heart and use it to influence legislation that would improve the lives of citizens at the grassroots.
