House of Reps working on Oke-Afa dredging, says Johnson
By Abolaji Adebayo
Hon. ganiyu Johnson taking requests from constituents
Federal House of Representatives member representing Oshodi-Isolo II, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson has announced that his motion on the dredging of the Oke-Afa Canal is going through deliberations at the committee level.
Speaking during his monthly Meet your Member of Parliament programme at his constituency office in Isolo on Saturday, Johnson also assured participants that the motion would be approved.
“You know when you raise a motion on the floor of the House, it passes through the committee, the committee will debate on it. Right now it’s at the committee level.”
The canal, which runs through Isolo and Ejigbo Local Council Development Areas, has not been silted due to blockage by pedestrian bridges.
He also spoke on his efforts to fulfil his pledge to upgrade Mushin-Isolo road, saying that he has persuaded the Lagos State Government to make it a priority.
He said: “On Mushin Road, I can tell you that Lagos State Government has awarded it to a contractor, not for the expansion but for rehabilitation. I facilitated that. If the road is rehabilitated, it will make traffic flow better. With time, I believe that once there is money, we will be able to expand the road.”
On his monthly Meet Your Member of Parliament programme, Johnson affirmed that 75 per cent of the requests by the constituents are personal issues such as requests to support their businesses, employment, etc., while request for constituency projects, which includes provision of transformers, drainages, etc., is 25 per cent.
He said: “I made promise to my people that it is going to be a monthly affair and you notice that the turnover today is higher and I am happy about it. Which means there is awareness. They are going back home to their various communities to tell one another that ‘it is true we have access to our honorable’ which is something i am happy about.
“At least, It is an opportunity to interface with my people which i am happy about because I don’t know most of them but, if such an opportunity exists that I am seeing them, we are talking, they are happy, that’s a welcome idea.
“Hopefully before the next election, there will be awareness that ‘look o, your representative at the national assembly, if you vote for him, he will not run away.’ That is the message, even the physical structure here in my constituency office implies that I am not running away. I want to serve my people. It’s a service and we should get it clear.
Reiterating his commitment to empower over 1,000 people before 2023, Johnson said the impact would be felt by many families.
“If I’m able to empower about 1,000 people before 2023 and there is improved chain effect that they can at least engage 3 to 4 people, that’s 4,000. With four thousand in my constituency, you have already eliminated the effect of poverty. That is the idea.”
He also promised to continue the food for all programme, adding that it enabled him to fight hunger.
“And with my Food for All programme, because of the hunger that is in the society, every month I embark on free food distribution for all residents irrespective of their affiliations. In fact, we just go and distribute on the streets,” he stated.
