27th July, 2017
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday charged community leaders in the state to resist people destroying government’s properties in their domains.
The governor spoke at a leadership training for Community Development Advisory Council, CDAC, held in Alausa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Ambode said as government prepared to reconstruct the next 181 roads and also provide social amenities to improve living standards in communities, the Community Development Associations, CDAs, should brace up to stand beside government to take ownership of the projects and protect them so that people could use them for as long as possible.
“Experience has shown that negative human behaviour and gross abuse of government properties are primary cause of the high rate of depletion of the value of our projects.
“Experts believe that this hostile attitude to government assets is a reflection of a subject culture that prevailed under military rule when unelected and unaccountable government was the order of the day. It was a culture of protest and resistance,” he said.
The governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule added that with 18 years of democratic rule, the conversion of subjects to citizens who elected their representatives into government and hold them accountable must usher in a new consciousness of collective responsibility.
“Government properties are no longer ‘their’ own. They are ‘our own’. Our communities must come together to resist those who seek to make our lives and properties insecure. It is a duty we owe to our children. It is a duty we must discharge,” he said.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Community and Communication, Kehinde Bamigbetan said the training aimed to set meaningful direction for the government towards grassroots development.
He added that the training would further enhance their knowledge to know their responsibility as principal partners to government.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Kehinde Joseph urged community leaders to be proactive and responsive to their duties by taking care of their communities.