Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat on Wednesday reeled out some of the achievements of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat led administration and urged the media to always report positive activities of the government.
Hamzat spoke at a media parley organised by the Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement to intimate the media and public on the achievements of the state government.
According to the deputy governor, the current administration in the state has recorded a lot of achievements which have not been well disseminated to Lagosians.
He noted that Lagosians have not been well informed of some of the successes of the administration and urged the media to focus more on the positivity rather than the negatives.
Hamzat lamented the habit of Nigerians always talking negatively about the government rather than talking more about the good things the government has done.
“As a people, we should keep talking about the good things. We don’t talk about issues that can move the country forward because we are not focusing on right issues,” he said
On the achievements of the state government, Hamzat said the current Lagos State government has done 198 roads adding that in 2023 alone, over 7million Lagos visited various general hospitals in the state for medical treatments. He noted that government hospitals in the state have been well equipped with world class equipment to meet the needs of Lagosians.
Hamzat said in 2024, N700milion have been distributed to assist the vulnerable within the state and promised that more will be distributed next year.
He admitted that Lagos State is having challenges in the area of flooding because the state is below sea level and due to water rising. He however said that for a state like Lagos, ‘things must change.’
On education, Hamzat said the state government is doing a lot adding that about a million children are in public schools in the state. He said the government has invested in teachers and expressed confidence that public schools in the state are better than the private ones in terms of infrastructure and quality of teaching.
He said the present administration has mapped out a 30-year plan for the state to become a center of the world.
“People need to know a lot of positive things we are doing. Over 189 projects are ongoing in the state. We should promote more of our positives as a people,” he said.
Hamzat noted that the projects would impact on the socio-economic development of the people and mitigate against rural-urban migration.
Speaking on the ‘Lagos Citizensgate Mobile Application’, Hamzat said the app was created to foster grassroots participation and governance as well as allow Lagosians get their complaints to the government.
“Lagos Citizensgate” app has been a game-changer, providing a platform for citizens to engage with the government, air grievances, and receive solutions.
“The app enables citizens to report non-emergency issues such as bad roads or drainage problems.
“Access various government services, including health and education, provide suggestions for better governance, report incidents of abuse or domestic violence among others.
“By leveraging the “Lagos Citizensgate” app, the government is bridging the gap between citizens and policymakers, ensuring that every voice is heard,” he said.
He further noted the media play a crucial role in nation-building, and highlighted the need for objective reportage that balances positive and negative news.
He tasked media practitioners to focus on the positives, showcasing the government’s achievements in areas such as road infrastructure, drainage, education, healthcare, transportation, and waste management.
In his speech, the Special Adviser to Gov. Sanwo-Olu on Political, Legislative & Civic Engagement, Dr Tajudeen Afolabi mentioned some of the other achievements of the current administration to include the ‘Sanwo-Olu Listens Financial Assistance Program’ which is a social welfare programme specifically designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable residents in Lagos
State.
He mentioned some of the beneficiaries to include the elderly,low-income earners, persons living with disabilities, indigent students, small scale business owners and the down-trodden.
Afolabi said the Office of Political, Legislative, and Civic Engagement, is committed to encouraging civic activities and democratic processes.
“We build peaceful cohabitation among residents and deliver on its mandate through hard work and dedication,” he said.
He, therefore, called for synergy and dissemination of happenings in Lagos with the Fourth Estate of the realm.