Nigeria Content Online

Recently, the Lagos State Government was accused of being an
elitist government that is insensitive to the needs of the masses. It has
become imperative for the government to set the records straight.

As a government that is passionate about the people, the state
government’s empowerment and poverty alleviation programme has provided
opportunities for all classes of people to learn various vocations, after which
they are provided with needed capital to start off on their own. Through these
initiatives, over 55,000 Lagosians have been trained across the 20 Local
Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas.

In the area of education, the state government has transformed
public education in the state through its systematic school rehabilitation
programme. Aside its rehabilitation exercise, it has equipped public schools
with necessary facilities. This is in addition to the continuous payment of
NECO fees of SSS3 students, provision of toilets in 339 schools, fencing of
over 91 schools, completion of 6 multi-lingual laboratories -one each in the
six Education Districts, rehabilitation of the 5 Government Technical Colleges,
upgrading of 30 model schools, provision of completely new laboratories for 105
schools, provision of brand new furniture for students and teachers in over 88
public schools, acquisition of a new 2-colour printing machine for the
Education Resource Centre, to mention just a few of the numerous efforts of the
state government in public education

With regard to job creation, the Fashola Administration, in
2009, created about 156,779 jobs across various sectors in the state. A
breakdown shows 6,114 people being employed directly into the medical and
education sectors at the lower levels in the public sector, 52, 685 jobs
outside the public sector, in such areas as micro credit finance, business
support and field training. Over 98, 000 others are involved in various
construction sites as sub contractors, employees of major contractors, in such
projects as school construction and rehabilitation, drainage clearance and
construction, construction of roads and bridges, hospitals and city cleaning.

A total number of 2,500 graduate teachers were also offered
appointments into the State Public Service. This is in addition to the over 3,
000 NCE graduates that had previously been absorbed.

Road Construction and rehabilitation is another area where the
state government has touched the lives of Lagosians from all walks of life. All
the on-going and completed road projects met the highest specification
including provision of streetlights, pedestrian walkways, service duck drainage
channels, grassing and beautification of the median.

To make the rural areas attractive for reversing rural-urban
drift, the state government embarked on the construction of access roads to
link up these villages

One other vital area where the government has transformed rural
Lagos is in terms of rural electrification. Presently, it has completed a total
number of 165 rural electrification projects under its rural intervention
scheme. In terms of rural water supply, the state government has provided over
116 communities across the state with potable water. Out of these, 65 were
provided with small scale water schemes of various options.

Just recently Fashola commissioned the N45 million Isawo micro
water works, which has the capacity to produce 60,000 gallons of water daily,
in the Ikorodu axis of the state.

Only God knows how many children of the elites were involved in
all these exercises!

Space will not permit me to talk about the efforts of the state
government in improving the health sector, ensuring public security, enhancing
internal revenue generation, transforming the environment, boosting grassroots
sports development, developing modern markets among others. All these efforts
have been to the advantage of Lagosians across all divides. It is no longer
secret that the state government has raised the bar of governance in the
country and from every indication its best is yet to come.

Every democratically elected government is accountable to the
people, to whom it owes its existence. This is why it has become traditional
for the Fashola administration to render periodic accounts of its stewardship
to the people every 100 days. It has consistently thrown its doors open to
divergent opinions and views from various sources, the opposition inclusive.
Here, the administration has convened stakeholder meetings on various issues
ranging from the Coroners Law, to the Inland Waterways Law, to the GIS project.
In addition, the state legislature is organizing public hearings and Town Hall
meetings. In fact, the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of public
functionaries have become public property in order to make them more accessible
to members of the public.

In as much as it does not expect everyone to applaud its developmental
efforts, it is, however, desirable that criticisms are constructive and issue
based. This is the only way to build a viable democratic culture. This is the
only way forward!

Ogunbiyi works at the
Ministry of Information & Strategy, Ikeja.