The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Communities and Communications, Hon. Kehinde Bamigbetan, has called on community journalists across the state to get ready to monitor the construction of one hundred and fourteen road projects of the Lagos State Government across all Lagos communities.
The Special Adviser, who was speaking during the second meeting of the Community Media in his office at Alausa, Ikeja on Monday, January 18, 2016, disclosed that the projects had been awarded to various contractors by Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas, and that they would soon get thirty percent mobilization fund. He also confirmed to the journalists that the selection of the contractors for the projects followed due process, as the best contractors won biddings for the projects.
He said that after due consideration, the State Government is now ready to release thirty percent of the total amount of money charged for the projects to their contractors as mobilization fund, which will enable them start work on the community roads as soon as possible.
The Special Adviser also stated that the money being used for the construction is part of the Local Government funds being saved for them by the state government. He, therefore, said that in order to avoid a waste of resources, the community journalists must be at alert to report everything about the road projects in their localities from the starting point to the completion.
Hon. Bamigbetan told them that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was ready to develop all the communities in the state and for this reason, two roads had been chosen in each Local Government and LCDA for construction. The Special Adviser then urged them to meet the contractors, the leaders of local governments and others connected with the projects to ask questions and get the people of the communities informed about the projects without withholding such vital information from the state government as well.
Earlier on, the Special Adviser had reviewed the activities of the State Government in the last three months that ended year 2015. Among the activities he talked about included the one Lagos fiesta, which he said the Governor purposefully decentralized across the five divisions of the state: Epe, Ikorodu, Agege, Lagos Island and Badagry. But he cancelled street carnivals, which he said had been perceived as avenues for trouble-making.
He was happy to report that throughout the five days of the fiesta, there was no news of any crime because Lagosians were happy to live at peace and harmony at any social gatherings.
Other activities included the security sector, works and empowerment, among others. On Empowerment, he revealed that Governor Ambode had created the first phase of the Empowerment Trust Fund of N25billion to engage Lagosians. He said the Board, which would manage the fund, had also been constituted, urging the journalist also to get ready to access the fund, which comes with one percent interest only.
Also at the meeting, the journalists reviewed their activities in the last three months and pointed out various challenges faced in the course of carrying out their social responsibilities. The various challenges raised by the journalists included lack of cooperation from the local government executives and information officers. Hon. Bamigbetan, who promised to organize a forum, where journalists and Local Government Executives would be able to interact with one another to foster cooperation and more development for the state.