The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged the Chairman of Agege Local Government Area, AbdulGaniyu Obasa, to deepen community development and unite the council.
Sanwo-Olu spoke while performing the swearing-in of the new council chairman at Lagos House, Ikeja, on Monday.
AbdulGaniyu, who is the son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, had been acting as council chairman before his confirmation by the Agege Legislative Assembly in November, following the resignation of the elected chairman, Tunde Azeez, on health grounds.
The governor said local government is where governance is felt directly, where policies meet daily realities, and therefore leadership must be responsive.
“Your task is to deepen community development to promote social cohesion and to ensure that the standard of governance is delivered fairly, transparently, and equitably to the people of Agege,” the governor said.
“I urge you to lead inclusively, not to divide your people along the lines of groups or individuals who supported you or did not support you.
“You need to work with your legislature and your traditional institutions. You are meant to uphold accountability and ensure the proper management of public resources.
“I know that in your acting capacity, as I watched you from afar, you started very well and have done a lot of great things. But now, as chairman, you have the full mandate to bridge the divide between policies and local realities, and you have the mandate of your people to reconcile with everyone.”
Sanwo-Olu stressed that Agege was not yet fully reconciled, urging the chairman to unite all stakeholders.