CSOs Task Lagos Council Chairmen On Human, Infrastructural Development

This advice was given during the presentation of ‘Exemplary Leadership Award’, to the immediate past chairman of Somolu Local Government Area, Honourable AbdulAhmed Salawu, a.k.a Dullar, by a group of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Monday, at the council secretary.

Speaking at the event, Comrade Nelson Ekunjimi, Executive Director of Committee for People’s Mandate, an association that focused on good governance, election Monitoring and Accountability in the Public Offices, said: “We’re here to present an award to the outgoing chairman because of our roles to hold people in public accountable, and if we’ve seen a public officer that discharged his responsibilities creditably well, it behold on us to commend him or her and if he or she do contrary, were also going to criticize such office holder.

“We commend the outgoing chairman for his impactful eight years of his administration in office to the people of somolu.

“Testimonies of his works, are glaring for everyone to see. And as for Lagosian, we’re very happy. And that others local government chairmen, could see that government is from local. Not only about people in Abuja or Alausa. This is the government that has touched the life of his people.”

Ekunjimi advised the residents of the Local government, having see the works of the outgoing  chairman, I commend them for their perseverance and supports given to the outgoing. Because if they didn’t support him, he would not be able to perform all the projects he did.

In his words, the Executive Director of Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), Comrade Isiak Olaitan Buna said: “We are here to commend the the Chairman, who has governed the local government excellently.

“The outgoing chairman as the ‘best chairman in the country today, because of his impactful governance.

“This is the chairman that pay some patients medical bills at the Somolu General hospital.

“The award award we are given the chairman, not because of anything, but because he performed and governed as we the human rights communities expected. This is the chairman that touches the lives of the people of somolu.

“This award is in recognition and appreciation of your masses focused Leadership style during your tenure as the Chairman of shomolu Local Government in Lagos state, Nigeria. 2017-2025

“From general reports, your dedicated life to emancipation of the poor with transparency and accountability is acknowledged by HURMA in collaboration with other CSOs in Lagos and Beyond.”

Comrade Buna charged the residents of Shomolu community to see all the projects done by the outgoing chairman as their own. While called on the incoming administration to learn from his predecessor.

“The new administration should ensure that he performed more than what his predecessor. We want an improvement. The new administration should endeavor to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor,” he said.

In the same vein, Comrade Elijah Ajanu-Ojo of Ideal Society Advocacy Group, said the outgoing chairman was able to succeed, because of the support he got from the people of the local government.

He called on the resident of the local government to give same support to the incoming administration.

In his response, the outgoing chairman, Honourable Salawu, thanked the civil society group for the award bestowed on him.

Salawu, popularly called Dullar, equally appreciated all the residents of the local government for supporting his administration. While admonished them to also support the incoming administration.

Some of the civil society groups’ members that witnesses the event include: Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak Executive Director of HURMA;  Comrade Nelson Ekujimi of Committee for the Protection of People’s Mandate (CPPM); Comrade Akintunde Adedeji of Access to Advocacy and Rights of the People (ACARP); Comrade Shina Loremikan of Campaign Against Impunity in Nigeria; Comrade Declan Ihekaire of Activists for Good Governance and Comrade Elijah Ajanu-Ojo of Ideal Society Advocacy Group.