Obasa tasks Lagos council chairmen on grassroots development

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has urged chairmen of the state’s 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, to prioritize community-focused projects and deliver visible results at the grassroots level.

Obasa gave the charge on Thursday while addressing council chairmen, vice chairmen, leaders, and majority leaders during a leadership summit convened by the Assembly.

He emphasized the need for collaboration between council chairmen and councillors, stressing that both offices must operate as partners in service delivery.

“Your councillors are your partners. They are not your subordinates. You must treat them with respect, and they must also reciprocate that respect,” Obasa said.

The Speaker encouraged council executives to engage directly with residents, community leaders, and development committees to better understand local challenges and design effective solutions.

“If a chairman falls short of expectations, the Assembly is open to intervention. You can approach me directly or send messages. What matters is that we work together, because that is the foundation of our success,” he added.

Obasa also lamented the low voter turnout recorded in past elections, urging council leaders to remain accessible to constituents and deepen political participation at the grassroots.

“You must be constantly available to your people. Interact regularly with residents and community leaders. Many people worked hard to build the party to this level; it is now our duty to sustain and strengthen it,” he said.

He tasked the chairmen to embark on empowerment initiatives and infrastructural projects, particularly in youth development.

“Government resources must be used to uplift communities. Support our children by establishing parks within your first year in office and creating sports centres.

‘How many footballers or athletes have come from your councils? These are areas you must improve,” the Speaker said.

Obasa disclosed that the Assembly would soon introduce training programmes for councillors, with council chairmen also participating.

The sessions, he noted, would be anchored by experts to improve governance capacity at the grassroots.

In his response, Chairman of Conference 57 and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Chairman, Hon. Sesan Olowa, pledged that council leaders would intensify efforts to drive development at the community level.

“We will continue to promote the growth of our local councils and do our best for the people,” Olowa assured.

Obasa tasks Lagos council chairmen on grassroots development