Hon. Justice Ayotunde Phillips, Chairman Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has aligned thought with the Joint Action for Good Governance (JAGG), a Lagos based human rights advocacy group in its call on the newly sworn in Chairmen and their deputies across the 57 local government administration centres in the state to make socio-economic welfare of the masses their core focus.
The Chairmen who earlier today got their certificate of return from the LASIEC and have been duly sworn in by the Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, were charged by the LASIEC boss and JAGG to do more as regards ensuring better life for people in the locality they govern.
Hon. Justice Phillips charged the council bosses to run an open door policy in an attempt to give the electorates the dividend of democracy.
“All of them should work hard, work for the people get a good report from the people who put you there, you don’t get there and shut the door on the people that put you there make yourself accessible.
“Run an open door policy, work for the people whom you were there to serve, let them see you serve them and feel the dividend of their votes and that of democracy.
“They are the servant of the people and they should not ostracize themselves or cut themselves off from the people that put them there.” Said LASIEC boss.
The group, in a statement jointly issued in Lagos by its National Vice President, Mr Abdulwaheed Odunuga and the Lagos State Coordinator, Mr ‘Jide Bakare however, made same plea while congratulating the incumbent Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dele Oshinowo, for his reelection.
The group, which noted that Oshinowo’s victory was a testimony to his numerous and laudable grassroot projects in the past four years, called on all winners at various councils to focus on the downtrodden.
They applauded Oshinowo for construction of a new ultra-modern council secretariat, the commencement of housing estate scheme in the council area, numerous road projects, vocational empowerment scheme for women and youth and others.
JAGG commended the youth and people of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA for rallying behind and returning Oshinowo as the Chairman of the LCDA, urging the winners to be magnanimous in victory.
The group urged Oshinowo to use his second term in office to consolidate on all the good works started in the first term.
They said: “Focus should be on projects that have directly impacts on the socio-economic welfare of the people.
“These should include fixing and construction of more roads in the council area, support projects to ameliorate the lack of potable water for residents and specific job-tailored vocational training for unemployed women and youths.”
The group applauded the peaceful conduct of voters, parties, candidates, security agencies, and the media for conducting themselves responsibly.
They urged the electoral umpire to do more on sensitisation of voters to stem voter apathy in future elections.
According to them, political leaders at the grassroots should improve on their performance so as to motivate voters to become interested in electoral processes.
It would be recalled that the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) conducted elections into the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs of the state on Saturday.