By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has set a four-point agenda for chairmen of 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas, LCDAs, saying primary healthcare, primary education, sanitation and law enforcement will be given priority attention at the grassroots level in the state for the next three years.

It would be recalled that Fashola, recently, at the marking of his 1,600 days in office, tasked the council chairmen on the need to complement the achievements of his administration at the state level by giving the people of the state dividends of democracy.

Fashola, who set the agenda at a meeting with the chairmen, said the priority on those key areas was expedient in order to consolidate on the gains achieved in the state in the last four years and ensure replication of same in all the council areas of the state.

The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, weekend, said decision on the key areas was arrived at after a crucial meeting with the local council chairmen to appraise their performance in office in the last three years and set an agenda for the future.

Ibirogba said consequent upon the interactive meeting, the mayors agreed with the governor to concentrate on primary healthcare, primary school improvement programmes, sanitation, street cleaning programmes, sanitation of markets, elimination of blighted areas, clearing of tertiary drains to ameliorate flooding, and enforcement of law and order.

According to the commissioner, “the move became necessary in order to allow for synergy and unity of purpose, as well as meet the yearnings and expectations of the people of Lagos State, who once again voted massively for Action Congress of Nigeria in the last local government election.

“Lagos State, in the last four years, has become a model state in Nigeria, delivering quality service to the people through the actualizer, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

“This model is now expected to be replicated by the elected chairmen in all the local government and local council development areas of the state.”

He said through the four-point agenda, the chairmen were expected to ensure high quality healthcare delivery and concentrate on primary healthcare programmes to reduce congestion in the state’s hospitals.

Adding that on education, they were expected to ensure visible improvement in all the primary schools in their council areas.

“The 4 point agenda is to ensure delivery of dividends of democracy and quality service to the people of Lagos state and sustain the people’s confidence in the Action Congress Party of Nigeria, the party to beat in the state,” he added.