By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

LAGOS—Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Chairmen of the 20 Local Government Areas, LGAs, and 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, have stressed the need for collective efforts to address the current economic woes and other challenges confronting the country.

Speaking at the grassroots empowerment programme organised by the council chairmen known as Conference 57, the governor and the council boss bemoaned the failure by Nigeria to achieve socio-economic and political growth after over a decade of democratic governance.

Represented by Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, at the programme held at Ikeja weekend, Fashola also urged residents to be vigilant in the face of security challenges.

The governor added that the vision of the state and local government areas, was to work together to grow the state to be the pride of the country.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Conference 57 said the decision to empower over 3000 grass roots people became necessary because, “poverty seemed to become a natural phenomenon in Nigeria.

”Successive government in Nigeria has been noted to have made effort towards poverty alleviation in Nigeria.
“It is obvious that most poor people in this country cannot provide for themselves the basic needs of life. The persistence of poverty in the world and indeed in Nigeria has made it imperative for us to embark on some developmental programmes to ensure improved standards of living for the poor masses.He said, “We do not do poverty alleviation but grassroots empowerment.

The council chairmen have done well in providing infrastructure for the citizens. They have build roads, schools, hospitals; construct drainages, empowerment programmes and others. I must thank the council chairman for taking care of the grassroots.”