| Approves 25% discount on food- purchase from state produce farms, BRT, others
| Govt to engage 1,000 caterers for daily free meal for residents
Opens soup kitchens across local govts
| Announces free child delivery in govt-owned hospitals
| Promises improved electricity supply
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that his administration was not unaware of the present socio-economic challenges in the country but working tirelessly towards introducing various interventions to cushion the headwind.
Part of the interventions, the governor announced, include: approval of 25 per cent reduction on every foodstuff purchased, worth over N25,000.
Sanwo-Olu, explained that the state government will be exploring three major avenues to ensure residents get affordable foodstuff to ease the economic burden on them.
He also announced various interventions in various sectors to include; Civil Service, Public Transportation, Health, Education, among others.
Sanwo-Olu, made the remarks on Thursday, during a special media chat, tagged: “Sanwo Speaks,” to intimate residents on steps being taken by his administration to reduce effects of the harsh economic realities on residents. The chat was transmitted live on television and radio.
The governor, also said his administration targeted to distribute Combo Food bags to over 3,000 households adding that his government had embarked on procurement of 100 trailers of rice and some other food items which would be packed and distributed to less privileged with adequate monitoring as it had identified 42 Sunday Markets.
In health sector, he said the 31 General Hospitals across the state, have been directed to take child deliveries for free, just as the six health districts will embark on free health mission, twice a week.
Sanwo-Olu, who announced the re- introduction of 25 per cent reduction in all public transportation, including: The Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, rail and ferries, pledged to increase transport support for Teachers in public schools across the state and exempt Parents from showing evidence of tax payments to encourage enrolment of more students in schools.
He, directed a flexible work hours for civil servants which will see officers on Grade levels 1 to 14 come to work three times in a week, while those on levels 15 to 17 can stay off work once a week and promised prompt payment of pensioners entitlements.
The governor, also said certain registration requirements in public schools, like demand for tax clearance certtificate, would be put on hold in the meantime to accommodate more out-of-school children.
He said: “This administration is working towards putting interventions in place across different sectors to reduce and ameliorate the sufferings of Lagosians.”
“We will open soup kitchens/bowls where identified caterers (mama put) at least 1,000, will be employed across local government areas to feed those who need it, once daily.
“Beneficiaries will get vouchers to be able to access the kitchens. We will also be having food purchase and redistribution to people who need it, especially as we are currently expecting about 100 trailer loads of rice and grains.
“Also, we will be having Sunday markets in 42 identified markets where people can buy cheaply at discounted rates. Purchase will however be limited to N25,000 to ensure that those who really need it benefit from the initiative.
“There will be free delivery in all general hospitals (normal and ceasarain section), and a rebate on certain medications. Six health districts will be holding free health missions twice a week for the next three months.”
Sanwo-Olu, restated the commitment of his administration to achieving its Themes plus developmental agenda, performing the ground breaking ceremony of the Fourth Mainland Bridge and unveiling the Redline Rail System on February 29 by President Bola Tinubu who has promised to honour with his presence.
He also said his government would bring succour to pensioners as they would earn their pensions as and when due.
On improved electricity supply, Sanwo-Olu, assured residents that his administration await the passage of Electricity Bill before the House of Assembly into law.
He added that the Bill once it was passed and signed into law would witness new investment companies and on both generation and distributions coming into the state for improved power supply.
Sanwo-Olu, assured that the proposed law, would enable the investors the capacity to grow on their own and bring about what he termed: “willing buyers and willing sellers concept” where a lot more investments in alternative sources of energy would thrive.
“It is for that law to be passed by the House of Assembly. Once that law comes out, you would see new investment companies and on both generation and distributions.
“And they would also have capacity to grow on their own. So winning buyers and winning sellers concept would work, there would be a lot more investments in in alternative sources of energy.”
Sanwo-Olu, while noting that Lagos remained a strong enabler on the independent power supply, said the state currently had the Independent Power Project (IPP) that it was running, but quickly noted that there was need to localize the law, regulations so that those investments can come in by making the environment “new entrants’ friendly.”
“We in Lagos State also have the IPP that we are running on our own. We are a strong enabler on the independent power supply.
“So we know what all of the terrains are because the environment was not that new entrants’ friendly which has now been removed.
“We need to localize the law, regulations so that those investments can come in,” he said.
“The solution to electricity in Lagos State, we are fully aware. We are doing a lot on the deliverables, a lot of our street lights now, we are turning them into solar, so that we can reduce consumption of diesel and the rest of it from our feeds,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu, however, commended residents for their supports over the years saying his administration would continue to put infrastructure in place in order to make life better for residents.
The governor, while saying his administration was not unmindful of all the economic challenges being faced by the citizens, warned that government will not tolerate contraventions of its environmental laws.
Sanwo-Olu, therefore, sued for continued peace in the state, irrespective of ethnicity, tribe or religion, while reiterating his administration’s commitment to the integrated urban transportation system and development of all sectors in the state.
He stressed the need for residents- to shun violence and work together with his administration to achieve a greater Lagos.
