Lagos State authorities designs inventive means to ease hardship on the individuals, writes Nnamdi Okebulu
Among the many Yoruba, there may be this saying which accurately interprets into: “when your masquerade dances or performs superbly effectively, you naturally really feel elated and reserve all the appropriate to brag about it.” With no shred of doubt, one can safely say that so many Lagosians and certainly different Nigerians should have been impressed by the efficiency of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on dwell nationwide tv channels on Thursday February 22, as he put up a category act, reeling out steps mapped out by his administration to sort out the dual challenges of starvation and hardship presently sweeping by way of the nation in Lagos State – the Centre of Excellence.
Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke with candour, panache, function and above all, empathy and unrestrained consideration and concern for the plight of the individuals. He demonstrated past doubt, his honest want to mitigate the adversarial impact of the prevailing scenario on all residents of Lagos State, from the lowly to the effectively to do in his bid to offer them with “abdomen infrastructure”. And that was hardly stunning as a result of Governor Sanwo-Olu swore an oath to just do that.
For the file, quickly after he was declared the winner of the final March 18, 2023 gubernatorial contest in Lagos State by the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) which successfully confirmed him for a second time period in workplace, Sanwo-Olu wrote a letter to Lagosians, not solely detailing his gratitude for the overwhelming assist he obtained but in addition giving them the reassurance of what they need to count on from him in his second tenure in workplace.
Dated March 19, 2023, Sanwo-Olu, amongst different issues solemnly pledged within the letter to make sure that “the dividends of democracy should proceed to be delivered. There have to be no break, there will likely be no time-off. We now have 4 extra years to hitch arms to advance in methods that may pleasantly shock even probably the most skeptical amongst us.”
It was subsequently not a shock when Sanwo-Olu introduced some sweeping interventions which the state will likely be implementing with the intention to scale back the results of the present financial hardship on its residents.
In line with the governor, the measures are focused on the weak within the society with a view to mitigating the influence of the hardship and produce about quick ease, simply because the federal authorities is pursuing its personal restoration agenda
For the civil servants within the state, no extra 5 working days for now. It has been tentatively decreased in line with the grade stage of every civil servant. Efficient Monday, February 26, all state staff on Grade Stage One to 14 will likely be permitted to work thrice weekly till additional discover. And people on grade stage 15 to 17 will work 4 days in per week. The knowledge right here lies in the truth that at a time like this, each farthing issues to whoever is holding it, reducing away the transport fare to and from work for 2 days certainly means lots to workplace assistants extra generally known as cleaners. These set of individuals spend an enormous chunk of their salaries on transport week in week out and Sanwo-Olu definitely has simply demonstrated that he may be the Governor however but with the lowly within the society.
In his personal estimation, Sanwo-Olu strongly believes the measure will scale back the stress every day borne by staff in finishing up their duties on this interval of financial hardship. The transfer, he emphasised, was designed to save lots of the employees from extra stress.
Other than civil servants, these within the personal sector haven’t been left alone. These ones are to profit within the type of subsidised fare inside the state on all State-owned public transport companies, together with the BRT, Practice and Ferry companies. To this finish, Sanwo-Olu introduced a 25 per cent fare slash for them. What this means in easy arithmetic is that for everybody who has been paying N100 from Ketu to Ikorodu for BRT, whether or not you’re a civil servant or not, you now should pay N75. And that’s truthful sufficient.
“I convey our deepest empathy to our residents over the present hardship occasioned by inflation. We’re not unaware and unmindful of the present scenario, however as leaders, we’ve got the accountability to carry quick ease to our individuals. Given the character of challenges that we face presently, we’ve got designed inventive means to ease the hardship on our individuals, beginning with public servants.
“Efficient from subsequent week, the working hours of staff from Stage One to Stage 14 within the State’s civil service will likely be rescheduled. They are going to now come to the workplace for a most interval of thrice in per week. This measure is not going to shut down governance, nor will it disrupt operations of Authorities. It’ll all be calendarised and scheduled. Employees in Stage 15 to Stage 17 will likely be required to work 4 occasions in per week. All we search to realize is lowering the stress on our staff and saving them from extra stress.
“Rising value of transportation has additionally made it pertinent for us to provoke an intervention within the sector. For the general public utilizing the Authorities-owned transport companies, we’re implementing 25 per cent fare discount on all our public transportation channels. We’re additionally working with numerous industrial transporters to help within the little method we are able to to ease the scenario. Directions have been given to authorities functionaries for the implementation of those measures; modalities will likely be supplied,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
The governor additionally made a far-reaching determination to handle the problem of rising meals costs. From his clarification, 300,000 households would profit from a 3 layers of agricultural interventions because the state authorities could be distributing combo packages of meals objects to weak Lagosians because it had concluded the procurement of over 100 trailers of rice and different meals objects, however presently fine-tuning the logistics for a seamless distribution to the beneficiaries.
What’s extra, the governor introduced that the favored “Sunday Market” could be opening in 42 communities throughout the State, the place staple meals could be obtainable for residents to purchase at decreased costs. Nonetheless, customers would solely be capable of purchase objects no more than N25,000, with every shopper getting 25 per cent rebate instantly after buy. And it will run for the subsequent 5 weeks.
Sanwo-Olu additionally introduced the creation of the “Soup Bowl”. He defined that it was not a completely new concept because it had been adopted earlier than within the state in the course of the COVID-19 period. “Soup Bowl” merely entails recognized native cafeteria operators and caterers inside communities to whom funds could be despatched to allow them to arrange the soup bowls. To have the ability to benefit from the “Soup Bowl” programme, a voucher will likely be given to anyone to stroll in and eat freed from cost. The goal of this programme is “to have the ability to feed between 1,000 and 1,500 individuals in each Native Authorities Space every day for the subsequent 30 to 60 days on the first occasion,” he stated.
In training, Sanwo-Olu launched extra transport assist for classroom academics to allow them preserve their work schedule, whereas pupils throughout public faculties would proceed their five-day faculty attendance. Equally worthy of notice is the short-term suspension of the directive compelling mother and father to indicate proof of tax cost with the intention to enrol their wards at school. That is to discourage pupil absenteeism and dropping out of college.
Within the healthcare supply sector, Sanwo-Olu reintroduced free baby supply programme for expectant moms in all of the State-owned Common Hospitals and particular maternity centres. The State Authorities, he stated, would take up the price of the kid supply, together with Caesarean part.
He stated: “We imagine this measure would assist scale back stress on households. We’re additionally working with the State-owned hospitals to cut back the price of some sure medication, resembling hypertension remedy.
“All of the six well being districts in Lagos will roll out bi-weekly neighborhood well being missions over the subsequent three months, the place residents would get pleasure from free check-ups for diabetes, blood stress and eye testing. There will likely be free drugs to be given to sufferers to handle noticed circumstances.”
Steadily, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the athletic constructed Chief-Servant of Lagos, continues to show past doubt that he’s a number of steps forward of his friends and on the charge he’s carrying on, his place in Lagos and nationwide historical past is just not solely assured however firmly secured.
Okebulu writes from Lagos
