Lagos governor restates commitment to youth development

Reiterates commitment to gender balancing
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that his administration is not averse to youths’ development and interest.

The governor, who spoke against the backdrop of youths’ agitation arising from the #EndSARS protest of October 2020, said he personally reached out and provided for all the victims of the protest in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, while speaking on Arise Television’s Good Morning discussion programme, said the youths should “do role play” and put themselves in his position to understand the situation that degenerated into riots, which consumed government infrastructure.

He said that he had no control over the police and the military, which are under the command of federal authorities.

“Young people do not do role play and sit back to reflect on what happened. It was not a flash event. It built up for three weeks. I do not have control. I do not control the military or the police.

“On the question of who ordered the (Lekki shooting), who ordered the police not to listen to me when I went to Magodo the other day, who ordered the military out for our election last Saturday, it is not in my remit or space.

“All of the people that claimed they were either injured or affected in one form or the other, I, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have reached out to them, given them jobs and empowerment as well as fund for them to start something,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu recalled his pioneering efforts at meeting with the youths, the outcome of which was the famous “five-for-five” agreement he took to the Presidency in Abuja.

In furtherance to that, the governor said that he went round big hospitals in the morning following the Lekki tollgate incident to verify alleged police shootings of youth protesters gathered at the venues, saying: “I did all that and I would not report what I did not see. It is also on record that those who came forward and presented evidence of police brutality were deservedly compensated.

Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on this year’s International Women’s Day, restated the sensitivity of the state government to gender balancing in cabinet and public service appointments, citing some key government agencies like Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LAMATA) headed by a woman and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Works and Infrastructure, who is also a woman.