W’Bank: Infrastructural Devt in Lagos Impacting Positively on Residents
As Lagos recruits 27,500 sanitation workers
The Word Bank has commended the massive infrastructural development ongoing across Lagos State under the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration, noting that such projects were impacting positively on the lives of Lagosians.
Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank, Mr. Joaquim Vieira Levy noted this when he paid a courtesy visit to the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Mrs. Idiat Oluranti Adebule at the Round House, Alausa Secretariat, recently.
Levy during the visit assured that the State’s urban renewal and infrastructure development projects would continue to receive more boost from the World Bank to assist the government deliver more on key infrastructural.
The World Bank Chief, who was accompanied on the visit by other top officials of the global financial institution, said they decided to pick Lagos State as its pilot state for its sustainable development assistance scheme because Lagos was leading in providing good governance and infrastructures that have direct positive impact on its citizenry.
He noted that most developed countries of the world have been able to move their economy forward because of the adoption of the Public/ Private sector integration model which according to him would further accelerate the growth rate of development in the state if adopted.
He alluded to the fact that Lagos over the years has been blessed with leaders with good vision and good aspirations for development, in a release issued by Odusina Akeem of the Public Affairs Unit of the office of the Deputy Governor.
Levy said previous part- nership of the organisation with the State Government in transportation, education, environmental management and flood control had been of great benefit to the urban renewal efforts of the state government, adding that the organisation would continue to assist the state government to scale up its infrastructural development a projects so as to be able to meet the aspirations of its teeming population.
In her remarks, the Deputy Governor, who received the visitors on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode commended the World Bank for its support and partnership, noting that their efforts had helped the State Government to achieve its transformational policies especially in efficient flood control, transportation and the Eko Education Project initiative.
“We will continue to treasure this partnership and supports which have helped us to de- liver on good transportation through LAMATA, our modern agricultural system, Sports development, Eko Projects and general infrastructural development programmes and many more that have helped our policy implementation” Adebule said.
The Deputy Governor, who was elated at the visit, said as the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was increasing yearly, residents deserve better governance in terms of scaling up infrastructure provision.
She urged the apex Bank to consider energy development, efficient potable water supply, water transportation, road construction and education as some of the key areas the state government would need urgent support and partnership to further bring democratic dividends to the people.
She expressed concerns over the current global economic meltdown, and appealed to the visiting World Bank Executives to help the country with more friendly policies that could help to regulate the high exchange rate in the country so as to increase the purchasing power of the average Nigerian and reduce inflation.
The highlight of the visit which had top government functionaries in attendance was the presentation of souvenirs of the Lagos State government to the World Bank visiting Executives.
Meanwhile, thousands of Lagosians are already applying to be employed as Community Sanitation Workers ( CSW) under the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Lagos State government.
The three-day exercise being carried out by the Cleaner Lagos Initiative had already attracted thousands of applications from interested workers.
Speaking on behalf of the Initiative at the Agege venue of the ongoing recruitment exercise, Mr. Ibrahim Fearon said those being employed are not just street sweepers but are employees of the state government.
“There is a career part to it. We want to put some dignity into it. They don’t only get tax free monthly pay, they are pensionable. They also get accident insurance and to avoid spending money on transportation”, he said.
Explaining that the Cleaner Lagos Initiative is about improving the whole of Lagos to make the environment cleaner , Fearon added that those employed would also enjoy life insurance and health insurance.
One of the applicants, Mary Emmanuel, a BSc Mathematics graduate from Ekiti State University who said she filled the form online, said “With the initiative, it is expected that Lagos will be cleaner because it will bring effectiveness to cleaning”.