By KosofePost Reporter
A Professor of Lagos State University (LASU), Thovoethin Sewanu, has urged councillors in Badagry Local Government to strengthen their partnership with the media to publicise their achievements and improve public awareness of grassroots governance.
Sewanu made the call on Tuesday at the eighth Legislative Council Symposium held at the Badagry Local Government Secretariat. The symposium was themed “Role of the Legislative Council in Grassroots Development and Democratic Governance.”
The don said effective communication would help residents and the wider public understand the contributions of councillors to community development.
“Publicity is good because it will help to tell your story to the world and bring your achievements to the public,” he said.
Sewanu advised councillors to use the media to showcase their legislative activities and community interventions, noting that achievements could go unnoticed when elected representatives fail to communicate their work effectively.
“If not, you will just be working and nobody will know that you are working. So, you need the media,” he said.
Sewanu, however, cautioned councillors against focusing solely on publicity, stressing the importance of their constitutional responsibilities as legislators.
He urged them to strengthen their oversight functions, enact laws that improve residents’ welfare and provide regular accounts of their legislative activities.
“You should be able to give account of the number of bills you have passed into law every year,” he said.
The professor also called for increased community advocacy, saying councillors should engage residents more actively to identify their needs and facilitate development across their respective wards.
He noted that increased allocations to local governments following the removal of the fuel subsidy provided councils with greater resources for grassroots development.
Sewanu commended the Badagry Local Government Chairman, Mr Babatunde Hunpe, for improvements in infrastructure, roads and healthcare centres, while urging councillors to work closely with the chairman and lobby for projects that would benefit their communities.
The Leader of the Legislative Council, Mr Bankole Asokere, described the symposium as the first of its kind in Badagry and said it formed part of the council’s achievements within its first year in office.
Asokere said the event was designed to provide councillors with opportunities to learn from former legislators and translate lessons from the discussions into projects and policies across their wards.
“We invited past councillors to grace the symposium with their experiences so that what they were unable to achieve will be fused with our ideas,” he said.
He urged residents to remain expectant of further development, promising that the council would continue to gather ideas and work towards achieving more in the next two to three years.
The Badagry Local Government Chairman, Babatunde Hunpe, commended the councillors for supporting his administration’s programmes during its first year in office.
Hunpe said the councillors had demonstrated an understanding of grassroots development and maintained a productive relationship with his administration.
He noted that the council’s achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare and palliative support were implemented in collaboration with the legislative arm.
“I thank you all for the great job and for not disappointing the people that elected you to represent them,” Hunpe said.
The chairman assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise grassroots development and improve the welfare of communities across Badagry.