The Lagos State House of Assembly will ascertain all police stations and other properties destroyed in the wake of the #EndSARS protest and solicit the government ‘s assistance to rehabilitate them, a lawmaker has said.
Mr Victor Akande, a member of the ad hoc committee constituted by the legislature to ascertain the extent of damage to public and private properties in the state, said on Friday, that no property affected would be left out.
Akande told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on the sideline of the Annual Constituency Stakeholders’ meeting held across the 39 constituencies in the state that the legislative would interface with the Executive in this regards.
NAN reports that the House had recently constituted a nine-man committee to look into the destruction and looting of private and public properties by hoodlums.
The resolution to set up the committee was reached through a voice vote, conducted by the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, during a special parliamentary session on Monday in Lagos.
Akande, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC, said that after the visit recommendations would be made to the government on appropriate renovations to affected structures.
According to him, the recommendations by the committee will be presented to the House during plenary and when approved, it would be sent to the state government for appropriate renovation on them.
Akande, who represents Ojo Constituency I, also advised unemployed youths to fully engage in agriculture to reduce unemployment rate in the state.
“If a large number of our youths had been engaged in agriculture and other vocational works, the rate of violence and destruction of public and private properties that erupted during the #EndSARS protest wouldn’t have happened.
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“However, most of our youth nowadays, do not want to engage in agriculture and there is no effort the government can make that will be successful if they are not interested in it.
“We are complaining that there is no work for our graduates, but in Ojo Local government, we can provide land and little money for them to start farming business in the constituency.
“However, how many of the youths are interested in agricultural business, there percentage is very low, but we will continue to encourage them, support them financially and also monitor their level of progress in the agricultural business,” he said.
The lawmaker said that the legislative had urged the state government to consider compensating business owners whose properties were damaged during the mayhem in the state.
Akande also promised to engage the youths within his constituency in different vocational programme that would keep them engaged.
According to the lawmaker, traditional rulers and religious leaders have an important role to play to lead the youth in the right direction.
Akande advised youths to be more active and participate in politics, so as to give direction to Nigeria’s future .
The lawmaker assured constituents that the 9th assembly would continue to do everything within its ability to bring governance closer to the people to enable participatory governance.
NAN reports that the theme of the stakeholders meeting was Post COVID-19 Pandemic: The Challenges and Prospect.
