The Nigeria Senate President Senator Ahmad Lawan, and Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, on Sunday inaugurated eight police patrol vehicles and 10 ambulances donated to Lagos West Senatorial District by Senator Olamilekan Adeola.
The inauguration was the 5th Edition of the Town Hall Meeting and Empowerment Programme organised by the lawmaker representing the largest senatorial district in Nigeria, with 10 local government areas.
Other items distributed to other constituents at the event are: 100 grinding machines, 100 inverter welding machine, 50 vulcaniser machines, 50 tricycles (Keke Marwa), 50 minibus (korope) and100 electricity generators.
Others are: 100 hairdressing machines and hand dryers, several deep freezers, 100 sewing machines, several medical equipment and drugs, 10 incubator machines and 150 hospital beds.
Lawan commended Adeola for bringing dividends of democracy to the people of his constituency through the empowerment items.
He expressed belief that the gesture was also in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of taking 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in10 years.
He commended the people of Lagos West Senatorial District for electing Adeola as a reliable representative to serve them as a senator.
Lawan described Adeola, who is the present Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, as a productive person who works round the clock to ensure that the budget of the entire country is passed at due time.
He said, “The people of Lagos West voted for a senator to represent you and what we say about his representation is going to be weighty because we worked with him.
“This senator has done so much for the senate in terms of his productivity and I want to add here that Lagos State is controlling the economy of Nigeria.
“This is because before the budget is passed, Sen. Adeola and Hon. James Faleke, Chairman, House Committee on Finance in the House of Representatives from Ikeja Federal Constituency will sit to look at the budget of the country.”
Lawan appealed to all the beneficiaries of the items to make good use of them and not to sell them for immediate financial gain.
Speaking also, Sanwo-Olu said the health and security equipment would be of benefit to the people of the state irrespective of their political parties and ethnic affiliations.
“What the senator has done today is not going to be felt only within the political space, but he has cut across political divides and he has done intervention that knows no political boundaries, because it will benefit his constituency and the state as a whole.
“Is it the ambulances that we want to talk about? This is the ambulance that will not ask you for your PVC or political party card before they carry you.
The governor said the state government was constructing a hospital in Ojo Local Government Area of the state and once it is completed the senator might be asked to provide medical equipment for the hospital.
He said the eight police patrol van would complement the effort of he Police in policing the state.
Adeola said the massive empowerment programme was informed by the fact that he represents 10 out of the 20 local governments in the state.
The senator explained that due to the population of the state, he had no choice than to reach out to the people of his constituency.
Adeola said the programme was also to support efforts of the Federal Government and the state government in reducing poverty among the people of the state.
“500 tailors will be empowered today with sewing machines, 100 welders would be given welding machines, ditto vulcanizers, while 125 party women leaders will go home with deep freezers to start up their own business.
“Thirty thousand Mathematics and English Language textbooks would be distributed to all the primary and secondary schools that were approved by the education ministry in the senatorial district.
“Also, there is an ongoing construction of nine schools within the senatorial district with each school made up of six classrooms, six toilets, a staffroom and a borehole in the 10 LGAs within this district.
“To assist the state in provision of security, I am facilitating the supply of eight Toyota Hilux vehicles to the Nigeria Police within my senatorial district.
“This will further complement the huge effort of the state government in securing lives and property in our dear state.
He added that he had facilitated the completion of 15 major different inner roads that had been completed within the constituency.