Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that there was the need for collaboration and understanding between the executive and legislative arms of government to bring about seamless governance.
Sanwo-Olu said this while addressing the press at the opening of the Lagos State Government 15th Executive/Legislative Parley, organised by the Office of Civic Engagement in Wednesday at Lekki, Lagos.
The parley had lawmakers from the Lagos State Assembly, Senators and House of Representatives members from Lagos State, state executive members and state APC party leaders.
The theme of the parley is: ”Harmonious Relationship Among Various Arms Of Government: A Necessity For A Greater Lagos”.
He said that the parley was to see how governance had fared in the state and how both arms of government could continue to collaborate to realise the greater Lagos dream for all Lagosians.
”It is a working relationship that will bring about development and governance that will be seamless for our people.
”At the end of the day, we would have a progressive and hitch free understanding of ourselves, once we realise that the roles and responsibilities are different.
”We are here to iron out and resolve things that are very contentious or if there is any advise we need to give ourselves and at the end of the day our citizens will be the beneficiaries,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor said that the whole essence was to bring about positive and quality governance representation at the highest level of the people.
According to him, it is to ensure a situation where people will feel the dividends of democracy and they will see that Lagos will continue to experience purposeful development.
”So it makes governance in itself seamless and a win-win situation for all of us at the various level of governance,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said that the parley was also for state representatives at the National Assembly to acquaint the state with critical issues that they were facing at Abuja and also see what they could do to address some issues critical to the state at Abuja.
He said that it was also an opportunity for the party leaders to remind the government of the promises made to the people, as well as the party’s manifesto.
”So, at the end, all of us will be better enriched, geared and motivated to go out there and deliver all the dividends of democracy at all levels of governance.
”We will continue to ensure that we foster a working relationship and understanding that everybody has a role to play and giving everybody the deserved respect and opportunity for everybody to begin to do well and play their role in governance and greater Lagos conversion that we are talking about,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Also, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, commended the governor for sustaining the parley.
Obasa said that the parley was a platform for a harmonious working relationship, where information, understanding and collaboration remained major factor in all that they do.
He said the parley would enable them to continue to build on what they had achieved.
”We are supportive of the executive arm and we will continue to do that to ensure we serve our people, but that does not mean we will turn blind eye to something we feel we must look into,” Obasa said.
The speaker said the state assembly needed the collaboration of the state representatives at the National Assembly in its bid to amend the constitution to achieve some of the things it had been clamouring for.
”Things like special status for Lagos, state police and a transportation system that will allow the state and neighbouring states to connect together, we need them to push that through,” he said.
The Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said that the parley was to share experiences and explore the inherent benefits in running an inclusive government devoid of silos.
”In order to actualise socio-economic re-engineering of our dear state through the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, it is important for all arms of government, particularly the executive and legislature, to work hands in glove. This is the essence of this parley,” Adebowale said.