ETI-OSA JOURNAL
Eti-Osa has the potential of becoming the tourist destination in Africa – Mr. Buhari Kehinde Mr. Habeeb Ishola Kehinde Buhari, the Head of Administration of Eti-Osa Local Government is saddled with the responsibility of general administrative duties as well as coordinating government policies at the local government. His responsibilities also include monitoring and making sure that all departmental activities are implemented in line with the vision of the Chairman of the local government. How long have you been working with Eti-Osa Local government? My journey in Eti-Osa local government started when the headquarters was in Ikoyi in 1996 and by 1999 I was redeployed to Local Government service Commission and from there back to Eti-Osa when the LCDAs were created. In the service, I should have served up to twenty years. The administration of Hon. Bankole just clocked 100 days a few days ago, what impact have they made in the local government? I think at this juncture, we need to be specific and conscious of the fact that the immediate past administration was a sole administrator and they were not allowed to embark on intensive capital projects. When compared to what we have now which is a democratically elected chairman, their impact is unlimited. The chairman, Hon. Bankole is a man I know too well as a man of vision and a dogged fighter. When he got elected, he confided in me that there’s a lot to be done being an indigene of the area and on assumption of office, he prioritized the projects according to their importance and value to the community in terms of infrastructural development and access to health care services. In the last one hundred days, the chairman embarked upon massive rehabilitation of council office at Ilasan to make the environment more condusive for staff and he intends to extend same to Ikota with a view to make the staff more productive. What has been the most challenging experience you’ve had? Every experience has its unique challenges but my training has made me to see challenges as stepping stone to the next level. My upbringing plays a very big role in this regard as my dad exposed us early to life
challenges. In attaining this position, to be sincere with you, I’ve prepared myself right from the onset so; the position doesn’t come with any challenges. The experience in the civil service has been very fulfilling and rewarding for me in terms of the diverse experience garnered over the years. What are the critical factors of building a sustainable local government system? I believe that the critical factor for building a sustainable local government system is funding. You’ll agree with me that the local government is the closest to the people and the impact of whatever they do is immediately felt by the people. For example, when the local governments were receiving their allocation directly from the Federal government, they did excellently well. Those were the era when local governments were procuring tractors, pay loaders and compactors for the benefit of their people. If the local government is adequately funded, their impact will be generally seen. If funding is a big challenge, what is the council doing to increase its IGR? Thank you so much for this question. When we discovered that some of the estate associations collect government revenue
and use it to the whims and caprices, we took it up with them and they had no option than to stop. Ironically, the residents also find it difficult to pay especially the Radio/ Television rate. We embarked on massive sensitization to explain to them the importance of paying their levies and rates as that is part of the money the local government will use in providing infrastructure in their neighborhood. We intend to increase the revenue base of the local government to help us in the diverse infrastructural development we want to embark upon. Do you agree with the assertion that Lagos is a land of opportunities? There is no doubt to the veracity of that assertion as that is the singular reason why every businessman wants to be in Lagos. The reason for this is not farfetched in that the infrastructures that will aid enterprise development are in Lagos. The advantage Lagos has over all the other states is that at the return of civilian rule, Lagos state was blessed with a man of great character who prepared the Lagos slate development master plan which has made it easier for subsequent governments to record success easily. Would you say the full potentials of EtiOsa have been maximized? To be sincere with you, the full potentials of Eti-Osa have not been fully maximized. Having said that, Eti-Osa is not where it ought to be but certainly we are not where we used to be. If you look around Eti-osa you’ll discover that the beaches that dot all around the council area has not been fully developed and when this is done, Eti-Osa has the potential of becoming the tourist destination in Africa. I believe that the current chairman will turn round the fortunes of the local government in his tenure.
ETI-OSA INSIDE JOURNAL is a monthly publication by Ekocity Media Company Ltd for ETI-OSA Local Government Area
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Dec., - January 2018