Politics
A former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Lanre Odubote, has appealed for collaboration toward rebuilding Lagos State to enable it to recover fast from massive asset destruction by hoodlums who hijacked the EndSARS protests.
In a statement on Thursday in Lagos, Odubote noted that the hoodlums destroyed public and private assets in the commercial centre.
He appealed to the Federal Government to assist the former capital of Nigeria in rebuilding infrastructure and other assets attacked by the hoodlums.
According to Odubote, who represented Epe Federal Constituency, Lagos should not be left alone at the trying times.
He also appealed to the state residents to collaborate with the federal and state governments in rebuilding the state to restore its pride of place as the economic backbone of Nigeria and Africa.
“The burden of rehabilitating and rebuilding the infrastructure and the economy should be a collective effort, owing to the fact that the state is not only the economic nerve of the country but also that of the African continent.
“These are trying times indeed. We are all in mourning because we have not only lost precious souls to the attack, but also lost several prized assets.
“Though, some analysts have put the cost of rebuilding the state at over one trillion naira, in my view, we will need more than that, which the state government alone cannot bear at this time,” he said.
He commended the efforts of the state Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in restoring normalcy, and appealed to all stakeholders to support the efforts to help the state to bounce back.
Odubote also appealed to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to grant the state a special status.
“No time is better than now for the rest of the country to demonstrate love for the state by granting our age-long request for a special status for Lagos State,” he said.
He added that the huge population of Lagos State made the call for a special status pertinent.
According to him, Lagos is home for all Nigerians.
He appealed to the state residents to live in harmony to forge the needed bond of unity and brotherhood in the aftermath of the attack.
“We have lost so much in terms of lives, communality and community to the attack, but with the right attitude and will, we will overcome,” he said.
NAN
– Oct. 29, 2020 @ 16:10 GMT /
Tags: EndSARS: Ex-lawmaker seeks collaboration in rebuilding Lagos
