Youths in their thousands on Saturday embarked on a symbolic march from Maryland to Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota to endorse Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for another term in office.
The youths, drawn from various groups including Lagos Youth Initiative (LYI), Lagos State Students Union, Liberal Minds Grassroots Forum, Lagos of Our Dream (Project LOUD), Asiwaju Redrive Youth Initiative, A Plus Vanguard, National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWEDEN), among others, said the decision to support the Governor was as a result of his various infrastructural strides and massive empowerment initiatives such as the N25billion Employment Trust Fund.
Speaking at the event, Lagos State Chairman of LYI, Comrade Temitope Ogungbo said the walk was organised to appreciate and mobilize support for Governor Ambode judging by the fact that the promises made to the people of the State have been fulfilled.
He said: “We are here today to show appreciation to the man that has done well. Three years back, he made a promise here at Ojota Freedom Park and those promises have been fulfilled and the Governor has even done more than what he promised.
“The promises are employment, empowerment, among others. When you talk about youths in Lagos State, Governor Ambode has employed many youths into the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority; he established Neighbourhood Safety Corps which has employed over 5,000 youths; he has also employed over 20,000 youths through the Cleaner Lagos Initiative; thousands of youths and businesses have also been empowered through the N25billion Employment Trust Fund of the Governor Ambode administration, among others.
“We see all these initiatives as very good and something that requires the youths to pay back by asking the Governor to continue in office, and that is why we invited all our groups from the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the State to embark on symbolic walk to endorse Governor Ambode for second term.”
He particularly urged those yet to get Permanent Voters Cards to utilize the opportunity of the ongoing registration exercise to register and get their cards to vote for continuity of the good works of the Governor in the state.
Also, Lagos State Chairman of Liberal Minds, Mr Sanni Ganiyu said the State was blessed to have a caring, good and dynamic leader like Governor Ambode who, according to him, has positively touched all sectors and sections of the state.
“Governor Ambode has performed credibly well; he has served us successfully; he has virtually touched all sectors of the economy, be it in the area of sports, roads, roads, health, agriculture, security, employment, education and so on.
“As a matter of fact, the common man, disabled or physically challenged are not left out as they have all benefitted tremendously from this administration, and that is why we are all out to support Governor Ambode for another term in office,” Ganiyu said.
Member, Board of National Agricultural Extension Research, Hon Ganiat Alli-Balogun, said since assuming office, Governor Ambode had done wonders and a lot for people of the State.
She said: “Today, you can see the youths of Lagos State here to support Governor Ambode for second to continue his good works. Everyone is happy because of the brilliant projects that have been executed in the State.
“Talk of the beautification, the infrastructural amenities, the schools and so on and so we thank God for all the good work of our Governor.”
On their parts, leaders of NASWEDEN in Lagos State – Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, Comrade Friday Okoh and Mrs Olufunke Akinwale said the association was fully in support of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative of the State Government, and that their members were all saying no vacancy in Alausa come 2019.
High point of the event was the performances by ace musicians, Humble Smith and Queen Seyidat, among others.