Gboyega Akinsanmi
A Lagos lawmaker, Hon. Lasbat Meranda-Lawal has donated educational kits to 800 pupils in eight public schools in Apapa Constituency I, which he is currently representing in the State House of Assembly.
She has also called for improvement in the system of education in the country, saying that there is need for strategic development and that governments should give priority to the sector.
The over 800 educational kits were distributed to representatives of the eight schools during the constituency’s town hall meeting at the Apapa Amusement Park recently.
The meeting was held simultaneously across 40 constituencies in the state and attended by party leaders, security chiefs, traders, captains of industries, traditional chiefs, among others.
Speaking at the interactive session, the lawmaker explained why governments at all levels should rescue the sector, saying that every citizen should be availed the opportunity of personal development.
She said once pupils “are well educated, the sky is the starting point for them. I believe so much in empowering the youths. They are the leaders of tomorrow. That is the main reason I doled out these 800 educational kits to pupils in all public schools in my constituency.
“We have about eight primary schools in Apapa Constituency I. At least, we are empowering 100 pupils in each of the eight public schools. About 800 pupils benefitted from this initiative. Education and health issues are of so much concern to me, though my primary assignment.
“As a lawmaker, my first job is to make laws for the development and prosperity of Lagos. I believe I can make some things happen in my constituency. So the little I can do as a lawmaker, I will, at least for the purpose of making impact on my constituents.
“Only education can provide such opportunity to citizens, therefore, governments at all levels should give priority to education. Education should be given priority and made accessible to all our children.”
On the significance of the town hall meeting, she said much would be achieved when the constituents are afforded an avenue “to express their views on issues that pertain to their development.
“The essence of this is to get back to our constituents who elected all of us. Without them, we could not have been elected. So we are representing them at Lagos State House of Assembly.
“We must intimate them about what government has done since the inauguration of the eighth assembly. Most importantly, they should be able to express their views as we prepare the 2017 budget.”
