Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday donated two Toyota Hilux pick-up vans to the Victoria Island Ikoyi Residents Association (VIIRA), saying it is in furtherance of the need to sustain the gains of the clean-up of Ikoyi and Victoria Island areas.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, while handing over the keys, said he is committed to the success of the exercise and felt that there was need to empower the residents association to assist in driving the campaign.
Mr Bello, who spoke at the car park of Lagos House, Ikeja, stressed that the present administration believes that the government cannot do it alone and must involve members of the community who are the first point of call for anybody living in the area.
“The residents are the first to notice any infraction in any area and would be able to tell the government about it. These vehicles would be used in patrolling the cleaned up areas and would assist with the feedback mechanism which the state government has put in place to ensure that there is zero tolerance for shanties and illegal structures in Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
“We must support the residents association in helping the government to achieve its aims. We are hopeful that that these vehicles would assist in ensuring a cleaner and safer Victoria Island and Ikoyi as envisioned in the original master plan of the areas,” he said.
The governor said since the clean-up exercise of Ikoyi and Victoria Island started a couple of months ago, appreciable progress has been made, adding that the government remains focused in ensuring that the areas regain their lost glory.
In his response, a member of the executive committee of the Victoria Island Ikoyi Residents Association (VIIRA), Dr Mohammed Salami, said the gesture by the government was unprecedented in the history of the state.
He expressed the appreciation of the residents association to the state government, saying the vehicles would be well utilised as the donation is coming very handy at a period when the association was contending with shortage of vehicles for patrolling.
Salami added that VIIRA would continue to preoccupy itself with environmental and security issues towards ensuring that it assist the government in delivering its mandate of ensuring the safety of life and property.
