SANWO-OLU COMMISSIONS PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTRE, WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT IJEODODO, BADAGRY

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commissioned a Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), at Ijeododo in Iba Local Council Development Area, built and donated by First Bank of Nigeria Limited and a Water Treatment Plant donated by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc at Gbaji-Yeke, Badagry. The two basic amenities were provided in response to the yearnings of the people under the “One Community At A Time” (OCAAT) Initiative of the Secretary to the Lagos State Government.

Speaking at the handover ceremonies, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said that the PHC would not only boost the healthcare service delivery in Ijeododo Community but also complement his administration’s efforts to provide efficient and accessible healthcare services to the people of the State.

The Governor said his administration places a premium on delivering quality healthcare service to all Lagosians under the Health and Environment pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda.

He said his administration has deliberately accorded special attention to Primary Healthcare because it is the bedrock of any efficient and effective healthcare system. He assured Lagosians that Government would continue to strengthen the Primary Healthcare service by investing more resources in the construction of more facilities to bring healthcare closer to the people, especially at the grassroots.

At Gbji-Yeke, he said, “On our part, we are working assiduously through the Lagos State Water Corporation to make safe water available to the people, and we are bringing up more strategies and initiatives that will enable us to bridge the deficit we have in the supply of potable water”.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at both ceremonies by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Sherifat Jaji appreciated the management of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc for partnering with Lagos State Government through their interventions in the two communities.

While maintaining that their interventions would enable the communities to access quality healthcare services as well as potable water, he appealed to other corporate organisations and individuals to partner with the government in addressing the challenges of the underserved communities.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also commended the OCAAT Team for their hard work, dedication and efforts deployed to attract sponsors for the PHC and other remarkable interventions across the OCAAT communities.  He, however, charged the community leaders and dwellers to take ownership and ensure that the PHC and Water treatment plant are protected and secured.

In their remarks, the representatives of First Bank of Nigeria Limited & Executive Director, Retail Banking South, Mr. Seyi Oyefeso and the Group Director, Human Resources and Services, Mr. Wale Adediran, who represented the Vice Chairman, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) Plc said they are resolute in the demonstration of their company’s commitment to the health and welfare of the people in their immediate and distant communities. They admitted that the OCAAT initiative aligns with their Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability approach.

The Permanent Secretary Office of the Secretary to the State Government/Cabinet Office, Mrs. Tolani Oshodi in her welcome address noted that Sanwo-Olu’s administration agenda is to accelerate the development of communities through the provision of basic amenities to improve the quality of lives of all residents in the State.

She said Government cannot single-handedly meet the needs of the entire people, hence the collaboration with the Private Sector to implement OCAAT’s four focal areas which are Health, Education, Recreation and Sanitation (HERS) for the communities to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

According to her, on the aggregate, OCAAT fully achieved the objectives set out when it was conceived despite the setback occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 and the better part of 2020.

The Baales of Ijeododo and Gbaji-Yeke, Chief Jelili Ododo and Chief Emmanuel Kuwakanu and other members of the communities appreciated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the sponsors and the Secretary to the State Government for her initiative which they said has brought dignity to their communities.