Protesters Vow To Resist Return Of LG Chairman

Some 200 youths in Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State on Monday defied an early morning downpour to protest against the Chairman of the council, Mr Gbolahan Bagostowe, over his second term ambition.

Bagostowe is seeking re-election in the local government polls in Lagos State, scheduled for October 22, 2011.

The protesters carried different placards and sang as they marched through some streets in the area and vowed not to allow the chairman to return to office.

The leader of the protesters, Miss Amen Ehis, told newsmen that Bagostowe had done virtually nothing during his first tenure, which was ending.

She said that the chairman only made claims to executing some projects in the media but that such projects never existed.

“There are no good roads, no functional health centres and no boreholes while market women face a lot of problems in the hands of local government staff, who demand so much from the traders,” she said.

Another protester, who chose to remain anonymous, alleged that the chairman diverted funds meant for use in the council to other areas and left residents to bear the brunt.

Bagostowe,however, told newsmen that the protest was sponsored by people who wants to mar his image ahead of the polls.

He said that he had demonstrated his stewardship and had projects to show for it and as such, he had won the confidence of his party for a second term bid.

“I have demonstrated my stewardship with many projects that I have done within the last three years in office and my party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) , has endorsed my candidature.

According to him, “the party hierarchy said that those first timers that performed should be allowed to contest for the second term.”

He said that he built and reconstructed nine primary schools out of the 18 in the local government area, namely, AgunbiadePrimary School, Olaoluwa Primary School and Baptist Primary School.

Bagostowe said that he also built a public health centre in the Akoka area, which offered 24 hours service, while two others were nearing completion in other areas of the local government area.

He said that he also built boreholes and tarred roads in many areas contrary to the claims of the protesters.