House of Representatives Speaker, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday pledged the ninth assembly’s commitment to develop youth capacities as a way to prepare them for political participation and leadership. He spoke at the Teslim Balogin Stadium in Lagos on the occasion of his constituency projects outreach for his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency.
The event, attended by political, economic and socio-cultural leaders as well as thousands of constituents, featured the presentation of education grants to 351 young constituents in public tertiary institutions across the country.
The grants varied from N16, 000 to N210, 000 each. 1,020 secondary school principals and teachers were also equipped with laptops while 45 automobiles ranging from fully equipped medical ambulances, security vehicles and gadgets, new school buses, and retailing cars were also handed out.
The security patrol vehicles/powerbikes/security gadgets were handed over to the Nigerian Police Area ‘C’ Command, Surulere, Bode Thomas, Iponri Police Stations and the Nigerian Army. Gbajabiamila described the outreach as, among others, “The benefits of the interaction between the legislature on the one hand and the constituency and constituents on the other.” He explained that legislators’ responsibilities include feeling the pulse of the constituents and addressing their needs.