As the new budget year approaches, Mayor Dele Oshinowo, Executive Chairman of Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), emphasized the importance of community engagement in the budget process, on Friday, 15th of November, During the Budget stakeholders meeting.

He stressed that every year, there’s a budget cycle and preparation for making a budget, and to be successful, they need to bring people from all walks of life, stakeholders who elected them to govern, to hear from them and know their contributions towards the budget process.

He noted that without stakeholder engagement, the budget process would lack inclusivity, emphasizing, “By the time they submit their requests, we’ll look at them, determine what we can achieve, and prioritize accordingly.”

He outlined the next steps, explaining, “After this, there will be a budget retreat where all management departments will discuss what part of the budget or request we need to adopt this time around.”

He highlighted the importance of historical data in informing budget decisions, stating, “Certainly, we will look at what we were in the previous year and look at the trend. There’s going to be historical data that will show us what we are going to expect in the next dispensation, I mean, in the next year.”

With his tenure ending soon, He reaffirmed his commitment to community development, saying, “This is our last project, and of course, in the next 6-7 months, we will be leaving the office. Our priority is to continue to advance our infrastructural stride. Our priority is to continue to advance our empowerment stride. Our priority is to advance our health stride.”

He concluded, “In all aspects, in all sectors, we need to advance it. That’s the reason why we target budgets of advancement. We need to make sure that we continue from where we are coming from, where we stop, so that we continue to provide the necessary needs to the community.”

The Oba of Ketu, Oba Isaac Balogun Oyero, has commended Mayor Dele Oshinowo’s leadership style, describing him as a person who listens to the people and keeps his promises. “He’s a person who usually listens to people, and when he promises, he delivers sincerely,” Oba Oyero said. He noted that Mayor Oshinowo has been rated number one in the entire Lagos State, a testament to his exceptional leadership.

Oba Oyero also urged community members to cooperate with the government, emphasizing the importance of paying dues and revenues. “The government’s resources are not what they expected, so shop owners and revenue generators should pay their dues.

Hon. Femi Saheed, member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Kosofe Constituency 2, commended Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) for its impressive budget performance.

“This gathering allows stakeholders and citizens to reflect on past budget performance and look forward to the upcoming year’s expectations,” he stated. The meeting aimed to forge ahead with planning for 2025, building on the council’s successes in health, security, and sporting activities.

Saheed praised the council chairman’s efforts, expressing confidence in another spectacular budget for 2025. He also acknowledged the state government’s support, urging the people of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA to continue trusting the Government.

Agboyi-Ketu LCDA’s CDC Chairman, Engr. Bashiru Badejo, expressed his enthusiasm for the council’s progress under Mayor Dele Oshinowo’s leadership. “We were here last year, and we’ve seen the tremendous job he’s done – fantastically well, I must say,” Badejo stated. “But, like Oliver Twist, we need more actions, more projects, more infrastructure, education, housing, and many others”.

The CDC chairman emphasized the importance of community contributions to support ongoing projects. “We’ve been telling people to contribute money through insurance, rents, and other required areas,” he said. “Without money, projects can’t be done.” Badejo encouraged residents to pay their dues, highlighting the benefits of upcoming infrastructure projects, such as good roads and markets.