The Lagos State Government has directed the 57 Secretaries to Local Governments (SLGs) to mobilise 5,700 eligible youths for the ongoing military recruitment exercise as the state intensifies efforts to meet its recruitment allocation.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, gave the directive on Wednesday in Lagos at a meeting with the 57 SLGs, asking each secretary to mobilise 100 eligible candidates aged between 18 and 26 from their respective local government areas.
Salu-Hundeyin said the mobilisation was necessary because Lagos had consistently fallen short of its military recruitment allocation despite recent improvements.
She said the state had been allocated a quota of 420 candidates and urged the SLGs to intensify their efforts to help Lagos meet the allocation.
“If each secretary brings at least 100 candidates, there is no way we won’t meet 400,” the SSG said.
She said the meeting also focused on security, forthcoming elections and measures to maintain peace across the state, particularly during the ember months.
Salu-Hundeyin urged youths to shun thuggery and violence during the elections, stressing the need for peaceful polls.
“Election is not war. It is your right to determine who should govern you, and you don’t need violence,” she said.
The SSG also urged residents to adopt the principle of “see something, say something” and promptly report suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.
Salu-Hundeyin said the SLGs served as the coordinating link between the government and the grassroots.
She said they had a responsibility to monitor government policies and escalate issues requiring state-level intervention.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Lagos State Body of Secretaries to Local Governments, Mr Kunle Olambiwonnu, assured the government of compliance with the directive.
“As chairman, I assure the state and all stakeholders that all SLGs will comply and live up to expectations,” Olambiwonnu said.
He said the secretaries would sensitise community leaders, including Baales, Community Development Committees (CDCs) and Community Development Associations (CDAs), to encourage eligible youths to participate in the recruitment exercise.
“We want to sensitise all community leaders, the Baales, CDCs and CDAs, to see the importance of getting their children registered,” he said.
Olambiwonnu said the sensitisation would also address concerns among parents and youths about military service.
He said some parents and youths believed that joining the military meant being sent to the battlefield.
Olambiwonnu said the meeting was part of periodic engagements between the 57 SLGs and the SSG.
He said the meetings enabled them to deliberate on governance and security issues affecting communities.
