The Lagos state government has charged secretaries to the local governments (SLGs) and Local Council Development Areas (SLCDAs) to submit 500 applicants from each area for recruitment into the military.

Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the secretary to the state government (SSG), gave the charge during the quarterly meeting between the SGS and the SLGs/SLCDAs, on Thursday in Ikeja.

Mrs Salu-Hundeyin, who gave the secretaries two weeks ultimatum to submit the lists of the applicants, said that there was the need for indigenous Lagos youths to enlist in the military.

She said that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was passionate about ensuring that indigenous youths enrolled, in line with the federal government’s policy of equal representation of all states into the military.

According to her, the secretaries have been educated on the requirements for the recruitment, so as to be able to properly sensitise the youths.

She urged the indigenous youths to be passionate about the state and ensure that it was secured, by enrolling in the military.

“This is a particular programme that Mr Governor is very, very concerned about, and he has said that we must go to all the nooks and crannies of the state, to ensure that we get the indigenes to be recruited, we have always been short-changed.

“Our indigenes themselves do not show interest, a lot of people feel that when you join the military, the next thing is you are going to the war front, and you will be killed.

“Today, we were able to explain and share knowledge with our secretaries, who are the grassroots, and they are going back to tell them that it is not so.

“When you are in the military, you could still become a lawyer, a doctor, any professional. We are talking about securing your country, it is the most noble job anybody can do. That is the most noble service in the world.

“A country that is not secured is not a country, an unsecured state is not a state. So we are encouraging them, and who are the best people to secure? You can only secure what you are passionate about, what you believe is yours,” the SSG said.

She said that the purpose of the periodic meeting with the secretaries to the various local governments was to ensure that governance got to the grassroots.

According to her, for governance to be effective, it must get to the grassroots, and the secretaries are the people that deal with the grassroots, the people on the streets and everywhere in the state.

“So, whatever policies that we have arrived at, at the state level, we want to be sure that it is actually cascading to the grassroots and that people understand and it is having a positive impact on them,” she said. 

(NAN)