Fuad Atanda-Lawal, chairman of Ikoyi Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, says the council will roll out 200 electric mini cabs as part of its empowerment programme for 2024.

Mr Atanda-Lawal said this to newsmen at the council secretariat in Obalende, Lagos on Friday.

He said the empowerment would be done in two phases at the end of the first quarter of 2024.

Mr Atanda-Lawal said the seven-seater mini electric cabs would help cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and hike in the price of transportation.

“We have broken down all of the things that we want to do for this local government this year in terms of education, works and infrastructure, health sector and even transportation in this local government.

“You will be shocked at how we intend to do that. One would say local government, what is your business with transportation but we have very big plan for 2024.

“Now, we will be introducing electric vehicles and will be bringing in 200 seven-seater mini cabs to help cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and hike in price of transportation,” Mr Atanda-Lawal said.

According to him, the council is keying into the federal government’s commitment to transiting to cleaner and safer energy for a more efficient and sustainable economy.

He said the council had identified areas to be attended to impact both the standard and cost of living and these include education, works and infrastructure, the health sector and transportation.

Highlighting transportation, the council boss said transport remained a key factor in business and economy in any nation.

According to him, electric vehicles about to be delivered will help transportation within Ikoyi-Obalende and its environs at subsidised fares.

He said the council would also build 10 charging stations within the community to support the beneficiaries with maintenance.

Mr Atanda-Lawal said that as a government, his administration must listen to the people’s complaints about transportation costs.

He added: “We are bringing in our electric vehicles from February. By the first quarter of this year, we will be empowering our people, and we are not stopping there.

“We will also establish 10 charging stations. This year, we will be empowering members of our community to drive the vehicles on hired purchase,” he said.

The council boss the beneficiaries would be profitably engaged, feed their family and contribute to the economy development.

He said the proposed empowerment would improve the earnings of the beneficiaries and as well have huge multiplier effects on families, the LCDA and society.

Mr Atanda-Lawal said the council would continue to provide food and basic needs for the aged and the retirees through the council’s food bank programme.

He added: “Palliative is more of a short-term to fix something, but the food bank is a long term; everybody is going to have a need, and it is our duty again to see how we can provide for people.

“Foodbank is very important because the welfare of the people we govern is paramount to us.

“The food bank is a permanent thing for us in Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA and we have been doing it since we assumed office in 2017.

“When people talk about empowerment, we are talking about not just economic empowerment but also helping our people provide basic needs for the aged people and the retirees with foodstuff to meet their daily needs.”

The council boss said all his interventions were targeted at moving people from poverty to prosperity.

“Happiness for all is very important to us; we have gone past that level of just trying to give people a one-off support or palliative to people.

“What we do in this local government is to first understand the needs of our people,” he said.

(NAN)