Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appealed to the National Assembly to set aside funds for the rebuilding of the state in the 2021 budget.

Destruction was recently witnessed in Lagos and other states as violence trailed the hijack of the #EndSARS protests.

Sanwo-Olu made the appeal at the Consultative Forum on Rebuilding Lagos held in Alausa, Ikeja on Monday.

He said the consultative forum was to set the stage for the necessary public-private partnerships and collaborations required for the task of rebuilding and restoration of the infrastructure that was destroyed.

He said, “The violence has, no doubt, set our economy back by hundreds of billions of Naira, and impacted our confidence. We have, however, found hope and great strength in the offers of assistance from far and wide, which culminated in the constitution of the Lagos Rebuild Committee to coordinate our efforts to rebuild and upgrade our state.

“We seek to restore the infrastructure that was destroyed, to revive the energy and confidence of everyone who has been affected by these losses, to help restore the confidence of the people of Lagos in the infinite potentials of Lagos. The State Government cannot do this alone. We need all the help that we can get.

“I would like to appeal to the National Assembly to take steps to set aside funds for this task of Rebuilding and Restoring Lagos in the 2021 Appropriation Bill being deliberated upon currently by the Assembly.

“This Fund does not necessarily have to be for Lagos alone, it can and should also take into consideration other states also impacted by the recent spate of violence.”

A statement from the Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, quoted Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as saying Lagos remains a critical federating unit around which Nigeria’s fortune is tied.

He said, “On behalf of the Federal Government, let me assure you that we stand with the great people of Lagos as you undertake this difficult journey of rebuilding the lost assets. It’s my conviction that Lagos and the nation at large will emerge from this crisis better and stronger.”

Punch