Increasing begging, housing, transport, healthcare hardship: Funsho Doherty vows to return government to its responsibilities in Lagos

*Promises to allow local governments function as required by law and have access to own resources 

By KEMI KASUMU

Funsho Doherty further said his administration would allow local governments to function effectively by enabling them to perform their constitutional responsibilities and have access to the resources required to discharge those responsibilities.

The Lagos State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, Mr. Funsho Doherty, has described the increasing hardship confronting residents of the state as unfortunate, blaming the situation on what he described as the government’s abandonment of its responsibilities to unaccountable private individuals.

Doherty spoke on Thursday, October 1, 2026, during The Platform Townhall, where governorship candidates of political parties were expected to discuss their plans and respond to questions from participants.

The programme, which was widely broadcast on national television stations and monitored by The DEFENDER Newspaper, featured discussions on some of the major challenges confronting Lagos residents, including waste disposal, transportation, healthcare delivery, dilapidated road infrastructure and the increasing incidence of begging.

According to Doherty, many of the challenges facing residents are a consequence of the government leaving its responsibilities in the hands of individuals who are not accountable to the people.

He said if elected, his administration would restore the government to its proper role, stressing that governments in cities around the world, particularly a megacity like Lagos, could not afford to abdicate their responsibilities to private individuals while taking a back seat.

On road infrastructure, Doherty said his administration would ensure that roads were maintained before they deteriorated to the point of requiring major rehabilitation or new contracts.

He promised to reactivate the state’s road maintenance agency and ensure that it functioned effectively, adding that the agency would be decentralised to have a presence in every local government area.

He also pledged to ensure adequate funding for the agency so that no part of Lagos would be left without effective government presence in road maintenance.

Funsho Doherty further said his administration would allow local governments to function effectively by enabling them to perform their constitutional responsibilities and have access to the resources required to discharge those responsibilities.

On the issue of begging, the NDC candidate attributed much of the poverty pushing people into begging to lack of access to quality education and healthcare.

He promised that, if elected, his administration would provide free education at the elementary and secondary school levels, including books and examination fees. He also said his administration would ensure that healthcare delivery and drugs are made available free for at least mother and child.

Addressing the challenge of transportation, Doherty said the government should not absolve itself of responsibility for the effective operation of the transport system.

He said Lagos residents should be able to access buses that are not only clean and in good condition but also safe, without exposing commuters to the risk of robbery.

Speaking on the activities of Agberos and transport touts, Doherty said many of those involved might have entered the trade because of a lack of education and skills, while others could be victims of exploitation by individuals higher up the system.

To address the situation, he promised to establish 40 technical schools across Lagos State to provide vocational training for young people after secondary school and equip them with practical skills that would enable them to earn a living within a short period.

He listed areas of training to include electrical work, automobile mechanics, painting, tailoring and other technical and vocational trades.

Details later…