Hottestgistnaija.com
By Kola Popson
Today, 29th of May, 2015, is another exciting and historic moment for the people of Lagos State and Nigerians at large, as they witness the emergence of a young and vibrant leader, Akinwunmi Ambode, as the new and 14th governor of Lagos State. Judging from his past achievements, it is reasonable to conclude that Akinwunmi Ambode is a leader and an administrator per excellence. So if Lagos State is adjudged Center of Excellence, then the good people of Lagos State have just made a rightful choice by voting in an excellent administrator, Akinwunmi Ambode, to administer and pilot the affairs of the center of excellence. In other words, they should expect the best of everything from him as he takes over the mantle of leadership for the next four years.
All over the world, outstanding people and leaders are easily recocgnised by their unusual traits and qualities. This case of Akinwunmi Ambode is no exception. The inspiring and heartwarming story of the new Lagos State governor is one that many would love to identify with. Therefore a brief reference to his background is necessary.
HIS BACKGROUND
Akinwunmi Ambode started from a very humble beginning and was determined to be successful in life in spite of so many challenges that he had to undergo. One of those challenges was the death of his father when he was still in his tender years. At that point, many would have thought that his aspiration towards achieving his academic goals had been jettisoned by the death of his father, who was the breadwinner of the family. But no, this would not hinder him of achieving his goals. It was gathered that after the demise of his father, Akinwunmi Ambode walked up to one of his uncles to seek his moral and financial assistance in pursuing his ambition of becoming an accountant, but the man would only mock him by saying that “You this small boy become an accountant?” Rather than allowing this utterance to discourage him, Akinwunmi Ambode saw it as a wakeup call and strived harder.
Akinwunmi Ambode was born on June 14, 1963 at the Epe General Hospitalin Lagos State, into the family of Akinwale Ambode. He was the sixth of the ten children of his parents. His late father, Festus Akinwale Ambode was a teacher while his mother, Christianah Oluleye Ambode was a tycoon who ran a thriving sewing business. Akinwunmi was just four years old, when his father relocated to the mainland part of Lagos with the family and continued his teaching career until his death in 1981. Akinwunmi Ambode began his education in 1969 at St. Jude’s Primary School, Ebutte Meta in Lagos State, Nigeria. In 1974, while still in Primary 5, he sat for the National Common Entrance Examinations and was admitted to Federal Government College, Warri in the same year.
Ambode spent 7 years in Warri, where he completed his Ordinary and Advanced Levels and had the distinction of achieving the second best result in all of West Africa in the Higher School Certificate Examinations in 1981. He was on the school’s Hockey and Cricket teams and was part of the then Bendel State Cricket team while still a student.
Ambode later proceeded to University of Lagos (UNILAG) where he studied Accounting. He graduated from UNILAG in 1984 at the age of 21. He completed his mandatory National Youth Service Corps exercise by serving with the Central Bank of Nigeria in Sokoto State.
After his NYSC year, Ambode commenced his career at the Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (now LAWMA) as Accountant Grade II. He enrolled for Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) exams and as fate would have it, he was awarded a Federal Government Scholarship to pursue a Masters Degree in Accounting at the University of Lagos. By the time he was 24, Ambode had qualified as a Chartered Accountant and had completed his Masters Degree programme in Accounting, specializing in Financial Management.
Due to his outstanding qualities, Akinwunmi Ambode was appointed, in 1988, as the Assistant Treasurer, Badagry Local Government. In 1991, he was posted to Shomolu Local Government as Auditor. He was later deployed to Alimosho Local Government as Council Treasurer. Ambode was posted back to Shomolu as Council Treasurer and later on to Mushin Local Government as Council Treasurer. For good ten years, he worked in many Local Government Councils in Lagos State, and this gave him the opportunity to have a actual experience of the direct impact of governance on the citizenry.
In 1998, Ambode was awarded the US Fulbright Scholarship for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program, in Boston University, Massachusetts, USA. His Fellowship Year was spent studying Public Leadership with emphasis on Finance and Accounting. During this programme Ambode had professional internships at The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Cabinet Office of Administration and Finance (Governor’s Office), City of Boston Treasury Office as well as with the World Bank and IMF.
On his return from the programme, Ambode became acting AuditorGeneral for Local Government. This position was confirmed by the State House of Assembly in 2001.
In January 2005, Ambode was redeployed to mainstream public service as the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance. By February 2006, Ambode was given the added responsibility of Accountant General for Lagos State, in charge of all the financial activities of the state and directly responsible for over 1400 accountants in the state service. Under his watch, the State Treasury Office (STO) revolutionized the way Lagos State finances were raised, budgeted, managed and planned. In his six years as the Lagos State accountant general, the state’s financial performance improved visibly with the budget performing at a remarkable average of 85% annually. Ambode has always believed that public financial management is about ensuring that public money is well spent and it is made to stretch as far as possible. It provides leaders and public-sector managers with information to make decisions and to know if they are using resources effectively.
After serving meticulously for 27 years in the civil service, Ambode voluntarily retired in August 2012. He founded Brandsmiths Consulting Limited to provide Public Finance and Management Consulting services to government at all levels, its parastatals and agencies. Brandsmiths, in collaboration withPrice Waterhouse Coopers, has trained government accountants and finance personnel to prepare them for the cut-over to the International Public Sector Accounting System (IPSAS) which is to become effective in 2015.
WHAT AKINWUNMI PROMISES LAGOSIANS AND EXPECTATIONS FROM HIM
“This day I pledge to you that I shall devote myself to bringing even greater prosperity, growth and development to every inch of this state.” This was a statement made by Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode on April 12, 2015, while delivering his acceptance speech at the APC secretariat in Lagos shortly after he had been declared the winner of the governorship election. This statement was to reassure the people of Lagos State of the eagerness and sincerity of Gov. Ambode in fulfilling the promises he has made to them during the period of electioneering.
According to his manifesto, Gov. Ambode promised to make Lagos work for everyone if he is elected into office. Prominent on the list of his promises are to ensure adequate security of lives and properties, enhancing economy, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Social Welfare and Good Governance.
The good people of Lagos State should not be bothered about the economy of the state, as our amiable Gov. Ambode has a robust plan of standardizing the economy. His agenda includes provision of jobs by establishing an Employment Trust Fund (ETF) with a commitment of N25bn in four years by his government. Gov. Ambode will utilize ETF in such a way that one billion naira will be accessed by each of the five divisions (Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe) in the State for the next four years. Also in his regime, Lagosians would witness the establishment of Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme and he has promised that this will be adequately managed by reputable stakeholders from the private sector, civil society in conjunction with government.
He has also promised to encourage Corporate Lagos to participate in the Employment Trust Fund and other areas of need that will help take our Youth off the streets, while also providing adequate security for local and foreign businessmen and women to operate without fear of investment losses.
Similarly, addressing regulatory matters on a fast-track basis with the aid of effective e-governance solutions for businesses will be one of the priorities of the new Lagos State governor.
On education, Gov. Ambode promised to continue the current schools renovation program state-wide to improve learning environment, upgrade libraries and create new ones into e-libraries in each LGA/LCDA in the State. He also promised that he would establish IBILE meal scheme in all our public schools and pay bursary for students in higher institutions and introduce scholarship into our Vocational and Technical Colleges. His administration also has plan to reposition Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State Polytechnic and other tertiary institutions in the state as global centers of academy and continue the current schools renovation program state-wide to improve learning environment.
With all the listed promises and many more made by Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagosians now look vividly into a more rewarding and fruitful future.
Now that Akinwunmi Ambode has been officially sworn-in as the 14th governor of Lagos State, it is very important to make a brief reference to things and events that aided his election victory.
One of those factors that aided his victory was the outstanding performance of the immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), who campaigned rigorously for Gov. Ambode. Many Lagosians had adjudged Governor Fashola outstanding. As a result of that, many of them cast their votes for Akinwwunmi Ambode to ensure the continuity of the good things that Gov. Fashola has done.
In the same vein, the roles played by National leader of All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the 2015 Lagos State gubernatorial election has really aided victory of Gov. Ambode. Beyond every reasonable doubt, the Jagaban, some strongly believe he is such a visionary leader who always wants the best for Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole. So to the latter, they are always ready to give a nod to whatever Tinubu says.
MEET AMBODE’S DEPUTY
Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, the deputy governor of Lagos State, was born in Lagos on November 27, 1970, to the family of Idowu-Esho of Ojo Alaworo in Ojo Local Government Area of the State
She began her early education at Awori College, Ojo. Thereafter, she proceeded on admission to the Lagos State University, Ojo, for a course that led to the award of Bachelor of Art in Education (B.A. Ed) degree in Islamic Studies in 1992. She was back at the same institution for a master’s degree (M.Ed) in curriculum studies and passed out successfully in 1997. Much later, she had a certificate in early childhood development curriculum and school administration and assessment from the Nigeria Institute of International Education Association in 2006. Still thirsting for knowledge, she enrolled and completed her doctorate degree (PhD) in curriculum studies in 2012, once again, at the Lagos State University.
Dr Adebule began her working career as an academic at Lagos State College of Primary Education (LACOPED), Noforija, Epe as a lecturer in the department of Religious Studies and later transferred her service to the Lagos State University as a lecturer in the department of curriculum studies and later language Arts and social studies in the faculty of Education.
While in the university, she served as member of various university committees which included, committee on establishment of LASU International Secondary School, LASU staff school monitoring committee, member, Association of Learners, and was the coordinator, LASU Sandwich Degree Programme, Osun State College of Education, Ilesha Campus.
Her political experience and sojourn began when she was appointed as a commissioner 1 in the Lagos State Post Primary Teaching Service Commission (PPTESCOM), now Teachers’ Establishment and Pensions Office, by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from October 2000 to February 2005 and later as board member of the Lagos State Scholarship Board from February 2005 to November 2005.
Dr. Adebule was appointed and sworn in as the Secretary to the State Government by the Governor of Lagos state, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) in July, 2011.
A consummate writer, Dr Adebule, has several local, national and international publications to her credit. These include, “Reading The Objective Of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria”, “The Imperative of Religion and peace in the Quest for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Plateau State Experience”, “The Effective Use of Educational Technology for Religious Teaching: Learning amongst Secondary Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria” to mention a few.
A wife, a mother, a mentor, a believer in the development of future leaders and a politician of repute, Dr Adebule’s interests include reading, travelling and community service.
Dear Mr. Ambode,
I like to congratulate you for winning the governorship election in Lagos. Your victory is one for the continuity of the rule of sanity, good governance and what is right in Lagos. However, the following are the mistakes your government must never make, if your party must not lose Lagos in the next election:
Don’t allow indiscipline, lawlessness, insecurity, frustration, dirty environment and socio-economic madness to come back to Lagos. LASTMA, KAI, LASSRA, OPMESA and co. were established to fight these tendencies, and so they must continue to operate.
2.Okada, Keke maruwa, danfo and molue operations must continue to be supervised and regulated. Traffic madness must not come back to our roads.
Naming ceremonies; family meetings and and markets must not return to the centre of our roads.
More and more dangerous zones; dark spots and idle places still existing around Lagos environment must continue to be reclaimed and transformed to useful public facilities.
The old Oshodi, Mushin, Oju Elegba, Ile zik, Isale Eko and co. must not come back to be terrorising Lagosians.
Those who want to live anyhow or constituting nuisance in the Lagos environment must continue to be resisted. Lagos is not a jungle and so must not be allowed to go back to that status.
Your government must continue to fight against any form of desecration of the Lagos environment. That very filthy and disorganised Lagos environment must not come back.
Areaboyism harrassment and gang war menace must not come back to Lagos.
Dark and dangerous night life must not come back to Lagos.
Beautification and reorganization of Lagos environment must continue. While every space in the Lagos environment must not be allowed to be markets and shops as some would want.
Most Lagosians, who voted for APC, voted for all these anti-social tendencies not to come back to Lagos. And I am one of them. Please, make sure your government does not allow them to come back.
Yours truly,
Olukayode Salako.
