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Lagosians list expectations for new government
The emergence of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu as the Governor-Elect in Lagos has generated robust discussions in the state on policy direction and priority sectors that should be addressed. LAGOS INDICATOR engaged business leaders and residents in the state on their expectations from the incoming administration.
Building On A Solid Foundation
In the opinion of Chairman Mt. Sinai Hospital Dr. Charles Fadipe, the dreams of the founding father of Lagos State are gradually becoming real.
Dr Fadipe recalls that the agitation for the creation of Lagos State in the late 60s was to rescue the Centre of Excellence from the slavery mentality that only foreigner had the magic wand to produce good things.
“There is no doubt that the development has been so massive. Development in Lagos State has been going very fast which is good. Lagos State health sector has moved as fast as it should be. You cannot compare the state’s health sector to that of many other states. I had an operation done in the Gbagada General Hospital and I was very impressed with the doctors there.
Ever since the return to civil rule in 1999, successive Lagos government has continued to flirt with the idea of making Lagos a so-called megacity with the requisite infrastructure and providing quality of life. True to that desire, the government has always left no one in any doubt as regards its noble intention. Huge investments in various directions and massive overhaul of infrastructures targeted at rebranding Lagos have remained top priorities. From one administration to the other, the focus has been the same.
Starting with the trail blazer Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a new wave of purposeful governance in Nigeria began. A pact between the World Bank and the Lagos government sparked off the rehabilitation of roads most of which before then were in various states of disrepair. Visionary leadership also led to the formation of various agencies such as LASTMA, LAWMA, LASEPA and others to handle different projects. With such concerted effort aimed at job creation for thousands of formerly unemployed youths, everyone began to feel the impacts and the dividends of democracy.
If however there was someone who sought to make Lagos a megacity in just a matter of weeks, that man was no other than former governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. Before he came on the scene, the little known about him was that he was the Chief of Staff to the man who handed power to him. But as soon as he took over, Fashola seemed bent on not only building on the success of his predecessor but also surpassing it. To achieve that, he launched a tax campaign that soon became his logo. Also to have a properly secured Lagos, he appealed to various state-based companies to subscribe to his new security arrangement and with the encouraging response he got, he soon signed a security pact with the Nigerian police and the military. Since then it would appear that most of the armed robbers who formerly terrorised Lagos had relocated.
Akinwunmi Ambode adopted a more humane approach demonstrated by removing the Vehicle Inspection Officers from the roads, even if temporarily, putting LASTMA in proper check and restricting the activities of the Federal Roads Service Corps to the fringes. The massive construction and opening of new roads in all local council areas has further reduced the stress experienced by Lagosians in the past, and even though at present many Lagos roads are in different states of disrepair, most of the citizens trust the present government to swing into action as soon as the rains are gone.
A Renewed Vision For Prosperity
In his campaign speech titled: “My Story, Our story. The Lagos Story- the Lagos of our dream beckons,” recalled his fond memories of Eko as a bustling metropolitan city with a thriving economy, attracting all tribe and tongue from other parts of Nigeria, even West Africa.
“Yes there was and is, something special about Lagos,” he said.
“I saw it in my parents too, the love for Lagos and how they toiled to give us the best. This relentless pull at the strings of success, I found in our visionaire, our mentor, our pride, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, when I began my sojourn in the civil service. Upon meeting Asiwaju, I recognized in him, that same quality, I saw and took from my parents that love for Lagos, that commitment to achieving excellence, the spirit of sacrifice for the greater good. I saw the clairvoyance about the possibilities in the future yet unknown, the third eye for and of vision for great talent.
These qualities became Babajide Sanwo-olu’s driving force through his service in the public and private sectors. They challenged him to think outside the box, when he served on those boards. They made him roll up his sleeves, when the state was confronted with tasks of solving problems for the collective good of public sector workers.
Those qualities, the governor-elect believed, have prepared him for the mandate. “What is he bringing to the table? He brings passion, determination, honesty, resilience, hard work, inspiration, inclusiveness, tolerance, commitment to the true spirit of Lagos.
As Governor of Lagos state, the structures Tinubu left behind in our public institutions have served as a template for the socio-economic development of Lagos, now studied and adopted in the southwestern part and other regions in Nigeria. His successors have undoubtedly built on the blueprint and Lagos today remains the cynosure of all, with the highest IGR, the highest non-oil revenue contributor to the national purse, and the trail blazer in economic developmental strides in Nigeria.
Indeed, Lagos is the land of dreams, the land of opportunities that provide the pedestal that turns dreams into reality. Indeed, it is said about Lagos, that non indigenes come into the city in droves to settle, because you can at least make a hundred naira a day, an amount enough to feed, if you’re not lazy. But beyond that, Lagos is so much more than survival.
The spirit and soul of Lagos is that of hardwork, resilience, determination, of hope and faith in possibilities, where there had been doubt, the spirit of success and fulfilled dreams. “It’s time to roll up our sleeves and collectively, work to ensure that Lagos works for us, as much as we work for it. To take Lagos from the wrung of profitability on the success ladder, to the wrung of greatness, Sanwo-olu concluded.
Lagos Residents Set New Agenda
Some Lagos occupants and business leaders have urged the governor-elect Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and incoming lawmakers to make welfare of the people their priority when they assume office.
A primary school teacher, Mr Timileyin Adenekan, said that the elected candidates should endeavour to keep various promises they made during campaigns and make citizens’ well-being their major concern.
Adenekan said: “The elected candidates should not concentrate or allocate all resources to construction of bridges, but they should also invest in agriculture to ensure food sufficiency for people. “They should also consider people that live below poverty line, and they should ensure payment of civil servants salaries as and when due.”
Mr Kunbi Oguneye CEO, Alpha Fortress who voted at the Ipewu/Mekunwen Ireti Primary School Polling Unit, Ikoyi emphasised infrastructure which he saw as critical to a state with a population of over 20 million people.
He advised Sanwoolu to invest in human capital development, which would cover healthcare and education. For him the healthcare service in Lagos, should be one that will provides opportunity for improved infant mortality.
“People should have access to first and secondary healthcare services in times of emergency and first aid attention in the event of minor injuries” Oguneye said.
On his part Mr Rotimi Oyekan, CEO of Phoenix Global Capital said, “I don’t think it is possible to solve all the problems in four years, but work should start in earnest on managing the chaotic urban slums that have spread in the state”
Oyekan called on the Sanwoolu administration to concentrate on providing infrastructure to inner city parts of the state, thereby encouraging sustainable economic activities outside central city locations within the state.
Mr Pelumi Baba, an artist, urged Sanwo-Olu to work on the education sector and improve lives of people at the grassroots. He advised him to keep his campaign promises and manifesto, which earned him the people’s votes.
Mr Tayo Oviosu Founder, Paga said, the big issues that the Sanwoolu administration must address including providing jobs, expanding the economy, and creating an enabling environment for businesses, is the multiplicity of taxes in various parts of Lagos and harassment by local officials on dubious “small” taxes.
Oviosu also made a case for improved healthcare service for Lagosians and reduced traffic congestion within the metropolis, which has had a major impact on productivity and quality of life within the state.
Mr Onome Ogagame CEO, OG Stream Limited, said the Sanwoolu administration must be accountable to the citizens of the state. He insisted that the Lagos economy needs to grow and the government needs to be transparent in administering the economy. He called on the Governor-elect to lead an inclusive government that does not discriminate against ethnic group or religion.
Mr Dan Ngerem former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and CEO, Henstem Trust Group speaking on his expectation of the Governor-Elect emphasized the need for strategic and connected infrastructure in the state.
“The government should provide infrastructure first and then people can move in and build property. Lagos is like four African countries put together, and is a powerful City that should take a cue from New York or London” Ngerem said.
Mr Godwin Idamarhare, a drycleaner, said that he would like the incoming governor to deal with unemployment, food shortage and bad roads in the state. At the federal level, he said that the fight against corruption should be intensified and those found wanting should be prosecuted.
Mr Francis Duru, a photographer and graphic designer, said newly elected candidates at both state and federal levels should try their best not to make life difficult for commoners, and strive to achieve better than their predecessors.
“Government should invest in the economic sector to provide employment and improve standard of living in the country,’’ he said.
