LASU renames longest road after Jakande

The longest road at the Lagos State University (LASU) has been rechristened: ‘Dr Lateef Kayode Jakande Road.

Jakande was the first civilian governor of Lagos.

The road stretches from LASU main gate, courses through the Eyo masquerade junction, up to Faculty of Management and then the students’ hostel at the extreme.

The honour was done to the patriarch as part of strings of celebrations for his 90th birthday celebrations.

 Jakande, it would be recalled, as the Lagos State governor, mooted the LASU initiative in 1981.

The university eventually kicked off in 1983 after necessary procedures had been fine tuned.

The commissioning was preceded by a lecture courtesy of the university’s Faculty of Arts.

It was themed: ‘Lateef Kayode Jakande: A phenomenon of administration‘.

Speaking at LASU main auditorium, the guest speaker Prof. Hakeem Danmole from Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, said no government in Lagos State has been able to touch the lives of the people in short period like Jakande.

Describing Jakande as a ‘man of integrity and honesty’, Danmole reiterated the former governor’s achievements are yet to be equalled, urging authorities in Lagos to toe his legacies.

Read Also: 10 facts about Lateef Jakande at 90

Danmole said: “Governors have ruled in Lagos State yet we can say it anywhere that no government has been able to touch the lives of our people like Alhaji Jakande has done.

“He was fit enough to become the governor back then because he worked in Lagos unlike the accidental leaders we have everywhere.

“Jakande knew every part of the state and worked started immediately he assumed office.

“I describe him as a man of integrity if not, he wouldn’t have achieved all these greatness. Only few politicians have that integrity today.

“Alhaji Jakande worked hard to achieve all he wanted. He is someone who believes in studying before embarking on any project.

“We know what Lagos used to be back then before his emergence as governor. Isolo was not connected to Ijegun, Iba was not connected to LASU, VI was connected to Epe and others like that. And in four years after achieving all that, he did not name anything after himself.

“I will advise the Lagos State government and other politicians to emulate him and learn to study what Jakande has done.

“They should also learn to study any project well before embarking on them with integrity and honesty for us to move forward,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor of LASU Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun, said Jakande, epitomises what public servant should represent.

One of Jakande’s friends and confidants Hon. Adekunle Ali, described the celebrant as a reference point in contemporary Nigeria politics.

He said: “Nobody can discuss modern politics in Nigeria without making a reference to his period. For only 51 months, Jakande achieved all he did by transforming everything for good and bringing this institution to existence.”