Sanwo-Olu: his feats, style and constraints

As Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu celebrates his 56th birthday today, Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU examines his achievements, constraints and projections for development in the Centre of Excellence.

Despite the challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, economic recession, and #Endsars protests, Lagos State has been on the path of steady development under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

His mid-term score card showed that his administration has not derailed. Rather, the governor has worked hard to fulfill his campaign promises to Lagosians. The governor has promoted inclusion in the party, in the government and in the state.

As Sanwo-Olu celebrates his birthday today, he will still have a busy day. The burden of over 20 million diverse people of Lagos, a mini-country, rests on the shoulders of the model Incident Commander, who is leading the state to recovery across sectors.

The governor took off by unveiling his well articulated THEMES agenda,  which has remained the main thrust of the social contract between the government and people.

The acronym, THEMES, captured the expectations of the teeming population about the dividends of democracy.

THEMES is the acronym for Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Enviroment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism and Governance and Security. When he unfolded the agenda, he set the criteria for assessing his administration.

Traffic management and transportation are a major challenge of mega cities, where survival largely depends on unhindered intra-city transportation. This also have  implications for economic activities, health and security.

The state government decided to develop the three modes of transportation-roads, rail and waterways.

Sanwo-Olu also converted the state into a huge construction site. He embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of roads. He never abandoned any uncompleted projects.

Lauding his achievements, Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo said the governor has done the party and the state proud.

Oladejo also listed the roads completed by the administration in two years. They include

Oniru network network of roads, Ojokoro network of roads- 31 in number- the Pen Cinema fly-over, Agege, Oshodi/Abule-Egbe BRT corridor, Phases 1 & 2 of Badagry expressway, Lagos-Ogun boundary roads, 6 major junction improvements at Lekki1 & 2 , Ajah, Maryland, Ikotun and Allen Avenue. Jide Oki / Ade Adedina/ Olugbani streets in Iru/ Victoria Island, Ijegun-Egbe road and Ishuti road in Igando. St. Finbarrs road/Diya street in Yaba Iwaya road .

Others are 216 inner roads in the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs were rehabilitated.

On-going projects include the Lekki Regional Roads, Lekki-Epe expressway, Agric Isawo Road, Ikorodu, Bola Tinubu-Igbogbo-Imota Road, Ijede road, Oba Sekumade road and construction of 100 bus shelters, 78 of which have been completed.

The intra-city rail projects -the blue and the red lines- fall into the framework of mass transportation in the state. Sanwo-Olu is not relenting in his determination to turn the dream into reality.

The completion of the Lagos Rail Mass (LRMT) Blue Line Project ( Mile 2 – Marina) and the Red Line is expected to bring succour commuters.  It will save a lot of man hour and foster economic.

In the past two years, Sanwo-Olu commissioned over 600 buses under the Bus Rapid Transport system. He also launched the  500 First and Last Mile Buses. The goal is to provide 5000 FLM buses to cater for inner transportation and replace okada.

The waterways is now a safe and reliable mode of transportation.

LAGFERRY, the agency in charge of water transportation,  has 20 ferries plying various routes in the state.

The agency has 15 jetties under construction to boost its operations. They are located in Apaa, Badagry, VIP chalet, Badagry, Italy, Ajido, Badagry, Ilado, Amuwo- Odofin, Ilashe, Ojo, Ito Omu, Epe, Offin, Ikorodu, Takwa Bay, Eti-osa, Ijede waterfront, Ikorodu, Marina waterfront, Badagry, Oke-Ira Nla, Eti-Osa, Liverpool, Apapa, Ebute-ero, Lagos Island, Mile 2, Ijegun-Egba, Ojo.

The construction of a command and control center for the waterways and the procurement of search and rescue boats has enhanced safety on waterways.

The Covid-19 pandemic is challenging.

Lagos State, as the epicenter of the pandemic, responded to the enormous challenge.

Oladejo said: “The pandemic which crept in as the government was settling down, showcased the governor as a great manager of human and material resources. He displayed the expected political will to lead from the front and ensured the provision of the wherewithal to curtail the pandemic and reduce its impact.”

Sanwo-Olu’s performance has become a reference point in the management of a pandemic.

The state government is now better equipped and prepared to manage similar challenges in future in terms of technical know-how and availability of requisite infrastructure.

The government, through the Medical Project Implementation Unit (MPIU), has begun the upgrade of infrastructure in the state-owned facilities to build a resilient health-care and increase access to health.

The implementation cuts across the primary, secondary and tertiary health-care system.

The government has completed and equipped 2 Maternal and Childcare Centers (MCC) in Eti-Osa  and Badagry. Another 110-bed MCC has been recently completed in Epe.

The government renovated the Mainland hospital in Yaba with a future plan to converting it to an Institute of Research for Infectious Diseases.

The general hospitals at Apapa, Harvey road , Yaba , Isolo, Odan and Ebutte-Metta health Centre were renovated  for accessible health care delivery.

Presently, a 280 bed general hospital in Ojo and 150 bed New Massey Street Children’s hospital are under construction.

The construction of a 1,500 bed Psychiatric Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre at Ajidun has also been approved.

The state government in collaboration with the private sector has completed and handed over an oxygen plant at the Mainland and Gbagada General Hospitals. In the same vein, Triage and Oxygen Centres in 10 locations across the state have been delivered.

The welfare of health-care workers has also received attention with the construction of a 24 unit Doctors and Staff Quarters at Gbagada General Hospital.

At inception, the issue of the enviroment was a major challenge to the Sanwo -Olu  administration.

In two years, the state government has been able to re-energize and re- organize the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and the Private Sector Participation in Refuse disposal for cleaner Lagos.

The government launched the LAWMA Academy and expanded the Olusosun Dumpsite to 42 acres to accommodate more waste and ensure that trucks can have a quicker turnaround time.

The state government constructed collector drains at various locations across the state.

Trapezoidal channels and collector drains were also constructed to check the menace of incessant flooding.

Education and Technology take a prime position in the present administration. The state government is of the view that quality education is germane to the execution of its various developmental agenda.

Till date, the Sanwo-Olu administration has completed 1,097 projects in 970 schools across the state.

The government has provided blocks of classrooms, administrative offices, school furniture , laboratories and modern toilet facilities across the six Education Districts.

3000 teachers at both primary and secondary schools, were recruited and trained to join the State teaching workforce while those already in service were developed through continuous training to update their skills and knowledge with modern technology.

The state government signed an agreement with six private investors for the proposed LASU 8,272- units hostel.

The government implemented a 3,000km of metro fibre connection across the state to promote security. It also provided a fully digital mapping platform and an integrated end to end land administration system which includes integrated land automation system.

 

The Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), with start-up funds of $687,000 to drive investment in research and development of tech-focused solutions across the six pillars of the administration’s THEMES agenda was set up.

In two years, the Lagos State government has delivered 14 housing schemes, adding 7,000 affordable housing units to reduce deficit in the sector.

The projects which are situated across the state include Lateef Jakande Gardens , Igando, Lagos State Affordable Public Housing Scheme, Idale Badagry, LagosHoms Lekki Phase 2 and Babatunde Raji Fashola Estate, Courtland Villas, Igbokushu.

Other recently completed schemes are located in Odo Onisarutu Ayandelu, Agbosasa, Magodo/Omole, Gbagada and Ibeshe.

It is note-worthy that the homes are for both low and high networth individuals. The Lagos Mortgage Board has strengthened the “Rent to Own”  policy to provide many residents especially first-time home-owners with the desired opportunity.

There’s no gain- saying the commitment of the state government to grow the agricultural sector to promote food security. In line with this, the 5 years Agric road-map was launched.

879 farmers and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from the Lagos Agro-Processing, Prodctivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project.

The government created the Eko Farmers’  Market to deliberately provide  ready-made off-takers for farmers to dispose of their products on regular basis.

The Rice mill at Imota created 250,000 employment opportunities.

The government introduced a #1B Agric Value Chain Fund targeted at businesses that operate within the agric value chain.  The EndSars  protest, unfortunately , left in its wake unimaginable destruction and developmental set-back. The negative inpact of the pandemic on the economy and livelihood took a prime position of concern in the governance of the state.

Mr. Governor, rather than brood on the colossal losses rallied the citizenry to rebuild, regain and restore the state. The sheer audacity of the leadership naturally attracted support from all and sundry across the nation. The state is not only on course for restoration but looks to end up in the fullness of time like the proverbial palace destroyed by an inferno. The State Government has extended its milk of kindness to mitigate personal and corporate losses.

The Lagos State government underscored its humane nature with the various impactful empowerment and poverty alleviation programs.

3,673 businesses were supported with #1.156B and a plethora of interventions including grants, mentorship, business advisory, capacity building and market access opportunities.

1,835 businesses were supported with #939.97M and saved a total of 10,000 direct jobs and 40,020 indirect jobs via the MSME Recovery Fund which was an intervention program to cushion the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the EndSars protest.

The Lagos Economic Acceleration Programme (LEAP) to reduce the effects of the pandemic on small businesses.

A #5B EduFund in partnership with First Bank Plc and EdFin FMB and a #1B fund targeted at businesses in the tourism, hospitality, entertainment, arts and culture sectors was set up.

The security of lives and property of Lagosians remains one of the most important pillars of the THEMES agenda.

We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the government towards tackling the challenge of insecurity in the state. It’s noteworthy that the novel Lagos State Security Trust Fund remains the rallying point for the provision of the  requisite support for the security agencies in the state. The provision of operational vehicles , communication gadgets and other logistics has no doubt made Lagos State the safest in the country.

We align with the government efforts to tackle the menace of okada riders whose mode of operation, lawlessness, threat to lives and general well-being can no longer be tolerated. We affirm that true development can only be achieved in a stable , secured and peaceful environment.

We affirm that security and safety remain the business of all and sundry especially at a time like this. The commitment to increase the manpower of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Watch and equip them accordingly is a step in the right direction.

The Lagos State government under Governor Jide Sanwoolu has become the reference point for good, focused, impactful, inclusive, responsible , responsive , innovative and humane governance.

We are indeed convinced that Lagos State is in safe hands.

He is indeed the man for the season.

As a party, we are proud that you have kept faith as our flag-bearer and on course to fulfill our progressive manifestos to the delight of all Lagosians.

As the second half begins, we are convinced that all projects will be completed and more impactful policies , programs and projectswill be implemented as you finish strongly.

We can as well start preparing to add the appellation  “Your Excellency “ to your name which you have earned in words and deed. Without an iota of  doubt, your name will go down in history as the governor who took over at an unusual