Hakeem Bamgbola is a commissioner in the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) and a two-term council chairman and secretary of the state’s umbrella body of local council chairmen, otherwise known as Conference 57. He spoke with TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO on next year’s general election and why Lagosians will return Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a second term
Going by what has happened in the last three-and-a-half years, do you think Lagosians will give Governor Sanwo-Olu a second term?
The governor deserves a second term in office. He has done so well in terms of structure and developing Lagos State. We can see the ongoing road construction and rehabilitation, the drainages and the issues of transportation, especially on trains. You can see that in most of the major areas like Yaba, Oyingbo, Airport, and Agege, they are building terminals for the operation of the Blue Line and Green Line. Even the one that is meant to run from Mile 2 to CMS is ongoing and he promised completion by December. The governor has also done well in the area of education. More developmental projects are ongoing in various state’s higher institutions. Recent, he promised 250 hostel beds for the newly established Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and provided some buses for them. In terms of support to Lagos State Universities, you can see that he has done so well. You can go to LASUTH, which is one of the best in Africa today; people go there from various states. So for me, Lagosians would gladly come out and support Governor Sanwo-Olu for a second term. I am very sure of that, we don’t have any opposition. The man that is contesting under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), we know him, he is our brother, and he still has a lot to learn. For us for now, the Governor is the only man to beat in Lagos State.
Why is it difficult for the PDP to defeat APC in Lagos?
I think we should give the credit to our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It is the foundation that he laid. It is because of the long and short-term plans that Asiwaju laid; the succeeding governors followed that path; that’s why Lagos is moving forward and opposition parties finding it difficult to displace APC. Lagosians will continue to support the government of APC because the party has done so well. We all know it and the people also know it. People still believe in our government, hence the victories we’ve been recording at the polls. Credits should be given to Governor for not derailing from the path of progress laid down by Asiwaju Tinubu and that has helped him focus on the actual needs of Lagosians.
The state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has been on a steady increase since Asiwaju Tinubu re-engineered it. It has been beneficial to the civil servants in terms of prompt payment of salaries and Lagosians in the areas of infrastructure development and provision of basic amenities. For instance, look at the housing scheme projects. Thousands of Lagos residents are now living in conducive environments without paying through their noses. Lagos State does not wait for Federal allocation before paying salaries, pensions and gratuities. So everybody is happy with the government of Lagos State.
How is the commission replicating what the governor is doing at the state level for the local government workers?
There is no substitute for having vibrant government workers if we want to achieve meaningful development. And that is why in the local government service commission, various trainings are going on to broaden the knowledge of our workers. We want very energetic and hardworking workers. Every quarter, we organise trainings for our workers at different levels. Of recent, we have done promotional exams for them. We are also equipping them with technical know-how to be efficient in service delivery. We are changing the face of local government in line with the governor’s THEMES agenda.
What should Lagosians be expecting if Governor Sanwo-Olu returns for a second term?
I assure Lagosians that they will get the best of service from this government and from the governor. He is a highly innovative and hardworking governor. As I said, the governor is daily ruminating and coming out with great programmes and initiatives for the progress of Lagos State. Lagosians should expect that we will do more in terms of delivering the dividends of democracy.
The state government will continue to invest massively in Information Communication Technology (ICT), education, agriculture, infrastructure and other things that would make life meaningful for Lagosians. On security, I can assure you that Lagos State is the only state that is safe for anybody to move around and that is why we praise the efforts of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.