By Oyebola Owolabi
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa, and other stakeholders, have renewed strategies to rebuild Lagos in the aftermath of Coronavirus outbreak and the #EndSARS protest.
They spoke on Friday at the 16th Executive/Legislative Parley at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme ‘A Consensus Agenda for Rebuilding Lagos’.
They also urged the people to renew their minds positively so they can have a change of attitude which will help them manage and utilise public infrastructures well.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the parley provided the opportunity to set agenda for the state’s future. ‘’It is to sustain our Lagos and put it on a pedestal growth in the next 10 to 30 years’, he said.
The governor lamented that ‘the #EndSARS protest grounded social and economic activities, and led to unimaginable destruction of public infrastructure and private properties’.
He said: “As the epicenter of the pandemic in Nigeria, Lagos was not left out of the lockdowns and this adversely affected the socio-economic life of our people. It also slowed down our efforts at infrastructural development and poverty alleviation.
“We were able to control the situation with the help of God and a resilient citizenry. We have no alternative than to rebuild Lagos, and with a sense of urgency at that. To do this, all stakeholders must come together to share experiences and proffer solutions. To rebuild Lagos is to rebuild ourselves; to rebuild Lagos is to rebuild our infrastructures. This is what informed the choice of the theme of this parley. We need to share ideas on how best to rebuild and reposition Lagos.
“However, beyond the immediacy of these disruptive events of 2020, it is important for us all to think and plan for the long-term future of Lagos. We were at the 18th Lagos Economic Summit, tagged ‘Ehingbeti 2021’, to chart a path towards accelerating the sustainable growth of Lagos over the next decade. In addition to making this long-term planning, we must also ensure that we follow through in terms of implementation.
“We have composed a Rebuilding Committee, which has since begun work. The Executive and Legislature must work together to ensure the rebuilding of Lagos is done urgently and efficiently. Our people want the government to work for them; they don’t make any distinctions between the Executive and the Legislature, as far as they are concerned, we are all public officials elected to deliver on the mandate of efficient governance. There is no room for making excuses or blaming another arm of government for the inability to deliver. It is up to us to ensure that though we are separate and independent, we are always on the same page and constantly resolving whatever issues and differences we have…”
On the much expected fourth Mainland Bridge, Sanwo-Olu said though the bridge was not part of his campaign promises, the project would be implemented.
“We did not promise the fourth Mainland Bridge during our campaign,. but we will build it. We shall lay the foundation before the end of the year,” he added.
Gbajabiamila, who described nation-building as a joint task, said: “We need unity across all arms of government. This unity does not mean one arm being subservient to the other. This parley is an opportunity for us to deliberate on how to move the state forward, give an honest appraisal of our loss, and what should be done to prevent a recurrence.” He added that every stakeholder must strive to ensure that the electoral promises are delivered to the people.
Obasa urged the organizers to sustain the annual programme, saying there was a need to engage policymakers and ensure further interactions.
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