By Olufemi Oyedele
SIR: In 2019, shortly before his inauguration as the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said he would work assiduously to deliver the dividends of democracy to the good people of the state. He made the pledge in Ikeja while speaking at his victory party organised by the Independent Campaign Group (ICG) – a group that drove his campaign.
The governor said he would proffer solutions to the nagging problem of traffic gridlock and deal with the issue of waste management decisively. These he has judiciously taken care of by reforming the traffic separation at our junctions to take more vehicles, constructing 970 roads, rehabilitating 650 inner roads and introducing intra-state rail system in Lagos State. The two high-speed trains for Lagos State bought by the governor is unprecedented in West Africa. The Sea Crossing Beam and Light Rail Terminal have given better narratives. The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Highway Managers are given strict attention in order to make Lagos State a clean city to live and work. No wonder, not less than 150,000 people relocate to Lagos every month. He also said his administration would give the education and health sectors as well as the other critical sectors the attention they deserve. There have been more quality school buildings and hospitals.
Sanwo-Olu said his government would prioritise the welfare of workers and other residents of the state. Sanwo-Olu has engaged more youths than any other state in Nigeria. His youth empowerment programme through the Ministry of Wealth Creation has given support to youths to start their on business. He added that his administration would invest massively in infrastructure to make life better for all residents. He completed bridges started by his predecessor, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, at Pen Cinema, Agege; Lekki-Epe Exressway at VGC and Ajah and constructed 15 bridges in all. Sanwo-Olu said hard work would be the driving force of his administration and that he would work relentlessly to meet the expectations of the masses. The Opebi-Ojota Link bridge is ongoing and the Fourth Mainland Bridge from Abraham Adesanya Junction to Ikorodu has been launched. He has lived up to this promise.
The hardworking Governor is seeking his second term as governor. All he requests is the continuous support oaf Lagos residents to ensure that “A Greater Lagos” continues to rise to the next level. To manage a mega-city like Lagos State is not a child’s play. We have seen over time that it takes experience and understanding of the development structure put in place by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for any leader to lead Lagos successfully. With Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president, one can only imagine the benefits of Lagos State if it is governed by Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu/Femi Hamzat.
It is true that Lagos State is not yet the state of our dream, but it has the largest number of shopping malls in Nigeria; it is the sixth biggest economy in Africa, it has the most populous civil service in Nigeria and it has the largest number of roads and road-users in Africa.
Apart from the Fourth Mainland Bridge which Governor Sanwo-Olu has already started, we need underground roads, parks and 24/7 electricity. We also need public administrators who can sustain the established legacy in Lagos. The state can best be described as a “Work in Progress”. Sanwo-Olu and his running mate Hamzat are in better stead to take Lagos to the next level. With the continuation of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the governor of Lagos State, a greater Lagos beckons.