Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who clocks 54 today, has hit the ground running, following his assumption of office. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the challenges before his administration and how he is trying to foster good governance in the Centre of Excellence.
The experience of the last 25 days has shown that Lagosians made a wise choice during the last governorship election. Young, dynamic and forward-looking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has demonstrated wit, competence and determination to succeed. Although he is yet to set up his cabinet of talents, it is evident that morning shows the day. The few appointments-Tayo Ayinde as Chief of Staff and Mrs. Folasade Jaji as Secretary to Government-have shown that his administration is taking shape.
As the governor clocks 54 today, there may be no time for merry making. He is likely to have a much busier day initiating, planning and executing. On his shoulders rest the care of almost 20 million Lagosians, a demography that has made the Centre of Excellence a mini-country shouldering enormous national, sub-regional and continental responsibilities. Expectations are high. So far, Sanwo-Olu has not disappointed the voters. His antecedents give the assurance that he will sustain the tempo to the end.
The next day after his inauguration, the governor swung into action. He signed an executive order on indiscriminate refuse dumping, traffic management and public works, based on the acknowledgment that the state has groaned under the yoke of filth, chaotic traffic situation and infrastructural deficit. The order on indiscriminate refuse duping is now being vigorously enforced. Also, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has been directed to operate a minimum of two shifts until 11.pm daily. In the same vein, the Office of Drainage Services in the Ministry of Environment has been directed to embarke on aggressive cleaning of secondary and tertiary drainage system to ensure the free flow of rainwater during the raining season. The governor also directed that the rehabilitation of bad roads should commence.
LASTMA is not to spare the road offenders. Nobody is above the law. “If my brothers or cabinet members breaks traffic laws, arrest them,” Sanwo-Olu said. The officials are also warned against bribery. To motivate them, the governor has increased their allowances by a hundred per cent. In the opinion of the governor, the public should continue to be enlightened and encouraged to be law abiding.
Sanwo-Olu has also expressed concern over the Apapa gridlock. Now, the federal and state governments are putting heads together on how to end the logjam. “Fixing the road in Apapa, completing the trailer park and deploying technology solutions that ensure we never have to experience the trailers nightmare again are critical for Lagos and the Federal Government,” he said after he and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) inspected the progress of work.
As the sixth elected governor of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu could be described as a man of destiny. Although no fewer than seven All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains were on the queue, the lot fell on the surveyor and banker-turned politician to be isolated from the pack and endorsed for the ticket by the ruling party. A year ago, he only focused on his job as the Managing Director of the Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSDPC). Little did he guess that he will be catapulted to the front burner.
To Lagosians, Sanwo-Olu is a round peg in a round hole. In the positions he held before becoming the governor, he had performed creditably. He is tested and trusted. As Special Adviser on Corporate Governance, Acting Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions, and LSDPC boss, he heft his marks. His greatest asset is his loyalty to the party, the government and people of Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu became a candidate to beat at the APC direct primary. As the Lagos APC family proposed change, he became the symbol of the clamour. The aged, youths, women and other stakeholders were falling upon one another to embrace his ambition and endorse his candidature. He understood the motivation for the intra-party agitation and yearnings of the party faithful. Thus, he summed them up under a big headline: inclusion. Sanwo-Olu visited all party leaders, party officers, elders, office holders, religious leaders, other Lagos opinion leaders, women groups, artisan, and peasants with a new message. In the party, he preached cohesion and unity. To Lagosians, he urged trust, confidence and faith in the ability of the ruling party to continue to deliver. He gave hope to the youths and reassure women that he will cater for their needs. Many people believe his promises and words of assurance. Lagosians took him serious.
Sanwo-Olu survived the odds during the electioneering, most especially the grand move by his main intra-party opponent to smear his name. An attempt to brand him as a liability through spurious allegations of inexplicable fraud and unstable mental state failed. Voters dismissed them as a tissue of lies. During the campaigns, the APC flag bearer waxed stronger through an uncanny display of ideas, wisdom, courage, persuasion, focus and reliance on the Almighty God.
The Sanwo-Olu campaign team, led by Ayinde, ran an effective intra-party campaign. Thus, on the day of the shadow poll, the coast was clear. A confident Sanwo-Olu was on the popularity scale radiating warmth. At the close of the poll, party members have spoken on where they were going. Ahead of th
Having secured the ticket, Sanwo-Olu was not carried away by the victory. He gazed at the general elections in sober reflection. His next task was to unite the fold as he urged members of the rival camp to put the primary behind them and join forces with him to win for APC. Sanwo-Olu called for understanding, dialogue and reconciliation, urging those who also sought party tickets during the parliamentary primaries not to lose hope. He ensured that they were co-opted into the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO).
The next hurdle was the campaign. It was not a tea party. The first rally at the Airway Ground, Ikeja was disrupted. But, necessity became the mother of invention. APC later opted for door-to-door campaigns, which were also effective. Sanwo-Olu and his team met all stakeholders across the five divisions of Lagos, Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu and Ikeja. He also held meetings with stakeholders across the tree senatorial districts. In all the places he went, he was hailed as the incoming governor.
The opponent, Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was a veteran contender. He looked formidable and ready to give a challenge. He fired salvos at the ruling party, party leadership and his main opponent. When APC chieftains described him as a familiar customers, he replied that a customer was king. But, the bravado was in vain. The PDP had become a fragile platform, following the gale of defections that hit it ahead of the poll. Reality dawned on the pharmacist-turned politician that the vehicle could not take him far. The handwriting was bold on the wall, although it was ignored during the campaigns. But, shortly before the announcement of results by the umpire, Agbaje called Sanwo-Olu to concede defeat and congratulate him. There was jubilation at the APC office along Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja as the flag bearer broke the news to party elders and leaders were in the office of the party chairman, Tunde Balogun
At 54, Sanwo-Olu becomes a vital national asset, state property and inheritor of a burden of history. Lagos is not a place where the governor can relax. All Nigerians have stake in Lagos. It is the economic hub. The population is huge. Thus, there is pressure on its social infrastructure. There is no family in Nigeria that is not represented in Lagos. Many think that Lagos is rich because of its over N30 billion Internally General Revenue (IGR). But, it may not be enough to fight the infrastructure battle. The hand of the Federal Government is heavy on the state. While over 75 percent of the Value Added Tax (VAT) is generated from Lagos, no percentage is conceded to the state. Neither has the Federal Government thought it fit to return its ‘seized’ landed property. While Niger Delta states enjoy financial assistance from the Federal Government, pleas for special economic assistance for Lagos have fallen on deaf ears.
Much is expected on Sanwo-Olu in the next four years. Many believe that he is prepared for the job. While he is also expected to build on the achievements of his predecessors, he should also learn from their shortcomings. His programme of action gives a ray of hope. During his inauguration, he promised to work for a “greater Lagos” through the implementation of “six pillars of development agenda.”
The pillars, which he described as the framework that encapsulates his vision, include traffic management and transportation, health and environment, education and technology, making Lagos as a 21st century economy, entertainment and tourism, and security and governance.
Sanwo-Olu said: “These six pillars of development represent our response to the yearnings of the people. They constitute the foundations that must be restored for future generations. Should we fulfil our promise and deliver on these pillars, we are most confident that we would have succeeded in setting Lagos on a new trajectory of economic growth and development that would be unprecedented in our entire history.”
Sanwo-Olu has promised to complete the on-going projects initiated by former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Thus, there will be no abandoned projects in Lagos.
The governor was born in June 25, 1965 in Lagos. He is a graduate of thecosmopolitan University of Lagos, Akoka, where he studied Surveying. He also attended the London Business School, the Lagos Business School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Sanwo-Olu earned an MBA degree from UNILAG. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) and Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD).
Sanwo-Olu is not a politician without a second address. He was the Treasurer at former Lead Merchant Bank from 1994 to 1997. He also worked with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as the Head of Foreign Money Market. At the First Inland Bank, Plc (now First City Monument Bank), he was a Deputy General Manager and Divisional Head. In private business, he was also a success. Sanwo-Olu was the Chairman of Baywatch Group Limited and First Class Group Limited. He was a board member of the Department for International Development (DFID/DEEPEN) Fund and Audit Committee of Caverton Offshore Services Group, PLC.
Since 2003, he had placed his hand on the plough and never looked back. Although he joined the Tinubu administration as a technocrat, when was appointed a Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to Pedro, he later learned the ropes. He served as Acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, and later, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in 2007. In 2007, he was appointed as Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions by former Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN). In 2016, Ambode appointed him as Managing Director/CEO of LSDPC. His achievements include the supervision of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Privatization Projects. He also played a great role in the setting up of the Lagos Security Trust Fund. He served as its pioneer board chairman. The LAGBUS System and the Control and Command Centre in Alausa were also part of his initiatives.
On September 16, last year, he threw his hat into the ring when he declared his intention to run for governor. He was endorsed by the Lagos APC Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the three senators from Lagos, House of Representatives and House of Assembly members from Lagos State. Later, another aspirant, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who is now deputy governor, withdrew from the race. After winning the primary on October 2, no fewer than 63 political parties, organisations and groups endorsed his candidature.
Sanwo-Olu is a recipients of many awards and honours. They include the Platinum Award from the Lagos State Public Service Club, 2009 Best in Human Capital Development award from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Merit award from the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Merit award from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management in Nigeria (CIPMN), Merit Award from the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), and LSDPC Impactful Leadership and Recognition Award.
Sanwo-Olu is married with children to Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.