Why Gov. Sanwo-Olu Disappointed Lagosian In His One Year In Office – Adekunle Badmus

On Friday May 29, 2020, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State celebrated one year in office. To commemorate the event, a number of programmes were executed with the commissioning of few inherited projects.

During the week-long ceremonies, Mr. Governor embarked on virtual and on-site commissioning of Housing, Education, Transportation and Road projects in fulfillment of his promises to renew infrastructure in critical sectors of the economy.

To mark the first year anniversary of his administration, Sanwo-Olu commissioned 264 units of flats in Lekki, an inherited project from his predecessors, which became the highly celebrated achievement by the government.

Speaking at the official commissioning of two different estates in the Ikate Elegushi and Lekki area of the State, on Thursday, less than 24 hours to the first year anniversary of his administration, Sanwo-Olu said his government is positioned to bring about even development to every part of the State with a view to making Lagos achieve the 21st Century economy.

The governor said the project is a manifestation of his administration’s much-touted need for public-private partnerships, which he said would be encouraged in all sectors of governance to bring rapid growth and mutual benefits to all parties.

He said: “We need to continue to genuinely think of affordable housing, and that is our commitment for our people, because it’s not everybody that will have the ability to pay for housing estates such as this. Therefore, we must give them opportunities for installment payment so as to make it affordable and accessible for them.

“I inherited this amongst several other projects and the critical challenge we had to contend with was lack of funds. To surmount this challenge, we had to look towards the private sector and adopted the public-private partnership (PPP) model. It was then that we were able to mobilize the needed funds and put life back to the construction site.

In the Education sector, the governor conducted virtual commissioning of completed classroom blocks in Maya Secondary School, Ikorodu; Eva Adelaja Junior School, Bariga; and Saviour Primary School, Ifako-Ijaiye, among others.

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The virtual commissioning of completed works such as the Concrete Jetty in Baiyeku, Ikorodu; the Aradagun – Ajido – Epeme Road in Badagry; and the Maryland Signalisation Project also formed part of the Governor’s itinerary to commemorate one year in office.

However, as a reputable media platform, we owe our readers, followers and Lagosians generally a duty to critically look into what the incumbent governor of Lagos celebrated as achievement in his one year in office.

The anniversary programmes began at the J.J.T Park in Alausa, with Press Briefings by members of the Executive Council. The Honourable Commissioners and Special Advisers presented their scorecards in tandem with the six pillars of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda.

Highlighted above are the key projects the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu showcased to Lagosians who came out in their numbers to vote him into power during the last general elections.

For observers in Lagos, except in the last two months of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the governor has not lived up to expectations of Lagosians most especially in the areas of infrastructures.

The above listed projects commissioned by Sanwo-Olu were the projects started and completed by Babatunde Fashola but were not commissioned as confirmed by the governor himself.

What Sanwo-Olu referred to as his achievements in his one year in office could not in any way be compared to what his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode commissioned after his first year not to talk of Babatunde Fashola.

In his first year, the former Governor, Akinwumi Ambode commissioned a total of 9 roads within the Apapa Business District, Ultra-modern Liverpool Jetty, 12 blocks of classrooms at Methodist Nursery and Primary School and 4 block of classrooms at Arakan Barracks Nursery and Primary School with standard facilities such as modern toilets, sick bay, furniture, ceiling fans, ramps to accommodate the physically challenged pupils among others.

Specifically, the road commissioned are Marine Road, Bombay Crescent, Randle Road, Ibikunle Akintoye Street, Commercial Road, Burma Road, Plateau Road, Zeek Avenue, Marine Road Extension and Connector Road; otherwise known as Bombay Crescent to Calcutta Road Phase III. The roads were designed to accommodate walkways, street light and drainage system.

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In Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government, Former Governor Ambode commissioned an Ultra-modern Court Complex and a 360-meters interlocking road with drainage situated in Aduke Street.

Ambode in Ikorodu on his first year anniversary represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Babatunde Adejare, commissioned an Ultra-modern shopping complex at the popular Sabo Market.

He also commissioned the Ota-Ona Dual Carriage Road as well as blocks of classrooms in Agbede, all in Ikorodu.

At Badagry, the Governor who was represented by the Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemo commissioned a block of 16 classrooms and another block of 8 classrooms, as well as 6 classrooms in Badagry West Local Council Development Area.

At Kosofe, Governor Ambode represented by his Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Oluseye Oladejo commissioned road projects at Oladele, Shoyebi and Ademola Taiwo/Alamu Taiwo/Ogunsola Streets.

In his first year alone, the former Governor started and completed a total of 114 LG roads, while his successor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu could only boast of one road project in Badagry local Government, the signalization project in Maryland, completed blocks of classrooms in Ikorodu, Bariga and Ifako-Ijaye, the projects which were executed by local governments.

From a reliable source, the road Sanwo-Olu commissioned in Ajido was also constructed by Ambode. The only project his government initiated so far are the Lekki and Allen roundabout which are yet to be completed till now.

To mention but few, when former Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola celebrated one year in office, there was a marked improvement in health sector particularly in the area of curative, preventive and infrastructural development, which brought about massive development in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and General Hospital in the metropolis.

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Also in education, very notable was the free education and free text books that was enjoyed by pupils in public schools across the state and the construction of modern classrooms which were of international standard.

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Other areas that received massive boost in Fashola’s 365 days in office included the transport, environment, judiciary, crime management, housing and economy. All of these were popular projects that won the title “Eko Fashola” and “Lagos is working” for him.

Fashola in one year also completed the rehabilitation of Ajah Ogombo road, which was started by his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among other roads constructed.

To the observers, that is another notable failure on the side of Sanwo-Olu, particularly his approach to ensure continuity in governance.

Fashola, keeping pace with continuity had ensured speedy completion of the BRT project initiated by his predecessor.

But Mr. Sanwo-Olu on his part jettisoned continuity and still failed to complete the upgrading of Allen roundabout and Lekki roundabout which are his only projects.

The known fact remain that all the projects commissioned by Mr. Sanwo-Olu are projects started and completed by Mr. Fashola which Akinwumi Ambode failed to hand over.

Despite lacking in continuity like Sanwo-Olu, Akinwunmi Ambode eventually left many laudable projects uncompleted. It was expected that Mr. Sanwo-Olu would continue some of these projects considering the huge Lagos taxpayers’ money invested in them.

However, after 12 months, many of these projects are still at the stage they were in 2019.

Some of these projects which will suffer if Sanwo-Olu continues with his zero interest in continuity include: The City Light Rail Project, Pen Cinema Bridge in Agege and Iyana Ipaja road, Light Up Lagos Power Project and the Cleaner Lagos Initiative. Some of these projects have slowed down since the beginning of this administration leaving residents of Lagos with uncertain hope.

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