The Lagos State Government has put in place a government that is
genuinely committed to managing the state resources for the common
good of all. Wherever you go in Lagos, you can see the administration
of Babatunde Fashola at work without seeing his face on billboards. He
is quietly charting a new course for the State without ranting about
it. His work simply speaks for him. There is a general consensus
across the land that government is working for the good of the people
in Lagos.
In Lagos, capital expenditure is given prominence over re-current
expenditure as only 30% of the budget is committed to the latter and
the results are there for all to see. New blocks of classrooms are
springing up in public schools, books are given freely to public
schools' pupils and students while government has continued to pay the
NECO exam fees of SSS3 students in the public schools even as it has
continued to employ hundreds of them for holiday jobs to avoid the
idle hands syndrome through the youth empowerment programme, new
roads and bridges are being constructed and commissioned while
existing ones are being re-habilitated in different locations of the
state with quality delivery being the watchword, first class health
facilities now adorn most of the public hospitals.
Similarly, over seven years arrears of the state pensioners money were
paid, the Operation Green Lagos project has transformed the
environmental landscape, against all odds the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
system has become a relative success as its scope of operations is
being expanded to other parts of the state, there is renewed genuine
efforts to transform the rural areas through provision of access
roads, electricity and water. Equally, new sporting facilities have
been provided across the state while more opportunities for employment
now abound for all.
Despite the relative success of his administration, the Governor is
not resting on his oars. Fashola has the right kind of vision. His
dream of a new Lagos transcends the present. He wants to build a Lagos
that is similar to reputable international cities like London, Mumbai,
Istanbul, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Delhi, Dubai, Bangkok, and Cairo among
others. Fashola's government is working with the Organized Private
Sector (OPS) to realize the $1.5 billion Lagos Energy City Project as
well as the audacious $3.5 billion Atlantic City Project which intends
to accommodate over 250,000 Lagosians who are to live and work in the
city.
Part of the objective for bringing the city on board is to relieve
the pressure on the ever enlarging population of the state. Equally,
the emerging city is expected to overturn the ecological harm on
Victoria Island and environs brought about by years of coastline
erosion
Also, the ongoing construction of the Lekki Free Trade Zone is another
project offering tremendous developmental opportunities for the state.
Already, a Chinese firm has taken up 1000 hectares of the 6000
hectares of land available at the Zone for the establishment of
industrial enterprises. Equally, the Managing Director of Jianging
Industrial Zone in China, Mr. Yang and the Chinese Ambassador to
Nigeria , have visited the zone while over 40 Chinese firms have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State Government
for the establishment of Industrial Park and City, which will be known
as "China City.
Perhaps more significant is Fashola's success in tapping into the
resources of the business community in Lagos, the commercial hub of
the country. Lagos State has cleaned up its finances to the point
where it can now convince investors to take up a series of bond offers
designed to raise N275bn to fund infrastructure works. Nigeria's fast-
growing banks, demonstrating their belief in the Fashola government,
snapped up the initial tranche of 50bn naira to pay for government's
bid to transform the state' infrastructure.
A leader is not successful until he has gotten for himself worthy
successors. Therefore, the success account of the Fashola's
administration is a critical lesson in progressive political
engineering. As the Fashola administration approach the final lap of
its mandate, there is reason to believe that, no part of the state
will be left untouched in its developmental efforts.
This is what the people wanted. This is what they voted for. This is
what they deserve.
Eko o ni baje o…
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