For the 28th consecutive time since the inception of his administration in 2007, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, Tuesday again rendered an account of the robust achievements of his administration even as he described the claims and allegations of the opposition against his Government as “bold and stark ignorance“.
Addressing a distinguished audience comprising former Governors, retired and serving public servants, members of the Organized Private Sector, Traditional Rulers, Party Chieftains and other eminent Lagosians, Governor Fashola said from the comments its representative has made concerning the economy of the State, it was clear that the ruling party’s governorship candidate in the state was both ignorant and inexperienced.
Beginning from the State Budget, which he described as an Article of Faith, the Governor expressed disgust that with a report of 83 percent performance of the 2014 Budget, the opposition’s Candidate still displayed so much ignorance about budgeting when he said the State Government spends three percent on education.
He said although the Candidate later said the 3 percent was for primary education, he was still wrong pointing out that Primary Education was “a constitutional responsibility of the Local Governments” and their total expenditure on salaries of teachers, building and repair of schools alone was well above three percent.
Expressing satisfaction that the budget implementation impacted all sectors of the economy including public power and electricity supply, which are even outside the responsibility of the State Government, Governor Fashola declared, “Every serious and self-respecting Lagosian must see not only the ignorance of that candidate but his lack of experience and preparation”.
Giving an overview of the activities of his administration in the last 100 Days beginning with electricity supply, Electricity supply, the Governor said his administration completed the public lighting on 11 kilometres of road network between Ikorodu Road, Jibowu and Murtala Mohammed Way up to Oyingbo on October 24, 2014 adding that the project would improve night driving, security and night economy and commerce.
According to him, “This will benefit motorists who drive at night, improve security in the area, and afford traders an opportunity to trade late into the night and earn extra income as we have seen in other areas like Obalende, Oshodi, Alimosho, Bariga and Somolu, where we have intervened, with street lighting”.
Governor Fashola said on October 29, 2014, his administration also commissioned the 4th IPP since 2007, the Mainland Independent Power Plant, which according to him, is dedicated to serve the Ikeja High Court, the Ikeja Magistrate Court, Ikeja Water Works, the State Police Command and LASUTH and the teaching hospital adding that in so doing, the 2014 budget has impacted healthcare, access to justice, water supply and security.
Other achievements in the Power Sector in the last 100 days, the Governor said, include the coming on stream of dedicated solar power to the first set of 172 schools and seven Primary Healthcare Centres, handing over of the Solar Power System in Epe Primary Healthcare Centre on January 6, 2015 and two solar power systems for the Model College in Meiran Alimosho.
Noting that one of the two Solar Power Systems would serve the school during the day and the second would serve the dormitory and hostel of the students at night, the Governor also reported that the one in Kankon Badagry was ready along with others that were being rapidly completed adding that these facilities, with regular but minimum maintenance, would serve for 25 years.
“Gradually, one by one, by God, and by the dedication of our workers and the faith of taxpayers, we will put the shame of darkness that a failed government and umbrella party has imposed on our children in schools, and on patients in hospitals behind us. These solar power systems will shed light on their failure, and illuminate our pathway to change”, he said.
In the Education Sector, Governor Fashola said, Government has continued to inspire the children to improve on their performance pointing out that at the 19th Junior Engineers, Technicians and Scientists competition, popularly called JETS, which held in Abuja from 7th – 14th December 2014, by the Federal Ministry of Education and 36 state Ministries of Education and the FCT, Lagos State emerged as the overall best state.
According to the Governor, the State took first positions in Inter-state quiz competition, National Theme Project, Free Choice Project, first and third positions in Physics, second position in Biology, third and fourth positions in Mathematics and fifth position in Agricultural Science adding that a student of the State Model College, Kankon, Badagry, Kelechi Inuagwu emerged the best female JETS student at the end of the competition
Governor Fashola, who expressed pride that the State won three trophies, nine Gold medals and two Bronze medals, thanked the students who represented Lagos State-Inuagwu Kelechi, Ogbaji Kendra, Shamusideen Ibrahim, Ugwu Ikechukwu, Amaechi Modestus, Onyeka Kasiso, Fatoye Fisayo and Omosowon Abiola and their teachers, Mr. A.O. Babatunde, Mr. Henry A. Unogu, Mr. Emmanuel O. Ogundare, Mr. Michael O. Suberu, Mr. O. Ogunsanya, Mr. O. O. Lawal as well as Mrs. O.O Obafemi, Mr. A. O. Aberuagba and Mr. Adebayo Ibiyeye, who were their coordinators and facilitators.
Taking a swipe at the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party over the comment of its governorship candidate on the Education Sector in the State, Governor Fashola declared, “It is clear that the language of failure is spreading in their party, and their candidate in Lagos has caught the bug of failure. Out of 21 PDP states he could only mention three states when they gave him the microphone to speak in Lagos. This is 14 percent knowledge of states in his party. Our children have done better than this. They are the party of failed people and failed promises. Our children will succeed because their generation will not fail”. This drew a thunderous, “Amen” and applause from the huge gathering.
The Governor said the State Government has also made progress in the Housing Sector noting that at the last count, the Government has successfully held the 9th and 10th draws of the Lagos Home Ownership and Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS), where, according to him, “We demonstrated that a well implemented budget can provide shelter for ordinary people”.
“We also completed the Agbowa Housing Scheme in partnership with First World settlement and will commence our Rent-to-Own scheme from here”, he said adding that although the opponents to the programme have come up with “lies, deception and cosmetic responses”, and are yet to build any housing estate of their own, their candidate has said he would “teach us how to build low cost housing like Alhaji Jakande”.
Describing it as “bold and stark ignorance”, Governor Fashola declared, “When he gets to talk to Alhaji Jakande, he will be told that the Naira was a stronger currency at the time and was not the devalued currency their party has turned it into today. It is obvious that he does not understand that at over 210 to $1, and at 24% interest rate, prices of building materials are going to rise. This is not a bold idea as he calls it.
“Their equally ignorant spokespersons, accuse us of selling a house for N124 million. I have news for them; we are not profligates like them who spend over N2 Trillion Naira importing petrol that we can produce. The sum of N124 million will build a block of 12 flats which we offer to citizens on a mortgage of 10 years at 9.5 percent”, the Governor explained.
He said while his administration set up a Public Procurement system, which is already setting an example across the country, the ruling party has engaged in either diverting the nation’s money or sharing it and then borrowing $300 million (about N63b at 210 to $1.00) from the World Bank, “to give all Nigerians for mortgage refinancing”.
“Is it N63 billion that will solve Nigeria’s housing problem? It sounds like the N10 change they recently offered on petrol”, the Governor said adding, “What they are saying in effect is that all Nigerians who need homes should go and take a mortgage at a bank, at 24 percent and all of us should come and share N63 billion to refinance the mortgage loan”.
On the allegation that the Government was building for the elite, Governor Fashola, who noted that the Housing projects in Ibeshe in Ikorodu, Ajara in Badagry, Alausa behind the Secretariat, Oko-Oba in Agege, on the Gbagada Highway, Igbogbo in Ikorodu, Sangotedo in Eti-Osa, Badia in Ijora, Odo-ona-Osa in Agbowa, Mushin, Igando, and Ilupeju have been completed while piling work is in progress in Agiliti in Agboyi Ketu, added, “If it is the elite who live in these areas we are proud to provide service for them. We are a Government of all our people”.
The Governor commended Lagosians, who, he noted, resisted the attempt by the opposition to stop the Ilubirin Housing project pointing out that those who pass through the 3rd Mainland Bridge every day could see the housing units “rising up, block by block”, financed by taxpayers in the State.
In the area of Health Care, the Governor said apart from the Epe Primary Healthcare centre “which is now a 24-Hour service centre because of the Solar Power”, Government has achieved a major milestone in local capacity building adding that State doctors performed the first cochlear implant surgery in Lagos successfully.
“What this means is that the patient, who was deaf, can now hear again. It opens a new window of opportunities and possibilities to people who cannot hear or who have hearing defects because I have directed that the programme be expanded. With your taxes we can extend it to those who cannot afford it”, he said.
On the impact of the budget on security, Governor Fashola noted that his administration has successfully completed the Area C Police Command, a Federal structure, and also completed Elemoro, Alimosho and Ilashe Area Commands that would shortly be handed over adding the Government has also installed computers, servers, data backup and record keeping facilities powered by solar in 97 Police Stations across Lagos.
“Let me be clear that this is not our responsibility. But when a government and a party choose to export your money in private jets in the search for security equipment, we must respond to support Policemen and women who have shown a great commitment to keeping all of us safe in spite of neglect by their employer, who denied them a merry Christmas by not paying their salaries”, the Governor said.
Expressing dismay at the Federal Government’s dismantling of the system put in place by the State Government in the Security sector, the Governor said the Central Government’s latest move was to redeploy the Commander of the RRS out of Lagos pointing out that this was the officer with whom it built the Security Trust Fund that has helped to support Government funding for the State.
“But as if this was not enough, they have shown the contempt they have for your safety by re-deploying the AIG Zone 2, a few weeks to election”, the Governor said adding, “This was a man who had served here as Commissioner of Police and knows the terrain and the recent crime patterns”. He added that the Government at the centre has proceeded to remove all banners of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate on all electricity poles using security and replaced them with that of the President.
He said in their desperation, the national government also removed the banners of Glo and Huawei which are businesses that have paid for adverts adding that this has caused income losses to the Local Governments “who have the constitutional responsibility for advertising, which is carried out through LASAA for uniformity”.
“What they are telling you is simple, the Constitution is not as important as a vote for the President or a vote for PDP, yet they violate businesses and claim that they want to create jobs”, the Governor said recalling that this is the same way they cancelled the 35350 short code platform set up by the APC to raise funds for its campaign through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Noting that when elections are coming up, it is not unusual for investors to be wary about commitments, often waiting until after the results of election are known to make new commitments, Governor Fashola expressed disappointment that the PDP-controlled Government at the centre seemed not to understand the danger to investment, commerce and the economy, “when it begins to fly a kite about postponing the election because defeat is imminent and change is on the way”.
Other areas of achievement in the last 100 days, according to the Governor include, holding the annual Governor’s Tennis Cup held in spite of the Ebola Virus Disease incident, as well as the 6th edition of the annual Governor’s Boxing Championship in December, completion of the Oba Ogunji Transfer Loading Station in Agege, commissioning of 32 new fire trucks on December 1, 2014, formal opening of the Igando Resettlement Centre and unveiling of the final version of the Lagos State Residents Registration Card on December 9, 2014.
The Governor, who also listed the opening of the new Epe High Court, dedicated in honour of Late Justice Ligali Ayorinde on January 6, 2015, announced that the new court houses for Ikeja and Badagry have also been completed adding that these would give a lot of relief to litigants and citizens who need to use the court services especially in Epe and Badagry who would now not need to travel long distances.
“These new court houses also mean new jobs in the formal and informal sectors; court staff, security men, cleaners and maintenance staff and so much more that will be needed to support the smooth running of the court system”, he said.
Pointing out that his administration has also embarked on life defining policies and legislations, Governor Fashola recalled that on December 1, 2014, he signed an Executive Order establishing a Sex Offenders Register and making the reporting of sexual offences a compulsory matter in Lagos adding that this is aimed at “deterring sex offenders who now know that we will keep a record of their action and it is hoped that this will protect victims of sexual offences who are mainly women”.
“On the same day, I signed the bill establishing the Lagos State Infrastructure Asset Management Agency into law. For many years we have decried the lack of a maintenance culture in our society without taking concrete action to address it. For our party and our Government, a lack of maintenance was not a problem. It was a huge opportunity to create jobs, take young people out of unemployment and invest them with the power to say every morning – I am going to work”, the Governor said.
He explained that one reason why the budget now has a higher recurrent ratio of 49% to a capital ratio of 51% was because while the Agency had been working as an office while waiting for the law, it undertook the audit of all government assets, hospitals, schools, court buildings, the offices and others and designing a template for costing maintenance, all of which is now incorporated into the 2015 budget.
According to the Governor, all maintenance contracts of the Government will be classified under recurrent but the difference is that it is a recurrent expenditure that creates jobs. “This year alone, we will be issuing over 600 contracts, ranging from N2 million to N5 million for the maintenance of our secondary schools as a start; to small contractors and artisans and businesses”, he said.
He said graduates of the State’s Technical Colleges have been trained on how to set up their small companies to benefit from this process adding that the State’s pensioners also felt the impact of our budget, “because on the 30th December 2014, we held our 15th Bond presentation programme and paid out N1.5 Billion to 243 retirees”.
“This was at a time when the PDP Federal Government could not pay worker’s salaries”, he said.
Noting that his administration would run out its course in less than 122 days, Governor Fashola called on Lagosians to embrace change at the Federal Level and continuity at the State level in the coming elections saying apart from voting for Buhari and Osinbajo, Ambode and Adebule, Lagosians should also vote for APC legislators in the Senate, House of Representatives and the State House of Assembly who would enact laws and pass resolutions to assist them to do their work.
“At the national level, the wind of change is blowing, please do not be left behind, join it, flow with it and own it. At the State level please stay away from bold ignorance, stay away from inexperience, stay away from deception, vote for the continuity of what we have worked together to build”, the Governor urged.
Prominent among those who attended the event were the first civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and his wife, Alhaja Abimbola Jakande, the Deputy Governor, Hon (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, the APC Gubernatorial Candidate in the State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, his running mate, Dr (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule, members of the State Executive Council, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu 1, Pro- democracy activists like General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) and Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye as well as other top government functionaries and members of the Organized Private Sector.
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