Speeches

1,200 Days In Office

Sep 10, 2010 - It is with a sense of gratitude, fulfillment and accomplishment that I address you today on the anniversary of 1,200 Days of our Administration in Lagos State. It has been a journey of great challenges and experiences that was enriching and equally, very demanding. In all of these we, and you have remained focused as partners in the development of our State jointly making choices as would edify our compact with Lagosians to provide a Brighter Rewarding Future. I dare say, with every sense of modesty that we have delivered.

Today's event therefore, offers us the unique opportunity to share information with our Senatorial constituents and also, draw strength and vitality for enhanced delivery of public goods to our people. Please recall that we made this choice to report to you our activities every 100 days; you the citizens being our principal and we, in government, your humble servant. I should state that these periodic engagements, apart from enhancing the process of democracy, also reinforce the mandate freely given to us at the 2007 election.

May I express my appreciation and those of the Members of the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly respectively for giving us the opportunity to serve our people and make lives more meaningful, building on the rock solid founc:ation of our Governor Emeritus, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Let it be noted that any time accolades are rained on our Administration for touching lives and making a difference, I cannot but thank God Almighty for making this possible and you the citizenry for your continuous support through your prayers, performance of civic duties, especially your voluntary payment of taxes, as well as playing your part effectively in your various endeavours.

As you are no doubt aware, we have made it a point of duty to ensure stakeholders and community involvement in policy/planning process whilst also, exploiting local assets in the determination, execution and monitoring of people ¬oriented projects. Similarly, we have mustered the creative energies of the Cabinet and wisdom of our Legislators to drive the observable and commendable changing faces of Lagos. The result had been phenomenal delivery of high quality _ infrastructure and basic social services in the last 28,800 hours in pursuit of a better life for our State's population projected to be in excess of 20 million this year.

Consequently, we have through several initiatives as will be explained later created an enabling environment through which the State's strength and inherent opportunities as a regional and global economic and financial hub are not only enhanced to stimulate growth but also mitigate the negative consequences of that population explosion.

Today, our Lagos State is a huge Work in Progress as we are renewing and developing new infrastructure which have been designed to be human and environmentally friendly through the provision of ramps, walkways, fire hydrants and service ducts. Till date, we have delivered 151,454 km of high grade roads spread across all the State three Senatorial Districts.

Of particular interest to in this regard is the construction of Ajara -Erekiti - Ikoga Road; Lateef Adegboyega Street, Shibiri -Etegbin Road; Ajangbadi-Ilogbo - Elegba Road, LASU-Iba Road, Okota - Itire Overhead Link Bridge. With the completion of these roads, traffic bottle necks are gradually easing and effective communication and transportation especially, amongst the Okota, Aguda, Surulere, Lawanson, Yaba, Ejigbo, Ire-Akari Estate and Isheri Osun communities dispersed in seven local government areas. Another core public infrastructure that fuels the State is power for which Badagry plays host to our electricity partnership facility with EI¬-Swedey an Egyptian company which is already in operation.

Exactly one hundred days ago the heritage pride of our megacity, the Lagos City Hall, that monumental edifice and citadel of wisdom, administrative ingenuity and municipal service delivery was restored and handed over to Lagosians as a national and international tourist attraction and heritage site.

The development of our rural areas to ensure they plays a critical and complimentary role to our cities has seen the experimentation of tapping the vast solar energy available naturally. As a test run of the ability to provide communities with electricity various pilot schemes were initiated at Bishop Kodji and Sabo Kodji villages in Amuwo Odofin, Dadd Kesse, Agbojetho and Ilogbo in Badagry.

Just a few weeks ago, we commissioned 500 different community-driven development projects consisting of water and solar electricity projects, town halls, security posts, etc across the State. Let me also state that developments in our grassroots communities are deliberately targeted at unleashing their potentials to stem rural-urban migration and provide employment opportunities thereby, eradicating poverty and stimulating economic growth.

The Lekki Free Trade zone which is expected to radically transform businesses and development in the fast growing Lekki axis, in addition to creating employment opportunities is very much on course. Just recently, the administrative complex at the zone was commissioned, signaling the commencement of business in the zone. As at the last count, over 70 local and foreign companies had signed a Memorandum of Understanding and have made financial commitments signifying interest in the zone. Another 53 companies have registered in the Free Zone investment agreements while 12 companies have executed investment agreements to secure employment opportunities for over 800 Nigerians and 70 Chinese nationals within the zone.

On the Lekki - Epe expressway and I will like to use this forum to appeal for calm and understanding on the erection of tolls on this vital road. We have put in place a committee to ensure all parties are satisfied and I urge us all to allow the committee do its work.

Public health services have also engaged our attention especially in such key areas of facilities, personnel, drugs and expanded access. Ours as a government committed to the Millennium development Goals upgraded over 100 primary'healthcare centres and developed a modern 110 bed maternal and childcare centre at the Amuwo Odofin General Hospital. Other Maternal and Childcare Centres are located at Ifako Ijaiye, Ikorodu, Isola, Surulere, Ajeromi, Amuwo Odofin, Alimosho and Gbagada which is being developed as an annex of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital with specialization in kidney and cancer treatment.

In addition, our itinerant medical missions have pursued our pro-poor Blindness Prevention Programme in which obver 3,000 patients have been screened, the Breast Cancer Examination, malaria control campaign, Hypertension/Diabetes screening, and other such packages that offer instant medical support for our people.

At the tertiary healthcare level, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH now houses such first class medical facilities as the BT Diagnostic and Health Centre, Pediatric Ward Complex, etc. Again, our Emergency and Accident centre located near the old toll gate of the Lagos-Ibadan Express way and equipped with X ray equipment, health management information system, laboratory service equipment and facilities for minor surgeries, has been completed and commissioned with over 200 accident patients attended to date. The facility is serviced by fleet of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) stationed in over 20 strategic locations across the State.

On education, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have been providing quality and functional free education through the distribution of basic textbooks to the pupils, payment of examination fees, provision of laboratories/workshops, and general improvement in school environment as well as enhancement of teachers welfare. The following schools within this Senatorial District have been done. They are the Lagos State Model College, Ojo, Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja and Odofin Secondary School, Mile 2, have benefited from the renewal of our schools along with their rebirth of education. Again, 3 nos multi¬language laboratories have been constructed in Badagry, Agege and Oshodi.

Let me at this juncture express our gratitude to corporate entities and individuals who have taken up the gauntlet to help rebuild our schools under the Support Our Schools programme. However, the education of the young remains the responsibility of all hence, I urge parents and communities to be actively involved in the development of our children.

On sanitation and liveability, we have aggressively pursue the development of mini water works in Maryland-Ikeja; Ajegunle in Ajeromi Local Government; Apa in Badagry and Ajangbadi in Ojo Local Government Area; Magodo in I<osofe; and Ikorodu. To sustain constant water supply an Independent Power Plant was also put in place at Adiyan in partnership with Oando Plc.

Furthermore, through the Green Lagos programme, the introduction of climate change clubs, provision/cleaning of drainage channels} institutions of regulatory frameworks, and hosting of international forum to extend the frontier of action} We have drawn your attention to the need to treat the environment with care. As citizens of Lagos and in the face of high rainfall and massive flooding globally, we must act responsibly in our waste disposal habits, the use of electricity, reduction in the use of cars for public bus services are essential to combat the growing menace of global warming. Equally, public agencies in the maritime and environment sector must take decisive action to manage the environment by stopping the dumping of ship wreckages on the Lagos waterways which today is threatening several coastal villages in the Badagry and Lekki corridor. This is a burden we can do without.

As part of our poverty eradication programme we have provided 4,028 persons with vocations in our various Skills Acquisition and Vocational centres dotting the State. Their establishment is also a strategy conceived to fill the yawning gap in the areas of artisans that support our burgeoning construction industry that is the backbone of economic revival. Let me state that we are determined to use every opportunity to create jobs. Till date, about 350,000 jobs both direct and indirect have been created through our projects, programmes and policies. We intend to sustain and reinforce this along with micro finance as we move ahead.

On Budget and finance, I wish to acknowledge with gratitude to you tax payers that our monthly IGR has significantly improved to N18 bn. This gives us some latitude to improve but not enough for the required resources for the quality of service delivery envisaged for our dear Lagos State. Nevertheless, the review of our Y2010 budget in the last quarter points to about 80% budget performance.

We have also taken a step forward in improving the driving culture in the state, by commencing the training and re- training of drivers in both the public and private sectors at our Drivers Institutes located at Ikeja, Ikorodu, Badagry, Lagos and Epe, where we train the drivers with the latest driving equipment.

My distinguished audience, security of lives and property is paramount to this administration, as it is our belief that without adequate security of lives and property, our common wealth may adversely be threatened. We have therefore, effectively utilized your funds and those from corporate organizations and notable citizens under the auspices of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to procure more operational and communication equipment and plants including helicopters; while our multi million naira security control and command centre with facilities for close circuit camera monitoring across the State is nearing completion.

Conclusion:
Distinguished Lagosians, taking cognizance of the fact that governance is all about the improvement of humanity our Administration has remained hooked to your partnership and look forward to sustaining same to the next level. However} should any citizen feel strongly on our services I enjoined such person to call the telephone numbers or e-mail any State/Local Government functionaries, including myself for further action. I must urge that projects completed and handed over to communities in which they are located are your property and must be protected by you at all times.

Our match to the land of our dream is on. Our party now the Action Congress of Nigeria still offers the most audacious people focused strategies and plans for getting to that vision. We in Lagos State have matched on steadily and assuredly. By your mandate and goodwill we will continue to be innovative} proactive and daring. That future is your dream up, it is ours to put in motion. Let's trudge on in a partnership that will never fail. While my opportunity to brief is still available within the next two editions} we promise to continue to redefine governance ever as we have always done.

Thank you and God bless. Eko oni baje.

Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State