The Lagos state governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Gbadebo Vivour-Rhodes has hit out at the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the poor living conditions of residents in the state.
Rhodes stated this in response to the recent rating by the Economist Intelligent Unit (EIU) in which Lagos state ranked bottom in the 10 most liveable cities in the world.
According to him, “the recent ranking by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) placing Lagos State in the bottom 10 of the most liveable cities in the world is not only disappointing but also a call for concern.
“The ranking is an indictment of the state government’s poor leadership, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of commitment to improving the living standards of its citizens. If we are a people given to introspection, it should serve as a wake-up call for the government to take decisive actions to improve the quality of life for the residents of Lagos state.”
The LP candidate stated that despite its status as a major commercial city, home to millions of people and being one of the most populous cities in Africa, the city is plagued by inadequate infrastructure, including bad roads, sub-optimal inter-modal transport systems, insufficient housing, and limited access to basic amenities such as clean water and electricity.
“The state government has failed to address these challenges, especially since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democracy.
“Deteriorating quality of life is not something a responsible government should be proud of. It is unacceptable that in the 21st century, residents of Lagos still struggle to access clean water, electricity and other basic social services that the government is mandated to provide under the social contract of governance. The state government must invest in the development of infrastructure that will provide these essential services to its citizens.
“Any discerning observer will agree that transportation and security are critical markers for liveability. The state government must invest in the development of a modern and efficient transportation system that will ease the movement of people and goods within the city. The current transportation system is chaotic, unreliable and riddled with an extortion racket that enjoys patronage from political and government stakeholders.”
He, however, called on the government to address some critical sectors in that state, saying that, “the state government must address the issue of insecurity. Lagos is plagued by high levels of crime, including armed robbery, gang-related activities and cultism. The government must invest in security agencies and equip them with modern technology to combat crime effectively.
“Unfortunately, the Nigeria Police, as an institution, has somewhat remained unbothered to live up to their oath to protect and serve, even in the face of a scathing performance review by the very public they are meant to serve,” he said.
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