Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, speaks on achievements of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in his first term in office and what Lagosians should expect from the administration in its second term, in this interview with some journalists. BOLA BADMUS brings some excerpts:
During the last four years, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, worked with the THEMES Agenda, now he has added PLUS to make it THEME PLUS Agenda. Can you tell us what the PLUS entails and how is it going to benefit Lagosians positively?
When Mr Governor delivered the budget speech, he spoke about THEMES plus AGENDA and when he delivered his speech during his inauguration for the second term he also spoke about it. It is very simple. Mr Governor felt he should add something that may not have been very well catered for in the THEMES AGENDA, so he brought on board the PLUS and it is simply about social inclusion, gender equality and about the youth. That means in this second tenure, we are going to be doing many things. Attention will be paid to our young people because they say they are the leaders of tomorrow. But this administration believes that it is not even a question of tomorrow; that they are leaders of today. You can see that in all the things that we are doing in Lagos, we talk about entertainment; the young people are the leaders. When you talk about science and technology, they are leading the way; when you talk about sports, they are the ones at the forefront. So, there is no government that wants to brush aside all that the young people are doing. In Lagos, we are giving them all the opportunities that they need in the creative industry, where over 6,000 of them have been trained in film editing, acting, script writing by some of the giants in the trade like Del-York, Ogidi, Ebonylife and you can see what we have done in about 18 vocational centres that Lagos State government runs. Over 16,000 of them have been trained and after passing out of these schools, they were not left on their own, they were given equipment to go and start their new trade. As I speak to you now, we are building about nine Mini-Stadia in some parts of Lagos so that young people can have avenue to display their talents in sports. And we are encouraging science and technology through the LASRIC Fund, about N250 million has been put there so that young people who have ideas, innovation and who will need to push through their dreams about this innovation will have no problem sourcing fund. Everything that the government is doing is going to be geared towards encouraging our young people. So, that is what THEMES Plus is all about; social inclusion.
During the first term of Mr Governor, we saw iconic projects being initiated and completed, what other iconic or landmark projects should Lagosians be expecting from this administration during this second term?
The Opebi-Ojota Link bridge is going to be completed; we were there recently to see the level of work and we have seen the transformation that the bridge has brought to that area. It means that when it is completed, people will no longer be missing their flight, when they are going to the airport when there is a traffic congestion. The traffic gridlock around that area will definitely fade away, it’s going to be significant, it’s like somebody is flying from Opebi to Ojota, Odo Iya Alaro link bridge and Maryland. There are so many projects that are going to be completed this year. Massey Hospital, by the time it’s completed, is going to be the biggest paediatric hospital in Africa; if it’s not in Africa, but it will be the biggest in West Africa. Apart from the Massey Hospital project, there is also the Mental Health Hospital that we are also building in Ketu Ejinrin Epe. It’s a mental rehabilitation centre, because people don’t pay so much attention to mental health; people only talk about the other aspect of health that can be treated in general hospitals. But now, Lagos State government is paying attention to this very important aspect of health. Mental health, truly, so many people are affected and its like they don’t know but Lagos State government knows through its data that this is one of the problems we are facing not just in Lagos but in the country. That hospital is going to be about 500 beds and it will treat people with mental illnesses and be a rehabilitation centre. There are other numerous projects like the Lekki International Airport that is expected to take pressure off the Muritala Muhammed Airport. It’s going to be built on 5,000 hectares of land and it’s expected to take about five million passengers per year and it’s going to help people to avoid Muritala Muhammed Airport. They can just go from the eastern part of the Lagos-Epe-Lekki – without any stress to fly to their destinations and of course, the food and logistics hub is also ongoing and we hope to complete it this year.
There is also the Omu Cricket project, which will be connecting a virgin area of Lagos to Epe, Itoomu, among others. At the moment, 4th Mainland Bridge, a company has been selected for it and any moment from now, we are going to do the ground breaking. As the state government is seeking muscle to do all these mega projects, but the most important thing that I will want us to talk about in all these projects is that they are not just about the matter of infrastructure; they are geared towards creating jobs for our people. This is because as you are building the 4th Mainland bridge, you are talking about a project that can generate about 10,000 jobs. It is a road that is stretching for about 37km all the way from Abraham Adesanya passing through four local governments; Kosofe, Ibeju-Lekki, Epe and Obafemi Owode in Ogun State, because it’s going to run all the way from Abraham Adesanya to Ikorodu, bursting out around Lagos Ibadan expressway around Redeemed Camp. It is a project that will generate huge job opportunities and also serve as an opportunity for our young engineers to see that kind of bridge is built in the world. It is that kind of a bridge that we have in London that is called M25. For us it’s not just about all these projects, it is about creating employment for our young people and boosting their skills.
The Airport is not going to take time; it is expected to be finished in about a year or two and that is going to be on the Lekki-Epe corridor and it’s going to be an international airport that can accommodate about 350 Aircraft at a time. It’s going to take care of about five million travelers and we are already talking to investors, because it’s not what the state can fund from its balancesheet. So, everything that needs to be done by the airport and every other iconic project that I have spoken of, like Food and Logistics Hub, 4th Mainland Bridge are currently on the table. We are talking to investors from all over the world to come and take up these projects and they have seen that Lagos is where the investment destination is, the biggest in Africa. If you look at the foreign direct investment, there is no state that marches Lagos and if you talk about foreign direct investment coming into Nigeria, when you look at Africa as a whole, Lagos contributes about 80 percent of the one that is coming into Nigeria. The Blue Rail is also part of what we have completed. The last aspect of it from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, you have seen how the phase that have been completed, have opened up the corridor and made life so simple for people who come in from Mile 2 to Marina. It is going to be like that from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko. It is at the very heart of all the things that we are doing; the Inter-modal transportation; so that anybody who is interested in going by road, rail and water, can navigate the city seamlessly. So, all the jetties, about 15, I think almost everything is completed now. By the time, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu came in, we had about seven ferries; later it increased to 14 and very soon, we will be bringing in about 12 more ferries so that water transportation can be expanded more popular, because on water, there is no traffic congestion; it is smooth, healthy, fast and comfortable. Part of the projects that will be completed is the Red Rail line System, which will be running from Oyingbo in Lagos to Agbado in Ogun State; a journey of about three hours will be reduced to about 32 minutes. It will be smooth and in the first quarter of this year, the project will be opened and Mr Governor has said that he is going to prevail on Mr President to be the one to cut the tape on that day. We are looking forward to the day; all the infrastructure needed by the Red Line, everything has been completed except the bridge in Mushin for people to see how ready we are. That Red Line was conceived and started by Governor Sanwo-Olu on April 21, 2021 and he promised that before the end of his first tenure, it was going to be commissioned and today, to the Glory of God, it’s over 90 percent completed, so everything that needs to be done about Red Line has been done and very soon, it’s going to be opened. There is also the general hospital, the first to be built in Lagos in Ojo, it’s ongoing. There is the Leather Hub in Mushin and other projects that we are going to be starting and completing this year.
Security challenges are rearing its ugly head in so many parts of the country; what measures are in place to overhaul the security architecture of the state in the New Year?
On the issue of security, you will agree with me that we do not just say that Lagos is the most secure state in Nigeria; it is and considering the kind of pressure that we are having people coming into the state every hour in their thousands, for us to be able to keep this state the way it is then, we deserve kudos. Let me tell you, it’s not because of the fact that we talked about it that the state is secure; it’s because some people are not sleeping while you and I were sleeping. What you do about security is not what you put on the television and splash on the pages of the newspapers. They are strategic and something that must be kept close to your chest. Security is the business of all of us, where everyone is reporting issues of security to the government. But the kind of it that I see in Lagos is what we see in all cities of the world. I tell people when they come to Nigeria and say they are worried about security and I tell them that when I go to some other places like New York, or London that I too get worried. People don’t get stabbed at the bus stop in Lagos; they can pick your pocket and all of that if you’re not attentive enough. That is not enough for people to say there is a security challenge in Lagos. All the guys who were into traffic robbery a few months ago, we all saw how police paraded all of the people that they arrested and every time it is being reported by posting photographs on how Mr Governor organises his meetings. There is a kind of synergy among the security agencies in Lagos; the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defence and our own Neighborhood Watch which, is very effective because you find them everywhere. They give intelligence information to all the security agencies and besides, Lagosians are also united to ensure that the state is secure. So, I feel that Lagos is very secure and Mr Governor is putting in a lot of resources and attention our Neighbourhood Watch, Rapid Response Squad, the Police Command, all their vehicles to be able to do their jobs as it should be done. They are very well-encouraged and we are going to do more.
There is this recent house demolition in Computer Village, can we get your response on this?
On the issue of demolition, we have to differentiate between demolition by the state government and the one done by some other agencies. About two days ago, there was demolition at Computer Village and some mischievous people posted it on the social media that government was to demolish Computer Village and we have to send out a press statement that it was just a pure lie and propaganda to divide Lagosians. What actually happened was that the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) had a structure in Computer Village and they planned to rebuild the structure so they wanted to demolish it and they asked for permission because they are the owners of the structure and they brought it down by themselves. It had nothing to do with the Lagos State government. All the other demolition that we are talking about in other places, they are structures that were built on a drainage and they were brought down and up till today, nobody whose structure was demolished has come forward to say it was illegally or unjustly demolished, because most of the structures that were demolished, all of them did not have any paper to show that they got approval from the state government to go and build those structures. So, if such structures are being demolished, of course, there is nothing anyone can do about it because the laws backed demolition of such structures. The ones at Abule Ado are done by the Federal Government and the government is asking only anyone that can show a paper of approval to build that they will get compensation. All the people who lost their homes to give way to the Red Line have all been compensated, and that was the largest compensation ever paid in any part of Nigeria. Apart from the landlords, even tenants were paid for what they suffered and they got money to go and rent a new apartment and that is unprecedented in Nigeria, it has not been done before. Anybody that has any reason to say that his or her property was brought down by Lagos State government unjustly can come forward and the person will have a good case.
Mr Governor has hinted on the Lagos Medical University. Where is it going to be sited in the state?
For the Medical College, it’s something that is on the drawing board but it’s at the heart of Mr Governor, because all of us have seen what the ‘Japa’ syndrome has done to the medical sector, and everywhere in Nigeria, doctors are running overseas and Lagos is doing all to keep its own doctors by providing them good accommodation. We are building and have already completed some hostels for doctors so that they can be as close as possible to their work places, they don’t have to stress themselves and spend transport fares, everything that will make them comfortable has to be done. And at the same time, the government believes that we should be able to produce more First Class doctors, as Lagos has been known for, and the governor said a medical college is going to be built so that Lagosians can have more access to good healthcare and people who seek to study medicine will also have the opportunity to study without any pains.
The bad state of Ikorodu/Itoikin Expressway, what is the government doing to ameliorate the suffering of Lagosians, is there any plan to construct alternative route to ease burden of commuters on the axis?
On the issue of Ikorodu-Itoikin Road, it is a federal road but Lagos is not saying because of that then, we should keep our eyes closed to whatever that is happening there. It’s a very strategic road connecting very important towns such Epe and Ikorodu with other parts of Lagos. The Federal Government has awarded that contract and I think the government spoke about it recently I do not remember the name of the contractors now, but I think when a contract is awarded going by Lagos terrain, it takes sometimes for the contractors to mobilise its equipment and move to the sites. It is not like planning a party you want to move your drinks and food. This one involves moving heavy equipment and personnel and some may be brought from overseas, depending on the kind of road you want to do. The other time, we went to inspect the Ojota -Opebi Link Bridge, we saw some foreigners there. So, it depends on the kind of roads that you want to build, as well as experts you want to use and the equipment involved, I am sure very soon work is going to start on that road because the Federal Government has moved into it and when it is done, it will solve the suffering of the people along that corridor.
There used to be street lights on many streets of Lagos in recent past, but most of them are no longer on. What is causing the problem?
The issue of street lights is that you may not know how much the state government is putting into it to ensure that Lagos is not in the dark. The kind of system that we have in place before, today Lagos cannot continue with that, to be using diesel to power street lights. Today, the cost of a litre of diesel is not what we have about three to four years ago, where we have to spend about N700 million just to power streetlights in a month, it doesn’t make sense at all. What the government has been trying is to do retrofitting, you will see that the lamps are up now and they are brighter than what we used to have. We have changed all the bulbs; the ones we have now do not consume power like the ones we used to have, yet they are brighter. We are also trying to use gas. Some of the streetlamps have been changed to gas and we are also trying to use solar. The solar system that we have now has been so improved that you cannot differentiate between solar and other means of electricity that are superior to what we have now. As much as possible, we are trying to connect some of the streetlights to the public power supply so that the problem of diesel can be out of it. But you cannot do these things within one to five months; they take time and they are gradual. So, people should continue to be patient and show understanding. The government knows this and we are working on it. The number of streetlights that we have in Lagos has increased because there is no new road that we are building in Lagos that has no streetlights. So, all the ones that are not coming up, it’s just a question of time. They are going to come up because there is no way you can leave the city in darkness.
Violation of traffic regulations in the state is much common and what do you have to say on the enforcement, what are the challenges?
The numbers of personnel that are clamping down on defaulters in Lagos are very minimal and I am sure you are all aware that recently, Mr Governor arrested those that are riding motorcycles on the highway and at the same time taking the one way. This is unacceptable in Lagos and the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called for zero tolerance to any form of indiscipline in the state. In the other developed world, whenever the government says an act is illegal, every citizen should be able to abide by it and be on the line. In Lagos today, the law has stipulated, called for the arrest of the rider and passenger on the motorcycle and yet people are still patronising this deadly means of transportation. The government has not slowed down on the continuous enforcement of those violating any form of laws in Lagos and anyone that is apprehended will face the appropriate sanctions.
How is the government addressing the congestion at the Oshodi- Apapa Expressway.
People are saying that the system put in place by the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) in conjunction with Lagos State government has failed. I think it’s technology, and technology doesn’t fail like that, it is the human element that is the culprit, especially in this particular case. The government says that there is a system that will make trucks not to go into the port when they are not called upon, until their turn to go and pick up, why would they go there despite the punishment meted to those that violate this system? People prefer to get punished, but for them to stay and wait for call up, they don’t want to do that, and I feel that it is bad and it’s something that all of us should be able to educate all those guys who see themselves as bigger than the law, what I called the tyranny of the truck drivers.
Recently, government moved in and seized about 150 trucks after they had signed an agreement not to block the roads and there has been representation from low and high places that they should release the trucks to them and we warned them not to stay on the road again, but I don’t know exactly the current status of the road now. I have not been there in the last couple of days to know whether those removal has any effect and if it doesn’t have any effect, I think that all of us as human beings need to check ourselves because if government says it doesn’t want something, it is a law and if your activities are a bit discomfort to other Lagosians, I think you should be ashamed of yourself that what you are doing is a discomfort to other people, all you want is to make money without considering others. That for me, is not the way to do business and not the civilised way to live among people, we will continue to encourage the Ministry of Transportation to enforce the law and go after them and see that they don’t block the way. Apapa used to be a very beautiful place. If there is Apapa today and people cannot have access to it, property values will be going down, I think it is something to be worried about. And that was why Mr Governor himself visited Apapa about two times and you saw after his visit, people behaved themselves. So, it is for all of us to begin to follow the direction of the law. If people are not doing that, the chaos we see on Oshodi -Apapa Expressway is what we will continue to see. For us as a government, we are not going to allow that to happen. Anybody who feels that his own business must disturb Lagosians will have to have a rethink, it is not going to be allowed because there are laws against what they are doing and the laws have to be enforced. The thing is that when you see trucks and you say you want to put the drivers before the law, you will see people threatening you, they are going to go on strike, and when they go on strike, there will be no fuel, it’s all blackmail that all of us have to agree that we must not surrender to. So if we don’t surrender to that kind of blackmail, I believe these guys are going to behave themselves. All of us need to ensure that we stay on the line of the law, so that we don’t succumb to truck drivers to dictate our lives.
