- By Yetunde Yekini-Oropo
The Lagos state government has said the state is a victim of its own development.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Gboyega Akosile, said Sunday morning that more than 1000 people troop into Lagos everyday and they don’t return.
Saying that Lagos appears to be the only state where development and progress are being recorded across the entire country, Akosile said huge resources are being deployed in making life better for residents of the state.
He regretted that the nature of the Nigerian federation makes it impossible to stop people from trooping into the state.
He said in an interview on News Central, “Lagos is a victim its own development. Lagos is the only state that is developing and over 1000 people don’t return.
The Governor’s aide said part of the resources deployed is to ensure security of lives and properties asking “For instance, how many times have you had cases of robberies in Lagos?”
Speaking on the absence of streetlights on major roads of the state, Akosile said what the Sanwo-Olu administration inherited was not sustainable.
He however added that efforts are being made to seek alternatives that will make the streets of Lagos light up again.
Akosile said the administration has records of key achievements in the areas of Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy; Entertainment and Tourism, and Security and Governance, as well as ensuring inclusion in government, which are integral parts of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s THEMES+ developmental agenda.
He said, “Everything he (Governor Sanwo-Olu) has done is key and paramount to the living standard of Lagosians. All the areas that we have touched on in the last five years are key. Do you remember what COVID did to us in the world? Do you want to talk about how Mr. Governor tackled COVID head-on? How he rescued Nigeria and not just Lagos. In fact, he helped some neighbouring countries around us, like Ghana, Benin, and the rest of them, curtailed the spread of COVID-19 in the region. That is a monumental and huge achievement, and it shot us up in the global rankings.
“With other health initiatives of the Governor and the current administration, Lagos State is occupying an enviable space within the African rankings of the 10 best health facilities in Africa. What that tells us is that we are not competing with states in Nigeria; we are competing with countries in Africa.
“This is what a lot of people don’t take note of when they are comparing. They don’t compare Lagos with states; they compare Lagos with countries. They compare us with South Africa, Morocco, and Egypt, and those are countries. When people compare our rail projects, they compare us with Ethiopia, whereas Ethiopia is a sovereign country and Lagos is a state among 36 states. That shows that Lagos is not here to joke.”
Akosile said the Red and Blue rail lines inaugurated by Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration are a game changer, noting that the administration inherited the Blue line rail project, completed the first phase, and is currently working on the second phase. He said the Red Line Rail was also started and completed during the incumbent administration, making Lagos State the only sub-national to embark on a rail project in the African continent.
He said Governor Sanwo-Olu has also addressed the Apapa gridlock in fulfillment of his campaign promises to address the traffic problem, which has affected businesses for many years in the Apapa corridors, where the two busiest wharfs in Nigeria are located.
Speaking on the achievements of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in the housing sector and addressing environmental issues in Lagos State, Akosile said the incumbent administration has injected more housing units than any previous administrations in the state and also ensured sanity in the environment sector.
He said, “The Ministry of Environment is doing a lot. I was shocked to discover that people are living under the bridge like a residential apartment. We are doing a lot, and it is work in progress. The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, has been doing a good job in the area of the environment. He has a background in law; he is a lawyer, and that is why nobody has been able to hold him by the jugular because he ensures that he follows due process.
“We don’t make people homeless. We are here to serve the people of the state. We have done a lot in the area of housing. In fact, without sounding immodest, the current administration has injected more housing units than any previous administration in Lagos State.”