The choice of venues for Ambode’s quarterly Town Hall meeting is often both tactical and strategic. The three editions this year of the 100 days in office stewardship accounts have been held in unusual places away from big indoor venues.
On January 7, this year it was a location previously infested with criminals and miscreants. The Ajelogo area of Mile 12 in Kosofe LGA has been regarded as a lion’s den, but Ambode successfully hosted his meeting in this dangerous zone.
Next he moved it to the western zone of the state on 21stApril at Oto-Aworri precisely a sand filled Shibiri/Ekunpa Area office. This location near Okokomaiko/Ajangbadi and Alaba is regarded regarded as a remote part of the state and constituency of the deputy Governor Dr. ( Mrs.) Idiat Adebule. Ambode stormed the place and held a fruitful meeting with the people.
This time around, the 3rd meeting for this year and the 8th in the series of this Akinwunmi’s administration moved southwards of the state to Badore Ferry Terminal in Eti-Odsa Local Govt area of the state, infact the most beautiful site of the three venues this year.
Governor Ambode said he chose that location to show the residents that the erosion challenge and flooding of parts of Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah axis are acknowledged by his government are being addresses. The road to Badore turned out a long journey for the reporters from Oriwu Sun and their driver. In our air conditioned S.U.V Car, we left Ikorodu by 7 am via Epe, Ajah/Lekki in a nonstop movement only to get to the venue by 9:50am, it was like going round a snake Island.
We met a pleasant setting. Enthusiastic residents lined the roads to welcome the streams of visitors to their waterside. Obviously, they had not seen such a convoy of cars and vehicles and such distinguished guests as they hosted on that Wednesday morning.
Long lines of cars adorned the road to Badore. Vehicles belonging to the Neighbourhood Safety Corps sited well at position several kilometers to the venue, so also LASTMA vans and personnel. A mighty primary premises school could not contain visitors’ cars and buses which conveyed civil servants, political party supporters, community associations.
The well tared and cemented ferry corridors, parking lots and open platforms provided excellent position for canopies and chair arranged for the outside audience. While the usual massive tent that houses about 2000 guests was conspicuously sited. Security was generally tight as in other venues that had hosted this meeting. Layers of barricade and checks wre put in place to ward off uninvited guests and possible mischief-makers.
Inside the big tent three giant viewing screens beamed the proceedings while the hall was beautiful decorated with lightings and the seats neatly arranged and tagged.
The Deputy Governor and her boss came 9:55 am and 10:05 am respectively to flag off the event. A new mid-term (2nd half) signature tune tune ushered in Ambode into a hall already filled up with his numerous supporters and admirers including the newly elected 57 council chairmen and their delegations.
Among the dignitaries at the venue to welcome the governor were past deputy governors. Led by Otunba Femi Pedro while traditional rulers were led by the Oba of Lagos , Rilwan Akinolu. Among national assembly officers and the party present was Gbajabiamila whileSenator Remi Tinubu in whose constituency the event was holding was absent.
The civil service was ably represented by the body of permanent secretaries and directors while Community Development Committees and CDAs market community and other stake holders, were all represented at this meeting which was held on a wet Wednesday.
For a man described by Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola as the Governor General of Nigeria, Ambode was heralded with a loud ovation. He was introduced as a man who keeps his promises, a man who is working and making his state to be working too, the leader of the role model state and state of excellence e.t.c.
A beautiful 50 minutes documentary showing activities of the administration in the [ast 100 days was shown to set the tone for Ambode to mount the stage.
For unknown reason, he sounded solemn and low in his opening minutes. It was not certain whether it was because of the rain of that day or because of the late honourable member of the state assembly, Mr. Alimi in whose honor a minute’s silence was later observed or whether it was because of the microphone which was subdued at certain periods of the meeting.
Nonetheless, he was as articulate as ever reminding the audienceof his slogan to pursue an inclusive governance and to engage the constituents in interactive sessions as he rotated the venue of the town hall meetings.
Touching critical areas concerning erosion in the state, security challenges, infrastructural progress report, he ignited the audience when he spoke on the number of jobs the recent 32 tonne rice mill to be installed in Imota, Ikorodu division will generate.
According to him the government had signed an agreement with a Swiss company for this project which will create about 32,000 jobs and become a link chain to the South west proposed economic integration because it will trigger rice growing in other south westhern states to feed the Imota mill without jeopardizing the existing Lagos/Kebbi rice project.
Lagosians rejoiced when the governor promised that the International Airport road from Murtala Mohammed Airport through Oshodi will be reconstructed for next month. This town hall meeting was unique in its own. It was one more time when Ambode responded to personal requests as he did for one or two persons when he visited Ikorodu last year.
A woman who had a land matter was given instant hearing by the Governor as he (Ambode) overruled the rushing of the moderator and allowed the woman to say her mind.
Another young man who spoke on Summer Coaching which the governor banned this period for security reasons was given an empathizing ear by the Governor who communed with his deputy, Mrs. Adebule and the governor lifted the ban immediately all over.
From Ikorodu division, the Obateru of Egbin spoke on the need to activate the Ebute and other ferries in Ikorodu division and to address the road network from Itamaga to Ijede/Egbin to speed up movement. He told the governor that it took him five minutes to arrive badore for this meeting by the water ways from his domain hence the need the to explore water transportation the more.
Our versatile correspondent, Waleola Kolawole, who also covered the meeting downloaded the governor speech and the pleasant interactive section below:
Honourable speaker of Lagos State House Assembly, former deputy governors of Lagos State present here today, thank you so much for you presence. Former speakers of Assembly, Body of permanent secretaries, members of the state executive council, members of the state house of Assembly , chairmen of Local Governments and LCDAs congratulation once again. Your Royal Majesty, starting from the Chairmen and other members of the Council of Obas and Chiefs, I pray that God bless all the Obas and I want to thank you for your supports since we started this journey. The members of APC party, particularly members of GAC for always supporting us, I want to say a big thank you.
My distinguished members of the House of Representatives, thank you so much for your presence. All the Iyalojas, market women and men, all artisans, tradesmen, activists and the good people of Eti-Osa, distinguished guest and gentlemen of the press. I will not want to make much speech because we are actually in the middle of the year and this is more or less a collective point for the things we need to do for next year and the rest years, so I would like more engagement so that people can ask questions and it is particularly interesting that after the major flood of last month, we are back in Badore where we have issues in Ogangan, Lekki and other places.
To show our commitment and that is why we have chosen Badore this morning that we are going to be here. I will like to hear questions and the things we need to do to improve on the services that we have been doing. Today marks the end of the series of our quarterly town hall meeting and we are so proud to be in the in the midst of our people living in the central senatorial zone. Most especially the Ajah, Badore, Langbasa environment, central lagos. Before I go through the picture which you have seen in the documentary. I’m sure you are all aware of our achievement in the last quarter which is visible in various sector such as housing, education, health sectors. We should have held this town hall meeting last month.
In the beginning of August and this quarter is going to end next month so we really want to get to work and let you know what is happening. Like it has been shown, we will continue to identify areas of intervention to ease traffic congestion and stimulate economic activities in the central axis. New modern Bus-Terminal will be constructed in Marina. As you can see the work is already on and just by the Ajah fly over, we used to have a lane where all those vehicles are. We are going to turn it to a Bus-Terminal so that we can link up from that Bus-Terminal and allow buses to take us from this Badore Jetty to that Ajah Bus Terminal, either to CMS or Epe depending on where we want to go.
We are going to construct a lane in Ojota, Agege, Iyana-Ipaja, Iju-Ishaga and also to introduce BRT between that Ajah Bus-Terminal at this point here. By the grace of God, we will commence the construction of the Oshodi International Airport road by next month and that is a ten year road which we have already awarded. Our cleaner Lagos initiative will start in full swing next month, September and Lagosians will experience a new dimension in sanitation, waste solid collection and disposal in the course of the engagement, I will be in a better position to explain in details why we need to change our sanitation management system. Whatever we do is all for the interest of Lagosians because a healthy space is a wealthy space and that is the vision that this is all about and I’ll be able to explain what is going on. We shall no longer tolerate any breach of our environmental laws and regulations.
Last week, we signed an agreement with a Rice Company and we are going to provide a Rice-Mill that runs 32 tonnes per hour in Imota, in Ikorodu. We believe with the mill which will be in place in the next 12 months will create 32 thousand jobs directly and two hundred thousand jobs indirectly along the rice value chain. For us to be able to operate this 32 tonnes per hour rice mill, we would need 32 hectares of farmland for rice cultivation so if the rice mill is to work fully in one year, there would be people cultivating rice at the 32 hectares land space. What does that mean for us? It means that all the south western space will be in position to cultivate rice and we will also be in a position to employ more people and also be in a position to supply the stock that we need for our rice mill to operate.
The truth is that there is no rice mill in the western part of Nigeria so Lagos is deciding to intervene and because we know that we have the majority of the consumers here and also at the same time, we will be helping other south western states to reactivate their economy. Because by so doing, even if we say one hectare to one person, we will provide 32 thousand jobs across the western axis and that is the vision we are talking about integrating the western parts of this country in a way that is politically positive and economically viable for all the western states in the country. That doesn’t disturb what we are doing with Kebbi State because we can never have enough rice if we dear say that we are going to stop the importation of rice. We need more of such rice mills and we need more of rice farmer to be able to at least engage more of our young ones to be able to get gainful employment.
The safety of lives and properties of every individual’s remains our priority and we are determined to keep Lagos safe at all times. We will continue to improve the security agencies and expect them to put their efforts to end crime in Lagos State. We have boasted with the arrest of notorious criminals who used to terrorize many residents of our state. It is still ongoing and we believe strongly that we will win the war against crime; but again it needs the effort of all of us;even, if it is just information gathering so that we will be able to nail all those criminals.
The future of our state is very bright, we have tremendous potential to be one of the most successful state in the world but we have to make some sacrifices today to a wonderfull tomorrow. Our government feels emboldened by the tremendous support and cooperation you have continued to give us. This was also evident in your action on 22nd when you voted massively for the All Progressive Congress during the just concluded Local government elections.
Once again, I will like to say a big thank you to Lagosians for believing in us, believing in our party and we believe strongly together, Lagos will becomes prosperous. Equipped with your support, we remain firmly committed in our quest to deliver a Lagos that works for all of us and gives our people the opportunities to live their dreams.
We want to thank all the tax paying Lagosians for their cooperation and helping our administration to transform all our visions and plans for the state become a reality. I’m sure you have seen the kind of projects that we were saying is the future of Lagos. The truth is that they can only come to fruition if tax payers continue to cooperate and perform their civic obligations. I just want to urge all our taxable individuals yet to join the tax net to go to the nearest LIRS office register. You should feel free to honour your civic obligations. We believe we have earned your trust in the last 2 years. Every kobo paid as tax will be judiciously used for the good of Lagosians.
Like as we said, in the course of the questions and answer also, I will be in a position to just into the specific projects that we will be doing around the central aaxis and other parts of Lagos so that I get more questions and more responses today than the previous ones that we used to have. I thank you for your attention and God bless you.
Immediately after the governor’s speech, a minute silence was observed in honor of a member of Lagos state House of Assembly, representing Eti-Osa constituency 1; Hon. Kazeem Alimi, who passed on in the previous month. The governor prayed for repose of his soul and the meeting moved on.
During the question and Answers session, many Lagosians including Oba of Lagos, HRM Oba Rilwan Aremu Akinolu asked numerous questions which the Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode satisfactorily proffered answers to, with a lot of confidence, explanations and assurances. Read the interactive session
