For over four hours on Sunday night, March 5, 2017, the action Governor of Lagos State, AkinwunmiAmbode, who keeps his promises, engage media executives from the state in a marathon chat during which he spoke on different plans and projects to be executed by his administration this year.
In a most relaxed and cheerful mood, Governor Ambode spoke freely with nearly 100 journalists comprising media chiefs and their subordinates from the print and electronic media (between 7p.m and 11p.m).
After addressing the media chiefs, Oriwu Sun Publisher, MonzorOlowosago, asked the Governor a question on road projects in Ikorodu division, ranging from the Itoikin – Epe road, Igbe road, Powerline by pass, etc. Governor Ambode made it clear that he has good and big plans to develop Ikorodu division and to gladden the hearts of the people as revenue comes to his government.
He spoke on the Ebute Ferry service project, saying he is aware of its challenges; hence, he would ensure he adheres to the transportation policy of his administration to co-ordinate and integrate road, rail and water ways to serve the state.
He disclosed that the project is being delayed because of the dredging component of the work because in order for a waterway to carry big boats like Baba Kekere, ferries, etc, it must be deep and well dredged to carry such vessels. According to him, it is like a road which must first be excavated, filled and graded before it is tarred. Waterways undergo similar process of readiness before big boats or vessels could navigate or ply them.
On road projects. Ambode reiterated that the Ikorodu-Itoikin-Epedualization project has already commenced from the Epe axis. According to him, the public private partnership road project, which will attract toll fees, will fully commence this year.
On the powerline by pass from Ojokoro cemetery (Sabo round about) to link First Bank, Lagos road in Ikorodu, Governor Ambode was sincere to say he could not figure out the cause of this delay.
He directed the Permanent Secretary, Water Front, Mr. Ade Akinsanya to give him update on the road, which last year, he had promised to address. He also pledged to commence the Igbe road project this year as he promised during the town hall meeting last year, hosted at Ikorodu Town Hall. Also, the Ishawo-Arepo to Ibadan expressway project will also start this year.
On the issue of Okada riders (motorcycles) and Danfo buses in the state, he reminded the media executives that as Governor, he has to take some drastic decisions at some ponts to make the state work.
One of such decisions is the one to make Lagos State at par with other mega cities globally. It involves modernizing the transportation system to meet global standards. According to him, Lagos cannot claim to be a mega city with rickety Danfo buses and motorcycles everywhere.
He said he is mindful of the hardship in the land; hence, his government is planning how to take care of the Danfo bus owners, drivers, conductors and Okada riders. He said they will be trained and deployed to serve the improved and modernized bus transportation system, which will incorporate big and medium size ultra-modern buses.
Asked how he intends to fund the purchase of these ultra-modern buses which would have conditioners, CCTV cameras, TVs, etc Governor AkinwunmiAmbode, has said the proposed Bus Reform Initiative aimed at giving the residents of the state an integrated public transportation system will start this year with a sinking fund of N30bn.
Ambode, who ssaid the reform was aimed at providing a viable alternative to transport challenges.
He said, “The Bus Reform Initiative is a three-year plan aimed at introducing over 5,000 air-conditioned buses to replace the yellow buses, popularly called Danfo. The Bus Reform Initiative is from 2017 to 2019 and through it, we intend to bring in new buses of about 5,000 units.
“The big buses will take 70 people and the medium range buses will take 30 people. We believe that the middle range buses will be supplied up to 70 per cent of the total volume, which will amount to about 3,600 units.”
The governor said his administration would soon inaugurate a public transport infrastructure bond of N100bn that would span between seven to 10 years.
“You are aware that the Federal Government paid Lagos the refund of the Paris Club loan last December and the money belongs to the state government. Lagos State decided not to touch its share of the Paris Club refund. Right now, we have a sinking fund of N14.5bn that is already put in place to drive this public transportation bond.
“We hope that the second batch of the refund should be paid next month and eventually, the total will be N29bn. I will add anotherN1bn to it, making it N30bn to start this initiative.
“By the time we have N30bn as a sinking fund against the bond of N100bn that we want to put into the market, there will be so much credibility and credence that the bond will drive itself,” Ambode added.
Oriwu Sun Publisher asked the Governor the source of the money he uses for all big projects being executed simultaneously in all parts of the state in this period of recession. Governor Ambode revealed that it was money generated through prudent management of the state resources as well as the taxes paid willingly by citizen’s who have confidence in a working government.
It was amazing to this reporter that in his over sixty (60) years of existence in this state, he had not seen such magnitude of work going on in different axis of the state when majority of the states in the country find if difficult to pay their workers’ salaries or execute a single capital project. Ambode said it is the belief Lagosians have in his working government that has convinced them to support the government through payment of their taxes and rates willingly.
On the takeover of the National Stadium, Surulere and National Arts Theatre at Iganmu, Governor Ambode explained that he wanted to engage the youths of the state meaningfully, recalling that the One Lagos Fiesta had proved that crime dropped to near zero during the One week fiesta; hence, he is planning to extend the duration in the future.
He believes that jobs could be created through the optimal use of the national stadium and national theater to engage the youths, which in turn would have a multiplier effect in terms of revenue earnings for the state and employment in the state.
It was praise galore for Ambode by the excited journalists, many of who concluded that Ambode was heading for a second term on a platter of the good job and plans he has for the state.
One after the other, the media chiefs spoke on issues concerning their areas of residence or operation, showing evidence of a huge development taking place under Ambode in Oworoshoki, in Ojodu Berger, in Epe, Ikorodu, etc.
The usually critical press was dazed by the sincerity of a Governor and the transparency of his achievements, especially his shrewd mustering of revenue/resources for capital projects; hence, they could not but applaud Ambode and wish him greater success.
It was an opportunity for some executives, including the Publisher of Oriwu Sun, to meet the Governor one on one to make some appeals or requests, which he willingly listened to and most likely obliged to help.
It was a beautiful nite shift session with a pragmatic Governor. Many journalists believe that if Ambode continues like this, he would no doubt emerge as the best Governor in this millennium across the country.
On the Lagos Airport road, the Governor told the Media Executives that he could have done the Airport road, which he described as a national disgrace but was being hampered by bureaucracy in the Federal Ministry of Works.
He said that he had wanted to start the project because he already had the design for ten lanes with funds ready to execute the project but the Ministry of Works failed to give him the green light.
According to him, they promised him April this year to start the project.
However, the Governor in his usual style asked journalists if the federal government failed to give him approval, should he start executing the project? He got overwhelming approval from journalists to start the project by June if he did not receive greenlight from the federal government.
Another area he spoke about was on presidential lodge in Marina, which President Buhari had ceded to Lagos State to take over.
The state government is yet to take over the edifice.