By Abubakar Yusuf.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat were elected in 2019 by Lagosians under the platform of the All Progressive Congress APC to manage the affairs of the state for another four-year tenure.

The mandate of the party for four years is expected to expire by 2023 after which the goodwill of the people will be renewed and tested through an electoral process.

But, before then, it is expected that party stakeholders, particularly the National leader of the All Progressive Congress APC, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and opinion leaders including the Governor’s advisory council GAC assess and ratification of the second term of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat administration.

Their decisions including that of Lagosians from Christian bodies, Muslims, and tribal and spiritual leaders were devoid of any other interests, aside purely from the merit and achievements of the Lagos State team under Sanwo-Olu -Hamzat in the last three years.

The unique Lagos team and members of the state executive council had maintained utmost cordiality in the running of the day-to-day affairs of Lagos state, without any disagreements, a rare show of understanding of the democratic tenets.

The peaceful coexistence between the Governor and the Deputy Governor of Lagos state had contributed largely to the success recorded in the last three years.

This is also a departure from the previous administration in Lagos state for the level of cordiality and peaceful coexistence between the Governor and the Deputy Governor, as well as a new order in the state for a Deputy Governor to run side by side with the Governor for a successive two terms of eight years when re-elected in 2023.

The team and its mandate were also responsible for the success recorded in all areas in the last three years of the present administration in Lagos state.

Social services that affected Health, Education, Roads, Urban and Rural Renewal, Employment opportunities, infrastructural development, and innovative programs had contributed largely to the resolve to re-elect Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat as the next governorship candidate and deputy governorship candidate of APC in Lagos state.

The singular efforts of the state government in tackling the emergency period of COVID-19, the social upheaval of Endsars that ravaged the economic and social programs of Lagos state, and led to the destruction of both public and personal properties including that of the Governor, Deputy Governor, their family members and some members of the state executive council including top government functionaries.

Provision of employment opportunities, interventions, and creation of enabling environment for Entrepreneurship development, skill acquisition, and empowerment, as well as asymmetrical capacity building programs to create engagement outlets for ordinary Lagosians, had made the administration the darling of all Lagosians and its quest for continuity.

The relative peace, security, and provision of a robust transport system both in the sea, land, and the newly established red rail line system had transformed systematically Lagos state and will end the usual gridlock in Lagos state.

The policies of the government that involved growing the internally generated revenue of Lagos state from the 20s met in 2019 to the 40s in the current dispensation had made Lagos self-sustaining in all areas.

Lagos State came first in the first quarter of 2021 and has generated a quantum IGR ahead of all the states in the southwest and more than the entire 19 northern states that include the North Central, North West, and North East of Nigeria.

The planned arrangements and efforts to move the IGR of Lagos state from billions to trillions in the coming years are being matched with actions and redoubled efforts.

This along with an improved yearly budget that includes the current and recurrent expenditure of Lagos state that had graduated to a trillion naira beyond the previous year’s budget of billions of Naira.

Provision of infrastructure facilities that included Roads, Electricity, Hospitals, and Educational institutions by upgrading some institutions to State Universities, as well as planned commencement of the fourth mainland bridge before the end of its tenure along with commissioning of the red rail line, that will provide rail transport system will be a major achievement of the present administration.

The new transport policy that will enhance the provision of more BRT buses, eliminate rickety buses on Lagos roads through donations of over 1000 vehicles, and plans to donate more to private transporters on an agreed template will reduce to the barest minimum the frequent problems being faced by commuters in Lagos state.

Provision of low-income and middle-income houses, improved welfare for the civil servants, and payment of backlog, and pension and gratuity to retiring workers had contributed in no small measure to the day-to-day running of the Sanwo-Olu- Hamzat administration.

For Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat administration, the development goals of Lagos using the new template of T-H-E-M-E-S are expected to go around all facets of the lives of all Lagosians.

With the renewal of the mandate through consensus of the Sanwo-Olu’s administration, no doubt, more achievements will be attained both in the remaining part of this administration and when re-elected in March 2023.

All hands must be on deck by the electorate to file out and vote Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat on the platform of APC to ensure continuity of good leadership in the forthcoming election in 2023.

ABUBAKAR YUSUF writes from Abuja and can be reached at yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.