27th June, 2014
At two separate fora on Thursday, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), deepened the emerging debate on the clear ideological differences between the All Progressives Congress’ utilization of infrastructure for human development and the politics of ‘handouts’.
Governor Fashola, who spoke at two separate events, the official opening and rebranding of the Digital Reality Print Limited in Yaba and the Nigeria Infrastructure Building Conference 2014 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, said the APC as a political party has emphasized that the quickest way to re-energize the economy was to renew its infrastructure and by so doing creating economic opportunities to address the needs of the poor.
Laying the foundation for the debates at the formal opening of the new Digital Reality Complex built by renowned female entrepreneur, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, the Governor declared, “We agree that the poor needs to be helped, no debate about that. The real debate is about what works. Should we build roads? Should we build schools or simply just give them money? Either way you help the poor but that is the debate that is on now.”
Governor Fashola further explained, “it is a debate that has just come up and if you have not latched on it you are missing something that is so defining in our society because clearly for those who think there are no ideological and political differences, it has emerged.”
He pointed out that people like Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, the Chairman of Digital Reality Print Limited, may have voted with her feet on what side of the divide she wanted to stand “because, despite the fact that she does a lot of charity as she once donated a school, she could have as well set up the printing press as a camp just to feed poor people.”
“She didn’t need to invite all of us to come and see that and she would not need a bank to fund her to do that so Ecobank Plc might not be doing business in a couple of months because there would be no borrower. The other type of infrastructure does not require all of those congregated layers, so I kept thinking as she acknowledged her quantity surveying firm and as she acknowledged her construction firm, where would these firms have been, if the infrastructure we chose was just to feed people and give them rice?” he added.
Commending Mrs. Alakija for deepening the vision of his administration by bringing the ultra-modern printing factory to Commercial Avenue among the areas regenerated by government, Fashola recalled that when the present administration started the infrastructure renewal of Yaba roads a few years ago, its intention was to bring about the revival of businesses in the area such as the Domino Stores, adding that the new Digital Printing Press would not have been attracted to the area without the renewed infrastructure and that one of the reasons he honoured the invitation was to come and lend the support of his office “to those who venture to dare and perhaps more remarkably for a female entrepreneur.”
Governor Fashola said as head of government, one of his responsibilities that he bears is the welfare and development of everybody adding, “Bearing in mind that the topical issue now is unemployment and poverty along with other very serious issues, the number clearly shows that whenever government is able to employ one person, the private sector can employ 10.”.
Using Lagos as an example of infrastructure development as the path to creation of economic opportunities earlier at the Nigeria Infrastructure Building Conference 2014, the Governor said the State Government, after assessing the problems of the state at the onset, which, according to him, was economic in nature, decided that the way to begin was to address the massive infrastructure deficit in the state, adding that this has been the underpinning message of all his budget speeches as Governor in the last seven years.
“What we decided to do in Lagos was to ask ourselves, ‘what is the problem here; an economic problem’, life was challenging. And thinking through it was clear, at least at the time, that there was a massive infrastructural deficit”, the Governor said, pointing out that in spite of the large number of vehicles imported into the country between 1980 and 1990, there was no corresponding road infrastructure development.
“How many roads did we build in those years? I thought then that we had no moral right to arrest anybody who drove against traffic then because he wanted to get home, he was frustrated. And until we widened the roads and make them more efficient in terms of throughput perhaps then we stand on a moral ground and say no you go back or we punish you,” he said.
Describing Infrastructure development as the quickest way to re-energize the economy the Governor declared: “At a time just two out of over a hundred construction companies in this State employed over 15,000 workers just to respond to our infrastructure contract needs”.
“For me, that is the proper way to address poverty; provide work. Though we cannot build forever and at a point we will plateau, but in the foreseeable future this is the way to keep the Nigerian economy going, investing in infrastructure”, he said adding, “If you look at Power alone as part of the infrastructure that is missing and how it affects our lives you will probably be able to connect it with the question of poverty.
Governor Fashola described as strange the political development in Ekiti, saying “in a place where there was undisputed development challenge, a governor intervenes and everybody says ‘you have done well, the place has developed but that does not mean you cannot lose an election’, ” adding “I find it inconsistent with human behaviour.
On the issue of borrowing, Governor Fashola insisted that the cultural mindset that borrowing is sin or a disease must change if the nation must overcome the burden of mass poverty, pointing out that America, which is regarded today as world economic power is also the world’s biggest debtor.
Also, according to him, “If you look at the biggest corporations across the world, they don’t do business with money under the pillow. They do business with borrowed money. So the debate should not be whether or not to borrow money but to insist on the regime of accountability on what the money goes into”.
While performing the official opening and rebranding of the Digital Reality Print limited at Commercial Avenue, Sabo, Yaba, Governor Fashola reiterated that one of the ways out of poverty and unemployment lay in the embrace of made in Nigeria goods by all and sundry adding that the more of the Made in Nigeria tag one begins to see on the bags, shirts, wrists of people, the nearer the country would be to taking young people off the streets.
He reiterated that he does not just see an ultra-modern digital printing press business but can also see the young men and women who are employees in the printing outfit and who now have a job.
He said the establishment of the company afforded yet another opportunity to discuss a current debate in the country about the kind of infrastructure that is needed to address poverty adding that the Ekiti election put the question more clearly as to whether it is infrastructure of roads, bridges, telecommunication facilities, electricity installations, hospitals and universities that is needed or the infrastructure of the stomach.
In a goodwill message, at the official opening of Digital Reality Print Limited the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Segun Aganga said anyone establishing companies in Nigeria is assisting the central government to provide the needed platform to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Vice Chairman of Digital Reality Print limited, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija said the company stands to change the format of printing industry, adding that Digital Reality started in the last seven and half years has made significant contribution in the country.