2nd April, 2015
Gold? Lagos? Commercial Quantity? Well, the gold Lagos just discovered is not that 24-carat gold that you spend loads of money to purchase but rather its the gold that will work for you for free. That gold is Akinwunmi Ambode.
Ambode an astute technocrat might not have the plush oratorial skills of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu or the rhetorics of Babatunde Fashola but he does have a clasping, almost frightening antecedent that makes him the easy choice to be next governor of Lagos.
Like gold, Ambode can only appreciate with time and given the opportunity to be next Lagos governor, it looks increasingly likely that he will bring change using professionalism, integrity and passion.
That aside, Ambode has what is required to do even more than Governor Fashola simply because he’s learnt diligently watching Fashola and his own proven track record in his many years as a professional and an administrator alike. Let’s have a peek into what he’s achieved. At 21, he graduated with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos and at 24 he became a Chartered Accountant and had completed his Masters Degree.
He started his public service life with LAWMA and in 2001 having served in different ministries and risen through the ladder, he was appointed acting Auditor-General for Local Government.
His breathtaking achievements caught the eye of his bosses and he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in January 2005 and in February, 2006, was given the additional responsibility of Accountant-General of Lagos State.
Under his watch, the State Treasury Office revolutionised the way Lagos State finances were raised, budgeted, managed and planned resulting in the state’s budget performing at an average of 85 per cent annually.
Ambode ensured payment of civil service staff salaries before the end of the month, payment of running cost by first week of each month and introduced end of the year package and special/specific welfare for staff.
The 52-year old does have his way of implementing checks and balances rather quietly. He launched the e-payment platform for the monthly staff salaries making it impossible for civil servants salaries to be tampered with.
He introduced and ensured prompt payment of gratuity and pension arrears of the State Universal Basic Education Board and Local Government old pensioners.
He introduced regular technical meetings with the Directors of Accounts in all MDAs, facilitated the sponsorship, by the State Governor, of over 1000 accountants to the Annual accountants’ Conference in Abuja and initiated the annual retreat for Heads of Accountants as well as Local and International training for staff. Not forgetting his revolution in The Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) which has become a toast and indeed blueprint for almost all the other states with vision in Nigeria.
After having reached the crescendo in Lagos civil serves, he retired voluntarily from public service in August, 2012.
The decision to vote for a governor in Lagos wouldn’t be an easy task but if the interest is to get Lagos on an even higher global position and put it in the committee of 21st century cities in the world; then Ambode is the gold to Lagosians and Nigeria as a whole.
Written By Seun Bisuga
Twitter: @bisuclef