Lagos parley raises committee on completion of Badagry Expressway

Stakeholders

L-R: The Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa during Day-2 of the Executive/Legislative parley themed: A consensus Agenda for Rebuilding Lagos, at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, on Saturday, February 27, 2021.

L-R: The Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa during Day-2 of the Executive/Legislative parley themed: A consensus Agenda for Rebuilding Lagos, at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, on Saturday, February 27, 2021.

Stakeholders at the Lagos Executive/Legislative parley rose up from their meeting at the weekend and resolved to inaugurate a seven-man committee to jaw-jaw with the Federal Government on the completion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

A communique issued at the end of the meeting and read by the Special Adviser on Civic Engagement to the Governor, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said the participants pushed for massive investment in the education, entrepreneurship and ICT to address youth unemployment and restiveness.

The communique said in the last two days, stakeholders have discussed and share various ideas on how Lagos could be further secured and transformed to become the logistics and port hubs in Africa.

“Part of what needs to be done is acceleration and improvements on infrastructure of the State with emphasis on roads construction and sustainable integrated transportation system through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Quick completion of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, an international corridor, is key to boosting the State’s economy.

“To this end, we are raising a seven-man ad hoc committee chaired by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, to engage the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure for the completion of the road from Okokomaiko to Seme Border. Other members of the committee include Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, Special Adviser on Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Bonu, two federal legislators and two legislators in the State House of Assembly.

“We are calling for an improved protection for Lagos infrastructure through the installation of digital scanners at all entry points and continuous investment in security infrastructure and equipment. This must be complemented with regular capacity building for security personnel to align with global best practice,” the communique said.

The communique added that to equip police officers serving in Lagos with adequate gadgets, there was need for the State to access resources from the Police Trust Fund domiciled with the Federal Government.

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The stakeholders charged all federal legislators from Lagos in the National Assembly to lobby for this and that there must be unique data on registration, identification and licencing of private guards and security operatives in Lagos, as well as the need to develop defined competencies for informal security guards.

It was agreed that Local Government Areas should start contributing to Security Trust Fund, rather than leaving it to the State Government. Participants at the parley also agreed on the need for security clearance from relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) for the creation of motor parks in Lagos in order to regulate and address activities of miscreants.

Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu assured the participants of complete implementation of the resolutions, but said all hands must be on deck to sustain development and good governance in the State.

The Governor, who said the essence of governance was to prudently deploy public resources for public good, noted that the State’s citizens desperately yearned for delivery of democracy dividends that would improve their wellbeing.

He said: “The Executive and Legislature must work together to ensure that the rebuilding of Lagos is done urgently and efficiently. The vast majority of our people want Government to work for them. They don’t make any distinctions between the Executive and the Legislature; as far as they are concerned, we are all public officials elected to deliver on the mandate of efficient governance.

“There is no room for making excuses to our citizens, or blaming another arm of Government for the inability to deliver. It is up to us to ensure that, even though we are separate and independent arms of Government, we must always be on the same page and constantly resolving whatever issues and differences we have.”

 

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