News Thumb Magazine ..news reporting..
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu BOS, The Okepopo born Administrator is a silent achiever, who believes that service delivery is the fundamental purpose of governance.
Here are ten caches of the projects he either inherited or initiated that he has completed, or are at various stages of completion.
This signature projects, all part of the THEME agenda, are pivotal in the drive towards making Lagos’ Megacity status a certainty.
1. THE BLUE LINE LIGHT RAIL.
From CMS on the Marina to Okokomaiko on the Badagry Cross boarder highway, The Blue line light rail is projected to move an estimated 500,00 commuters a day, equivalent of 15 million Commuters every month when fully operational. With stations constructed at Okokomaiko, LASU, Volks, Trade Fair, Alakija, Festac, Mile 2,Alaba, Iganmu National Theater and the Marina.
2. THE RED LINE RAIL.
From Iddo to Alagbado, the Red Line is easily the most ambitious mass transit system in this part of the world. Projected to move one million commuters everyday, which is equivalent if 30 million passengers a month, with stations, some of which are elevated, at Marina, Ebutte Ero, Iddo, Oyinbo, Elite Meta, Yaba, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, MMA , Agege, Iju and Agbado.
3. LAGOS RICE MILL, IMOTA.
Undoubtedly the biggest rice mill in Sub-Saharan Africa and the eighth biggest in the world, The LRM is not only a major component in the food chain, but with the ability to employ thousands of people and provides hundreds of thousands of jobs for the support industry, makes it the hub that will drive development and real estate in that part of the state.
4. ROADS, FLYOVER AND BRIDGES
Because Lagos is one giant construction site, people tend to take for granted that some projects have always been there. But the Pen Cinema flyover, the Ikeja along flyover and the attendant expansion of the Obafemi Awolowo way, the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge, the Underpass at Odo Iya Alaro, the expansion of the Executive Expressway, all inherited or started by this government, are either completed or at various stages of completion.
All these are complemented with new bus stop shelters constructed with CCTV video feeds for monitoring.
The fourth Mainland Bridge is of course, a whole chapter by itself.
5. BUSES, FERRIES AND RIDES.
The Sanwoolu-Hamzat Administration invested not only on critical transport infrastructure but also provided the tools for mass movement on our roads. With 600 busses injected to the road transit system, a robust Lagride initiative for the cab hailing crowd, , and dozens of ferries for the waterways, the administration is providing options for moving around the state in relative ease and comfort.
There are also integrated Control and Monitoring Centers of the Waterways via MS radio, Ship trackers and CCTV video feeds.
6. HEALTH AS WEALTH
Apart from the massive upgrade of LASU THE and other General Hospitals in the State, there are also specialized facilities built across the zones. There’s 110 bed Maternity and children Center at Etim Osa, in Badagry,, Epe. 149 bed center at Alimosho, and the cherry on top is the 150 bed center at the largest maternity and Children Hospital in Africa, The Massey Street Children Hospital, which now has an ultra modern Fit for Purpose Pediatric Service.
There also a 1500 bed psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation center at Ejire in Kentucky, as well a Floating Clinic equipped with sterilization unit, oxygen bottle and first aid.
7. EDUCATION
To modernize the learning environment at all levels of the education sector, the administration embarked on a massive school projects intervention. 1,097 projects were undertaken and 87, 000 single-deck composite furniture was delivered to schools across the state.
To provide quality manpower for the state in particular and the larger society, the government upgraded the Lagos State Polytechnic to a University of Technology, as well as the College of Education to a University of Education.
3000 teachers were also employed while 135,445 pupils were nourished every weekday through the 976 school feeding program. While LASU’s conversion to a residential university also means the construction of 8,272 bed spaces through the PPP template.
1,058 students are on scholarship while 4, 641 students are Bursary beneficiaries of this administration.
8. HOUSING AND SHELTER
The government’s intervention in the provision of shelter has led to massive construction of houses across the State. .Ilupeju, Lekki, Iporin Badagry, Ikorodu, and Ogba serve as the first phase and the Housing program needs is expanded to the parts of the state.
9. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
Apart from the structured support system for the youth and their aspirations, the state government also ensured an expanded bracket for start up as well as providing critical intervention and support for their upward mobility.
280 youths were trained for global certification in Solar farm Construction, 720 were trained in Enterpreneurship based mentoring, 150 small scale business owners were also trained while 21,262 reside, mostly the youth, benefitted from the 1st,2nd and 3rd trenches of the conditional cash transfer payment exercise.
10. A MAN WITHOUT AIRS.
The first thing Mr. Sanwoolu dropped when he resumed office was to drop the His Excellency as a title.
Not only is he extremely humble, he has displayed an uncommon touch by leading from the front. During the Covid 19 pandemic, he was not only in the forefront as the Situation Commander, but still kept working even when it was obvious he was exposing himself to clear and present danger.
He understands that as a Governor of a cosmopolitan state, he cannot afford to ignore the need of every Lagosian, either those with an ancenstrial ties or those sojourning for economic survival.
A vote for the Sanwoolu – Hamzat ticket is a vote for continuity. A vote for focused leadership, and a vote for undated competence.
