CSO’s Strategist position on Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour’s Assessment of Sanwo-Olu; The Opinion of a Political Opponent

As a  Coalition of civil society organizations strategist we listened and watched with keen interest the interactive session on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State at the 2023 general election, Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, was asked to assess governance in Lagos State under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he could only reel out misleading and opinionated claims. How on earth would the Lagos State House of Assembly approve the allocation of 200 Million Naira for only the private legal expenses of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu? This is ridiculously misleading though, but as a civil society organization we are concerned about governance policy under Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu as it affects the mass populace of Lagos residents.

If there is any such allocation, it would be for the expected litigation expenses on all the integral offices and officers supporting Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his duties as the Governor of Lagos State. Such offices and officers include the office of Deputy Governor, Chiefs of Staff, Chief Protocol Officers, Chief Press Secretaries/Private Secretaries, office of the First Lady and some other Personal Assistants and Special Advisers. It is utterly mischievous for Gbadebo to make such a baseless claim on air.

The Labour Party candidate was also asked to point out two aspects of governance in Lagos State where Sanwo-Olu is failing in his duties as governor. Instead of responding with objective facts and figures, Gbadebo retorted with groundless claims. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu may not have taken governance in Lagos State to the highest levels of development. However, he has unrelentingly elevated governance in Lagos State steps higher than it was five years ago. Even the non-partisan residents in Lagos State can attest to the commitments of present administration in advancing the existing developmental foundations laid by previous administrations.

An objective look into what Gbadebo untruthfully impressed on viewers during the Politics Today discussion revealed that Sanwo-Olu’s administration constructed and rehabilitated over 300 inner roads across the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in Lagos State, altogether. These roads are different from that of the Local Councils portfolios. Just this last December, some newly constructed roads were commissioned among which are 16 newly constructed roads, 20 rehabilitated roads, 5 overhead bridges, and one pedestrian bridge. How then did Gbadebo conclude that Sanwo-Olu is failing in the aspect of inner road construction? Well, it won’t be too difficult for an opposition party chieftain to turn a blind eye to those achievements, so, we are not surprised.

Gbadebo also said on the program that primary schools are not properly distributed across LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos State. It is too early in the year to be impressing fallacies on viewers and residents in Lagos State. In terms of primary and secondary education, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has excellently ensured that over 500,000 pupils across 1,097 primary schools are presently benefiting from the EKOEXCEL initiative through which new blocks of classrooms were built in some schools, while some had their dilapidated buildings reconstructed. As of 2017, according to SUBEB statistics, there are 1,075 public primary schools in Lagos State but presently, this administration has the number of primary schools increased. And of course, we all know that as the number of public schools is increasing, it implies that more teaching personnel are being recruited, trained and equipped. Again, Gbadebo may need to come back and explain to viewers how he came about the conclusion that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is not doing well at the educational governance for residents in Lagos State in the face of all these provisions.

To talk about governance under Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, his achievements are overabundance if we were to compare where governance stands today to where it was five years ago. We would like to just stop here for Gbadebo to understand that he needs to come to terms with the reality of governance under the THEMES AGENDA of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and desist from being a bigot. If truly Gbadebo had a clear vision for good governance, he should have recognized some achievements of this administration, but it is a shame that he couldn’t appreciate anyone of it all. Maybe his vision for good governance is blurred.

The all-encompassing THEMES mantra became the compass and driving force for the state government. The achievements in public transportation rail, water, and road brought great relief for commuters.

The health sector, education, environmental services, women, youth and social development, entertainment and tourism and security of lives and property became a reference point for responsive and responsible governance

The THEMES Agenda, which guides the administration’s policy framework, have been pursued diligently in the past five and half years.  The THEMES agenda represents the six-pillar development plan of Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration. It stands for Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy; Entertainment and Tourism; and Security and Governance.

Further on transport, apart from the success recorded in the rail sector, the administration expanded the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system by opening new routes. It also expanded water transportation with the construction of new jetties and deployment of more LagFerries. This has helped communities around the Lagoon like Ikorodu to commute seamlessly. The launching of cheaper, cleaner LagRide, a car hailing service has revolutionised the way Lagosians move around. In terms of technology, we are all living witnesses, as we would have seen the internet cables that are laid across the City. And today, these things are already connected to power supply, hospitals and some homes. The essence of that is that the people who started using internet, particularly our generation, I’m not sure even Gbadebo if he study in Nigeria , has at the point he was leaving university had the benefit of anything like this.

The red line which is in operation today and others are testaments to the foresight of his predecessors and the governor’s determination to deliver good service for the use of the people. 

Also, development of social infrastructure like schools, improvement of classrooms, training and retraining of teachers and deployment of modern learning devises in public schools have culminated in the construction of over 1,000 schools in the state in the last five and half years. Apart from the free education at the primary and secondary schools in the state, tertiary education attracts the lowest tuition in Lagos state compared to the rest of the country. And Sanwo-Olu administration has also founded two additional universities to expand access and increase specialised expertise. One of the universities is for education; the other is for science and technology.

“The children’s hospital constructed in Lagos Island, General hospitals and those fully renovated have helped to expand access to healthcare services across the state.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu still has many more initiatives for the benefit of residents in Lagos State and to this end, the best we can do as citizens is to continue to comply with government directives. While we do that, let us also keep supporting him with prayers and all other material assistance we can afford to support him with.

May God bless Lagos State and Federal Republic of Nigeria.

For Cso’s strategist
Convener: Balogun Hameed
Frontline socio-economy research centre

Co-Conveners
Yoruba youth Assembly

Network Alliance for Global Challenge

Good Governance for the masses

Centre for Human Rights Advocacy

Youth Initiative Agenda for Democratic Process

Southwest People Parliamentary Agenda

Peace Initiative For Better Nigeria

Boarders People’s Rights Agenda

Youth League Academy