Tag: Sanwo-Olu
-
Education, infrastructure get highest allocation as Sanwo-Olu presents N1.39trn budget to Lagos Assembly
The Lagos State government has earmarked huge capital expenditure in the 2022 fiscal year to service key growth areas to consolidate the recovery of the state’s economy and positively impact residents’ livelihoods.
In the proposed N1.388 trillion budget for the year 2022 presented to the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revealed that the state would spend N325 billion to deliver vital infrastructure projects in key sectors to energise and expand the growth of the state’s economy.
The key areas of growth identified by the governor include works and infrastructure, waterfront infrastructure development, agriculture, transportation, energy and mineral resources, tourism, entertainment and creative industry, commerce and industry, as well as wealth creation and employment.
He explained that the human capital development drive of his administration was projected to take a leap in 2022, with an allocation of 21.24 per cent combined in the total expenditure to education and health.
The proposed budget, christened “Budget of Consolidation”, will be the last full-year fiscal plan of the state before the general elections in 2023.
In his presentation, Governor Sanwo-Olu believes the coming year presents an opportunity for the government to consolidate on the progress recorded, while leveraging investment inflow, partnership and business-friendly policies, to maximally translate its achievements into noticeable positive impact in the lives of residents.
About N823.4 billion, representing 59 per cent of the 2022 budget, is earmarked for capital expenditure while recurrent expenditure – including personnel cost, overhead, and debt services – is N565 billion – representing 41 per cent.
The governor noted that his administration had clearly articulated its vision in governance through the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda in the last two years, adding that the state was now looking towards the future with the activation of the implementation of a 30-year development plan (2021-2051) which replaced previous 13-year growth plan developed in 2012.
“Year 2022 Budget is the next step on our journey to true and sustainable greatness in Lagos,” he said. “The challenging environment requires that we focus our interventions on areas of greatest social impact and achieving the greatest good for the greatest number in the shortest possible time.
“It is in this light that we are presenting the Year 2022 Budget of Consolidation with a size of N1,388,285,459,990.51. This financial proposal is presented with a sense of duty and absolute commitment to the transformation of Lagos to a preferred global destination for residence, commerce, and investment.
“The budget projects to see a continuing but gradual recovery to growth in economic activity as the global economy cautiously recovers from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”
Of the total proposed expenditure, N1.135 trillion would accrue from Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) and federal transfers, while deficit financing of N253 billion would be sourced from external and domestic loans, and bonds projected to be within the state’s fiscal sustainability parameters.
The state would be earmarking an aggregate of N137.64 billion, representing 9.92 per cent of the 2022 budget, for the funding of green investment in environment, social protection, housing and community amenities.
On Security, the governor explained that the state’s continued investment in the sector had reaped positive dividends, stressing that more allocation would be channelled to security in 2022 to make Lagos safer for living, working and investment.
Despite the global economic downturn, he said Lagos had seen more construction machinery deployed to deliver new infrastructure in the areas of roads, rail, housing, health, education and waterways.
“There has been significant progress on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit projects, which include both the 27-kilometre Blue line that will run from Okokomaiko to Marina, and the 32-kilometre Red line that will run from Agbado to Oyigbo, and eventually to Marina,” Governor Sanwo-Olu told the lawmakers.
“These rails, when completed, will deliver a combined 32.5 million people every month on their respective routes, reducing travel time by over 250 per cent, increasing the productivity and quality of life of our people.
“The Red line will come with eight new modern train stations, 10 new overpasses and 13 pedestrian bridges. These ambitious projects are expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2022.”
The outgoing year’s budget, the governor said, performed “remarkably well” despite the challenges encountered by the state, noting that the expenditure performance at the third quarter of 2021 rose to 80 per cent.
He said the need to stabilise the state’s economy led to the adoption of far-reaching cost-saving measures, including restructuring of local borrowings to reduce overall debt service obligations on Lagos.
Governor Sanwo-Olu thanked the residents for supporting and standing by his administration in the past two years.
Noting that there were more challenges lying ahead, he urged them to join hands with him in delivering his programmes for common good, with an assurance that the pace of governance would be amplified in the coming years.
-
Lagos Government speaks on reactions trailing #EndSARS panel report indicting Army, Police, others
The Lagos State Government has officially reacted to the comments trailing the viral report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday.
The panel was commissioned by the state government to look into the events of October 2020, including the shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate, and review cases of police brutality.
Since leaked report became public knowledge on Monday shortly after it was presented to the governor, the media space has been awash with different reactions.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the leaked report had indicted officers of the Nigerian Army and Police for killing “unarmed helpless and defenseless protesters, without provocation or justification, while they were waving the Nigerian Flag and singing the National Anthem” at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.
However, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso on Wednesday night, the state government said: “There have been arguments in the public space over the report. There is a need for us to restrain ourselves from nullifying the good intentions of the government in setting up this panel, which was well encouraged to do its job, a fact that was acknowledged by the panel.
“In accordance with the Tribunal of Inquiry Law 2015, a committee has been set up to bring up a White Paper on the report to determine the next line of action. At the appropriate time, the government will make known its views on all the issues raised by the panel through the release of a White Paper.”
-
Sanwo-Olu commissions multi-level car park to ease traffic congestion in Lagos
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commissioned the Onikan multi-level car park to tackle the perennial traffic jam in Lagos Island.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Gboyega Akosile, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, noting that the facility was conceived in June 2013 when the incumbent Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, was Commissioner for Works.
The multi-level car park and facility building consist of five car parking floors with a capacity for 384 vehicles with offices for tickets and restrooms on each floor.
According to the state, the 6th floor is designated as multi-purpose mixed-use consisting of a Club House (410sqm Capacity); two banquet rooms, with a sitting capacity of 800 and 600 persons each; Water treatment Plant, Elevators and staircases for smooth pedestrian movement, and Fire alarm systems, CCTV, data network and power.
Sanwo-Olu said the building will service the renovated Onikan stadium and other primary social centres, such as Island Club, Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, King George V Park, Police Command Recreational Centre as well as other facilities in the neighbourhood and fix parking requirements generated by these centres.
“At the inception of this administration, we promised that our government will work for all, no matter your race, creed or gender. Several months after, we are still committed to this cause and this has necessitated that we expand and extend the reach of infrastructure to fast track growth and development across the state,” the governor said.
“Lagos Island could be modestly referenced as one of the largest commercial corridors in the state. There is, therefore, a corresponding increase in commuting, especially, high volume of vehicular traffic including social activities, culminating in traffic gridlock and pressure along this corridor.”
He also assured that the facility will be supported by efficient traffic management and an Automated Fare Collection Service (AFCS) – that will offer an operable payment solution to prevent traffic dovetailing into the main road.
-
Sanwo-Olu condoles with Taiwo Odukoya over wife’s demise
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has condoled with the senior pastor of Fountain of Life Church, Taiwo Odukoya, over the death of his wife, Nomthi.
TheNewsGuru reports that Nomthi died on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer.
Taking to his verified Facebook page on Thursday, the Governor expressed his condolences to Pastor Taiwo, encouraging not to lose the strength of his mind.
Sanwo-Olu said, “On behalf of my wife, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, and the people of Lagos, I hereby express my heartfelt condolences to Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, his loving family, members of the Fountain of Life Bible church and the entire Christian faithful, over the sad demise of Pastor Mrs. Nomthi Odukoya.
“Death, as we all know, is one of the harsh realities of life that we have to accept, but nothing prepares us for the death of a loved one.
“I therefore urge Pastor Odukoya to please take heart and not lose the strength of his mind, as he copes with this loss. May God grant her eternal rest. Amen”
Odukoya got married to Nomthi in 2010 after the death of his first wife, Bimbo, in the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash.
-
Lagos building collapse: Chances of rescuing more victims alive ‘extremely tough’ now – Sanwo-Olu
The chances of rescuing any more victims alive at the Ikoyi Building collapse site is extremely tough, according to the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwoolu.
The governor, who made a late night visit to the building collapse site on Friday, spoke exclusively with Channels Television.
The governor said the emergency management officials have started the process of clearing the rubble to create more space in a tight compound.
He added that the work at the collapse building site has got to the phase where using earth-moving equipment is becoming very difficult.
The state government has put the death toll at 42 while the number of survivors stands at 9.
The State Government on Friday had said bodies recovered from the collapsed Ikoyi building were ready for identification, calling on families of the deceased to go to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Yaba for identification of their loved ones.
The 21-storey building that caved in on Monday is one of three luxury towers being developed in Ikoyi, an upscale part of Lagos.
The owner and developer, Femi Osibona, is reported to have also died in the incident.
-
Lagos Building Collapse: Sanwo-Olu Inaugurates Tribunal Of Inquiry
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Ikoyi building collapse.
The inauguration which took place on Thursday at the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) building, Ikoyi, is part of efforts to unravel the cause of the incident.
Members of the panel include President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Toyin Ayinde, who is the Chairman of the panel; a foremost structural engineer, Akintilo Idris Adeleke; a partner with a leading architectural firm, Yinka Ogundairo; a foremost builder in the country, Godfrey O. Godfrey, and a lawyer and property expert, Mrs Bunmi Ibrahim.
The inauguration comes hours after the governor visited some survivors of the building collapse who were admitted to a hospital.
“I visited the survivors of the building collapse this morning and gave them my word that they will get the best of care in the hospital, and will not be discharged until they have been given the all-clear by the medical team attending to them,” the governor said in a statement.
“As much as we sympathise with all concerned, we will also ensure that we are open and thorough in investigating the cause of the collapse,” he assured.
The panel is expected to investigate the circumstances around the incident within 30 days.
“The panel’s terms of reference also include ascertaining whether there was a compromise of the building codes by the developer, his contractor and statutory regulatory agencies.
“The panel will be finding out who the culprits are. The investigation will start from the heads of regulatory agencies.
“Be rest assured that if there are other people found wanting in the course of the investigation, everybody will face the full wrath of the law.
“The members of the panel are people of impeccable integrity and I will be signing an Executive Order to give the panel legal backing,” the statement added.
-
Ikoyi building collapse: Sanwo-Olu reveals identities of survivors
The Lagos State Government has announced the name of survivors that are presently undergoing treatment at the Lagos Marina Hospital.
The state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, read out the names while addressing the press, during his second visit to the site on Wednesday.
Sanwo-Olu stated the names and ages of the survivors that were found under the rubble of the 21-storey building that collapsed on Monday on Gerrard Road, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.
According to the Governor, six of the nine survivors are currently undergoing treatment while three have been discharged.
Below are the names of the survivors, as announced by the Governor.
1 Odutan Timileyin, 26-year-old man.
2 Ahmed Kenleku, 19- year-old man from Cotonou.
3 Sunday Monday, a 21-year-old man who suffered a leg fracture.
4 Adeniran Mayowa, a 37-year-old man who suffered a hip injury.
5. Shola Bade Nurudeen, 33-years old man, who has a pelvic injury.
6. Waliu Lateef, 32-year-old.
Sanwo-Olu stated that three have been discharged, but did not specify their gender or give any detail about them.
-
Lagos building collapse: A national disaster; mistakes from all angles – Sanwo-Olu
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the building collapse at the Ikoyi axis of the state on Monday as a national disaster.
The governor said the towering building which was still under construction at the time of collapse recorded “mistakes from all angles”.
The governor spoke about the tragedy on Wednesday when he visited the site of the building collapse where emergency workers remain engaged in a rescue operation.
“This is an event that could be described clearly as a national disaster. Mistakes were made from all angles,” the governor said, adding that such an event “really should not be happening in a modern-day city like Lagos.”
The governor who extended his condolences to the families and people whose loved ones were affected by the tragedy also announced members of a panel of inquiry to probe the collapse.
He promised that those found culpable will be made to face the law.
Amid questions over what led to yet another building collapse in Lagos, the governor suspended the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, indefinitely on Tuesday.
He explained that the suspension was just a first step in the quest to hold those responsible to account.
“We will say that we had to take from the head; from the leadership of that agency,” he said on Wednesday. “And you can rest assured that if they are other people that are found in the course of the investigation, they will face the full wrath of the law.”
Asked if there were violations of the National Building Code in the construction, the governor answered in the affirmative.
“I will not have the details but from preliminary investigation, yes, there would be violations. The simple thing such as not having a manifest on site is a violation of the law in itself. So, there are several violations that would have happened here.”
Highlighting the importance of having a manifest at a construction site, the governor explained how it has affected the rescue operation.
“Unfortunately, what we have seen in the last 48 hours is that we do not have the manifest of everybody that was on site which is against the law,” he said. “On a daily basis, you are meant to have a manifest of everybody that is working in a construction (site). There is no manifest.”
“And unfortunately too, it’s also been very difficult for us to identify or for anybody to come forward as, maybe a project manager or a staff of the developer or contractor.
“Consequently, the government and emergency workers have been without having full information about the construction company’s mode of operation. That is why we do not know what numbers we are dealing with, or what the mix (of workers) is, or what work they are doing there,” Governor Sanwo-Olu added.
He also confirmed that nine persons have been rescued so far, saying six of them were in the hospital and three others have been discharged.
“So, we have all their names, their telephone numbers, their pictures, and everything. Unfortunately, we have 21 confirmed mortality – meaning people that have been taken out from this site and taken to the morgue.”
-
BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu suspends Lagos Building Control Agency GM
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Tuesday ordered the indefinite suspension of the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahan Oki.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the GM’s suspension comes about 24 hours after a high-rise building collapsed in the Ikoyi area of the state.
The Governor, in a statement signed by Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, described the suspension as a “first step” towards finding out “what went wrong” to cause the building collapse.
The State Government is also setting up an independent panel to probe the collapse.
“Members of the panel will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies,” the statement said.
“It will independently investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident and make recommendations on how to prevent future occurrence. The investigation is not part of the internal probe already being conducted by the government.”
At least nine persons have been rescued alive from the rubble but 14 have been discovered dead.
The survivors have been taken to the hospital.
Meanwhile, rescue operations have continued on the site to save more lives.
“Mr. Sanwo-Olu thanks all first responders and those who have joined the rescue efforts, including construction giants Julius Berger, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” the statement said.
“A help desk is to be set up at the site for people seeking information about their relations who may have been involved in the incident. The media are hereby notified that the government will be releasing information whenever the need arises to avoid any sensational reporting of the unfortunate incident,” the governor’s statement concluded.
