GOVERNORSHIP candidates of political parties contesting the forthcoming polls in Lagos State on Monday listed Security, information technology, education, health and fight against corruption, among others as the focus of attention if voted into office, come May 2019.
The candidates include;Â Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Jimi Agbaje (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP), Prince Awamaridi Ifagbemi (Labour Party), Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi (Action Democratic Party, ADP), Ven. Funsho Awe (National Conscience Party, NCP).
Others were: Mr Muyiwa Fafowora (African Democratic Congress, ADC), Mr Ladipo Johnson (Alliance National Party, ANP), Mrs Adebisi Ogunsanya (Young Progressive Party, YPP), Dr Adetokunbo Pearse (Social Democratic Party, SDP), Dr Segun Musa (Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party, ANDP) and Mr Owolabi Salis
(Alliance for Democracy, AD).
They all spoke at the gubernatorial debate organised by the Diocese of Lagos West (Anglican Communion), which held at Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja.
The 12 governorship candidates harped on the need to improve on these sectors, contending that they were indices of development and improvement on the economy of the state.
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APC candidate, Sanwo-Olu said in his submission that consolidation on the existing programmes of the state would be his priority, noting that Lagos was already blessed with abundant resources and, therefore, the need to consolidate on the existing programmes.
“Lagos State is already blessed with abundant resources, so what we need to do is to consolidate on the existing programmes. We will improve upon what we have.
“We need to improve on our transportation system, education system by providing free internet service in our schools and other things.
“We have to improve on the training of our teachers by giving them training as a 21st Century empowerment. We also need to collaborate with the private sector on the improvement of our power sector,” he said.
On his part, the candidate of the leading opposition PDP, Agbaje, said his election agenda was based on a tripod of Livability, Economy and the Future, contending that Lagos would have to be made livable through the provision of needed basic amenities.
“We need to make Lagos State livable to all by providing all the basic amenities needed in the state. The transport sector must be improved upon and there should be a reduction in the man-hour loss in the traffic.
“We also need to make our graduates employable through the provision of 21st-century information technology that will give them an edge. There should be internet in every school for our school children. I see this as possible in Lagos,” he said.
Labour Party governorship candidate, Mr Ifagbemi, said his party would fully commit itself to restructuring the education sector by granting free adult compulsory learning to all.
While also promising free Internet connection in the state, he noted that people, especially the students, needed information for the 21st-century learning.
According to Dr Musa, the ANDP governorship candidate, his party would focus on Blue Economy, which he claimed to be a way to harness the abundance of waterways in Lagos, saying there was a need to develop the Blue Economy which he described as “our natural habitat.”
“We need to develop the Blue Economy which is our natural habitat, the water in Lagos. We need to open up the waterways for fishing, tourism, transportation and agriculture,” he said.