I don’t interfere in LGs’ affairs, don’t know how much they earn —Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, speaks on his achievements in office in last two years, in this interview with some journalists. BOLA BADMUS brings excerpts:

 

It’s just a few days to the second anniversary of your administration, can you tell us how you have been able to implement your campaign manifesto?

I count our mandate by the days. For me, I know what it means to sleep and wake up every day and you have that huge challenge on you. It is a challenge of honour, of immense trust and a sense of belief that people have given to you. So, as tough as the job is and looking for that job and asking God to give you that job, it is also a very difficult job. So, two years into it, how would I with all sense of humility rate and rank myself?

I would say that we have actually not disappointed the people that gave us this mandate.  We started this government with an economic agenda, which I’m sure you all know under the THEMES. And we all went into it with full sense of purpose, that we would work, break barriers, make audacious decisions and we would raise the level of governance. Unfortunately, COVID-19 came in about 15 months ago, slowed us down in some areas extensively, because Lagos, all throughout, even up to now, continues to remain the epicenter. But it has actually not stopped us to achieve a lot of the things we had wanted to achieve. So, because we realise that stories and excuses cannot be a thing that we’re going to put forward. So, if I take each of the pillars in the THEMES agenda and I’ll try to rush through it very quickly, you will see that, indeed, we have intervened extensively in each and every one of them.

The very first one which is traffic management and transportation was something borne out of what we asked our citizens during all of these times that what would you want us to do first for you and they said, just solve traffic for us. They said we should give them means of moving from one area to another very quickly and efficiently.

So, what have we done? We have in the last two years created, on an ongoing basis, an opportunity where we can utilise the three modes of transportation that is available for us in Lagos- rail, roads and waterways. For the rail, we have not completed it, but I will start by saying that we are certain that before the end of our four years tenure, rail will move in Lagos. Why do we say so? We’ve spent more money in the last two years than what we’ve done in the last six years. We’re confident now that we’ll take that project, two of them, in fact, the first which is the Blue Line, and the Red Line, to completion because we’ve seen what we call the financial closure. We have direct imputs into how we can raise money to complete it. We’ve ordered rolling stock, especially for the Blue Line, which is the one coming on phase one from Mile 2 to Marina.

The two terminals that are remaining are the Mile 2 terminal and the Marina terminal. When you’re driving in, immediately after Marina, you see that there’s a big hole that they’ve started excavating, that is actually the construction for the terminal for Marina. And you can see that it is extended to right in front of the State House here; that will be the last parking point for the Blue Line. So, we’re convinced that we would see rail.

 

What about the Red Line?

Answer: For the Red Line, which is even the most audacious, we are certain that in those two years we would have completed 10 stations.  We have approved to build four over-passes; Federal Government is supposed to build another four for us. We’re convinced because we’ve raised finances to build our own four over-passes, and the plan around the rolling stock is completed and is finalised. So, what are we saying, we’re saying that in two years time, we believe that Lagosians will be moving on rail.

 

What is the state of IGR in the state under your administration and how are you addressing the debt profile of Lagos State?

We have increased the IGR of Lagos State, we have grown from early 30’s to early 40’s in terms of numbers. We are actually doing a lot more. But it is not within the target budget we have set for ourselves. We are still not hitting our budget potential we set for ourselves. There is still a lot of room for us to improve on our numbers. Our IGR is actually better than what it used to be like one or two years ago.

In terms of debt profile, you will need to look at what we called a sustainability model. That is, how sustainable is your debt to your current GDP ratio and sustainable to the potentials that you have in your space. Numbers have also shown that in terms of our debt sustainability ratio, apart from the fact that we are the best in the country, we are even far below what can even hit us up at all. The World Bank says your debt sustainability ratio should be around 40 per cent to your total revenue, but we are doing between 23 and 24 per cent in Lagos and we are not even close to it. Secondly, our debt to GDP ratio is also very low.

If I raise debt to develop an infrastructure, to develop capacity, that is a fantastic debt because I am creating wealth from it. But if I am going to raise debt to pay salaries and spend on consumption payment, that is bad debt. We must create debt that can improve quality of life and generate value. The other side to it is that things don’t get cheaper. What you don’t do today, by the time you come back in three year’s time, you will be wondering why you didn’t close your eyes to do it then. Things won’t wait for you and that road won’t get any cheaper, that school will not get cheaper. Just hit it and know that you are building for the coming generation and they will see the value you have created for them.

 

In the whole of these projects and ambitions, what is the role of the local government in them?

We appreciate and recognise the principles of separation of powers. We believe that what people want is service. It becomes very difficult for you, an ordinary citizen, to be able to say that this road or this thing is for state or local government. They will tie all of you together and they will say it is Sanwo-Olu. A lot of citizens don’t even know the difference.

So, from that standpoint, first you have that burden of responsibility to want to carry it.  But you’re right with your observation to ask where is their place?  You see, it is an engagement that all of us need to continue to have, and it’s to ensure that we put in the right people that truly have the sense to serve and have the capacity to do it there. There is another election that is coming up now. So, you have the pen, you have the opportunity to educate the citizens, the electorate, and the aspirants that want to come there. Indeed, do you know what it takes? Do you have what it takes? Do you understand what is expected of you to be done? For example, not one of local government money or allocation have I touched. I am saying it on tape, not one. I have never interfered or asked them about their allocations. In fact, they are the ones that I support. But on my security, for example, I have asked them that I am buying vehicles, support me. Of course, not by taking their money, but they talk to themselves and go look for it to buy. I don’t even know how much they earn, I do not even see their allocation schedule to know it was this local government that gets this or that, not once, I have not seen it. They have their meeting, I do not interfere. But the point is not lost on me to ensure that we continue to collaborate with them, to continue to engage with them, and to continue to say, indeed, we all have a role to play, understand your own role and play it, and let the state government do its bits.

 

There is a law in Lagos State restricting the movements of motorcycle riders popularly called Okada on some roads in the state, is there a timeline to fully implement that law given the menace of the riders in the state?

We are going to be hard, but we also want to be fair. Fairness is to give human conscience to these things. We are fully aware of what the security implication is, the health implication, the accidents, the danger to life that it has cost all of us. So, the conversation is going on. For me, it is really to be able to also show on the fair side that there is, even if it’s not fully adequate, a plan for an alternative. And so, the full implementation around the Okada ban and the rest of it is going to come out after our launch of Last Mile and First Mile buses that is going to happen next week. We need to wrap up what the issues are, find out who the culprits are and identify what are their sources. Who are the owners, where are they from and what are they currently doing? All of that intelligence is currently going on. Indeed, it can be an exercise that will have full compliance. I can assure you that we will leave nothing to chance to ensure that we get this right out of our system. It is too much; it is too often. We need to get rid of it this month and we will.

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