Sanwo-Olu must perform to win Lagosians’ hearts ― education stakeholders

Stakeholders in education in Lagos on Monday congratulated the state governor-elect, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and urged him to invest massively in education and infrastructure.

The stakeholders spoke in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a reaction to the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) victory in the March 9, Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in the state.

NAN reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Sanwo-Olu, the APC Candidate, the winner of the governorship election.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, announced that the APC candidate polled 739,445 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 206,141 votes.

The APC also won all house of assembly seats in the commercial centre.

Mr Saheed Oseni, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Lagos State University (LASU) Chapter, told NAN that Sanwo-Olu should give much attention to education and infrastructure development.

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“Look at the state of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, which links Nigeria to neighbouring West Africa countries. It is the route through which Nigeria generates the largest Internal Generated Revenue.

“It is worrisome that roads in Apapa where Nigeria generates billions of Naira are in a dilapidated state,’’ he said.

According to him, the dilapidated state of some roads was hindering the free flow of traffic and had become a cause for concern to commuters.

Oseni appealed to the governor-elect to also increase LASU’s monthly subvention to enable the university administration to transform the institution faster.

According to him, the university’s subvention at the moment was insufficient to meet its expenditure.

The chairman urged Sanwo-Olu to complete all abandoned projects in LASU, including its senate building, ultramodern library and students arcade.

He also called on the governor-elect to construct the initiated students hostel and staff quarters for LASU.

“The governor-elect should justify the confidence reposed on him by the people of Lagos by fulfilling his campaign promises because the awareness of the masses in politics is increasing daily.

“Sanwo-Olu needs to perform if he wants to win the heart of the people and be more popular because the era of politicians’ not living up to expectation and still want to remain in office is gradually winding up.

“Although politicians are still forcefully imposing their will on the masses, Nigerians are resisting the imposition of candidates of them,’’ he said.

Also, Mr Abiodun Awoyemi, Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics, Lagos State Polytechnic Chapter, urged the governor-elect to hit the ground after the inauguration on May 29 and resolve all lingering union issues involving the polytechnic.

Awoyemi said that he was hopeful that higher institutions in the state would `enjoy’ Sanwo-Olu’s tenure.

“Because Sanwo-Olu has been on the ground, familiar with Lagos politics and knows what Lagosians want, we expect that he will perform,’’ he said.

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Mr Sunday Fowowe, a lecturer in Early Childhood Care and Education Department, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos, expressed optimism that the governor-elect would pay the N30,000 minimum wage or above.

“We will hold him accountable for this, as promised; lecturers also expect a commensurate amount to be paid to them once the implementation of the salary structure commences,’’ he said.

According to him, Sanwo-Olu will need to invest more in the college to enable it to sustain its newly accredited courses.

He also urged Sanwo-Olu to look into the proposal to upgrade the college into a degree-awarding institution and make the pronouncement as soon as possible.

“We are expectant of the pronouncement as promised by the previous government.

“Lagosians voted for a change and we are religiously expectant that out vote would take us to the next level,’’ he said.