‘Ambode should focus on all sectors

Mr. Lateef Raji, immediate past Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to former Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, (APC). He spoke with journalists recently on the Akinwunmi Ambode government and the likely hurdles it could encounter. Seye Olumide reports.

It was alleged that the Ambode government recently discovered that Lagos debt profile is actually up to the tune of N880 billion instead of the N420 billion claimed by Fashola.

To say the new government is claiming that the actual debt profile of Lagos is N880 billion instead of the N420 billion left by the Fashola government is more like a rumour to me and I will continue to treat it so until I am proved otherwise. The new administration has not said anything on it and there is no information to that regard as far as I am concerned.

I am not in the finance department of the past administration, I am in the Information Ministry so there is no how I will know the full details about the question. But be that as it may, some people complained that the N420 billion is a huge debt but we did explain in details the purpose for which the debts was incurred and there are concrete proof to justify it before we left office. The projects are there for the people of Lagos to see and verify.

We also make it clear that the debt is not something that can hamper the present government from performing because it is redeemable.

I don’t think there is need to drag this issue because I don’t see any substance in it. Ambode’s victory at election tribunal 
t is expected that Governor Ambode will defeat Mr. Jimi Agbaje, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the election tribunal. I believe that the PDP’s challenging the election was just to maintain public presence. Agbaje lost becoming the governor of Lagos State, the day he announced his membership of the PDP. It is obvious that the people of Lagos have never for once shown interest in the PDP.

PDP’s vow to petition NJC over outcome the case
It is an open race and everybody is welcome. Whatever step the PDP takes, provided it is within the law, is welcome but I am sure they are on a wild goose chase.

We had free, fair and credible elections in Lagos. The National Judicial Council (NJC) would act on facts, and would listen to the other side. So, going to the NJC is not an issue but I fear they will be so disappointed that the effect might obliterate the PDP from the political map of Nigeria.

The PDP also vowed to appeal the judgment, but the Court of Appeal will rule based on the facts presented to it. As things stands today, the PDP does not have facts to sustain its petition. It cannot manufacture new facts.

Areas Ambode should focus on 
Governor Ambode should focus on every sector. All the sectors are complimentary of one another. I however commend his determination to tackle poor performance at the council level. That tier of government has attracted too much negative attention over time. I believe his efforts to unravel the reasons for the not too good performance of the councils is a good decision. Another commendable area of focus that the governor has embarked upon is roads construction and rehabilitation. Lagosians demanded immediate focus on roads, which makes his decision in this regard very apt.

Possible hurdles before Ambode
Hurdles are what governments come to solve. For me, I think the governor should pay attention to the transport sector, such as the light rail from Okokomaiko to Marina, the BRT buses and support infrastructures. Above all, the full implementation of the provisions of the Lagos Traffic Law is another key area that he should focus more on considering the level of indiscipline and lawlessness associated with operators of the informal service providers in the sector.