Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Friday, commissioned the new digitised central storage facility of the State Treasury Office (STO), saying it was gratifying to note that the financial outlook of the State is very positive.
The governor also commissioned dualised Bisola Durosinmi Etti Road and new Hakeem Dickson Road in Lekki, Eti-Osa.
Speaking in Ikeja at the unveiling of the STO storage facility, a project initiated during his tenure as Accountant General of the State in 2006, Ambode, who was represented by Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinyemi Ashade, said though he would be exiting office in few days time, but his commitment to bring about financial accountability and robust financial base for the State remains unwavering.
“Ladies and gentle men, the tenure of our administration is coming to an end in a few days but our commitment to maintaining the financial accountability, transparency and creating a robust financial base in the State is unwavering.
“Let me assure you that our State is safe; its finances are secure and the outlook is very positive,” Ambode said.
He said aside being in line with the civil service reform embarked upon by his administration, the ultra modern edifice, was also part of the vision to continually innovate and transform the financial processes of the State thereby evolving an improved service culture for the benefits of Lagosians.
According to him, “Today is a special day for us because we are writing a new chapter in the success story of public financial management in Lagos State. Today, we are moving from an analogue system to a digital and state-of-the-art platform for storing our critical documents.”
Giving details about the facility, Ambode said the edifice was fitted with modern equipment which will convert all physical payment vouchers and supporting documents into electronic form and subsequently stored to aid easy and seamless archiving as well as retrieval of security documents, saying that the transformation would go a long way to ensure that the State’s public financial information management system was in line with leading practices across the world.
“By transitioning from manual to electronic system of archiving and retrieving vouchers and other supporting documents, we have demonstrated a commitment to investing in information and communication technology to steer the State on its journey towards a Smart City.
“Asides the electronic storage, this complex also houses an ultra modern staff training facility with capacity to accommodate 150 persons for treasury staff in the State Civil Service. With the premium our administration places on regular capacity development, this training facility became imperative and would provide the conducive environment for in-house technical training of finance and account officers which will no doubt enhance the productivity and quality of output as we continue to build the technical capacity of our staff,” Governor Ambode said.
Earlier, the governor commissioned the dualised Bisola Durosinmi Etti/Hakeem Dickson Road, Lekki in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos, saying that his administration only prioritized renewal and development of road infrastructure but utilised an all inclusive approach that has touched both rural and urban areas in the State.
Represented by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, the Governor said his administration had given the axis the attention it deserved in terms of infrastructural development considering its proximity with the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
“Our passion and focus on this corridor was anchored on the reality that this axis is the new Lagos and Lekki Phase 1 in particular is the gateway to the biggest free trade zone in the whole of West Africa”
“In deciding to upgrade Bisola Durosinmi Etti Drive and Dickson Road, we took cognizance of the need to create additional access to Lekki Phase 1 and improve the traffic along Lekki axis. This I believe will ultimately uplift and add value to the surrounding environment,” he said.
He said before the projects commenced, the roads were in bad shape as they were riddled with pot holes which impeded free flow of traffic, adding that it caused the residents a lot of stress with attendant effects on the many business outfits that operate within the area.
The governor expressed appreciation to Lagosians for their prayers and support particularly in the discharge of their civic responsibility through payment of taxes, while urging them to extend the same hand of cooperation to his successor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Lekki Phase 1 Residents Association (LERA), Mr. Kayode Otitoju who spoke on the projects, commended the Governor saying that the road has transformed the axis and upgraded their standard of living.
He recalled that it was also during the administration of Ambode that the Freedom Way and Admiralty Way were constructed, adding that the projects were executed with high standard engineering reflecting, durable interlocking stone, good drainage street lights and other modern road infrastructure.
“We all knew how the two roads were before now and can see the positive change, which would now be used to manage the corresponding increase in human activities, especially, the high volume of human and vehicular traffic, including commercial activities.
“We are grateful for all you have done for us in this community especially the location of the LRU within Lekki to respond to emergencies and the periodic cleaning of shanties by the Lagos State Government Special Task Force on Environment. The evacuation and rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents by the Ministry of Youth and Social Development cannot go unmentioned.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees; the Executives and all the residents of Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, I say thank you and farewell to you, our indefatigable Governor Akinwunmi Ambode,” Otitoju said.
Meanwhile, Ambode, on Friday, received top African football legends at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, urging countries in the continent to look inward and explore the possibility of using sports to grow their economies, saying sports remain a veritable tool to foster growth and development.
Some of the African soccer legends who paid the courtesy visit to the Governor include Kanu Nwankwo, Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba, El Hadji Diouf, Diomansy Kamara, Didier Zokora, Khalilou Fadiga Austin Eguavoen, Mutiu Adepoju, Waidi Akanni, Uche Okechuku and Seydou Keita.
Ambode, while receiving some of the soccer legends that would be participating in a testimonial match on Saturday put together in his honour as he prepares to exit office, said the sense of brotherhood in sports must be played up for the benefits of the continent in terms of scaling up the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of African countries.
Recalling an initiative of his administration known as Project T.H.E.S.E which stands for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Arts and Sports for Excellence, Ambode said right from inception, machineries were set rolling to use sports to grow economy and tourism in Lagos.
According to him, “We have always used sports to build bridges and there is this sense of brotherhood anytime that you switch on your television and there is an African playing on any line-up be it Liverpool, be it Tottenham, that feeling is always there and that brotherhood is something that we can use to grow the economies of Africa nations.
“I had this dream when I came in as Governor that I could use sports, tourism, entertainment and arts with some sense of hospitality to promote excellence. So, I had something called Project T.H.E.S.E and my dream was to catalyze everything around sports and use it to build tourism and also grow the GDP of Lagos.
“So, that was the dream and why we promoted as many sporting activities as possible so that we could create a platform for tourism which made many people to travel here and just like you have come now, you will lodge in our hotels and the hotels at the end of the day would pay taxes and then we use it to do the infrastructure that we are doing.”
He said though four years may not be enough to do everything but that he was grateful to God for the opportunity to serve the people, just as he expressed optimism that the next administration would take it up, improve on it and ensure that the dream and vision for sports development never dies.
“I am very honoured that you are all here in Lagos to celebrate with me as I finish my tenure in Lagos State. This match is not only for me but for the good of humanity. We are not promoting it because we want to make money out of it but we are actually showcasing the fact that there is still something to be done about sports development in Africa and then particularly in Nigeria.
“We have lost a lot of resources and economic growth because people can’t match sports with the economy and that is the mis-match that we are having here. I mean, the question is why do I have to travel to Madrid to go and watch La Liga meanwhile I will pay Airline, pay for hotel and grow the economy of Spain?
“That is what Africa has to find out and then maybe as I leave office, it might just be my next venture to do something around sports and use my intellect to find a way to match sports with our economy and all of you here are all Ambassadors in your own rights and that is the only way we can continue to pull resources together because we must understand that the future of Nigeria is actually in the service industry – in sports, in creative arts, in things that are innovative whereby people can use their talents to earn income and I pray that one day we would have sporting companies that would be on the Stock Exchange,” Ambode said.
Speaking on behalf of the footballers, Diouf thanked Ambode for the opportunity for him and others to be personally here in Nigeria to see the fans, vowing to run the show with exciting display during the match on Saturday.
Also speaking, Aliou Goloko, a French sports journalist, said Ambode deserved to be commended and appreciated for making Lagos a safe place, adding that the soccer legends were also drawing inspiration from the purposeful leadership of the Governor.
“It’s very important for everybody to know that all these African legends came to Lagos because of the Governor. The Governor made it possible because when Waidi Akanni came to us and said we have to go to Lagos, there was no fear to come to Lagos. You (Ambode) have made Lagos a safe place; a place of humanity and a place of solidarity,” Goloko said.