Oseyemi Oluwatuyi
“Everything na double double”. If you are a typical Lagosian like me, irrespective of your religion, you would be familiar with the phrase. This phrase occupies two lines of a song filled with hope for blessings, not just blessings, but double potions of blessing. So, permit me to borrow this phrase in my writing about a team of visionaries, whose togetherness will bring prosperity and orderliness to Lagos.
With Sanwo-Olu at helms of affairs and Hamzat by his side, bygone to the days of sloppy government decisions in Lagos State. In this team, we have two tested and proven individuals with vast public sector experience and impressive private sector pawmarks, totaling 41years of service excellence in public service!
A difference has emerged in the skyline of Lagos politics. This combination will not only enhance the government decision-making process and make governance effective in the state, it will also offer a decent solution to the function of Deputy Governors in the country.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has given the electorates two potential governors in one administration in Lagos State. Don’t worry about conflict of interest because they have a strong chemistry, which developed over 15years of friendship and work relationship, while serving as Commissioners in the governments of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN.
As humans, particularly accomplished ones with glittering record of achievements, like Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, personality clash and quest for recognition may rightly be considered as a potential challenge to their synergy. Well, from what I know, these individuals are not vain. They are values and faith-driven gentlemen. The characteristic monkeyshines of politics that create gulfs between these offices have been addressed ahead of this announcement.
Many things, outside efficiency and performance, will not matter. Like the general belief that the Deputy Governor is a figure-head, whose main duties include, but not limited to, primary and secondary schools’ visits, commissioning of new classrooms and laboratories, attending luncheons on the governor’s behalf and meeting with well-wishers of the state, this will not be.
This combination as governor and deputy governor will jointly run the state on a collaborative platform, such that when Sanwo-Olu begins a sentence, Hamzat will conclude it perfectly, even if the sentence was not started in his presence. The smoothness of their interaction, engagement and collaboration will result in describing their relationship as telepathic.
Unlike in some states, where major state projects suffer owing to lack of supervision, Lagos State in these two workhorses have the benefits of 48hours in one day. Therefore, social welfare, security, transportation, infrastructural development, healthcare, education and commerce will receive round-the-clock attention. Just as Lagosians remember Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola for visiting project sites in the middle of the nights, this duo will knock on the doors of contractors who hold the state to ransom for failing to meet contract delivery deadlines.
They abhor failure. It’s all about performance because of their private sector training and orientation. Their minds leap for joy when the word efficiency comes to play. So, it’s safe to say that the gap between Lagos and the other states in Nigeria in the areas of infrastructural development and amenities provision will become a gulf. Sanwo-Olu-Hamzat’s ticket is a jackpot for the people of Lagos, and we have won really big this time around.
I think this is fate. Governance gets better in Lagos, and progressively so, now the it’s all-inclusive, well-rounded government run by sound minds, whose decisions will be a product of collective reasoning. Sanwo-Olu’s exceptional public sector acumen and policy design expertise will reside in Hamazt’s innovative mind and solution-oriented project initiation outlook. My people, welcome to the Lagos of our dream.
You are wondering why my excitement is to the high heavens? And why this combo is giving me so much joy? Permit me to bask in the euphoria of breathing in the crisp and fresh aroma of a greater Lagos, one where experience, competence and knowledge are key criteria for the choice of both governor and his deputy in the 2019 elections.
‘Abi who buys no-testing these days? We have to test everything for adaptability, compatibility and efficiency. Otherwise, problems that can be solved at the initial stage of a journey may become a raging issue because of the subjectivity caused by emotions and sentiments. Well, Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat have been used in different capacities in the State, and both have both have proven to have the energy and dexterity to satisfy our urge for good governance, infrastructural development and social welfare.
They are strong men, with excellent values. Both of them have dipped their feet in the fast-moving river of public service and ingeniously adapted to the continuously evolving dynamics of societal expectations. These are leaders who stand with the people. Now, it’s our turn to stand with Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat.
If you ask me why? I will remind you of their no mean feats in the public service and impressive achievements in the private sector. Our servant-leaders have impressive track records that inspire confidence and belief in their capacity to exceed our set targets of excellence and performance.
Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, has a remarkable record as a public administrator. As a 3-time Commissioner, first as Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in 2004, he ensured strict compliance with budgetary limit and adopted a zero-tolerance policy to wastage of public funds. In 2006, he was appointed Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, where he facilitated creation of jobs, and the state witnessed significant increase investment under his charge.
Following his remarkable achievement in the earlier roles, he was made Commissioner for Establishment, Training and Pensions in 2007 to address the perennial Labour issues that were affecting the efficiency of the ministry and productivity of civil servants. Pronto, Sanwo-Olu addressed the challenges and Lagos State Civil Servants started earning more, even became the first to earn the celebrated 18,000 minimum wage, which came regularly.
Beyond these, he facilitated the setting-up of the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) and ensured that civil servants attended appropriate training overseas and locally to enhance their productivity. A man whose name is associated with many landmark innovations, the setting-up the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and Lagos Asset Management Ltd (owners of LAGBUS) was not without him.
His latest role as the MD/CEO of the Lagos State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC) saw Lagos witnessing a significant boost in housing projects and systematic approach to resolving the housing deficit in the State. It is worthy of note to highlight that his life in the private sector was a string of achievements, only broken, each time he surpassed his own feat. A seasoned Banker who left banking as a Deputy General Manager (DGM), after occupying several leadership roles, cutting across corporate banking, treasury management and foreign market operations in various Banks.
Like Sanwo-Olu, his running mate, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, also boasts a string of achievements. Hamzat is a seasoned private sector professional, whose experience spans Academics, Oil & Gas, Information Technology, Financial Services and Consulting.
The gentle, yet strong-willed, Hamzat who served as Commissioner for Science and Technology in 2005 and later in Babatunde Raji Fashola’s government in 2007, boasts an endless list of accomplishments.
Notable amongst which are introduction of digital data keeping system, which helped eradicate the ghost workers scourge that had previously plagued the state and created a huge hole in its treasury, execution of an ICT Skill Acquisition for 1500 youths to strengthen the capacity of the participating youths in ICT to enable them explore the endless opportunities the skill offers and set-up the Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency to gather and create a beneficial database of all Lagos State residents, with a view to providing useful and reliable information for social welfare, infrastructural needs analysis, political, security, employment and financial activities among others.
Hamzat was the golden boy of the Babatunde Raji Fashola’s infrastructural revolution in Lagos. As an acknowledgment of his expertise, the former Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola appointed him Special Technical Adviser in the Ministries of Power, Works and Housing. In the role from 2016-2018, he contributed to policy design and formulation.
Clearly, capacity and expertise will not be in shortfall between the duo. What Lagos State will be overwhelmed with are large scale developmental initiative, excellence in governance and human-centered policies. Who wouldn’t want that, Lagosians?
