The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has flagged off construction of 250 roads and power projects across 377 wards in the state, said to be in fulfilment of one of the key promises of his electioneering campaign.
As stated, the projects tagged “Operation 377”, will saw the construction of over 250 roads will and 23 power projects and that the execution would be led by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.
Sanwo-Olu said that the intervention was initiated in response to the series of requests by the various communities across the state to address their specific challenges, and that the execution of the projects would change the grassroots development narratives.
Speaking on Friday during the ceremony held at the Adeyemi Bero Hall, Government Secretariat, Alausa, Sanwo-Olu said that plans had been concluded to mobilize contractors to site and ensure commencement of the projects across the 377 wards.
“The state-wide 377 ward projects being launched today are state intervention projects in grassroots development. The projects are conceived in response to requests by the various communities across the State to address specific challenges. These projects are not universal; they are diverse, reflecting the needs of each ward across the state.
“The implementation of the projects will commence immediately after this official flag-off, as contractors have been fully mobilized to move to the sites. I urge residents who are the ultimate beneficiaries of these projects to take ownership of them by monitoring the implementation process and ensure that the jobs conform to the quality and standards specified in the project designs,” the Governor was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile.
Sanwo-Olu said that identifying the needs and the design of the projects was in line with the concept of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and participatory governance in which the people are considered as key stakeholders.
The Governor described the grassroots as “the bedrock of development”, stressing that the projects were strategic in promoting the wellbeing of the people across communities, adding that his administration would continue to give residents a voice on issues that affect them.
“This administration’s development agenda is driven by the spirit to build a Greater Lagos that is livable and conducive for the growth and development of enterprise. The dream of a Greater Lagos is not exclusive; it is predicated on the principle of inclusiveness by which development is not considered as satisfactory until it has addressed the yearnings of the greatest number of the people who contribute to the commonwealth.”
Sanwo-Olu urged all public officers to be responsible in dealing with the people, noting that governance would be meaningless without the input of the people from whose mandate public officers derived their powers.
Dr Hamzat, who is the Chairman of the Projects’ Implementation Committee, said that all contractors would move to their sites next Monday, noting that the intervention was in demonstration of the governor’s campaign promise to run an inclusive administration.
He said that the projects’ selection followed a meeting between the Governor and all 377 councillors across the state during which Sanwo-Olu asked them to name specific projects they wanted executed in their wards.
After identifying the projects, Hamzat said, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget and professionals in public service evaluated the cost of the projects. This effort, the Deputy Governor said, was followed by a re-evaluation by an independent consultant.
Giving the breakdown of the projects, Hamzat said the Government would be building 257 community roads and drainage, adding that 86 public buildings would be rehabilitated, two jetties, nine water projects and 23 power projects would be installed across the wards.
All the projects, the Deputy Governor said, are distributed across the three senatorial districts, and that wards across Lagos Central would have 94 projects, Lagos East would have 99 and Lagos West would get 184 projects.
“The projects will be implemented by contractors in collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Directorate of Technical Service, Lagos State Electricity Board and Public Works Corporation. Supervision and monitoring of the projects will be done in collaboration with the ward councillors and party executives.,” he said.
