By FLORENCE ONUEGBU

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, says Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration completed the construction of 970 roads during his first term as governor.

Omotoso, who is also the Chairman, Media and Publicity sub-Committee of the Inauguration Committee, made this known on Friday in Ikeja, during a news conference ahead of the inauguration of Sanwo-Olu and the deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat for second term in office.

He said that asides roads, the government also completed other iconic projects including schools, houses, rail projects, among others.

According to him, these achievements are the reasons the people of Lagos came out in their numbers to cast their ballots for Sanwo-Olu on March 18, 2023 for his second term in office.

”Exactly 1,451 days ago, Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his partner, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, took the oath of office before thousands of people who were gathered at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos and millions more who watched on television and various media channels across the globe.

“That day marked the beginning of ‘A Greater Lagos journey’, which was embarked upon by the administration and anchored on the six pillars of development tagged the ‘THEMES Agenda”.

“It is also an important date in our democratic experience.

“The Sanwo-Olu administration completed 970 roads – 34 roads in Kosofe, Somolu, Victoria Island and Ikoyi – and 15 bridges. In Ojokoro, 31 roads were completed.

“It trained 18,000 teachers under the EKOEXCEL programme, set up two universities –( our varsities never went on strike when it was fashionable to do so) and built four Mother and Child Centres.

“There are a number of road projects spread across Lagos State, such as the Agege Pen Cinema bridge, the Eleko Junction to Epe rigid pavement roads, the Oba Sekumade and Ijede roads in Ikorodu as well as several hospital projects spread across the state,” he said.

The chairman said that the government completed 18 housing projects, and also prioritised technology, entertainment and arts and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage.

According to him, the Sanwo-Olu-Hamzat administration changed the face of governance in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.

He said that the Blue Rail Line had been inaugurated and soon, passenger operations would begin.

“The administration began the Red Line on Aug. 15, 2021. It is almost completed now, with engineers putting finishing touches to the iconic project.

“There are 21 ferries on our waterways, which more Lagosians are embracing to commute from one part of the state to the other. The Lagos Rice Mill Imota is in operation. The achievements are, no doubt, numerous and significant because they touch the people’s lives directly,” Omotoso said.

He said the administration tackled effectively the COVID-19 pandemic; completed numerous abandoned/ongoing projects by the previous administration; started and completed new projects

The inauguration spokesman said that the second term of the administration would be eventful, with life impacting projects.

He said that the social contract between Gov. Sanwo-Olu and the people of Lagos was never taken for granted and, for that reason, the governor and his team proactively tackled head-on all the challenges that confronted the state within the four-year period.

“Nobody could foresee the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It came like a thief in the night. Experts predicted that we would be picking bodies on our streets, this never happened because Mr Governor led a fierce battle against the pandemic.

“The administration, in line with its campaign promise, ensured that all abandoned/ongoing projects too numerous to mention here, were completed.

He started and completed new projects and worked on a sustainable and enduring future for the state, through several bold and audacious policies and projects.

“We can safely state here, that it is not by accident that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration continued the Blue Line Rail project and completed it.

“It also started the Red Line Rail project that is nearing completion amid global economic challenges,” Omotoso said.

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