Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, in this interview with select editors of national newspapers, speaks on the state of the several projects his administration has embarked upon and his efforts to make Lagos a real mega city. OLAWUNMI OJO was there. Excerpts:
There is no doubt that you have proved your worth in Lagos State, especially when it comes to infrastructural development. Why this drastic level of work?
I am a dreamer, I like to dream and if dream is called vision, you need people to support it. You just know that integral part that makes it come true, because it is all about perception and that’s what drives things that come to place.
I think the set of people who should share the reforms of what we are doing is those that share the perception of the populace and that’s almost like 65 per cent of acceptance. The other part of it is to achieve what we have said in our manifesto two years back. It is for us to see that we have done what we promised to do in 2015. So, we need to go back to history and check things happening. Did we even say we would do all these things that we are doing? We were given the chance after two months. What is it in context and content that we have done? Then, what is it that we can chat about that we can do in just six months?
What is your office doing to change the face of Lagos at the Airport road because the area does not represent Lagos well, especially as the state is planning its golden jubilee anniversary celebrations?
At the express of the airport, you would notice some people selling chairs along that Ajao Estate and you would ask yourself ‘are you sure you are in the border of Lagos?’ The truth is this, we actually have a design for the Airport Road. I decided to project for the federal roads without wanting to ask for reimbursement. If not, I was just going to waste my time. It’s all about the people. If you say there is no money, the four years would have gone without you having any impact on the people. So, we are doing a lot on Federal Government roads without asking for reimbursement. So, we have actually decided and it’s in our budget this year to embark on the project of the Airport Road this year. It’s not good for our image and it doesn’t make us globally competitive. When you get to the airport today, you will see that everything is in a mess. Our design was actually a longitude of 10 main roads and one on each side. That’s what I desire most and I met with Mr. President that I would like the road project to be handed over to us, which is a federal road, that we would do it. It also appeared in the budget of the central government this year. So, as at last week, we were in the process of wanting to commence, and speaking with the minister, he said that we should slow down, that he would award the contract before the end of April.
So, what I’m trying to say is that there is a convergence of passion to put the place together and we see all this work commencing by June. I would like to say that cash flow is different from budgetary flow. So, if everything happens by June, we can finish it in six months. It’s a big deal. People should just wait and see what is happening.
There are lots of complaints about Jakande/Elegusi road in terms of the gridlock. What are you doing about this route?
Because of the feedback that we get from the people, I can tell you that from next week, we are taking over from Ajah, Chevron and Igbo Elefon, so that you can actually have a highway on that route. We will also finish the flyover by May. But the beauty is this, for you to have a regional road from the petrol station around VGC that will take you straight down to where we have Pastor Rapu’s church, which is about eight kilometres, then you now enter into Freedom Road at Admiralty and go down the bridge and go out. So, that is the beauty of what we are trying to do.
We are giving the Lekki people a round-about, but you know what, that is a second economy of its own. The regional road at the back from Freedom Road to VGC and the roundabout, the GDP of that area increases.
I don’t want to remove the roundabout at Abraham Adesanya, because that is where the Fourth Mainland bridge will begin. If you don’t want to go to VI, you can always drop at Freedom Road and go straight to the Main land, the Lekki Bridge and all that. Lagosians should just please be patient with us during these developments.
The drainage system in VGC has become a hub of trash, thereby leading to dumping of rubbish that has now polluted the area. What is your government doing to salvage the situation in this area?
Talking about the drainage system in VGC, we will look at it. We are actually looking at it. When you look at the drainages at Jakande Round about, especially the one close to the filling station, we need to clean up the drainage generally. But part of our Greener Lagos initiative is to address the drainages and the channels as a complete contract. So, we will zone Lagos into six zones and give contractors. We will clean the channels and drainage 24/7 and keep them clean.
So, it reduces the expenditure on refuse collection and medical issue. Cleaning the drainage is part of the strategy to have a healthier lifestyle. It’s about the cash and the health. There is no point having money and you are sick, who wants that? So, the government has to intervene in terms of cleaning the city.
The development at Alimosho axis seems not progressing as in other areas and this has made the residents to feel rejected. What is the situation in this axis?
There is a collective bridge that was talked about also; it has been moved from Aboru, which is 600 metres long to Abesan and Ipaja. This has made the area to be easily accessible to the dwellers. The only thing I think is missing in Alimosho axis is the road between Meiran, going towards AIT, to Sango in Ogun State. And very soon, we are moving to that. You know it’s not about the road, it’s about the economy in that axis. So, the whole idea is this, we should make every zone in Lagos economically viable. We don’t have to congest ourselves, saying we must work in V.I. So, if I work in Badagry and say I want to go to V.I, it’s like saying I want to go on a family visit. That’s why we are spending much on tourism in Badagry. The populace here is large.
The Aja area is another. We are thinking of commissioning a flyover there and cleaning up the whole area. Immediately after the fly over, you will see a lot of things going on there – unwanted things, markets going into the streets. But when I start, please, don’t let the activists come to my office. You know the NGOs, activists and others, they come with their complaints and once I read them, I slow down.
What current plans do you have for the Apapa-Oshodi Express road?
There is a terminal that will be in place. When I look at the loops in that area, I’m not happy. So, we will do the same terminal with the one at Ikeja. Please, take a look at Ikeja on your way to the Airport, immediately after the post office as you climb the bridge, check on your right, there is a construction going on there. In another eight weeks, you won’t believe what you will see there. About 13 bus parks are centralised in that place and you can see that you can go there to take any bus out. We are doing same terminal in TBS, Ikorodu, in Kosofe. We have in Mile 12 already and we’ll do in Mile 2, too. This is so that the roads and loops in Oshodi-Apapa road will just be flat surfaced.
I don’t want to use the same terminal for Oshodi, because the place is filled with crowd and if you have to do something, it must be something crazy. Oshodi is a cash town and one million people are moving in. I created a new economy, because you know the terminal is connected to the mall and people come to the mall. After all these, if I say I’m (an) Oshodi boy, I should be proud. I don’t need to go to VGC anymore. The terminal will happen by December and the mall next year. Everything is in place just to change the attitude of the people.
Residents of Lagos State, for some time, have been complaining about the traffic at the Lekki Toll gate, which has not made life easy for them on that route. Is there any plan to solve this problem?
If we had our way, we would like to make it available for people to run it freely. But the money involved won’t let it, but the other ones are free. Technology has a problem in this country, because you have to think of cultural issues. We had wanted to change the price, but if you come down they’ll still price it. But we feel the pulse of the people, there is recession. So, we are thinking of rounding off the figure and using technology.
You have yet to deliver on the Lagos light rail project, despite your promise. What is your government doing about this?
Like you said, the project ought to have been achieved, but it’s a combined project between Lagos State and the Federal Government. And you can understand that the country is in recession and this actually slows a lot of things down. And for us, we don’t want to start a project that will not be accomplished on time. I don’t want to start a project that I will not finish immediately, and before this is done, the money must be ready somewhere. So, that is why the project is on pause now.
The Power Line Road going towards Ijebu-Ode has been abandoned for two or three years now. What are you doing about this?
We are looking at it, too. I have asked the Federal Government to give us Ikorodu road, down to Itokin. I actually presented it at the Federal Executive Council meeting some weeks ago, with some amendments. Actually, what I want to do is that when you look at Lagos as an outer ray network, it is the only road that has not been touched since 1967. The only person that touched it was Mobolaji Johnson, and that’s how the road has been. The idea is this, we do not have the money, but there is a PPP in place. So, the idea is for eight lanes and two lanes reserved for rail for the future. So, I have already seen someone that is interested. Like we always say, it’s not about the road, but the economy in that axis. So, we are going to change the real estate transactions and the economy also in that area. That is what is going to happen to make that area connected to Egbe, then down to the fly-over in Ijebu-Ode.
The question is where do I get the money? You know that the money is actually coming from all of us. It’s the tax payers’ money, plus the money that comes from the Federation Account. It is now prudently expended and that is the only difference that has happened. The money we get from the tax, we must spend it well so that the people can see that we are spending it on the infrastructure, so that there is a willingness for them to come out and pay more tax without you impounding them. The idea is that you put it to their face that you are creating solution to the day-to-day problems. This makes people have the impulse to pay their taxes willingly.
Look at the traffic, now you can turn three hours to 30 minutes. It increases my GDP. If you are ready to pay more tax, I can recycle and give you more stuff. So, pay your tax.
You recently signified interest in taking over the National Stadium in Surulere. What is the motive behind this decision?
It’s unfortunate that the stadium is a spit to our psyche as a people. We have the asset, but you’ll lose your plan if you don’t have manifest plan of the asset. So, we have asked for the stadium. The last time we played a match at the stadium was 12 years ago. It is the same thing I’m trying to do with the federal roads. Should I leave the federal roads and say it is federal, when the people passing there are Lagosians? They don’t understand this in Abuja. So, we said we should not leave these national assets so as to continue and allow the business of Lagos to trend. Like the National Theatre, it is Lagosians that are coming there. So, we are looking at jobs that actually dwell on innovation and creativity and talents. So, as a government, you have to create the framework to allow people to thrive. If I do it, they pay their tax and I get the money back and use it again to do some other things. So, it’s just a game.
Don’t deceive yourself or if I should say I’m a governor of the mega city, it’s a lie. I don’t have the infrastructure that makes it a mega city. I know it because the kind of transport system I run doesn’t make me qualified. So, if I really want a reform, let me go crazy and do something that has never been done before
The employment in any football match is about 10. People that give food, tickets, those that scan and everything like that. And then I have promising youth. Sixty-six per cent of those living in Lagos are below 35 and I don’t have a promissory note for them. So, what is going to happen in the next 10 years? They don’t even have the purchasing power to be married. So, you must intervene directly.
You need to think out of the box. If you don’t do something to these younger ones, they will knock at your door one day.
Your government has said that, soon, yellow buses in Lagos will be phased out. What are the alternative plans you have for the people that will be affected by this plan?
Nobody likes the yellow buses, but they have been here since Jakande’s time. Don’t deceive yourself or if I should say I’m a governor of the mega city, it’s a lie. I don’t have the infrastructure that makes it a mega city. I know it because the kind of transport system I run doesn’t make me qualified. So, if I really want a reform, let me go crazy and do something that has never been done before. So, that is what change is about, to do something that looks impossible. And leadership is a risk to win at all odds. The idea is this, if these buses have been here for 40 years, let’s go and look for a way to change them. Looking at it, I don’t want to own the buses, I don’t want to be Lagos transport system. I want to empower my people to create jobs for them, but they don’t have the capital to dream what I want. So, I want to stand as a father and say I absorb all risks in changing these buses. So, the bus reform is a three-year plan, 2017-2019. We have over 30,000 of these rickety buses plying the city. The middle class does not have the confidence to enter them, the majority of people entering them are poorer people, but they don’t have any defence, and somebody must stand up for them. We want to have 5,000 buses, the big one taking 70 people and the smaller ones, maybe 32 people. Out of the 5,000, 70 per cent will be the smaller ones and 30 per cent the longer ones.
So how do I fund this? We use our own vehicle to drive transport, infrastructure bond.
Apart from that, we have infrastructure bond and the money given to us for the money owed.
The money was from Paris Club reserve of over eight years and I decided that we should not spend my own share, but we should make it as a sinking fund towards the procurement of these buses. So, when other states were spending theirs, my own N14.5 billion is intact, which is just half of what they are owing me and they are supposed to pay me the balance next month. So, I will have N29 billion and I will put additional N1 billion to have N30 billion to secure these templates to provide these buses. The idea is that we don’t want to deal with the owners, but we will make people to take the franchise in multiple of 50s. So, if you take a franchise of that, you will go and buy about 30 danfos. So, if you get a bus from us, every month you will pay 25 per cent. So, my exposure is 75 per cent. It’s easier for people to buy into the bond. The bond will be a 7 to 10 years bond. So far as people are still living in Lagos, income will be coming in. They pay part of the facility and the owners still get part of it.
