By Comrade Awa Bamiji
After May 29, 1999 Governorship inauguration, the first complex problem Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu solved was to jack up the meagre Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State, N600 Billion to N5 Billion, before he started thinking of various mass oriented projects that could easily touch precious life of a common man and bring food to his or her table.
Comrade Awa Bamiji
2003 was the year of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Tsunami Rigging in the Southwest Region aimed at floushing out the Six Alliance for Democracy (AD) Southwest Governors but ironically, this was the same year when the Lagos Metropolitian Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) was introduced by the administration of this Master Strategist, Renowned Chatered Accountant, Asiwaju of Lagos, Jagaban of Borgu, Great Philantrophist, Seasoned Democrat, Leading Activist of Decades, Leader of All seasons, Grassroot Mobiliser, Administrator per Excellence, Human and Physical Developer, and the Last Man Standing among his comteporaries, Six (6) Southwest Governors after the massive rigging of 2003 general election by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
When the idea of this new transport System was first conceived, we didn’t feel its physical impact until when the digging out of the tarmac on Ikorodu/CMS Express Way started to delimit or demarcate the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lane from the restricted new Express Way, we were all caught in fear that the always busy Express Way would soon be restricted to smaller lane, which will allow the Lagos State Workers get to work in good time and return home in good time without meeting any traffic congestion while the reduced Express Way would still be coping with the usual pressure of vehicular movement, which is always on increase, according to rapid increase in the population of Lagos State and the end result could be the occasional lockdown of the Express Way housing the BRT lane by the heavy traffic congestion around the City but Today, the Lagos State story is different.
This is a laudable project, one out of many others and popular dividend of Democracy that always touches life of a common man in Lagos State and bring food to his or her table. The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, alias “work – in – progress”, recently reduced the Ticket price of the BRT Buses, in tune with pain associated with the fuel subsidy’s removal, just to make life easier for Lagosians.
Introduction of “Eko Atlantic City” in Victoria Island, part of which now housed largest Embassy in Africa, which belongs to USA, was equally done by Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State among other cardinal projects while decogestion or redesign of Osodi market was later done by his Successor and former Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, in line with the continuity Agenda of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Lagos State. Presently, an important accomplishment thus far in Eko Atlantic City is progress achieved in construction of GREAT WALL OF LAGOS which is now protecting Victoria Island from coastal erosion, having reached 6.5km and when it is completed, 8.5km, it will also be protecting early phrases of Lekki from wave of Atlantic Ocean.
The primary aim of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President is to replicate all these coveted mass oriented and fantastic projects at the Centre. It’s a matter of time, the reason why we hope to start feeling the impact as from 2024.
On this occasion of LAMATA @ 20 Anniversary, we felicitate Mr ACTUALISER, our President, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, June 12 Activists that put their individual lives on line during the military era to pave way for today’s democracy that we are all enjoying for past 24 years and congratulate our Iron Lady, Engr (Mrs) Abimbola Akinajo, Managing Director of LAMATA and the entire management team.
We are glad to announce the plan of a young, talented, hardworking and highly resourceful man, Publisher of Trek Africa Newspaper, Mr Samson Oki, who doubles as the National President, National Association of Online Journalists and his team, Coalition of Youths for Thoughtful Leadership and Institutional Development (CYTLID) to bestow “Activist Of Decades’” on Comrade Awa Bamiji, National Coordinator, Coalition of Pro – Democracy Groups for A Better, in geniune recognition of selfless service to humanity, valuable and ever consistent roles in democratic space over the past 3 decades, which is now crowned with Tinubu’s Presidency.
Event hold Sunday, 10 December, 2023, inside LCCI Expo Confrence Centre, 10, Nurudeen Olowopopo Way, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, by 2pm. Attendance is strictly voluntary as maximum security guaranteed!
Comrade Awa Bamiji, National Coordinator, Coalition of Pro – Democracy Groups for A Better Nigeria
This is really awesome and needs to be reminds always.
The goods work of Asiwaju of Nigeria and the legacy laid in Lagos.