A New Heritage for Lagos
Nine months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of the State House, Marina, to the government of Lagos State, the federal government only recently officially ceded the historical building to the latter. Gboyega Akinsanmi writes
His directive was clear this time. This was unlike the power play that ensued immediately after President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval to concede the ownership of the State House, Marina. In a terse directive to the Permanent Secretary in the State House, Abuja, Mr. Jalal Arabi, the President said: “I have promised, and I have ceded the State House, Marina. Go and carry out the process.”
Consistent with Buhari’s pledge, officially, the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) penultimate week, which Arabi said, marked the final stage of the handover process. By implication, the historical edifice, from where the first Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard steered the affairs of Nigeria, has now been added to the assets of Lagos State.
Already, all necessary documents have been handed over to the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello. With the MoU, the management of the State House came under Lagos State effective from August 17, 2017. And officials of the federal government at the State House are expected to be redeployed to Abuja or be relocated to an entirely different location within the state.
For Lagos people at large, the handover is a huge success. It is not a success because the state has taken over the ownership of the State House after much expectation. However, it is indeed a success mainly because the handover paves way for the implementation of the plan of the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to transform Marina to the first port of call for every tourist that visits Africa.
That explains Ambode’s heart-felt appreciation to every person that facilitated the release of the historical edifice. He, first, appreciated Buhari for ceding the State House to Lagos State beyond the transcending the politics of sectionalism. He, also, appreciated the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for fast-tracking the process that culminated in the successful handover of the historical edifice.
Ambode equally appreciated his immediate predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola for sup- porting the collective decision to the state on the map of the world. Already, the governor said the first stage of the assignment “has been completed. And, the next stage is to kick-start the process of transforming Marina to the world’s foremost centre of tourism. Our resolve is to use tourism to drive economic growth.”
United we stand
Perhaps in the spirit of national unity, Buhari communicated the decision to cede the historical edifice on November 2016. He conveyed his approval in a letter his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, sent to Lagos State Government. However, the decision sprung up some power play, which according to reports, could have frustrated the process that the president had initiated before he went on his first medical vacation.
At the peak of the power play, Ambode lamented what the state officials went through at the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the Department of State Security (DSS), even after the president had directed that the edifice should be ceded to the state government. He also lamented how the power play painfully altered the plan of the state government for the presidential lodge.
He said the presidential lodge “would have played a role in the state’s fiftieth anniversary. After three months President Buhari approved the release of the presidential lodge, we have not taken possession. Rather, we have been tossed here and there. We are being frustrated. The approval of President Buhari should be honoured. We believe we should take possession so that we can take over.”
At last, however, Buhari came to the rescue of Lagos. He gave a marching order to the Permanent Secretary in charge of the State House, Abuja. His order read thus: “I have promised, and I have ceded the State House, Marina, go, and carry out the process.” At this point, the power play abruptly ended, and the machinery of the apex government had no other option than obey presidential fiat.
This was evident in the remark of Arabi at the signing of the MoU that epitomised the process of handing over the presidential lodge. Arabi acknowledged that he could not have questioned the president after he gave a marching order to ensure the release of the edifice. Of course, according to him, “I was commanded on the process of the handover, and I could not have asked what or why.”
He, thus, likened the release of the presidential lodge “to the feeling of parents before giving out their daughter to a suitor. All parents often feel some pains when their daughter is ripe to go into union with her suitor. They would have considered what they invested on the daughter and held on to her. But the pleasant thing is that they will be more elated when they reaslise the husband is worthwhile.”
We strongly believe the State House, Marina, is going to a new husband that we know is capable to take care of it… We have handed it over in the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria
Before the world, the permanent secretary acknowledged that the tale was a clear analogy of how functionaries at the Presidency felt when they heard that the presidential lodge would be ceded to the Lagos State Government. Indeed, he said, “we feel it.” However, according to him, “we strongly believe the State House, Marina, is going to a new husband that we know is capable to take care of it.”
But beyond tale-telling, Arabi explained the rationale behind Buhari’s decision to let the edifice go. He thus said the Buhari administration “has ceded the presidential lodge in the spirit of oneness, unity and prosperity. We have handed it over in the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria. There was nothing special or extraordinary. The transfer is not new or not extraordinary. It is in the interest of one Nigeria.”
A new dawn
For Lagos State, the handover was a huge success, not just because it was completed. Rather, it was a success because it was a demonstration of inter-governmental cooperation. This was evident in Bello’s remarks. He said the official handover of the edifice “signposts an affirmation of the healthy intergovernmental relationship existing between federal and Lagos State Governments.”
Bello, therefore, gave insight into what the presidential lodge represented in the history of Lagos. He, specifically, explained that the State House, Marina “represents one of the landmarks of the city of Lagos. So, the successful handover is an eloquent testimony to the new dawn of politics and inclusiveness the All Progressives Congress (APC) has brought to the political landscape of Nigeria.”
Beyond its value to the cultural heritage of Lagos State, Bello assured the federal government and the state government would put the edifice to the best and most judicious use. He said the state government had already developed a comprehensive plan “to transform the historical edifice without compromising its structural integrity and preserving its architectural finesse and beauty.”
Aside, Bello assured that the Ambode administration “will maintain the presidential lodge to become a tourist destination.” With what the state had mapped out for its preservation, Bello noted that residents of Lagos in particular and Nigerians in general would not only be proud of the presidential lodge, but would equally prefer visiting the location to similar locations in other parts of the world.”
For Ambode, a new era has dawned with the release of the presidential lodge. He said the handover perfectly reinforced the plan of his administration “to make Lagos Africa’s foremost hub for arts, entertainment and tourism.” He, thus, disclosed the plan “to redevelop the presidential lodge to accommodate The Heritage Centre for Leadership,” which had already been designed.
Ambode explained the role of the Heritage Centre, which he said, would play in the future. He said the centre “will be a landmark research and tourist arena that will be open to local and international visitors.” He, also, disclosed the plan of the state government for Lagos State House, Marina, which according to him, would be redeveloped and transformed to The Lagos History Centre.
He, also, disclosed that the State Executive Council “has already approved the Lagos House Marina to be turned into Lagos History Centre for tourism purposes. The Lagos History Centre “is next door to the Presidential Lodge, Marina.” he explained that the centre “will be a mark of honour to and celebration of all former governors of Lagos State, as well as for the benefit of humankind as a whole.
With the release of the presidential lodge, Ambode said the Lagos State Government “will transform the whole area into a culture zone in the next two to three years that every Lagos resident will be proud of. The two buildings will be nurtured as world-class monuments to compliment the ongoing larger plan that aims to transform the Marina-Onikan axis into a multi-sectorial culture zone.”
He explained the plan for Marina-Onikan culture zone. He said it would include a skywalk that would connect Marina all the way “to the Freedom Park on Broad Street in order to offer the ultimate view of the ‘culture arcade’ that will emerge between Marina and Broad Street.” He explained that the axis would also accommodate a Tourist Welcome Centre, which according to him, would comprise a multi-layer car park, shopping mall, Lagos Aquarium Centre and other tourist facilities.
Other federal assets
Like the case of presidential lodge, Ambode has been engaging the federal government to return all the disused lands, buildings and disputed quarters it acquired when Lagos was the Federal Capital Territory. At the instance of law, the governor argued that all the federal assets under these classifications “are no longer in use for the purpose for which the federal government acquired it.”
Ambode, thus, constituted a Special Committee on Federal Government Assets in Lagos State under the leadership of Chief Femi Okunnu. By implication, the governor obviously set it up to end jurisdictional disagreement between the federal and state governments over the disused lands, buildings and disputed quarters to which the former still laid claim within the territory of the latter.
In its report, the committee had already determined the status and titles of the disused lands, buildings and disputed quarters that are still being occupied in the state. Such assets in include Federal Secretariat, International Trade Fair Complex, Banana Island, Osborn Foreshore, Festac Town, Satellite Town and the whole of Ikoyi with boundary at Lagos Canal standing between Ikoyi Island and Lagos Island.
After submitting the report, Okunnu lamented the despicable conditions of the assets all over the state. Since the federal government had abandoned them, Okunnu argued that the assets should be returned “to the Government of Lagos for effective and proper usage. We have tried to argue that the whole of Ikoyi with boundary at Lagos Canal standing between Ikoyi Island and Lagos Island.”
Aside, Okunnu explained that title to the whole of the Islands “is vested in the Government of Lagos State when Lagos became Crown Colony. Title to the whole of Ikoyi including Osborn Foreshore, Banana Island is vested in the Government of Lagos State. We have covered other areas,” which he said, should not ordinarily be under the control of the Government of the Federation.
For instance, Okunnu cited the case of Festac Town, which he said, belonged to the Government of Lagos. Under Crown Colony, Okunnu noted that the title to Festac Town “is vested in the Government of Lagos State. By implication, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is the tenant of the Government of Lagos State indeed. Also, the title to the Trade Fair site is vested in Lagos State.”
He cited the case of International Trade Fair Complex, which he said, was acquired by the Government of Lagos State. When it indicated interest in the site of the fair, he noted that the federal government promised “to pay the state compensation which was to be paid to the original owners of the land.” The same was the case of Federal Secretariat, which he said, belonged to the Crown Colony.
As in the case of the presidential lodge, Ambode demanded the return of all the disused lands, buildings and disputed quarters to which the federal government still laid claim within the territory of Lagos State. He provided three reasons the federal government had to return the disused assets to Lagos State.
In this era of troubled economy, first, Ambode argued that returning these assets “will reflate its economy and improve its GDP of Lagos. It has become imperative that we must pursue this particular project to a laudable conclusion.” Second, the governor noted that the assets “assets are no longer in use for the purposes for which they were originally released to the federal government.”
Ambode lamented their grave conditions. Already, their structural integrity has raised questions. Also, their value to the GDP is next to nothing. He, thus, hoped the report of the committee would get favourable response from the federal government now that the assets “are no longer in use for the purposes they were acquired.” He also hoped the initiative would end the long standing dispute.
For Ambode, a new era has dawned with the release of the presidential lodge. He said the handover perfectly reinforced the plan of his administration to make Lagos Africa’s foremost hub for arts, entertainment and tourism