Sanwo-Olu: Rebuilding of Lagos Must Commence Immediately

Following the Endsars riots that devastated the state last year, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa have called for the rebuilding of Lagos.

The trio and others spoke at the 16th edition of the Executive/ Legislative Parley at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme: A Consensus Agenda for Rebuilding Lagos.

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the entire world and subsequent EndSARS protest, which left in it trails unimaginable destruction of public and private properties in the State, the parley is aimed at ensuring consensus of all stakeholders on issues that are germane to the development of the State.

According to Sanwo-Olu, “Lagos is rebuilding stronger; to rebuild Lagos is to rebuild ourselves; to rebuild Lagos is to rebuild our infrastructures.

He explained that the parley provided opportunity to set agenda for the future of the State, adding “it is to sustain our Lagos and put it on a pedestal of growth in the next 10-30 years to come.

“As the epicentre of the pandemic in Nigeria, Lagos was not left out of the lockdowns. This as you all know has adversely affected the socio-economic life of our people and slowed down our efforts at infrastructural development and poverty alleviation.

“As if that was not bad enough, the #EndSARS protest reared its head, culminating in a grounding of social and economic activities, as well as unimaginable destruction of both public infrastructure and private properties.

“We thank God that we were able to bring the situation under control with the help of God and a resilient citizenry. We have no alternative than rebuild Lagos, with a sense of urgency. To do this, all stakeholders in the development and growth of Lagos State must come together to share experiences and proffer solutions.

“Let me be quick to say that beyond the immediacy of these disruptive events of 2020, it is important for us all to think and plan for the long-term future of Lagos. Just last week, we were at the 18th Lagos Economic Summit, tagged ‘Ehingbeti 2021’, to chart a path towards accelerating the sustainable growth of Lagos State over the next decade. In addition to making this long-term planning and envisioning part and parcel of public administration in Nigeria, we must also ensure that we follow through in terms of implementation.