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Ambode: we’ll utilise tax payers’ money well

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday assured Lagosians of his determination to judiciously utilise tax payers’ money for the well-being of the people.

The governor spoke at the ninth town hall meeting on Security organised by the State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), with the theme: “Refreshing Our Security Model”.

He said his commitment to the people’s safety was non-negotiable, adding that security and a friendly investment climate remained his administration’s top priorities.

The governor said the town hall meeting was to continually create a platform for generation of ideas and solutions to confront security challenges facing the state, and to reassure security agencies of government’s commitment to their success.

Explaining that the N4.8 billion recently used to equip the police came from tax payers’ money, Ambode said under his administration such funds generated from the public would be accounted for and utilised to protect lives.

“What we have done in the last two weeks that totalled N4.8 billion, actually there is no kobo out of it that came from the Security Trust Fund, it actually came from you, because there is nothing called government money, it is tax payers’ money.

“Those of us who have been paying our taxes, we have actually apportioned part of the money you paid to purchase those equipment donated to the police.

“So we say to you, it is not our money, it is your money and it is only being used judiciously to protect ourselves,” the governor said.

Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni thanked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for the equipment donated to the police, adding that the command had been challenged and motivated by the gesture to do more.

Owoseni, who assured residents of the determination of the police to adequately and swiftly prevent and respond to crime, said 4,789 motorcycles were impounded.

Inaugurating the LSSTF board, Governor Ambode said his administration would continue to make Lagos safe and secure for law abiding citizens.

The governor assured that he would not relent in efforts to adequately equip security agencies in the state to confront challenges, just as he vowed to always support the board of the LSSTF.

LSSTF Chairman Oye Hassan-Odukale lamented that years of under-funding the police and other security agencies by successive administrations left a huge deficit that would require a yearly injection of at least N1 trillion for the next 30 years by the Federal Government.

Source :The Nation

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This Eghe Eyieyien guy makes some very good points:

• The growth of the Lagos economy is held back by stupid FG decisions like the pointless attempt to defend a fixed value for the Naira, instead of letting it float.
  
• Without dealing with infrastructure issues, there's a limit to how fast Lagos can grow. They emphasize roads in this discussion, but I think completing the light rail programmes Fashola started is even more important. No major metropolis in Europe or Asia depends mostly on roads for transport, while the parts of North America that are road dependent (like Los Angeles) also suffer from frequent traffic jams and air pollution.
  
• Human capital is much more important than the "oyel" Nigerian politicians are so fixated on. That's why Lagos has a much bigger economy than any of the oil producing states.

I actually think that without the federal government holding Lagos back, Ambode's target of 10% growth is perfectly realistic. Lagos could be the Hong Kong and Singapore of West Africa combined in one city: the financial centre, the entrepot, as well as the hub of IT. The interior SW states would then be in the perfect position to benefit from the spillover growth by taking all of the manufacturing, tourism and agriculture that would be better handled outside Lagos (which requires more cooperation between the states to fix intra-regional transport issues).

Honorebu,

I think part of it is that the states just don't have the power to do many of the things required to cooperate at that level, because the FG insists on holding the authority. This is certainly true for the railways, which is why Lagos and Ogun are both planning separate light rail systems, without saying anything about inter-state rail (which would make it easier for workers in Lagos to reside in Ogun state). Much the same is true for the electricity grid, as there's no region why it has to be a single failing grid, instead of multiple regional ones maintained by cooperating states.

As for the migration issue, I just don't see a political solution to that other than outright secession. The more Lagos booms, and the better the infrastructure becomes, the more people will flock to the state from all parts of the country (especially from the region agitating against the "zoo"). All this mass migration means Lagos will never be free of huge slums no matter what any government does - they'll just keep coming. That's one reason why I'm actually in support of all efforts the IPOB types are making at seceding, because it would then be politically possible to limit their migration, and send all the indigent ones already in the SW back to their promised land. Of course, many Igbos are perfectly aware of the likelihood of this, which is why I doubt Biafran secession would ever pass in any fair referendum: all but the most hopeless ones have too much to lose by not having access to the land of the "ofe mmanu" they say they hate so much.