I believe that Baba Kekere is one of the best governors that Lagos has ever had (you'll see why in a minute), but I also acknowledge his flaws. However, it's very difficult for most people to assess him objectively. They either love him dearly or hate him passionately.

LKJ implemented the progressive/welfarist manifesto of the UPN to the letter. The LSTC was still running at the time that Jakande was governor and he converted some of the LSTC buses (including some of the air conditioned buses) into Scholars Bus, buses that were specifically designated to convey primary and secondary school children to and from school for free.

He utilised the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) to build low cost houses/flats, which low and medium income people could buy via a mortgage scheme (they paid back in instalments over a 10-25 year period).

Jakande endeared himself to the people by using his private car, a Toyota Crown (or was it a Cressida?) as his official car, rather than one of the long wheel base mercedes limousines that were common at the time. (He used that same car as his official car when he became Minister of Works in the Abacha Government, but his motorcade looked funny to me because the official Peugoet 505 Evolution that was meant to be his official car was often driven behind the Toyota).

Governor Jakande revived the Lagos Metroline plan which had been abandoned by the previous military government. The system had been originally planned by United Nations experts that were advising the Federal Government in the 1960s, but successive governments were not serious about it. Governor Jakande was very serious about it and the right of way had already been demarcated by the time he was removed from office.

He established the Lagos Television (LTV), the only state tv station (the previous state and regional tv stations had been taken over by the Federal Military Government in the mid-1970s). The NPN controlled Federal Government quickly established a youth oriented tv station on the exact same frequency (NTA2 Channel 5) and LTV was eventually forced to move to Channel 8 (it was forced to move again in the 1990s, when the Federal Government reserved the VHF frequency band for only Federal Government owned stations. It eventually settled on Channel 35).

He also established Lasu, a multi-campus university that was modelled after the University of California multi-campus system.

But, the most controversial policy of the government (and the policy that was the subject of Sunday's debate) was the education policy.

The Federal Military Government had taken over private primary and secondary schools in the 1970s. Part of the reason for the take over was the fear that most of these schools were, in one way or another, controlled by foreign organisations and people, such as foreign missionaries and that it was dangerous to leave the education of Nigerian children in the hands of foreigners. These primary and secondary schools were handed over to the states by the Federal Government (the Federal Military Government also took over regional/state owned universities and still owns and manages those universities today).

Governor Jakande decided that every child must attend school, that they (and their parents) must spend little or nothing to get an education and that this must be done on budget (that is, the government must also not overspend in order to achieve this). So the government created numerous schools (I don't think any government in the history of Lagos has created as many schools as Jakande did).

The scholars buses ferried children to and from school free of charge and the government also reached agreements with publishers to supply books to the schools at no cost to the students.

I took some of those books from one of those students at that time and below are pictures of one of those books.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10485552_101209415112779724628382974985295233809545n_jpegf25c7149db0ded952da615210e0b0c92

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10485553_1054885415112786091294413277182517401698560o_jpeg9a86eea7fd3015de841be594b17c80e7


You can see that it has the Seal of the Lagos State Government on it. This notice is stamped on some of the pages of the book - "Property of the Lagos State Government. Not for sale" (the notice on the pages of another book reads - "Property of the Lagos State Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Not for sale" ). The name of the particular school was also stamped on the books and it was a huge offence to sell those books.

One of my favourite parts of the policy and one that was hated by many students, is the part that was known as Center. Basically, students from schools in a particular area or neighbourhood would congregate at a centre in which they would be taught woodwork, home economics and other hands on subjects.

So, how can anyone have a problem with this policy?

1) Multiple schools: - Remember that most of these schools were seized from their original owners, most of whom were european missionaries. The missionaries believed in total, all-round education. They believed that it was important to educate the mind, body and soul. So most of those schools had large football fields, cricket pitches, basketball and tennis courts, chapels and mosques and even swimming pools. They also had farms for agricultural science and facilities for music, arts and drama.

Jakande was determined to get as many people as possible into school, so he built new classroom blocks on those sports facilities. Several schools were built in the same compound. You had "Government College, School 1", "Government College, School 2", "Government College, School 3" (sounds like a nollywood movie, doesn't it?) and so on and so forth. Many of the schools (classroom blocks) were built so close to each other that they were poorly ventilated. If you go round Lagos, you'd see a lot of these schools that were established between 1980 and 1982.

Someone complained, "What kind of schools were those? They had no laboratories, no sports facilities, no libraries, just blocks of badly built classrooms".

The original owners and ex-students of these schools were also very upset that their school compounds were being broken up in this manner (a visit to Igbobi College or Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School will give you an idea of what happened. The Aunty Ayo School system was divided into 3 schools!).

2) The buildings: - The quality of the new buildings was also another source of concern. I watched a documentary on Jakande's birthday, in which the project coordinator explained what happened. Jakande told her that he wanted X number of classrooms built at Y amount. She went, did her study and came back and told him that it was impossible. He replied that he had faith in her and he knew that she could do it and restated that he wanted X number of classrooms built at Y amount. That she should find out where she can make savings. So she went back and made some adjustments. Rather than using glass window panes, they used wood. They made other similar adjustments and were able to build X number of schools for Y amount.

This was one of the things that infuriated people the most. One of my friends on Sunday complained that, "I can never like that guy. I don't know why people are trying to whitewash and launder his image. That guy built chicken sheds in my school and called them classrooms!"

Many of those classroom blocks were very basic. Some had no coat of paint, some had wooden windows, no fans, no electricity, etc.

Governor Mudashiru, who took over from Jakande, had to spend a lot of money to upgrade some of the classroom blocks.

3) Interview: - Like I said earlier, the missionairies and the colonial government believed in total education. They believed that they should not only educate the mind, but that they should also develop the body, social skills, behaviour and spiritual needs of the child. So there were sports activities, plays, musical performances, etc.

Thus, prospective students were interviewed and investigated to determine their suitability, not only academically (which would have been determined by the entrance examinations), but also in terms of character.

Jakande's policy dictated that school districts were divided into catchment areas. Principals of secondary schools had to accept students from specified primary schools in their catchment areas (so long as the student passed the G2 primary school leaving certificate exam [one of the easiest exams you could ever take). It was also very difficult for the principals to expel these students, except the student failed promotion exams twice.

The result was that many unruly students were admitted into these schools. Discipline broke down. It became quite normal to read stories in the newspapers about students beating up teachers and even principals. This was also one of the reasons why the old Principals Cup Competition was suspended. Extreme violence often accompanied these football matches. Secondary school students went to school and football matches with axes (known as UTC), cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

4) Carrying capacity: - The policy led to a dramatic increase in school enrollment and this put a huge strain on facilities (despite the rapid increase in schools and classrooms). Most schools, pre-1979, had a student-class ratio of 25 or 30 students per class. This changed during the Jakande era and it was not unusual to see classrooms with 60 to 100 students.

5) Shift system and boarding facilities: - Jakande's aim was to provide education to as many people as possible, so it was very strange that he abolished the shift system.

Pre-1979, people who were unable to get an education when they were younger and those who could not make it into the regular morning session because of space constraints, could enroll in the evening school system. Most schools had both a morning and an evening session (usually using the same school buildings, but sometimes using separate buildings). Jakande abolished that system and the morning session became the only session. For example, the facilities that were used for St Gregory's College's evening session became the Government College Victoria Island (GoCoVi). The shift system was initially created by the civillian and military governments of the 1960s, when the launched "universal education" policies. The facilities overstretched the existing facilities, so they had to introduce a shift system.

Jakande also abolished the boarding school system. The government planned to demolish the hostels and build classroom blocks where the hostels previously stood.

Now, certain families have a tradition of attending the legacy schools in Lagos. The legacy schools include:

CMS Grammar School, Methodist Boys High School, Methodist Girls High School, Anwar-Ul Islam Model College (formerly Ahmadiyya College and before that, it was known as Saka Tinubu), Anwar-Ul Islam Girls High School (formerly Ahmadiyya Girls College), St Gregory's College, Holy Child College, Baptist Academy, Kings College, Queens College, St Finbarr's College, Our Lady Of Apostles Secondary School, Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, Aunty Ayo International School, etc. (All of these schools, except Kings and Queens College, were taken over by the State Government. Aunty Ayo was divided into 3 and 2 of the schools were taken over by the State, while one remained private).

I know a family which has had at least one member in a particular school every decade since the 1920s. I know another family in which the tradition is so strong that the children are brought back to Lagos, from wherever they are in the world, to attend a particular school (or its sister school). These families were very angry at the way that Jakande was "destroying" "their" schools. The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Okogie, launched scathing attacks against Jakande in the newspapers. He also instituted several lawsuits against the Lagos State Government. The families made several attempts to stop the LASG's attempt to "destroy" their schools. The Old Boys of Igbobi College stopped funding the school at a point, because they were depressed by what was happening to it.

It became an insult to be referred to as a Jakande boy or Jakande girl (they were synonymous with the word "thug" ) or for someone to say that you attended a Jakande school.

However, like my other friend would point out, this policy enabled many people who would probably have been uneducated and a problem to society, to get an education, get a job, feed their family/be independent and contribute to Nigeria's development. Cricket pitches, football fields, etc are a small price to pay in exchange for that.

Dandsome:
You guys need to see this. APC no vex e don do. Stop the propaganda already

Gov Ibikunle amosun caught red handed. Phone technology and social media are great assets to us o.

Height of deceit by another APC governor.

Can someone please in the name of God tell me this isn't real.


www.nairaland.com/attachments/6556579_img20180115wa0011_jpeg01e256b05f829983d84d10903538a66d

Issame:
"I think that for democracy to flourish, only people who can accept the pain of *rigging* (sorry, defeat) should participate in an election"

- Adams Oshiomole, APC Chairman



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGVgmNPbKWA

Local rice production has not taken advantage of border closure – Investigations
17 November 2019

• MITROS Rice Not Available In Ogun Markets
• No Lake Rice Production
• No Special Arrangement For Rice Farming In Kaduna
• Farmers, Processors, Count Gains In Kano

OGUN
Currently, Ogun State branded rice-MITROS Rice has vanished from the market, according to findings. Since the state allegedly rolled out 150,000 bags in November 2018, the product is not seen in the market, especially during the festive season when it was needed most. A section of the state residents, especially those living far from the state capital claimed little is heard of the brand.

From findings, only few people had access to it. It was alleged that access to the brand is complicated, as you could not walk into any market and get MITROS rice.

Even now, when the state ought to capitalise on the border closure to register its presence, it was confirmed by a reliable source that there is no MITROS rice in the market and there may not be any till next year.

The source disclosed that the milling machine at the Asero processing plant, has packed-up and there is no plan in the offing to put it back to work.

But the privately produced Ofada rice is thriving, but not in great quantities to saturate the markets.

LAGOS
Apart from the three years (2016-2018) LAKE Rice was made available to Lagosians that record was broken last December. The brand has totally disappeared from circulation.

In all the markets visited in Lagos, there was no Lake Rice for sale. At Amuwo-Odofin Shopping Centre, one of the traders said she last sold the brand in April.

Those in Mile 2 Oke market said they never sold Lake Rice. At Daleko Market, one of the traders claimed he sold the last batch about a month ago, which was at N18, 500. This was far higher than the price the state government pegged it.

The new administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu promised return of Lake Rice, but without subsidy, meaning an over 15 per cent price increase.

Before it went off the market, a 50kg sold for N12, 000; 25kg for N6, 000 and 10kg for N2, 500 in about 10 locations across the state, designated as sales points. The state government then said residents could only buy one bag, as it wanted to ensure that the rice got to everybody.

To increase the availability of Lake Rice beyond the 10 sales points, in December 2017, the state government sought the participation of major rice distributors by signing a partnership with them for the transportation, distribution and marketing of Lake Rice.

However, in the third quarter of 2018, after the government had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for mass distribution and sales, the rice was no longer available at sales points and markets. And that was the scenario till former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode left office in May till now.

On the non-availability of the rice in markets, a source in the ministry of agriculture said the state government buys from Kebbi State, bag it and sell in Lagos, contrary to claims that the state has rice plantations in Kebbi.

“The process to buy another batch has not been concluded, reason it has not been in the market.”

https://guardian.ng/features/local-rice-production-has-not-taken-advantage-of-border-closure-investigations/

naijadrivablog:
In Cross River alone, Naijadriva can confirm that after 8 Miles Calabar to Ugep (where local boys wait for sinking vehicles to push and make money), to Odukpani, to Biase are in a deplorable state.

Calabar - Ikom road is bad. It takes about 8 hours to get to Ikom. Okpoma-Oba Road is bad (near Ogoja and Ebonyi State).


More photos of some bad sections of the road:

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10590632_7470919525149453318757452153875620193370112n_jpg5ea391494e7e44b241fa9df9da776dcc




www.nairaland.com/attachments/10593981_7522372116841556950516058787842501701533696n_jpeg0edfcc8f9e5530e8027907d6209f7b57

ebukajay184:
IgbereTV reports that the minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola has stated that Nigerian roads are not as bad as they are said to be.

The Minister stated this after the federal executive council meeting on Wednesday, also told newsmen that the major challenge encountered in the completion of roads across the country is funding.

He said, “The roads are not as bad as they are often portrayed. I know that this is going to be your headline, but the roads are not that bad "

“When I come here to announce that a particular amount was approved for a contract that doesn’t mean the amount has been paid contrary to what you suggest.

“You are mindful also that minister of finance, different arms of government are escalating the fiscal challenges we face as a nation in trying to fund the budget.

“You are also mindful that the last few budgets in Nigeria for almost 20 years have been deficit budgets and these are terminologies that are realities and I think we should acquaint ourselves with if we are not just to report the news but also educate the public.

“You must also be aware that between awarding a contract and also mobilizing to the site there is a distance. First of all, we have to have an agreement that is the relationship between the ministry of works or any other ministry and the ministry of justice, then there is a role that banks play, they have to give a guarantee.

“Building materials – rocks, laterite, quarry, iron rods have to be ordered, construction companies don’t keep them.

“The process of producing blasting rocks requires approval from the office of ministers of justice and even the office of the NSA to get approval to get dynamite. All of these are the things that go on. So the point that I am making to you is that there is a distance between approval, implementation, actual construction and the result.”

Fashola also said that there will be a massive mobilization of contractors for rehabilitation of roads as well as continuation of road construction projects across the country when the rains are over.

“So what we experienced in this year is unusual, it’s not a good time to be in the transport system. We also want this season to quickly end so that we can go back to work during the dry weather.”

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10524043_img20191107074823_jpegf453431b2e9971ba1e21cad39a405fb2

http://igberetvnews.com/1117977/fashola-roads-bad-portrayed/

Lagos light rail’ll be ready in June – Fashola
January 9, 2013


The Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Tuesday said the first phase of the state Blue Light Rail project would be completed by June this year(2013).

He expressed confidence that Lagosians would start enjoying the services of the rail project immediately.

The first phase would run from Marina and terminated at Okokomaiko area in Ojo Local Government.

http://www.punchng.com/news/lagos-light-railll-be-ready-in-june-fashola/

Helinuex:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EaiflqjDMIklFhvc8zSOrBM9UUY-pIp_

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JpBCUliVAe_9lq59ddyaYcOubyga2pof

Atouke:
......"At the end of 2001, it was revealed that its reported financial condition was sustained substantially by an institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known since as the Enron scandal. Enron has since become a well-known example of willful corporate fraud and corruption. The scandal also brought into question the accounting practices and activities of many corporations in the United States and was a factor in the creation of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002. The scandal also affected the greater business world by causing the dissolution of the Arthur Andersen accounting company......"[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron

Trust the thief of lagos thefnubu to be involved with power company that perpetuated the biggest corporate fraud in the history of USA. Enron was a fraud and so is this 270mw power plant with or without a name change.

just like the lagos sunborn yacht hotel,this lagos enron/AES 270mw power plant on a barge also sailed away!