₦airaland Forum

It's no surprise at all.

It's happened before.

Ankakh:
It's a good reminder that Michael Otedola was once military administrator of Lagos state.

Michael Otedola was never military administrator of Lagos. He wasn't even a soldier.

This is my post from April 9th.

This is from my memory of two very old interviews. My memory isn't 100% (because the interviews took place a long time ago) and I remember Hamzat's interview better than I remember Tinubu's interview.


Dr Obafemi Hamzat granted an interview to a radio station just after he became deputy governor. That's when a confusion in my head was cleared up.

They asked him questions about everything imaginable. I remember that they also focused on flooding, because it was the Rainy Season. Dr Hamzat told them what he did to fight flooding during the Fashola Era (remember that he was commissioner of works and he was involved in designing the drainages). He spoke very well about the specifics of governance.

He also spoke about how he came to work for the Lagos State Government.

He was head of IT at several major banks in New York and the Lagos State Government was considering adopting several IT systems (payroll management, etc) and he was in his bank's team that met with Governor Bola Tinubu in New York in 2001. After the meeting Tinubu asked him, "Which Hamzat"? Let me explain that question.


Dr Hamzat's father was a lawmaker during the Second Republic (Jakande Era). He was still active in politics during the Third Republic (NRC vs SDP). He was one of the people that convinced Bola Tinubu to leave Mobil and get involved in politics. In fact, he was one of Tinubu's political mentors in the early 1990s. That's why Tinubu asked, "Which Hamzat"?

When he found out who he was, Tinubu put a lot of pressure on Hamzat to return to Lagos and work for him, but Hamzat resisted. He was making a lot of money on Wall Street, why would he leave that and return to Lagos?

Eventually Hamzat realised that, as a foreigner, there was a limit to how high he could rise on Wall Street, so he returned to Nigeria and became head of IT at OANDO.

Tinubu eventually had his way because Hamzat became the commissioner for science and technology in Tinubu's cabinet.

I have previously told you that the payroll system was archaic when Tinubu became governor. Ghost workers cost the government a lot of money. Tinubu was determined to digitalise all their processes and remove ghost workers. He was also determined to automate their payments systems to eliminate leakages. He leveraged on Obafemi Hamzat's experience and connections in the US and on the experience and connections of one of his classmates at Chicago State University (a Nigerian) who worked at Oracle to adopt software to manage their payroll and payment systems. Dr Hamzat oversaw the adoption of the systems.

Dr Hamzat continued as commissioner for science and technology in Governor Fashola's cabinet, then he took over from Rauf Aregbesola as commissioner for works and housing. Many roads and bridges, including the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge and the Okota-Isolo Link Bridge, as well as housing estates (Lagos HOMS) were built during his tenure.

Dr Hamzat followed his boss (Fashola) in 2015 and he became special adviser to the minister of works and housing.

He wanted to become governor in 2019 and he had a lot of support, but he was convinced to step down and support Babajide Sanwo-Olu in exchange for the deputy governorship position.

Nawttiboi007:
This guy wan stylishly Dey in power for 16 years…
Deputy 8 yrs now as governor he go wan spend 8 yrs. Greedy asf. Na wetin Shuabu been wan do for Edo be that, but…

Like George Bush The First. Vice president for 8 years, president for 4 years and his son was president for 8 years.

Previous thread

Nigerian Billionaires Dine With Dr Obafemi Hamzat
https://www.nairaland.com/8768103/nigerian-billionaires-dine-dr-obafemi

Femi Ote$ @realFemiOtedola

Yesterday, I hosted dinner in honour of @DrObafemiHamzat, the incoming Governor of Lagos State.

A man of the highest integrity, with whom I shared a bunk bed at boarding school 49 years ago.

My experience of his character over the years has been defined by his honesty, sincerity, fairness and strong moral principles… F.Ote💲

Source

greatiyk4u:
Wisdom is identifying and accepting superior opinion

Yes, which is why I'm wondering why you are still arguing when it is clear that your opinion is inferior. You have been running away from your positions all through this engagement. You'll say something, I'll show that you are wrong and you'll abandon it and go and bring something else. Isn't that just a waste of time?

greatiyk4u:
Listen Mr, I am of the opinion that certain trunk A roads that are very important for economic growth of the country must be given priority before embarking on new ones considering the availability of funds

That is your opinion. Ho and contest election and gain power so that you can make it law. Maybe then you'll learn about governance.

Once you start the one that you believe should be given priority, people will insult you because you are not doing the one that they believe should be given priority.

greatiyk4u:
"Coastal road has been built"

Start from here.
Use the coastal road project fund to fix immediate roads in bad shape and start coastal and superhighways 100days to election is the most honorable decision to take as a leader

That will never happen. All over the world new roads are built and old roads are repaired. To think that a day will come when all old roads will be repaired first before a new road is built is to live in fantasy land. It has never happened in this country (and in other countries around the world) and it will never happen.

By the way, what is this obsession with the Coastal Road? Why not the Calabar–Ebonyi–Abuja Superhighway

greatiyk4u:
You are reacting based on imagination not the point I raised..... how many old roads in Nigeria are more strategic and important than Benin Asaba and East and West roads? Why not start with fixing at least the delicate ones first before going into the coastal and superhighways of corruption?

You are the person that is running up and down. My post was very clear.

quote author=naptu2 post=140940122]New roads and bridges are being built and old roads and bridges are being repaired.[/quote]Which is perfectly true. You then quoted me and wrote:

greatiyk4u:
You abandoned important national roads in deplorable state and face coastal and super highway of corruption and less than 100 days to election you remember how important those roads are not minding how many times Peter Obi advice against the initial decision.......what's here to rejoice about?

Tinubu is setting a bad precedence and his hailers today will turn to wailers tomorrow

As if no roads were being repaired and built until 100 days to election.

I then replied with:

naptu2:
Coastal Roads and other new roads have been built since the beginning of this administration.

Old roads have also been repaired since the beginning of this administration.

You might hate the Coastal Road, but it's not the only road in Nigeria.

Let's deal with facts here.

There are uncountable examples.

At which point you knew that what I wrote wad true, so you started adding things that have nothing to do with the original conversation (shifting the goalpost).

You asked which roads in the South-East have been built from start to finish since this administration began.

I have always hated that idea right from the 1980s. Governments rush projects and commission uncompleted projects just to claim credit, while they abandon porjects started by their predecessors just so that they can't claim credit.

In any case it has nothing to do with our discussion. This thread is not about the South-East and my statement stands. New roads are being built and old roads are being repaired since the beginning of this administration.

The issue of strategic is in the eye of the beholder.

To some people Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is more strategic, to others Abuja-Kaduna Expressway is more strategic.

Besides, the government did not abandon the Benin-Asaba Expressway till 100 days to election.

The road was concessioned and thr concessionaire damaged the road. The government repeatedly tried to get the concessionaire to repair it but that failed. The government wanted to take it over from the concessionaire, but legal issues prevented that till the concession expired.

“You are learning how to do construction on our road. I am very disappointed with the concessionaire, but I take full responsibility for the misdeed.” — Umahi speaks during his visit to the Benin–Agbor–Asaba Road on August 25, 2026. pic.twitter.com/cGPG1EmTHb

— Francis Nwaze (@FrancisNwaze1) August 25, 2026

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROWNS AT CONTRACTOR HANDLING BENIN - ASABA ROAD OVER INCOMPETENCE

The Federal Government says it is considering terminating the concession agreement for the Benin–Asaba road project over alleged incompetence and slow pace of work.
The Minister of Works,… pic.twitter.com/TNpooCn6aE

— NTANetwork (@NTANewsNow) August 25, 2026

VIDEO: ARREST ANY CONTRACTOR THAT REMOVES ASPHALT ON OUR ROADS — DAVID UMAHI🔥👇

FG Threatens to Replace Benin–Asaba Road Contractor Over Poor Performance. pic.twitter.com/LhB8mTuuZV

— A. Ayofe (@abdullahayofel) August 26, 2026

But I guess you prefer that they don't do any work, since election is coming. They should wait till after election.