by Dare Adelekan
Four years is enough to make an enduring legacy. Lateef Kayode Jakande spent four years as Governor of Lagos state and his legacy are enduring.This is the man that built
Lagos no other person.
Many years after his four-year administration ended, some Nigerians still believe that Lateef Jakande remains the best governor that Lagos ever had.
Alhaji Lateef Jakande lived in his own private house in Ilupeju area of Lagos while he was governor. He shunned official cars and protocol by living among the people, feeling and sharing their palns, and driving his own private car, a Toyota Laurel jalopy he had bought several years before becoming Governor. The only flamboyant dress he ever wore was his famous “Buba” and “Soro”.
Some of his achievements in just four years as governor:
* Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s government built the current Lagos State Secretariat which houses all the state ministries as well as the popular round house hitherto occupied by all subsequent governors of the state.
* His government built the Lagos State House of Assembly complex.
* His government built the Lagos State Television
* His government built the Lagos Radio
* His government built Lagos State University
* His government built the Nigerian Institute of Journalism
* His government established General Hospital in all zones in the state as well as instituted 20 health centres within the state with assurance of free health care.
* His government established Teacher Training College and the College of Education.
* His government constructed over 30,000 housing units with low cost houses in ljaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, lje, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nia, Epe, Amuwo-Odofin, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu, Badagry, Isheri/Olowu, Orisigun etc.
* His government established the Water Management Board and Waste Disposal Board on the 18th of August, 1980.
* His government constructed the Adiyan Water Works to increase water supply in the state to 18.16 million litres per day.
* His government modernized and expanded the lju Water Works which was first commissioned in 1915. This increased daily capacity from 159 million to 204 million litres per day.
* His government purchased and commissioned the giant car crusher equipment. The equipment was designed specifically to crush derelict vehicles in Lagos State. It had the capacity to crush 45 vehicles per day.
* His government constructed, rehabilitated and resurfaced Epe/jebu-Ode Road, Oba Akran Avenue, Toyin Street, Town Planning Way, Alimosho-Idimu-Egbe Road, Idimu-Iba-LASU Road, the new secretariat road and several others.
* His government constructed Victoria Island/Epe Road and thereby creating an ‘oil rig’ for Lagos State.
* His government established Asphalt Plant for the Department of Public Works.
* His government established Electricity Board for Rural Electrification with provision of street lights.
* His government modernized, expanded and commissioned Onikan Stadium in 1982.
* His government established a singular school system and ensured genuine free education in Lagos State and the beneficiaries of this policy are in different positions of eminence in the country and around the world.
* His government raised the primary scools in Lagos State to 812 with 533,001 pupils (against 605 primary schools with 434,545 pupils he met in 1979) and secondary schools to 223 with 167,629 students (against 105 schools with 107,855 students in 1979).
* His government constructed 11, 729 classrooms with the maximum of 40 children per class between March and August 1980, by 1983, he had constructed over 22,000 classrooms.
* In July 1983, two commercial passenger boats christened “Baba Kekere and Itafaji” to run the Mile 2 – Marina (CMS) route via the lagoons were inaugurated by his government to mark the official launch of the Lagos State ferry services.
* His government took over the ownership and financing of Lagos State Printing Corporation in July 1980
* His government established the first State Traffic Management Authority (Road Marshals).
* His government established small scale Industries Credit Scheme which preceded the EKO bank.
* His government established LASACO Insurance.
* His government expanded existing market and built new ones.
* His government established the Traditional Medicine Board.
* He also started a metroline project to facilitate mass transit. The project was halted by the military.
* As a governor, he established 23 local government councils which were later disbanded by the military.
* Born on July 23, 1929, Jakande dled on February 11, 2021).
Culled from Dare Adelekan page with additional information: Muritala Olupo
* Ethnic African Stories
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