Lagos State Government has unfolded plans to establish a commercial airline business as it prepares for the groundbreaking of the construction of its own airport in Lekki axis of the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed the plan on Thursday at the Lagos West Senatorial District People’s Town Hall Meeting, where he highlighted the achievements of his administration over the past years in the West Senatorial District of Lagos.
While responding to a question from a former Permanent Secretary and retired Auditor General for Local Government in Lagos, Pa Muhammed Hassan, on the desirability of airline business for the state, Sanwo-Olu hinted that the plan had been in the pipeline for months, with the state already finalising the financing model for the project.
According to him, what is being considered is the Federal Government’s approval and operational contingency for the airline.
At the meeting, Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, listened to feedbacks from the citizens, as the governor described the inputs from the public as necessary to guide the government’s decision on planned programmes and interventions before their implementation.
Listing projects and interventions undertaken by his administration in Lagos West, Sanwo-Olu listed the completion and opening of 42 road projects and two flyovers in the District, with the combined length of the infrastructure spanning over 72 kilometres.
The governor maintained that in the last four and half years, Lagos State had achieved so much in terms of socio-economic development trajectory, assuring the public that the administration was determined in doubling his efforts to keep the state on the path of sustainable growth during his second term.
Sanwo-Olu expatiated: “Over the last five months, Mr. Deputy Governor and I have been working to put a concise plan together for the establishment of an airline, but we did not make the plan open because of the need to get adequate knowledge about the operational procedures of airlines. The business plan is viable and there is no issue about financing. The conversation has gone to an advanced stage but we need to get the proper information on operations before we go ahead to implement the plan.
“In Lagos West Senatorial District, infrastructure development has been our priority since we came in. Over the last four years, we have completed over 70 kilometres of new roads and over two kilometres of bridges. These include Pen-Cinema Bridge, Ikeja Flyover, and over 42 roads we have completed in Alimosho, Ifako, Agege, Ikeja, Mushin, Amuwo Odofin and Badagry. We also have over 30 ongoing road projects which are at various stages of completion within this district”, he added.
The governor assured Lagosians that his administration would be raising the pace of its development strides, as he pledged to double the efforts to deliver twice the number of projects and programmes achieved in his first term.
The governor said the senatorial district was also the major beneficiary of the intra-city railway development projects of his administration, hosting major passenger hubs of Blue Line and Red Line trains.
This is even as he explained that the new General Hospital being constructed by his administration in Ojo axis was at an advanced stage of development, saying its completion would further improve health care access in the district.
To further enhance security and safety in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration would be releasing additional patrol vehicles and work gadgets to raise surveillance and capacity of security agencies to respond to emerging threats.
To ensure a peaceful environment for good governance, he urged the citizens to be law-abiding and support measures introduced by the government to maintain law and order.
He further clarified: “We are in talks with you, the citizens, today because we believe the government does not know it all. The feedback and inputs we are taking away from here will help us to cater for your needs and wellbeing better. On our part, we will strive to make it easier for you to be law-abiding. It is not enough to say the laws must be obeyed, we must also ensure that the laws are clear, fair and just.
“When people break the law and don’t do the right thing, they make governance a lot more difficult for us. We must discharge our civic responsibility and fulfil our obligations as citizens. When we do this, it reduces the cost of governance and saves resources that will enable us do a lot more. While we appreciate your suggestions, we are also encouraging you to ensure that all citizens do the right thing at all times”, Sanwo-Olu assured.
