By Dapo Akinrefon

Mr Kamal Ayinde Bayewu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was   a senatorial aspirant   for Lagos West Senatorial District in the last general election. In this interview Bayewu speaks on the first 100 days of the Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration in Lagos. Excerpts:

Bayewu

How will you describe the first 100 days of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in Lagos?

It has been eventful and resourceful because some of the things that he has put in place, on the long run will be of immense benefit to the state.

He has been able to take care of the elderly ones in terms of payment of their pensions.   He has been able to look at the health sector in terms of provision of  equipment like well-equipped ambulances and creation of emergency centres in case of accidents.

A number of tragedies have happened in Lagos and the governor promptly attended to them while also assuring the victims of government support.   That is the hallmark of a good leader.

But there are concerns over the failure of the governor to appoint commissioners 100  days after assumption of office.

That is exactly what Lagosians voted for. We voted for continuity. So, being an experienced man, who has been part of the government of Lagos State, he knows what to do.

The governor is doing some internal restructuring, he needs to put certain things in place before the appointment of his commissioners. The governor must have a blueprint that the commissioners will work on. They can’t just come in and start working immediately. By the time the governor is done with the blueprint, I am sure the cabinet will be in place. But I want to assure Lagosians that the governor will appoint the very best to work with him, people who share his dreams and vision for Lagos.

People with integrity, who are ready to render selfless service with competence that will translate to a better society.

What steps do you think the governor  has taken to improve on the economy of Lagos State in the last 100 days?

As at now I can even see that through some things he has done, he has been reducing the cost of governance. Not in terms  of non- appointment of commissioners. But there are some things that he is doing now that in my calculation will save Lagos State about N31million per month.

And the process is still ongoing in terms of the restructuring that he has done within the ministries, commissions and various boards.   Recently, he gave an order   that all agencies of governments operating in private houses where they are paying exorbitant fees as rents should move to the state secretariat where there are enough offices to accommodate them. That shows a governor who has his thinking cap on. Do you know how much will be saved and be used to provide amenities for Lagosians through that channel alone? These are cost saving measures that Ambode has put in place.

Capital projects

If you look again, he is also trying to expand the base of our revenue and with that one, I see us having more revenue and less cost. That will mean that a lot of money will be available for capital projects.

The   governor has secured victory at the Election Petition Tribunal and at the Appeal Court but the PDP has approached the Supreme Court.   Do you see anything changing at the apex court?

I know that the PDP will still meet the same waterloo at the Supreme Court. If you look at the premise upon which Ambode won both at the tribunal and at the appeal court, the law will not change at the Supreme Court.  But I expect that the PDP should sheathe their sword, come together and let us think of how we can move Lagos state to the next level.