By Olasunkanmi Akoni

President Muhammadu Buhari was probably not out of point when he, penultimate Monday, gave a positive testimonial of the one-year old administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State.

Buhari, who spoke through his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, during an official visit to the state, said the administration in Lagos has continued to maintain its leading role in delivering good governance to the people.

Buhari, however, is not the only one giving positive reviews to  Ambode’s stewardship. Indigenes, settlers, and passersby  are also giving positive appraisal of the first year of the governor. Indeed, just a year ago, only a few had expected  Ambode to receive the  accolades he is now getting. After eight years of the Babatunde Raji Fashola seemingly wonderful era, many had expected Ambode to walk in the shadows of his predecessor.

However, to the surprise of many,  Ambode is not just walking outside the shadows of his predecessor, he is almost putting the wonderful years of Fashola into history.

All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos Chapter Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in his assessment, noted that the governor had deployed his 27 years cognate experience in the service of Lagos from the local governments to state government to shock his critics.

“Through the power of critical thinking, and massive investment in security architecture Governor Ambode has secured the legacy of Lagos through dint of hard work and commitment and consequently keep the great city as safest and the fastest growing economic hub in Africa.”

Also, Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu 1, said the rapid transformation and development of the state was largely due to the visionary, selfless and commitment of Ambode alluding to the fact that the feat was possible through the enduring legacies put together by leaders of the state since creation.

Akiolu, while highlighting the history of Lagos, said right from the time of  the first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, down to the incumbent, the state had been blessed with great leaders who genuinely have the interest of the state at heart and are totally committed to the development and progress of the state.

The monarch  recalled how former President Olusegun Obasanjo denied the state its federal allocation, and how former Governor Bola Tinubu and his team responded to the challenge by creating a unique solution to the financial crisis, which is working till date.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with his wife, Bolanle (2nd right); Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule(right); Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I (2nd left) and Senator Hassan Fasinro (left) during the Democracy Day celebration with the Physically Challenged persons to commemorate the First Year in Office of Ambode at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

However, the accolades could be traced to the fact that Ambode has been able to consolidate the gains of the past 16 years recorded by his predecessors, Tinubu and  Fashola, who left big shoes to be filled.

Ambode’s beginning was, however, not rosy. The governor was confronted with bad roads that dotted the state especially inner roads in the local governments. On daily basis, Lagosians groaned as they were condemned to several hours of lockdown.

As if that was not enough, traffic robbers took advantage of the situation to operate.

To make matters worse, less than a month into the new administration, precisely in the morning of June 24, a group of heavily armed robbers stormed two new generation banks at Ipakodo Ebute, near Ogolonto, Ikorodu. oil tanker explosions also rocked the state, leading to deaths.

The bulk of the blame for the sudden spell of bad omen was quickly transferred to Ambode, a  former Accountant General of the state.

The governor, however, took it in his stride and, not too long after, commenced the re-engineering of the machinery of government and was able to stem the tide of robberies in the state.

Ambode has also shown a human face to governance.

Ambode put a smile on the face of Miss Oluwajomiloju Goodness among others. The 2015 Baby of the Year in Lagos had been diagnosed with a heart defect and required surgery. He immediately approved that the baby be flown to India  at the expense of the state government. The surgery was successful.

Next was Mrs. Ruth Uche, whose husband had fled his Agege home when his wife gave birth to three sets of twins.

Ambode’s intervention saved the marriage by reuniting the couple with great financial reward.

Retirees from the state Civil Service were not left out. In August 2015, the governor approved N11billion to offset arrears owed since 2010, not only for Lagos State government mainstream retirees but also retirees in local governments and parastatals.

Realising the importance of a secure state for businesses to thrive, Ambode set out immediately to address the issue of insecurity that was fast rearing its ugly head, especially by way of petty crimes, cultism, and armed robbery.

But Ambode did not stop at equipping the police to increase security surveillance in the state. He rolled out on initiative tagged; “Light Up Lagos”.

Subsequently, in December 2015, Ambode set up an Advisory Council chaired by the Deputy Governor, Idiat Adebule, all in a bid to fulfil the promise of lighting up every nook and cranny of the state.

Meanwhile, there are other critical areas  still begging for intervention. Such areas include inadequacy of potable water, epileptic power supply, though much onus on the provision of electricity lies on the Federal Government, housing deficit, provision of functional intra modal transportation system, improved agriculture in all areas, accelerated upgrade of inner road infrastructure, among others, as the list is inexhaustible.

But, largely, the self-evident truth in Lagos remains that the governor has the vision of where he wants to take the state to and he is leaving no stone unturned to write his history on the sands of time.