The Governor of Lagos State,
Akinwunmi Ambode, deserves commendation for appropriate prioritisation as
exemplified by his announcement the other day that the state government had
allocated N20 billion (that is N10 billion apiece) to addressing major issues
affecting the health and education sectors in the state.
For the health sector, he further confirmed that
his government had started a comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrading of
hospital facilities across the state and had committed to procuring modern
hospital equipment, building the capacity of the existing medical personnel,
recruiting and training medical professionals in areas of rare specialisation
and special needs. N10 billion had been allocated to facilitate the realisation
of all the intendments, latest December 2016.
In the area of education where N10 billion had also
been allocated, the intentions of the government are to: give a face-lift to
primary and secondary schools; upgrade infrastructure in the schools; recruit
1000 secondary school teachers in the next two weeks (1,300 had been recruited
for primary schools); and establish a technical and vocational school in
Badagry which the ground-breaking ceremony would be held in September 2016.
Given the poor state of the health and education
sectors across the country, it is commendable that Ambode has taken these
pragmatic steps towards improving the situation. Proper deployment of the huge
amount of N20 billion in health and education will be an investment with great
potentials for positive multiplier effects. It is remarkable that the governor
was not only specific about the things the money would be invested in but also
some target dates when implementation would commence and programmes
accomplished. That shows that serious thoughts had been devoted not just to
making the pronouncements but also towards their ultimate realisation. Such
indications of programme commencement and completion time-frames provide room
for performance monitoring, measurement and evaluation by interested
stakeholders. Indeed, they provide for the holding of the government
accountable for the fulfillment or otherwise of the intended programmes. The
government of Lagos State must now bear in mind that interested stakeholders,
especially those to whom the promises were made, must have started watching the
progress made as time unfolds. It will not be a surprise that in a few weeks,
the rate at which the government is fulfilling the promises would be measured,
evaluated and reported either positively or negatively. Therefore, knowing that
December 2016, which is just about five months ahead, is about the longest
deadline for the accomplishment of the programmes, efforts must be made to
ensure that neither the words of Mr. Ambode nor the image of the government
would find any space in questions or doubt. It is also important that in the
execution of the programmes or projects, necessary due processes are followed,
quality of work and equipment is up to the best standards and value for money
is evident.
A government must always identify the core needs of
the people. This calls for serious consultations and engagements with the
people as they are the ones in a position to know their needs better than the
government. That stated, it is exigent to re-emphasise that the commitment of
Lagos State government towards improving the health and education sectors
should be commended. A healthy people will contribute more to national
productivity because only a healthy population can produce and sustain a
healthy nation. On the second front, education confers knowledge and confidence
in the citizens. It is a necessary developmental catalyst which every nation
desiring to be great cannot afford to fragile with. Education is the ultimate
pillar of democracy even. It empowers the people to know their rights and to
hold their government accountable. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that
while Lagos State government should be encouraged to single-mindedly forge
ahead towards the realisation of improvements in these areas of the citizens’
social needs, other states of the federation should follow its example.
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