LAGOS — Lagos State Deputy Governor and APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has said his administration will decentralise governance and grow the economy of the state by harnessing the strengths of its five divisions — Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe (IBILE).
Speaking Thursday on _“KOH Unscripted in Ikorodu”_ on IKD 106.1 FM, Hamzat said residents should not have to travel to Alausa for services that can be handled locally. He proposed mini-secretariats in Ikorodu, Badagry and Epe to handle up to 80% of government transactions, with only complex matters escalated to the state secretariat. He also highlighted plans for integrated transport, including major interchanges connecting buses, rail and ferries, and the introduction of 77 electric buses to reduce costs. Hamzat noted Ikorodu’s advantages in agriculture, food processing and transport, and said infrastructure will be built around emerging institutions in other divisions.
The Deputy Governor stressed that Lagos must be planned as a borderless metropolis, as neighboring states also depend on its hospitals, roads and water. He cited Orile Agege General Hospital where many patients come from outside Lagos. He pledged expansion of Ikorodu General Hospital and other facilities with staff housing, completion of the Adiyan water project to boost supply, and reforms in local government administration to improve accountability and eliminate ghost workers. Hamzat added that citizens must also play a role in building the state, noting that government alone cannot provide all institutions and services.
