Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, and the Lagos State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, has hinted of the likelihood of a review of the services of Alpha Beta Consulting, the revenue collection company for the Lagos State government.
Jandor who stated that bringing quality leadership to Lagosians is not a rocket science, made the disclosures during a press conference to unveil his programme yesterday at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where he stated that PDP will abolish the office of Iyaloja/Babaloja, absorb over 2 million out of school children in the state among other things.
He disclosed that the contract for the services of the revenue collection company was legally right but morally wrong, adding that his government will take a second look at the contract, and at the end it will be left for the company to continue to do business with the government or to back out.
“Legally Alpha Beta is a firm established by the company act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but their dealing with the Lagos State over the years is morally wrong,” he said.
On failure of successive administration to look at the activities of Alpha Beta, Jandor said, “It is only in Lagos State that we have had one governor since 1999, others are just placeholders and they will continue to be, such practice will end with the coming of PDP government in 2023,”
He stressed that there was no way the governors could query the deeds of the company, pointing out that his government will review and re-evaluate the legal and moral areas within the system, adding that PDP government will not witch hunt anybody but if the company will not work according to the reviewed terms, the company will be shown the door.
Jandor noted that the reign of Iyaloja/Babaloja and multiple taxation in Lagos State will be a thing of the past during his administration to ensure ease of doing business.
Jandor stated that his campaign will kick off officially on 19th October, 2022, assuring that his campaign train will visit the entire 245 wards in Lagos State to have one-on-one interaction with the people.
The PDP candidate said that the people need to have a feel of their governor, and not a governor that is forced on them, adding that he has no intention of abandoning ongoing projects embarked upon by his predecessors, but added that such projects can be reviewed if they are found not to meet procurement requirements.
He said the issue of 4th Mainland Bridge has become a political issue since Tinubu’s second term, and that successive Lagos governments have used it as a campaign tool. He said his government will execute the 4th mainland project in a concession system that will not rip off Lagosians. He knocked Sanwo-Olu for failing to carry out any single physical infrastructure project in his seven years reign.
While stating that the trust of his government will be anchored on changing the face of governance in the state by ensuring rule of law, accountable representation, equity, inclusiveness in governance, and transparency, Jandor said his party, if voted into power, will remedy the battered educational system by providing real free and compulsory education to the state. This, he said, will include providing ancillary materials like free school uniforms at both primary and secondary school levels, to be able to attract the over 2millon out of school children back to schools.
“We will first take the children off the streets, spread them across the private schools and then give them tax incentives. We are going to provide them uniforms, and these uniforms will be made in the locality and by doing so we will have been able to empower the locals financially.”
He said a state as wealthy as Lagos has no justifiable reason to have 2 million out of school children, attributing the scenario to handing leadership to those who do not know what it takes to manage business but were called to lead as reward for their loyalty to their master.
As part of his plans to end shortage of teachers in Lagos, he said he will be implementing 65 years retirement age and 40 years-service for teachers, which the present administration has failed to implement since it was signed into law, and that retired teachers who were not covered by the government since the law was signed into law will be called back to classrooms.
He said the issue of patients littering the hospitals will end in his administration, “We will ensure that hospitals both public and privates are automated and monitored. You can’t transfer patients until there is a bed where the patient is being transferred.”
Jandor said he will stop traffic robbery, activities of thug and other security challenges by holding leadership of garages and road transport workers accountable, he will make sure that any leader of a garage in whose domain there are security challenges especially traffic robbery and thuggery, such leaders will be removed, this will make them to sit up, and help in securing their domains.
He urged all Lagosians to collapse their political leaning to join hands to liberate Lagos from the quagmire of bad leadership, saying this is time to truly give Lagos State their own governor and not those approved by one man.
He said his government will be proactive in preventing flooding, open up spaces, packing spaces as ways to reduce traffic gridlock. He will also work assiduously with the meteorological agencies to ensure proactive response to flooding and other climate related issues.
Jandor refuted the claim that there is a crisis in Lagos PDP. He said Bode George is not against his candidacy and called him a father, adding that for the first time PDP will win Lagos State for Chief Bode George. “Chief Bode George is our leader, we are going to win the state for the first time for him,” Jandor stated.
