APC Governorship Candidate Akinwunmi Ambode Releases Manifesto

ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS 2015
SLOGAN: CHANGE
MOTTO: JUSTICE, PEACE AND UNITY

PREAMBLE

My name is Akinwunmi Ambode and I am running for the Governorship of Lagos State in the elections slated for February 2015.  I am from Epe and of the Christian faith.  I served in the Lagos State Civil Service for 27 years and retired voluntarily in 2012 as the Permanent Secretary and Accountant General of Lagos State. I am driven by my passion for and commitment to good governance, better life and socio-political tolerance.

Throughout my educational pursuits and professional career I have held positions that demanded service to others and to the society at large. In all instances, I have always given my all and delivered to the best of my ability.

I declare my readiness to serve the State and its people as Governor, with courage, forthrightness, clarity of purpose, integrity and dedication.  I hope to continue in the great strides of our indelible compatriots, such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mobolaji Johnson, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) whose courageous, visionary and remarkable leadership lay a solid foundation for Lagos State and continue to inspire us all to make even better.

In my desire to serve, I wish earnestly to further and consolidate the vision of our dear party, All Progressives Congress (APC), a party which:

Represents change and has brought remarkable changes to Lagos State including improved infrastructure, security and service;

Craves a new Nigeria, consolidating the credentials of Lagos State as the most populous, diverse, economically and socially thriving, and the most cosmopolitan State in the Country.
Continues to ensure that Lagos State is one of the most religiously tolerant, most welcoming States to foreign investors, and unarguably the most efficiently run State in Nigeria.

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Has made Lagos State an example of responsible and responsive governance.

VISION
TO MAKE LAGOS A CLEAN, SECURE, MORE PROSPEROUS STATE WITH A ROBUST ECONOMY BUILT ON SERVICE, EQUITY AND JUSTICE.

MESSAGE
Our message to the people of our dear State is LEADERSHIP, ACCOUNTABILITY, GOVERNANCE, OPPORTUNITY AND SERVICE. (L.A.G.O.S).

Our administration will provide:

Leadership- Strive to provide authentic leadership to all arms of Government; we will run a government that is responsive and all-inclusive. Build a society where the fundamental rights of all citizens are protected.

Accountability- Embrace the three tenets of Probity, Accountability, and Transparency (P.A.T).

Governance – Focus on delivering good governance to our people across all sectors of the economy and strata of the Society. Continue to build a better and just society, a society where hard work and honesty are rewarded, where equity and justice prevail; where the gap between the rich and the poor give way to the provision of equal opportunities to all, and where no segment of the society develops at the expense of others.

Opportunity – Provide opportunities and possibilities for all citizens irrespective of gender, ethnicity, educational background, religious affiliation, or physical conditions. Build a society where steady economic growth occurs, where the government and our academic institutions enter a new era of understanding and co-operation.

Service – Commit to selfless service in all spheres of life; in our offices, schools, hospitals, shops, malls, restaurants, hotels, roads etc. Offer services that meet the standards and expectations of today’s world; standards that will put Lagos in the league of effective and efficiently run megalopolises of the world, with a 24/7 economy.

MISSION
Develop tourism through the provision of the necessary infrastructure and facilities to make Lagos one of the most welcoming places to tourists and foreigners. 

Prioritize economic growth and development for all; where everyone has equal access to jobs, regardless of sex, gender, religion, age or physical conditions.

Pursue increased community cohesion and civic identity through participation in social, political and cultural spheres.

Provide adequate safety and effective security of lives and property.  

Focus on equitable distribution of wealth, benefits and reduction in poverty with the attendant incidence of slums.  Create a State that protects the rights of all.

Improve urban living, productivity, mobility and connectivity through the provision of adequate physical and social infrastructure.

Propagate human rights protection and sustainable development.

Create a Lagos of clean air and safe streets for leisure and business; to ensure a State of prosperity, equity, fairness, justice and the rule of law.

THEME: “MAKING LAGOS WORK FOR ALL”

With a total area of 3,577km sq, Lagos State remains the smallest State of the 36 States in Nigeria. One-Fifth (22%) of this area is covered by lagoons and creeks. Notwithstanding, Lagos State remains the commercial nerve center of Nigeria. With a population estimated at about 20million equivalent of 32 African Countries combined, Lagos State is the sixth largest economy in Africa.  However, with the rebased GDP of Nigeria put at N80tr, Lagos has a per capita income of $2,900.00 compared to the national average of $1,700.00. As such, our immediate and future task is to make Lagos work for everyone. This is a task that we have committed ourselves to attaining in the next four years by focusing on the following: Security, Economy, Infrastructure, Healthcare, Social Welfare and Good Governance.

1. ECONOMY

 
I Job Creation 

Establish an Employment Trust Fund with a commitment of N25b in four years by the government one billion naira to be accessed by each of the five divisions in the State for the next four years); Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos and Epe Divisions.

Establish Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme, to be managed by reputable stakeholders from the private sector, civil society in conjunction with government;
Encourage Corporate Lagos to participate in the Employment Trust Fund and other areas of need that will help take our Youth off the streets.

II Corporate Lagos:
Provide adequate security for local and foreign businessmen and women to operate without fear of investment losses. 

Address regulatory matters on a fast-track basis with the aid of effective e-governance solutions for businesses. 

Promote good corporate governance and adherence to the principles of good-governance by the State Government and all Local Governments.

Promote people-friendly community relations with Corporate Lagos. Implement existing laws and make new ones that promote the interest of all stakeholders in the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility obligations to the extent that funds are channelled directly to Trust Funds established by Government, but co-managed by private sector and other relevant stakeholders for the benefit of all.

Adhere strictly to the rule of law and quick access to courts for dispute resolution and protection of investment rights and obligations on transactions. 

Ensure the removal of all multiple taxes/fees from our tax codes as a matter of urgency. 

Promote legislations that reinforce equal opportunities for all in the labour market irrespective of tribe, sex or religion.

Re-invent the ‘Middle Class’ by taking deliberate actions with commensurate political will to propel the middle class into the engine room of the economic prosperity of Lagos; and
Collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to establish a credit system that is a win-win for everyone to boost trade and commerce.

III Security, Law and Order
Commit to a safe and attractive community to all residents and visitors alike by undertaking to continue support and expansion of the role of the Security Trust Fund.

Pursue the residents’ identity scheme and improvement reviews to enable an integrated solution in keeping our streets and homes safe from criminals and terrorists. 

Commit to the protection of the rights of every citizen and enforcement of all laws that allow peaceful co-existence of all persons in the State.

Undertake Security Sector Reform and Justice Sector reform in the State.

2 SERVICES

 

I Education:

Continue the current schools renovation program state-wide to improve learning environment. 

Upgrade libraries and create new ones into e-libraries in each LGA/LCDA in the State. 

Establish IBILE meal scheme in all our public schools. 

Pay bursary for students in higher institutions and introduce scholarship into our Vocational and Technical Colleges. 

Reposition LASU and Lagos State Polytechnic and other tertiary institutions in the State as global centres of academic excellence through massive infrastructural development, corporate engagement and international collaboration and continue the current subsidy and tuition free schooling.

II Health:

Continue to improve upon the flagship primary Health Care Programme to increase the number and quality of Public Health Centres (PHC) that can offer 24/7 services on out-patient and maternal care and thereby ensure zero tolerance for all communicable diseases in Lagos State. 

Harmonize private and public sector collaboration in secondary health care. 

Establish medic-parks and bio-parks in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to stave off huge capital flight arising from medical expenses abroad. 

Reduce doctor-patient ratio and support health institutions with more equipment and infrastructure, 

Pay more attention to the training and capacity building of all medical practitioners in all our medical institutions/offices.

III Housing: 

Expand Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (HOMS) to target more people in the areas of need and affordability, thus using alternative technologies that reduce the cost of housing delivery in the State. Pursue urban renewal schemes to reduce the menace of slums and enforce housing control laws and other regulations that will make the State attractive for everyone to live in.

IV Agriculture

Focus on Agriculture to boost job creation by sustaining the 3,000 acres of land in Ogun State and 500 acres of land in Abuja for agricultural products already in existence. We will also promote other agricultural value-chain such as rice processing to produce over 100,000 tonne per annum, with the overall goal of commencing agro-processing business in Lagos and expand fish production to ensure 100% self-sufficiency in the first 2 years and export in the last 2 years.

V Environment:

Provide a clean and safe environment, clean air, good neighbourhood to meet international standards suitable enough for visitors and residents to live in comfortably. 

Improve the enforcement of environmental/sanitation laws by expanding personnel, awareness and equipment. 

Promote recycling business and programs as a youth-enterprise initiative.

Continue the Ejinrin relocation project to reduce the incidence of slums in the urban centres. Promote adaptation to climate change and mitigation of effects. 

Expand the Emergency Relief Agency to meet the needs of our people in all ramifications.
Increase access to clean water by expanding the waterworks networks in the State. 

Improve on the flood response framework to prevent flooding and its consequences at all times.

VI Project T.H.E.S.E

To achieve the above, our government will launch Project ”T.H.E.S.E” which is an integrated solution involving the systematic integration of Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment/Arts Sports for Excellence, which will enable the State to explore, execute and enshrine a new vista of jobs for our youths, our women and vocational artisans. The attraction of visitors and foreigners to Lagos through this initiative guarantees a pronounced improvement on our revenue sources, while the establishment of Business Support Centres/Services. 

3 SOCIAL WELFARE

 
I Children: 

Guarantee the protection of children, the safety of every child, particularly the rights of the vulnerable, such as street children, trafficked children, Children with disabilities, and criminalize child labour. 

Enforce the Child Abuse Law in the State while making education free and compulsory for every child up to the secondary school level. 

Deliberately provide recreational/sports centres and parks for our public schools and public places to guarantee the mental balance of every child and promote quality labour force for the future, and to reform every aspect of the juvenile justice system dealing with children in conflict with the law.

II Women:

We shall support and empower our women folk by strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Women Affairs to enable greater attention and effectiveness in its coordination of women development matters across ethnic, linguistic, religious or other sectional divides. 

We shall pay special attention and recognition to professional women organizations; encourage them to reach out to women groups in formal/informal settings for overall participation in the political economy. 

We shall commit to the needs/issues that concern widows, single parents and disadvantaged/challenged women (including enforcing the protection of women against Domestic Violence as enshrined in the Domestic Violence Law 2007 and supporting the Nigeria Women’s Charter that details policy expectations and commitment on issues related to the improvement of the lives of women). 

In addition to these, work out a tax-incentive plan for women in business to encourage greater participation by women in the economy, and implement a policy of equal opportunity for women and men in the party structure and government.

III The Aged: 

Provide social safety nets for Senior Citizens (both men & women) in the short and long terms, as partakers in the overall resources of the State.

Provide shelter homes/food courts with basic health facilities to be funded through a trust fund and support of the relevant stakeholders. 

Work out an agreed tax rebate scheme to cushion the inflationary impact on their benefits/incomes for both retired and non-retired senior people.

IV Disabled:
Protect and enforce the rights and privileges of all disadvantaged persons irrespective of age, sex and circumstances. Enforce the Disability Law (2011) of Lagos State and also establish the Disable Persons Welfare Fund in accordance with the Law.

V Youth
Design after school programs for youths in school (ages 10-16) or JSS1 to SS3, such as: Inter school debates, Art competitions, Mathematics and Science competition and Young innovation/inventor competition and encourage a reward system to promote excellence.
Provide school re-integration facilities such as off-site schools (similar to home schooling but with defined centers/catchment areas) that enable these youths learn and gradually be re-integrated into the school system.
Create gap year internships (students done with secondary school waiting for admission into Universities and other tertiary institutions). Through partnerships with private organizations and State Ministries, students with minimum results (would require eligibility criteria), could be given internship jobs to keep them busy while they await admission into Universities and other tertiary institutions. We will encourage private firms to participate, and will offer tax credits for each youth taken on-board.
Ensure that there are entertainment hubs for youths between the ages of 16- 24 (out of school or not gainfully employed) such as LAGMUSIC: an innovative youth development program, modeled on a youth participation approach.
Establish Lagos State Youth Social Enterprise Day through State funding. This platform will allow youths with socially focused ideas an opportunity to pursue and birth these ideas.
Develop a Youth Employment Agenda (YEA): YEA will offer the youths an opportunity to kick start their careers with traineeships and apprenticeships within Lagos State Government. The opportunity will provide youths paid employments, work experience and skill development that will lead to ongoing employment. 

Introduce Lagos Spark: a community-focused program, where youths will be encouraged to get involved in developing their communities/LGA/Wards. The State Government will provide grants to the Local Government/ Wards for a number of years, with the aim of developing community-focused projects

4 GOVERNANCE
I Local Government:

Give governance back to our communities by integrating Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) into the participatory network of service delivery and budgetary cycle of government at the State and local government levels.
Implementing Local Government reforms to improve on their roles, functions and relationship with their communities.

II Civil Service:
Ensure a civil service that is responsive and efficient.
Place emphasis on service delivery through the implementation of e-governance in all our operations and promote capacity building within the public service. 

5 WORKS/INFRASTRUCTURE 

I Power and Energy: 

Expand the IPP scheme to cater for public utilities and industrial zones, and where necessary and possible, explore alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on hydro-energy. Defend the interest of electricity consumers for fair pricing from private franchisees.

II Integrated   System 

Provide an integrated solution to our road networks that allows for easy movement from the suburbs to urban centres, by building bridges and by-passes where inevitable for decongestion of traffic. Presently, the twenty-nine (29) bridges in Lagos are inadequate.  Seven (7) of them need expansion and urgent attention must be paid to that. We shall ensure that rural areas enjoy the same standard of roads/bridge network with the urban centres and build pedestrian bridges (for instance on Agege motorway and other identified areas to prevent/stop needless deaths of road-crossers/users) thereby improving and expanding on all physical infrastructures across our communities as a means of attracting the right set of investors/businesses to our State. 

Pursue a fully integrated transport management system that takes into consideration: Roads (Pursue the mono-rail alternative as a means of mobility for the movement of our people in the sub-urban areas and commit to the completion of the on-going Blue-Line (CMS-Okoko maiko while ensuring the delivery of the red line (Ikeja-Agbado), Air (Commit to the Lekki Airport project to reduce flight related congestion, stimulate commerce by establishing new real estates, businesses and tourism hubs in the axis) and Water (Advance public waterways transportation including provision of appropriate dredging and route management, security and rescue team to open the water corridor for advertising and investors).

Overhaul and expand the BRT scheme to all the divisions in the State. Introduce new bus routes and increase bus fleet with the aim of establishing a 24/7 bus service in the State as well as encourage the creation of bicycle lanes in our suburbs.

Pay greater attention to traffic/road management, using technology and e-traffic. 

Introduce and establish officially designated bus stops/routes in the State. Top-class bus stop shelters to be introduced and accompanied by vigorous civic education on traffic rules and user-attitude on all our roads/public utilities.

III Finance:

Commitment to a proper financial and statistical planning on the needs of Lagos in the next twenty (20) years. 

Establishment of the Lagos Finance and Development Commission that allows all stakeholders including the private sector, civil society and government to match the needs of the State with the financial resources to attain our goals.

6 PLEDGE
I pledge to Lagos my State to be forthright, dedicated and honest, to serve the State with all my passion, to promote the welfare of its people regardless of age, gender, tribe or religion, and to enhance its status, through good governance, selflessness and accountability. So help me God.

I Akinwunmi Ambode invite you all, Lagosians and non-Lagosians alike, boys and girls, young and old, men and women, those physically able and those with challenges, I invite you all regardless of your tribe, cultural background and religious persuasions, I invite you to help me and the government I hope to establish, with your support, and the help of God, to build a Lagos of our dream.