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Emulate Lagos State, Adeboye Advises State Governors

Mar 4, 2008 - It was a day of accolades for the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Tuesday as the immediate past Governor of the State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Pastor of the Redeemed Christain Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye eulogized him for his landmark achievements especially in the Health Sector.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Dental Centre and Bola Tinubu Ward Complex, Adeboye commended the State Governor and called on other governors to copy the Lagos State Government’s efforts in alleviating the sufferings of the masses, by embarking on people-oriented projects.

Adeboye who was Guest of Honour at the occasion said if other governors could embark and execute such health projects as being done by the Lagos State Government, Nigerian masses would be the better for it.

“As a pastor, I represent the masses and from experience I know that many of them have turned to God as a last resort for healing because they have no confidence in our hospitals”, Adeboye said.

“I appeal to other State Governors to copy the Lagos State Government example so that before long every Nigerian will have access to a place for healing”. he advised.

Commending Fashola for the giant stride his administration has made in accomplishing their people oriented programmes, the cleric, however, challenged the administration to ensure the maintenance of both the equipment and the quality of service.

In his remarks at the occasion, Asiwaju Tinubu commended Governor Fashola for continuing the vision of his administration saying he (Fashola) was part of the vision of the LASUTH project.

“As the Chief of Staff, he co-ordinated the LASUTH project to the end of my administration and he has continued with it as he became the governor. I thank him for believing in continuity of governance”, Tinubu said

Going down memory lane, Tinubu recalled that the initial period of the project was difficult both because his administration had to conquer the fear of failure and the fact that there was initial resistance from the people.

“But we were determined to carry on and he (Fashola) as my Chief of Staff coordinated the project”, Tinubu said, adding, “You must be behind this Governor for him to succeed.

He advised that in order for the Governor to succeed further, the administration must continue to make the people the focus of its policies.

Delivering a keynote address at the occasion, Fashola re-iterated his administration’s determination to deliver on its mandate to the people but made a passionate appeal to Lagosians to be patient in the deliverance of the promises to the people.

The Governor also asked for the cooperation of the people by way of paying their tax regularly to enable government to have the financial resources to meet their needs saying his administration was determined to ensure increasing access of the people to quality, efficient and adequate basic social services and infrastructure in line with the State Government’s Ten Point Agenda.

He said in realization of the enormous health challenges posed by the ever increasing population of the state, the government has developed an encompassing four-year infrastructural development plan for the health sector to ensure that landmarks continued to be laid to impact positively on the health of the people. Emphasizing on the health challenges, the Governor said that in the last one year, the out-patient rate in the state’s hospitals has increased by 100 per cent jumping from 1000 in 2007 to 2000 at the beginning of this year.

Fashola listed some of the projects earmarked for execution in the period to include, renovation of public secondary health facilities, construction and equipment of 100-bed maternity and child health complexes at Gbaja, Amuwo-Odofin and within the premises of Ikorodu, Isolo, Ifako-Ijaiye and Ajeromi general hospitals to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, construction and maintenance of Accident and Emergency Centres at key locations in the State starting with the Lagos-Ibadan Toll-Gate to reduce accident-related morbidity and mortality, construction and equipment of Infectious Diseases Complex at Mainland General Hospital and the construction of drainage, internal roads, water reticulation and central power provision.

Also within the period, according to the Governor, the government will procure mobile medical and dental clinics to cater for under served locations and complement the school health service, additional Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulances to broaden coverage and a fully equipped mobile field hospital with emergency shelters for efficient disaster management.

Other projects include the construction and equipment of Emergency and Disaster Management School at Gbagada General Hospital, four floor cardiac dialysis and diagnostic centre at Gbagada General Hospital and construction and equipment of two-storey staff clinic at the Lagos State Secretariat Complex with conference hall and executive lounge.

Expressing delight at the delivery of the Dental Centre and the BT Ward Complex, Fashola commended his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as a focused and visionary leader, for mid-wifing a great revolution in various aspects of the health sector in the state especially the establishment of the LASUTH adding that the commissioning of the projects lent credence to his administration’s resolve to ensure the scheduled completion of all inherited on-going projects.

According to him, the first phase of the revolution at LASUTH began in 2005 and has since proceeded to the completion of the second phase while the third phase which comprises construction of new buildings designed to complement over-stretched existing services are at different stages of completion.

Congratulating all the stakeholders for their contribution to the completion of the project, Fashola challenged the medical personnel to remain relevant to the success story of the State by ensuring not only the protection of the equipment put in their custody but also make concerted effort to provide quality and efficient health service delivery in line with his administration’s vision and political manifesto.