Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode unveils plan to cut cost of governance

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the weekend, unveiled the plan by his administration to cut the cost of governance in the state by streamlining some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), while new ones would be created.

Unlike his immediate predecessor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the governor disclosed that he had relocated to the Lagos House in Ikeja, which he said, suggested that all public servants in the state should be at duty posts on or before 8a.m.

He disclosed these plans at inaugural meeting he held with the Body of Permanent Secretaries at the Lagos House, Ikeja, alongside his deputy, Dr. Oluranti Adebule and Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Olatunji Bello, among others.

At the meeting, Ambode explained the significance of public service in governance, noting that the state civil service would drive the change and continuity, which he had designed to pursue purposefully in the next four years.

The governor added that he planned “to strengthen the civil service and continue with the reforms through which he will carry out his policies,” thus urging the permanent secretaries to see themselves as front runners of his administration.

He explained that he would take advantage of the experience he garnered in the public service to transform the state to a true status of Africa’s model megacity and make it the first place of choice for investors and tourists.

Ambode told them about his plan for the new offices, though some existing MDAs “will be streamlined in order to ensure that the cost of governance is reduced, while ensuring greater efficiency and effectiveness in public service.”

He noted that part of his inaugural speech dwelt on the creation of a Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, which he said, would ensure that not only “will the state government create wealth, but ensure that when investments from foreign sources drops, a pro-active situation is in place to take care of them.”

He said since the All Progressives Congress (APC) “has already formed a government at the centre, investments are also bound to drop from the centre and that when such investments come, the state should have a front desk office that will attend to such people bringing in the investments or people with interest to bring them in.”

The governor disclosed that some agencies would be returned “to their original supervising agencies to ensure that the control which used to be in place for those agencies returns. Permanent secretaries must exercise the authority that comes with their positions efficiently and ensure that each officer works for the position he has attained.”

He added that all his latest pronouncements “are not about reinventing the wheel, but mainly to take full advantage the experience I garnered while in the Public Service of Lagos State. I will not be reinventing the wheel with my pronouncements.”

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