Babatunde fashola family

Nigerian politician and lawyer (born )

Babatunde Raji FasholaCONSAN (Yoruba: Bàbátúndé Rájí Fáṣọlá(Listen^ⓘ); born 28 June ) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as the federal minister of Works and Housing of Nigeria from to He previously served as the minister of Power, Works and Housing from to He also served two terms as governor of Lagos State from 29 May to 29 May ^[2][3]

Early life

Fashola was born on 28 June ,^[4] in Lagos at Island Maternity Hospital into the family of Ademola Fashola, a former journalist with the Daily Times of Nigeria, and Olufunke Agunbiade, a nurse.

He has 12 siblings.^[5]

Legal career

Supreme Court

He was called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in November ^[6] after completing the professional training programme at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos which he undertook between and ^[7]

Honours

Fashola, a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has received awards and certificates of merit including the Distinguished Alumnus Award conferred on him by the University of Benin Alumni Association.^[7] He is also a recipient of Lagos State public service club Platinum Award for outstanding contribution towards development.

And Alliance for Democracy "Igbogbo Bayeku Local Government Award" in recognition of activities towards the success of the party.

Babatunde Fashola is also a Patron of the Law Students Association of the University of Benin and he is the second law graduate from the University of Benin and the first member of the Nigerian Law School graduating class of to be conferred with the professional rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.^[8] Fashola is also the First ever Chief of Staff to be so honoured.

Babatunde Fashola is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

Governor babatunde fashola biography Babatunde Fashola. Fashola was the chief of staff to his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. [citation needed] As the candidate of the Action Congress party, now transformed to the All Progressives Congress party, Fashola succeeded Tinubu as governor of Lagos State on 14 April Fashola was re-elected on 26 April

In October , a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.^[9]

Arbitration

In , Fashola was inducted as a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb).

Controversies and Corruption Allegations

In August , Fashola reported to the Nigerian Police and requested for the arrest of a man named, Chike Ibezim whom his phone was tracked for false publication, for defamation of character against him (Fashola), his brother of&#; Nnamdi Ibezim, publisher of Reportera, a news platform that falsely published news that sparked rumour that he (Fashola) was caught drafting a judgement in favour of his party in Nigeria’s presidential election being challenged in court.

Although Chike, the man, who was arrested, denied that he was not the one that committed the alleged act, but his brother; but no evidence to prove that either he did not, but his brother who both of them run the publication website, Reportera published the article from his (Chike) phone. He was held in detention by the Nigerian Police for 26 days further investigation as his brother who he said he published the article did not show to defend his brother by confessing he did committed the defamation, and was then charged to court.

Chike’s continuous detention has led to widespread concerns.^[10]

On 9 September the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Works which Babatunde Fashola headed as minister was accused of inflating a road contract from N billion ($13m) to N billion ($73m). The road contract in question was the construction and rehabilitation of the kilometre Ijebu-Igbo-Ita-Ibadan Road which had been halted for over five years after its award of contract.^[11]

Political appointments

Fashola was chief of staff to his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Fashola, had during his tenure as Chief of Staff, also dubbed as the Honourable Commissioner to the Governor's office. Babatunde Fashola was the first person to hold both offices simultaneously.^[12]

Babatunde Fashola also served in Lagos state in various capacities, including:

• Secretary of the Lands Sub-Committee of the Transitional Work Groups-
• Member of the panel of Enquiry into allocation of houses on the Mobolaji Johnson Housing Scheme at Lekki.-
• Member of the State Tenders Board- –
• Member of the Lagos State Executive Council
• Member of the State Security Council
• Member of the State Treasury Board
• Chairman Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of Asset distribution among Local Government.
• Minister of Power, Works and Housing ^[13]
• Minister of Works and Housing to date^[14]

Governor of Lagos state

Fashola was the chief of staff to his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.^{[citation needed]}

As the candidate of the Action Congress party, now transformed to the All Progressives Congress party, Fashola succeeded Tinubu as governor of Lagos State on 14 April Fashola was re-elected on 26 April ^[15]

Lagos infrastructural regeneration

Fashola focused on the rehabilitation of Lagos' infrastructures.

These infrastructures had been neglected for years after Abuja was declared the new capital of Nigeria in The modernisation of Lagos, which Tinubu had begun, accelerated under Fashola's governorship. Both the private and public sectors were involved in the realisation of the project.^[16]

Bus Rapid Transit

Fashola introduced air-conditioned city buses, the BRT buses, for which dedicated lanes were constructed.^[17][18]

Suburban railway

The "Blue Line" of the suburban railway at the National Theatre.

Fashola initiated the construction of the Lagos Light Rail, the commuter rail of Lagos, the first two lines of which are scheduled for completion in the last quarter of (as at January ).^[19]

Highways

On assuming office, Fashola embarked on a major overhaul of the city's main highways.

At the same time, major reconstruction works took place almost everywhere in Lagos. The result was that the Lagos metropolis took on a new look in the first four years of his tenure. Most of the major roads were redesigned and painted. New roads were opened up with flyover bridges. Ultra-modern footbridges were built to replace the old, dilapidated bridges.^[20]

Education

The Fashola government has paid great attention to education.

This includes the reinstatement and establishment of well-equipped new classrooms, distribution of free textbooks, provision of well-equipped workrooms and libraries, provision of buses for teachers and students to facilitate transportation, reinstatement of uniformed voluntary administrators in public schools in the state, introduction of a salary scale for teachers in public schools in the state, development of the Adopt a School Initiative and others.

The schools that have been repaired include: Ikotun Senior High School, Alimosho Girls High School, Agege Okemagba Junior High School, Mojoda Amuwo Senior Grammar School and Tomia Community Secondary School, Alagbado.^[20]

Rural transformation

The Fashola government has also made great strides in rural areas, with over rural development projects completed under the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Structure.

At the end of , communities were metered for the provision of a modified Type A water system from the Intervention Fund. Some other achievements in the rural sector include: Construction of modern abattoirs in Ologe, Oko-Oba and Lairage. Construction of access roads to link villages at places like Imude road, Shibiri-Etegbin road, Ajangbandi-Illogbo road, Agboroko-Igbo road, Elerin road and Ariyo-Muyo-Tedi Oshun road and so on.

The state government has completed rural electrification projects under its rural interference programme.^[20]

Reclamation of land

See also: Eko Atlantic City

Fashola embarked on land reclamation without which urban planning would not be possible under the prevailing conditions.

This includes Banana Island and Eko Atlantic City, both of which have been filled.

Babatunde fashola siblings

Is babatunde fashola a governor

Babatunde fashola parents

Babatunde fashola wife

Eko Atlantic City is expected to house millions of Lagosians in the future and, unlike the rest of the city, is equipped with sewers, its own electricity supply and other features of a modern city.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26]}

City beautification

In October , Babatunde Fashola inaugurated a garden in honour of the late Professor Ayodele Awojobi at Onike Roundabout, Yaba, Lagos, in the middle of which a statue of the famous academic was placed.^[27]

Fashola, as governor, collaborated with artists like Oladejo Victor Akinlonu to enhance and beautify Lagos.

Oladejo's works such as the Eyo Masquerade and the bust of Sir Alexander Molade Okoya Thomas were commissioned by the governor.^[28]

Public security

On the road to security, the Fashola government not only transformed most of the hideouts and places that previously served as bases for fraudsters and armed robbers into visually appealing environments.

It also established the Lagos State Security Trust Fund to effectively and sustainably fund the security needs of the state.^[20]

In June , Babatunde Fashola appointed former Inspector General of PoliceMusiliu Smith head of the Lagos State Security council, a body charged with taking a holistic look at the anatomy of crime in the state.^[29]

Haiti earthquake fund-raising

See also: Haiti earthquake

As soon as Haiti was struck by a magnitude M_w earthquake, Babatunde Fashola launched an appeal to raise up to one million US dollars.

The funds raised were used to assist the victims of the Haiti quake. As this was in place, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, said Nigerians should be prepared in events of natural disasters.^[30]

Water safety

In May , Fashola announced the compulsory use of life jackets on Lagos waterways.^[31] In a accident, ten children from Ijora Awori, Lagos State, drowned while they were being ferried to school, because they were not wearing life jackets.^[32]

Controversial eateries tax

A controversial proposal to charge consumption tax on eateries had been enforced.

The matter was taken to court, but the ruling was announced in the government’s favor.^[33]

Waste investigation

In late January , the Lagos State House of Assembly launched an investigation into possible waste of taxpayers' money by Fashola, mainly in connection with the ongoing Eko Atlantic City project.

The allegations range from importation of palm trees from Niger for horticulture projects to improper use of contract money involving one of the Lagos State contractors. The group conducting the investigation was known as True Face of Lagos.^[34] The final reports were to be submitted on 15 February During his tenure, True Face of Lagos was later disbanded.

Attempts were made to restart the investigation through a petition, but they were repeatedly rejected by the courts.^{[35][36][37][38][39][40]}

The fight against Ebola

Babatunde Raji Fashola's greatest achievement as governor came at the end of his second term in September , when Nigeria was officially declared free of Ebola.

Three months earlier, Ebola had first spread in the country when Patrick Sawyer, the infected US-Liberian citizen and ECOWAS official, brought in the virus through Lagos airport.^[41]

He personally took control of tracking down and isolating about 1, people who were feared to have been infected since Patrick Sawyer's arrival.

The Lagos governor cut short a pilgrimage to Mecca, flew home and then set up an Ebola Emergency Operations Centre to take on the daunting task of monitoring all those who might be infected. A team of 2, officials was trained for the task and ended up knocking on 26, doors. At one point, the governor was briefed by disease control experts up to ten times a day.

He made a point of visiting the country's Ebola treatment centre to impress on the Nigerian public that they should not panic unnecessarily.^[20]

Ministerial position

Fashola was appointed Minister of Power, Works and Housing by President Muhammadu Buhari on 11 November ; he was appointed Minister of Works and Housing on 21 August ^[42]

Completion of the "Second Niger Bridge"

The Second Niger Bridge at Onitsha, which had been the subject of political debate since the s and was seen as a byword for stagnation, was pushed forward under Fashola and is nearing completion (as of January ).^[43]

Completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The renovation of the former "pothole test track" from the metropolis of Lagos to Nigeria's third largest city, Ibadan, will also be completed in ^[44]

Further

Fashola counts among other achievements of his ministry in

• The completed motorway between Lagos and Oworonshoki,
• the repair of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, and
• the completion of the motorway between the capital, Abuja, and Nigeria's second largest city, Kano.^[45]

Eight hundred road contracts had been signed, he said.

Currently, 13,&#;km of roads are being rehabilitated and 37 bridges are being built.^[46]

In the process, he says its budget has been slashed from billion naira in (€ billion at the time) to billion naira in (€ million). According to Fashola, "We are now doing a lot more with less resources."^[45]

Evaluation

Across party lines, Fashola is mostly valued for his expertise.^[47][48]

Personal life

Fashola is married to Abimbola Fashola.

They have two children.^[49]

Legacy

The railway station in the Agege area of Lagos is named after Babatunde Fashola.^[50]

See also

References