Lagos Speaker urges Buhari to revisit Metroline Project to immortalise Jakande

The Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit the Metroline project in honour of the late Lateef Jakande who died on Thursday at 91.

Obasa made the plea in a motion raised on Thursday during a plenary session in honour of Jakande, the first civilian governor of the state — from October 1979 to December 1983.

He said that the project, which was stalled by the military takeover of December 1983, would have been part of the achievements of the late Jakande.

The speaker said the Metroline project would have reduced traffic congestion in the state and would have been at a cheaper rate.

“Jakande would have been remembered more if he had been allowed to do the metroline project.

“Now that he is dead, the Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, should remember Jakande with the project or any other befitting project.

“As a House, we will write a condolence letter to the family of the deceased. We will visit the family to condole with them on the death of their patriarch,” he said.

The speaker recalled that the late Jakande provided free education for the people of the state and gave out free textbooks, saying that he was a beneficiary of the gesture.

He said that Jakande built schools, including the Lagos State University, which had  produced people that had achieved greatness in life.

Other lawmakers who eulogised Jakande during plenary spoke of his legacies and passion for the masses.

They recalled that they were beneficiaries of his free education as governor, saying that he lived his life for the masses.

Mr Nurein Akinsanya, (Mushin I), who announced the death of Jakande on the floor of the House, described him as a true patriot that established the first state university in the country.

On his part, David Setonji representing Badagry Constituency 2, said that Jakande laid a good legacy for the people of Lagos.

“The housing estates he built were purchased by civil servants, including those who were on level 1, but it is unfortunate that the houses we are building now, a level 1 officer cannot afford them,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim Layode (Badagry I) saluted the state house of assembly, which he said once celebrated the late Jakande by taking him in a helicopter and bought a car for him to celebrate his birthday.

“Let us honour people who have ruled the state in the past. We should celebrate Jakande. God used him to give us free textbooks and exercise books without writing his names on the materials,” he said.