Babatunde Fashola
Encyclopedia
Babatunde Raji Fashola (born June 28, 1963) is the thirteenth governor of Lagos State
, Nigeria
. As a candidate of the Action Congress
party, Fashola succeeded Bola Ahmed Tinubu
, on April 14, 2007, and was sworn in on May 29, 2007.
He was reelected on 26 April 2011.
He is also linked to Isale Eko through his paternal grandmother who is a direct descendant of the Shomade/Bashua family of Obun Eko and Suenu chieftaincy family house. His paternal great, great grandmother was Jarinatu Okunnu from Isale Eko Onilegbe family whilst his maternal great grandmother is from Idumagbo Isale Eko of the Suenu Chieftaincy family.
on June 28, 1963. He attended Birch Freeman High school Lagos and Igbobi College Lagos. He studied Law at the University of Benin
from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, LL.B.(Hon), degree in 1987.
He is married to Mrs. Abimbola Emmanuela Fashola and they have children.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria
in November 1988 after completing the professional training programme at the Nigerian Law School
, Lagos which he undertook between 1987 and 1988. His legal career of over one and a half decades, commenced in the law Firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore, where he cut his legal teeth as a litigator over such wide-ranging areas of specialization as, intellectual property (registration of trade marks), commercial law, covering general contracts, company activities, mergers, acquisitions, right issues, ownership of shares and equity of corporations, as well as land disputes, criminal law and chieftaincy matters, in all of which he has come to acquire appreciable expertise and vast experience.
Fashola, a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has been variously honoured with awards and certificates of merit including the Distinguished Alumnus Award conferred on him by the University of Benin Alumni Association in recognition of contributions to the Alumnus association and humanity. He is also a recipient of Lagos State public service club Platinum Award for outstanding contribution towards development. As well as 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 1988 to be conferred with the Rank of Senior Advocate. He is also the First ever Chief of Staff to be so honored. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association
, the International Bar Association and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria
.
He 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. He was the first person to hold both offices simultaneously.
of Lagos State
in Nigeria
on May 29, 2007. In June 2007, Babatunde Fashola appointed former Inspector General of Police Musiliu Smith
head of the Lagos State Security council, a body charged with taking a holistic look at the anatomy of crime in the state. The Babatunde Fashola Good Governance Group (G3) movement is a good example of Fashola's commitment to reaching out to the people using various media channels.
on eateries had been enforced. The matter was taken to court, but the ruling was announced in the government's favor.
Due to the fact that he is a proactive, visionary, pragmatic Governor, who understands the philosophy of a nation, Yemi D. Ogunyemi (Yemi D. Prince), a literary philosopher, a punster and neologist has referred to him in his book, STEALING AMONGST THE CITIZENS, as Governor Fashionable.
The book is being dedicated to him. Yemi prays him not to forget to establish modern libraries and bookshops in each of the districts in Lagos as the metropolis is becoming a mega city. A mega city with brainy people must have places to exercise their brains.
|url=http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5393458-147/Birch_Freeman_schools_get_a_new.csp
|title=Birch Freeman schools get a new look
|last = Anofochi
|first = Valerie
|date=March 18, 2009
|publisher=NEXT
|accessdate=2010-01-29}}
The crucial part of the mega city project is the rehabilitation of Lagos' infrastructures and districts. Formerly taken care of by the federal government, they were immediately neglected, as Abuja
was declared Nigeria's new capital since 1991. According to Lagos Rail Mass Transit, proposed light railways will be consisted of the outskirt blue-line and inner red-line destinations. As part of the project, the Badagry Expressway, which links Lagos directly to the south-eastern border of Benin Republic, is currently being rehabilitated by various contractors, with BRT
and railway networks being established.
Another ambition is to recover lands at Victoria Island, being lost to erosion for decades. This artificial terrain is the location of the proposed Eko Atlantic City
. This is also to support housing project that would accommodate up to 25 million Lagosians by 2015, a population growth from 15 million that could turn Lagos into the world's third largest city.
In October 2009, Babatunde Fashola posthumously dedicated a garden personally, in honour of the memory of late professor Ayodele Awojobi
at Onike Roundabout, Yaba, Lagos, with a statue of the famous academic erected at the centre.Artists of repute such as Oladejo Victor Akinlonu has commended the Governor on a job well done on the various value enhancement and beautification of Lagos state been a pioneer in the beautification of the state since the 80's Oladejo enjoined artists to work with the Governor.Oladejo's works such as the eyo masquerade and the Bust of Sir Alexander Molade Okoya Thomas where commissioned by the Governor.
was struck by a magnitude 7.0 Mw
earthquake
, Babatunde Fashola launched an appeal to raise up to one million U.S. 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.
, Tinubu's former Deputy Governor, in the run-up to the gubernatorial elections in 2007. It is believed that there was a dispute over Fashola's 2.1 billion Naira worth of commission with the former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
, although both Fashola and the Lagos State House of Assembly
had earlier denied such plot ever took place.
But in late January 2010, the Lagos State House of Assembly launched an investigation into possible mishandling of tax payers' money by Fashola, mainly on the ongoing mega city project. The accusations range from importing of palm trees from Niger
, for gardening projects within a rain forest state, to improper usage of contract money involving one of Lagos State's contractors. The group carrying out the investigation was known as the "True Face of Lagos". The final reports were due to be submitted on February 15, 2010, but the True Face of Lagos was later abolished. There were attempts to re-launch the probes through a petition, but they were again being turned down by the court.
THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) finally ended months of speculation over the second term ambition of the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), when it endorsed him as the party’s sole candidate for the 2011 governorship election.
On Wednesday, at the party’s secretariat, in Ikeja Lagos, Fashola’s predecessor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu who people perceived to be at the centre of the uncertainty over the political future of Fashola announced the decision of the party.
Before thousands of the party supporters, Tinubu, who flew into Lagos from Abuja because of the emergency stakeholders’ meeting raised Fashola’s hand and said: “Today, by the power conferred on me by the ACN, in consultation and in agreement with all our party leaders throughout the state and at the national level, I am announcing to you, the final endorsement of Raji Babatunde Fashola for the 2011 election.”
He was reelected on 26 April 2011 by a massive landslide victory.
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. As a candidate of the Action Congress
Action Congress
The Action Congress of Nigeria , formerly known as Action Congress , is a classical liberal Nigerian political party formed via the merger of the Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor political parties in September 2006. The party...
party, Fashola succeeded Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Bola Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected Senator for the Lagos West constituency in Lagos State, Nigeria in 1993, just before a military take-over in December 1993. After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007...
, on April 14, 2007, and was sworn in on May 29, 2007.
He was reelected on 26 April 2011.
Lineage
Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) is a descendant of the patriarch of the Fashola family, Alfa Bello Fashola of Princess Street in Isale Gangan, Lagos. On the Fashola family tree, he is the great-great grandson of Bello Fashola, a philanthropist and a very close friend of Esugbayi Eleko, who contributed morally and financially to the struggle to return Esugbayi Eleko to Lagos after the Oba's banishment from his kingdom by the then colonial government. Bello Fashola had 137 children with Tiamiyu Bashorun Fashola as the eldest child. The direct linkage is as follows: Bello Fashola begat Tiamiyu Fashola, who begat Raji Olayinka Fashola, who begat Ademola Fashola who begat Babatunde Raji Fashola.He is also linked to Isale Eko through his paternal grandmother who is a direct descendant of the Shomade/Bashua family of Obun Eko and Suenu chieftaincy family house. His paternal great, great grandmother was Jarinatu Okunnu from Isale Eko Onilegbe family whilst his maternal great grandmother is from Idumagbo Isale Eko of the Suenu Chieftaincy family.
Early career
Babatunde Raji Fashola was born in LagosLagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
on June 28, 1963. He attended Birch Freeman High school Lagos and Igbobi College Lagos. He studied Law at the University of Benin
University of Benin
There are several institutions called the University of Benin in West Africa:*The National University of Benin, in Cotonou, Benin*The University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria*The University of Benin in Lomé, Togo, now known as the University of Lomé...
from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, LL.B.(Hon), degree in 1987.
He is married to Mrs. Abimbola Emmanuela Fashola and they have children.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar as a solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria
Supreme Court of Nigeria
The Supreme Court of Nigeria is the highest court in Nigeria, and is located in the Central District, Abuja, in what is known as the Three Arms Zone, so called due to the proximity of the offices of the Presidential Complex, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court.-Overview:In 1963, the...
in November 1988 after completing the professional training programme at the Nigerian Law School
Nigerian Law School
The Nigerian Law School was set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1962 to provide a Nigerian legal education to foreign-trained lawyers, and to provide practical training for aspiring Legal Practitioners in Nigeria....
, Lagos which he undertook between 1987 and 1988. His legal career of over one and a half decades, commenced in the law Firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe and Belgore, where he cut his legal teeth as a litigator over such wide-ranging areas of specialization as, intellectual property (registration of trade marks), commercial law, covering general contracts, company activities, mergers, acquisitions, right issues, ownership of shares and equity of corporations, as well as land disputes, criminal law and chieftaincy matters, in all of which he has come to acquire appreciable expertise and vast experience.
Fashola, a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has been variously honoured with awards and certificates of merit including the Distinguished Alumnus Award conferred on him by the University of Benin Alumni Association in recognition of contributions to the Alumnus association and humanity. He is also a recipient of Lagos State public service club Platinum Award for outstanding contribution towards development. As well as 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 1988 to be conferred with the Rank of Senior Advocate. He is also the First ever Chief of Staff to be so honored. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association
Nigerian Bar Association
The Nigerian Bar Association is the umbrella body of all lawyers admitted to practice law in Nigeria.Any lawyer who satisfies the members of the Body of Benchers that they have good character and proficiency in the Bar Final Examination from the Nigerian Law School is automatically admitted.The...
, the International Bar Association and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria
Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria
The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria is a professional organization in Nigeria whose members are certified as qualified tax practitioners or administrators.-Organization:...
.
Political career
Babatunde Fashola served the State in various capacities, including:- Secretary of the Lands Sub-Committee of the Transitional Work Groups. 1999.
- Member of the panel of Enquiry into allocation of houses on the Mobolaji Johnson Housing Scheme at Lekki, 2000.
- Member of the State Tenders Board- 2002- 2006.
- Member of Lagos State Executive Council-2002-2006.
- Member of the State Security Council-2002-2006
- Member of the State Treasury Board-2002-2006
- Chairman Ad-Hoc Committee on the Review of Asset distribution among Local Government.
He was Chief of Staff to his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Bola Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected Senator for the Lagos West constituency in Lagos State, Nigeria in 1993, just before a military take-over in December 1993. After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007...
. Fashola had during his tenure as Chief of Staff also dubbed as the Honourable Commissioner to the Governor's office. He was the first person to hold both offices simultaneously.
Governorship
Babatunde Fashola commenced a four-year tenure as the Executive GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
on May 29, 2007. In June 2007, Babatunde Fashola appointed former Inspector General of Police Musiliu Smith
Musiliu Smith
Alhaji Musiliu Adeola Kunbi Smith, was an Inspector General of Police of Nigeria appointed in May 1999, who retired in March 2002 following a police strike.-Background:Alhaji Musiliu Smith was born on April 17, 1946...
head of the Lagos State Security council, a body charged with taking a holistic look at the anatomy of crime in the state. The Babatunde Fashola Good Governance Group (G3) movement is a good example of Fashola's commitment to reaching out to the people using various media channels.
Taxation
One of the main source of Lagos State government' funds are received as tax payers' money. Recently, a controversial proposal to charge consumption taxConsumption tax
A consumption tax is a tax on spending on goods and services. The tax base of such a tax is the money spent on consumption. Consumption taxes are usually indirect, such as a sales tax or a value added tax...
on eateries had been enforced. The matter was taken to court, but the ruling was announced in the government's favor.
Education reforms
Babatunde Fashola vowed to rehabilitate the state's public schools, long being neglected with time. Among the schools being habilitated included the governor's alma mater, Birch Freeman High School, which is located at a busy metropolis of Surulere.Due to the fact that he is a proactive, visionary, pragmatic Governor, who understands the philosophy of a nation, Yemi D. Ogunyemi (Yemi D. Prince), a literary philosopher, a punster and neologist has referred to him in his book, STEALING AMONGST THE CITIZENS, as Governor Fashionable.
The book is being dedicated to him. Yemi prays him not to forget to establish modern libraries and bookshops in each of the districts in Lagos as the metropolis is becoming a mega city. A mega city with brainy people must have places to exercise their brains.
|url=http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5393458-147/Birch_Freeman_schools_get_a_new.csp
|title=Birch Freeman schools get a new look
|last = Anofochi
|first = Valerie
|date=March 18, 2009
|publisher=NEXT
|accessdate=2010-01-29}}
The Eko Mega City Project
The biggest task Babatunde Fashola faces in office is his visionary project to transform Lagos into a mega city, the first of its kind in Lagosian history. Although initialized under the former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in June 2002, the mega project task accelerated under Fashola's governorship. Both private and public sectors are involved in fulfilling the project.The crucial part of the mega city project is the rehabilitation of Lagos' infrastructures and districts. Formerly taken care of by the federal government, they were immediately neglected, as Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
was declared Nigeria's new capital since 1991. According to Lagos Rail Mass Transit, proposed light railways will be consisted of the outskirt blue-line and inner red-line destinations. As part of the project, the Badagry Expressway, which links Lagos directly to the south-eastern border of Benin Republic, is currently being rehabilitated by various contractors, with BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
and railway networks being established.
Another ambition is to recover lands at Victoria Island, being lost to erosion for decades. This artificial terrain is the location of the proposed Eko Atlantic City
Eko Atlantic City
Eko Atlantic city is a planned district of Lagos, Nigeria, being constructed on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. Located on Lagos’ Bar Beach, the proposed development is anticipating upon completion 400,000 residents and 250,000 commuters flowing daily to the new island...
. This is also to support housing project that would accommodate up to 25 million Lagosians by 2015, a population growth from 15 million that could turn Lagos into the world's third largest city.
In October 2009, Babatunde Fashola posthumously dedicated a garden personally, in honour of the memory of late professor Ayodele Awojobi
Ayodele Awojobi
Ayodele Oluwatuminu Awojobi , also known by the nicknames "Dead Easy", "The Akoka Giant", and "Macbeth", was a Nigerian academic, author, inventor, social crusader and activist....
at Onike Roundabout, Yaba, Lagos, with a statue of the famous academic erected at the centre.Artists of repute such as Oladejo Victor Akinlonu has commended the Governor on a job well done on the various value enhancement and beautification of Lagos state been a pioneer in the beautification of the state since the 80's Oladejo enjoined artists to work with the Governor.Oladejo's works such as the eyo masquerade and the Bust of Sir Alexander Molade Okoya Thomas where commissioned by the Governor.
Haiti earthquake fund-raising
As soon as HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
was struck by a magnitude 7.0 Mw
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, Babatunde Fashola launched an appeal to raise up to one million U.S. 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.
Political limbo
By December 2009, there had been rumors and speculations by news media that Babatunde Fashola was subjected to a possible impeachment from within, primarily because of disagreements with the former governor. Ironically, a similar situation played itself out between Tinubu and Femi PedroFemi Pedro
Olufemi Pedro was the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria from 2003 until 2007. Prior to his election alongside Bola Tinubu, he was a part-owner and the Chief Executive Officer of First Atlantic Bank, now FinBank....
, Tinubu's former Deputy Governor, in the run-up to the gubernatorial elections in 2007. It is believed that there was a dispute over Fashola's 2.1 billion Naira worth of commission with the former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Bola Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected Senator for the Lagos West constituency in Lagos State, Nigeria in 1993, just before a military take-over in December 1993. After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007...
, although both Fashola and the Lagos State House of Assembly
Lagos State House of Assembly
The Lagos State House of Assembly is the state legislature of Lagos State. It is situated right inside Lagos State Government secretariat at Alausa in Ikeja central business district....
had earlier denied such plot ever took place.
But in late January 2010, the Lagos State House of Assembly launched an investigation into possible mishandling of tax payers' money by Fashola, mainly on the ongoing mega city project. The accusations range from importing of palm trees from Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
, for gardening projects within a rain forest state, to improper usage of contract money involving one of Lagos State's contractors. The group carrying out the investigation was known as the "True Face of Lagos". The final reports were due to be submitted on February 15, 2010, but the True Face of Lagos was later abolished. There were attempts to re-launch the probes through a petition, but they were again being turned down by the court.
THE Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) finally ended months of speculation over the second term ambition of the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), when it endorsed him as the party’s sole candidate for the 2011 governorship election.
On Wednesday, at the party’s secretariat, in Ikeja Lagos, Fashola’s predecessor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu who people perceived to be at the centre of the uncertainty over the political future of Fashola announced the decision of the party.
Before thousands of the party supporters, Tinubu, who flew into Lagos from Abuja because of the emergency stakeholders’ meeting raised Fashola’s hand and said: “Today, by the power conferred on me by the ACN, in consultation and in agreement with all our party leaders throughout the state and at the national level, I am announcing to you, the final endorsement of Raji Babatunde Fashola for the 2011 election.”
He was reelected on 26 April 2011 by a massive landslide victory.