I’ll get Lagos out of national grid, says Sanwo-Olu

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state, has vowed to get the state out of the national grid if elected.

Sanwo-Olu promised to work with the generation and distribution companies operating in Lagos to deal with legal and commercial issues that are inhibiting power supply so that Lagosians and businesses can enjoy regular electricity.

The APC standard bearer made the pledge on Friday during a gubernatorial debate organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

The debate was between him and Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Sanwo-Olu gave a hint that preliminary discussions have started between his team and Eko and Ikeja Discos, the two power distributors in the state.

‘’I have in the last two months, held meetings with the two discos in the State. I’m aware of what the challenges are and they are certainly not about generation,” he said.

“It goes beyond that. There are 40 to 50% commercial and technical loses that the discos are recording right now. There are huge receivables sitting on the tables. I understand what the issues are and I will tackle them head-on once we assume office.

‘‘The beauty of the whole thing for me is not even in increasing the megawatts but to take Lagos out of the national grid. I am promising you today that I will work towards removing Lagos from the national grid.”

The APC candidate also promised to bring innovation into revenue generation, noting that more people need to be included in the tax net.

He said government ought to make visible impacts in the lives of the citizens, adding that this will encourage them to perform their civic responsibilities without anyone forcing them.

‘’We will work on regeneration, create wealth for people in places such as Ajegunle, Ijora Badia and the rest. When you give titles to people in such places, it automatically shoots up the commercial value of their property. They will have a bankable document they can leverage to increase their wealth,” he said.