by Emmanuel Chidiogo

The Lagos State government on Tuesday put its 2014 second quarter budget performance at 106 percent. Despite this flattering assessment, state governor, Babatunde Fashola declared there was still more to be.

The state budget size for this year was N489,690 billion.

“We just conducted the review of the second quarter budget performance and the result is that between April and June, the state budget performed at 106 percent. And what that gives one if added to the 86 percent performance in the first quarter, the result will be a cumulative half year performance of 86 percent,” Fashola said.

“In pre-election year, I think these are unprecedented results. They are consistent with the commitment that I made to the citizens of Lagos that until the last day, this government will be working to deliver service.”

The governor said that the impact of this performance could be seen in some of the housing projects completed within the period and the roads that were completed within the period.

“Some of the roads were Yaya Abatan and others. That is the physical connection to the number that one is seeing,” Fashola enthused. “But there is still work to do. There are still places waiting for the state government attention. There are many projects coming into completion. Many have been completed and many will be completed in the third quarter.”

However, various residents of Lagos disagrees with their governor. Lola Adeyemo who lives in Ilupeju complained of a decrease in the frequency of waste disposal trucks visiting her area, leading to an increase in the number of unsightly refuse dumps, she also complained failed roads, which have not been patched.

Three other Lagosians, while commending the governor for ongoing road rehabilitation in their own areas of residence, decried the pace of work and the attendant traffic congestion.

Ato Lawal, who works in Victoria Island said that the ongoing mega city project appears to have affected the government’s concentration as they now focus on beautification, rather than projects that directly impact the masses.

Sola