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His campaign posters are all over Lagos right now. Obafemi Oba Goal is the sole message on the posters accompanying his photographers. Unknown to many, Lagos Works and Infrastructure Commissioner, Femi Hamzat is one of the top contenders in the APC, for the governorship slot. He is very lucky that he has a lot going for him. Apart from a rich pedigree and a good name, he has also had the required experience in Public Service and the private sector. He is always proud to tell anyone who cares to listen, he is the product of 2 Lagos Governors: Asiwaju Tinubu and Gov. Fashola. So, he has undergone great tutelage from them. He served in the cabinets of the 2 of them as Commissioners.
Right now, he is preparing to run for governorship in Lagos State. And the brilliant technocrat believes he is the best man for the job for so many reasons, one of which is his rich pedigree as the son of Alhaji Muftau Olatunji Hamzat, the seasoned Lagos politician who has been involved in Lagos politics from the early 60’s in the Action Group era to the Lateef Jakande era, right to the Tinubu period. His father has in fact been part of the political evolution of Nigeria, all through the various military administrations till 1978 when the military vacated power for civilians.
He is a grassroot politician who made a name for himself politically right from his days in Mushin. Obafemi Hamzat feels his wealth of experience gathered from having understudied his father all these years must counts for something and it has put him in good stead for his present role. Last Tuesday, City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE spent some time with this brilliant mind at his office at Alausa Secretariat during which he explained why he is running for the governorship race in Lagos and many more.
Femi Hamzat who was 50 last week was born on September 19th 1964 in Lagos into a civil service family. His father, Olatunji Hamzat originally a banker, served as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, as well as Commissioner for Transportation in the early 80s. Dr. Hamzat attended Odu Abore Memorial Primary School, Mushin, Lagos State and Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo State in the South West region of Nigeria. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he graduated with a B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering (1986) and a M.Sc. in Crop Processing Engineering (1988). In 1992, he graduated from Cranfield University, England with a Ph.D in System Process Engineering, becoming the first student in the department to complete his doctorate within three years.
An accomplished academic and a technocrat of proven ability, Dr. Hamzat’s career has seen him work in both the private and public sector with experience in organizations such as RTP Consulting Services, City of New York, Columbia University, Merrill Lynch Inc, Morgan Stanley and Oando Plc. In 2005 Dr.Hamzat joined the Lagos State Civil Service, serving as the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Science & Technology. Within the administration he introduced and championed the automation of government processes. This helped change and improve the way public servants carry out their operations in the state, as well as eradicate state ghost workers through the implementation of enterprise resource planning.
In 2011, Dr. Hamzat was appointed Lagos State Honourable Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure; a position he holds to date. Since becoming Commissioner he has been responsible for many civil and construction works in the state. His other notable achievements are; the completion of the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge linking Admiralty Way to Bourdillon Road, Nigeria’s first cable-stayed bridge and the completion of the Lekki Expressway with the upgrade, expansion and maintenance of approximately 50km of the Lekki-Epe Expressway (Phase I), and construction of Yaya Abatan, Cemetry Road in Ajeromi Ifelodun and others across the State. Dr. Hamzat is married with children to Oluremi Hamzat. He was Commissioner, Ministry of Science and Technology from August 2005 to May 2011. He worked with Morgan Stanley as Senior Associate, PC Engineering from 2002 to 2005 in New York, NY, United States. He also worked with Merrill Lynch as Vice-President, Core Technology Support Group from 1999 to 2002.
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Lately your name has featured prominently on the list of those aspiring to lead Lagos. Can you tell us about your preparations for that?
It is true that I am running for governorship of Lagos. The preparation really is also about the experience I have gathered working with 2 great men, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Gov. Fashola. Before then, I had worked in the private sector and I have gained a lot of experience in private sector. I have worked with Fortune 500 companies. I was the Group CIO of Oando before I joined Public Service. So, I have had private sector experience and I have been opportuned to work outside Nigeria. I worked in the US for some time. So, all these has broadened my horison. I have also been here as a Commissioner for about 9 years in 2 different capacities.
I have also been involved in various life-changing projects in Lagos State, like the Lekki link bridge, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, collection of the Census in 2006, the BRT, the Adiyan Waterworks that will give us 70 million gallons per day, the light rail. The job of the Governor of Lagos State is a serious job so we must get someone who can do it who have the relevant experience to do the job. It requires certain skills. It requires certain experiences and background. I believe I represent those values and I am sure that if I am made the candidate of our party I will be able to the job, and discharge my responsibility accordingly.
What do you think is that quality that you have over and above other aspirants?
Experience. You can’t buy that. I think I represent continuity, continuing the work without missing a bit, proper understanding of the various projects in the state, understanding the polices and then the politics of various projects is important. I don’t know of any President or Governor that wants to go and fail. No. Everybody wants to do well. In some cases it is because they don’t understand the nitty-gritty of the various projects and initiatives. It is important to have the kind of experience I have. That is my biggest asset.
My experience in life also. I have worked in a private and and public sector. By so doing one is able to interact at both levels. What that does in some case is how to manage time. As you know time determines everything in life. Once its gone, its gone, it cannot be recovered. My academic background is also there. My family background is also an asset. You know I was born into a political family. I understand the intricacies of this job. Its a good strength for me.
Some people have argued that whoever wants to govern Lagos must be more of a technocrats than a professional politician because of the complexities of running this mega city/commercial hub. What do you see to this view?
The reality is that Lagos is the heartbeat of this country. 35% of bank branches are in Lagos. So there is no doubt that Lagos is the economic capital. We have the ports. They said 80% of all the containers that come into Nigeria pass through Lagos. If Lagos grounds, Nigeria will ground. That is what separates Lagos from other states. That is not to say other states are not important. They are all extremely important.
So whoever wants to govern Lagos must understand the policies and the politics of Lagos. So it is important not to say I am a technocrat alone, you must also understand the politics of everything it is extremely important to also understand what Lagos stands for. It must be somebody that understands that arteries of the economy and the political implications of a state like Lagos. My view is that he must have the knowledge of a technocrat and that of a politician. The combination of the 2 would be very, very important to run Lagos, going forward. Lagos is very important. In terms of GDP, the GDP of Lagos is bigger than 19 countries in Africa, put together.
About Unknown
Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.
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