Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday announced he would set up a leadership and fellowship academy to immortalise the state’s first civilian governor Lateef Jakande who died on February 11 aged 91.
Mr Sanwo-Olu announced this at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan on Lagos Island where eminent citizens and others gathered to bid the foremost politician a final farewell.
The Lateef Jakande Leadership and Fellowship Academy will be backed by an Act of the House of Assembly. It will be a tertiary school of leadership and governance for young people in public service and private sector to learn the art of leadership through qualities and values bequeathed by the late Jakande who governed Lagos from 1979 to 1983.
The Day of Tributes organised by the state government to celebrate the life and times of the late Jakande brought together his political associates, senior government officials and leaders from various sectors, including the royalty.
The late Jakande’s widow Abimbola Jakande and children were at the event. Primary and secondary school pupils drawn from various schools across the state attended the event.
Sanwo-Olu described Jakande as “a titan of progressive politics and leadership”, who also built an “outstanding” reputation for himself as a journalist.
He said: “Today, we celebrate a great man, a selfless leader, a rare gem, a quintessential politician, an administrator par excellence, the first civilian governor of our state, architect of modern Lagos, and one of the leading disciples of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, ‘Baba Kekere’, a sobriquet he earned for taking after the late sage. He was a man who led a life rich not in material things but in the things that truly matter – integrity, honour, service and character.
“Alhaji Jakande’s tenure will continue to be remembered by generations as a reference point in good governance, welfarism, visionary leadership, selflessness, transformational leadership and leadership by example. In recognition and appreciation of his outstanding achievements, and as a way of immortalising his name, we are setting up an endowment to be known as Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy. The institute will be supported by enabling Act of the State House of Assembly.”
Sanwo-Olu said apart from being a personal beneficiary of Jakande’s visionary leadership, his administration is also pushing forward the legacy of the ex-governor through the involvement of children of key progressive politicians who served under the late Jakande in the state’s executive council.
Jakande’s first son Deji accepted the honour on behalf of the family, thanking the governor and members of the state’s cabinet for immortalising their patriarch.
Dignitaries at the event included APC national leader Bola Tinubu, represented by commissioner for environment Tunji Bello; former military administrator of Lagos and chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig-Gen. Muhammed Marwa (rtd); Ogun State Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele and her husband, Bode Oyedele; former deputy governors of Lagos Kofoworola Bucknor; Prince Abiodun Ogunleye and Adebisi Sosan, members of the state executive council and members of the Lagos House of Assembly.
Others are the chief judge of Lagos Justice Kazeem Alogba represented by Justice Latifat Abdullahi Oyekan; former governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba; Lagos APC chairman, Tunde Balogun, GAC members and white-cap chiefs who represented Oba of Lagos.
