Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday received a donation of 16 vehicles from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) towards the strengthening of security in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu while receiving the donation behalf of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), at the State House, Marina, stated that the security of lives and properties of Lagosians remained a major priority of his government.
He said the donation of the 16 vehicles was in fulfillment of the promise SNEPCO made to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund during a dinner by Lagos state government to seek support from the private sector.
He said: “We are excited because this is another confirmation of collaboration, another promise kept and another public private partnership that is working for us in Lagos State.
“A couple of months back, before Covid-19, we had met at a dinner where we asked and solicited for support from our private sector operators in Lagos and SNEPCO was present at that dinner and they humbly committed to providing something for the state.
“So this is a commitment that was made to us months back but we are indeed happy that despite the very difficult terrain all of us have gone through, they have been able to make it, together with their joint partners – NNPC, Exxon Mobil and other partners.
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“They are doing this because we as a government have shown consistent transparency in how we deal with them. We have shown that each time they support us, the support gets to the people and we get to use it for what the support is meant for.
Sanwo-Olu further assured the oil conglomerates that the state government will continue to see them as development partners in the project of Lagos.
“We have different roles to play but we will continue to collaborate. We can assure you that the men that continue to keep us save will get these vehicles. We will determine how they go round. But you can be assured that none of them will be kept in governor’s residence. It will go to the people that truly require them and they will be used for the reason for which they were given,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Speaking on behalf of NNPC, the group general manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Bala Wunti, said the presentation of the operations vehicles was to support the effort of Sanwo-Olu in keeping over 20 million residents of Lagos State and their properties safe.
Wunti, who was represented by Clementina Arubi, also commended the governor and his team for their commitment in the fight against Covid-19 in Lagos, the epicentre of the disease in Nigeria.
