Despite the fact that Banana Island was founded during the Alhaji Lateef Jakande government, the family of the late former governor of Lagos State has claimed they do not own a single parcel of land on the island.
Speaking at the inaugural Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture on Monday at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, Jakande’s son, Seyi, discussed his late father’s family life and claimed that as governor, Jakande did not make any particular provisions for his family.
Under the direction of its President, Eze Anaba, the Nigerian Guild of Editors organised the lecture with the theme “Lateef Jakande: The Man, His Journalism, His Politics.”
In addition to serving as the first President of the NGE and a former journalist, Jakande also held the positions of Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military administration and governor of Lagos State from 1979 to 1983.
People often question whether Jakande even has a wife, Seyi added, adding that his father was selfless in establishing Lagos. Even so, does he have kids? Will we get our DNA tested, I had to say to my sister.
“Despite everything Alhaji Jakande accomplished during his tenure as Lagos’ governor, neither his wife nor son received any funding or gifts from him. She (his wife) stayed at the Ilupeju home with Jakande. When you first became governor of Lagos, you claimed there was no money in the city, yet you constructed homes and schools, I once asked my father.
He claimed that Jakande had the idea to build what is now known as Banana Island while he was a minister.
“He (Jakande) returned to his thinking space and pondered our next move. The concept for the Banana Island was theirs. In their capacity as Minister for Works, they filled the canals to capacity, sold them to the wealthy, earned income, and funded the housing project.
“Once more, Banana Island had no sand, according to Baba. It was merely water. He founded Banana Island, gave it life, and filled it with sand, yet not a single grain was given to his beloved wife or any other family member.
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Seyi demanded during the occasion that the Lagos
State University at Ojoo be renamed after Jakande, claiming that his father was the institution’s inspiration.
“I want Governor Sanwo-Olu to revisit the discussion (of renaming LASU after Jakande),” the man continued.
Sikirat Jakande, Dr. Adeboye, and Jakande’s wife and daughter were all in attendance.
Jakande’s life, according to Deputy Governor of Lagos State Obafemi Hamzat, who attended the occasion in place of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was a reflection of humanity with several examples of beneficial effects.
General Ike Nwachukwu (retired) and Olusegun Osoba, a former governor of Ogun State, were also in attendance. Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun was represented by Kayode Akinmade, a consultant and a former commissioner in Ondo State.
Along with many other members of the media business, Garba Shehu, the former spokesperson for the late President Muhammadu Buhari, was present.
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