Despite the fact that Banana Island was created while Alhaji Lateef Jakande served as governor of Lagos State, his family has claimed they do not own a single parcel of land there.
Seyi Jakande discussed his late father’s family life in his speech at the inaugural Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture on Monday at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos. He claimed that as governor, Jakande did not make any particular provisions for his family.
The Nigerian Guild of Editors, led by Eze Anaba, its president, organised the lecture with the title “Lateef Jakande: The Man, His Journalism, His Politics.”
Former journalist and founding member of the NGE Jakande also held the positions of Lagos State governor from 1979 to 1983 and later Minister of Works under the Sani Abacha military administration.
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People ask does he (Jakande) even have a wife,” Seyi stated in reference to his father’s selflessness in establishing Lagos. Even so, is he a parent? Will we go for DNA, I had to ask my sister.
“Despite everything Alhaji Jakande accomplished while serving as Lagos’ governor, he did not give his wife or son any money or other gifts. At the Ilupeju home, she (his wife) stayed with Jakande. I once asked my father, “Dad, you said there was no money in Lagos when you first became governor, but you built schools and houses.”
He claimed that Jakande came up with the concept for what is now known as the Banana Island while working as a minister.
“He (Jakande) returned to his thought process and asked, ‘What are we going to do?'” They created the concept for Banana Island. As Minister for Works, they exploited the waterways, filled them, and sold them to the wealthy in order to create income and support the housing project.
“Once more, Baba’s Banana Island was devoid of even sand. All of this was water. His beloved wife or any other member of his family didn’t receive even a small amount of the sand that he made and filled Banana Island with.
At the occasion, Seyi called on the state government to rename the Lagos State University at Ojoo 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),” he continued.
Sikirat Jakande, Dr. Adeboye, and Jakande’s daughter and wife were all present.
Jakande’s life was described as a reflection of humanity with several examples of positive effects by the deputy governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, who attended the event in place of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (retired), Olusegun Osoba, a former governor of Ogun State, and a consultant, Kayode Akinmade, were also present. Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun was represented by Kayode Akinmade, a former commissioner in Ondo State.
Numerous other members of the media sector were there, including Garba Shehu, the former spokesperson for the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
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