15 things you may not know about the late first civilian governor of Lagos, Lateef Jakande

The first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, is dead.

He died on Thursday at the age of 91.

“Baba Kekere,” who ruled Lagos from October 1, 1979, to October 31, 1983, brought a lot of development to the state.

As a parting shot, Ripples Nigeria highlights 16 things you may not know about the late administrator who once established 23 local government councils in Lagos.

· Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande was born on July 23, 1929 in the Epetedo area of Lagos Island, Lagos.

· He studied at a Lagos public school at Enu-Owa, Lagos Island, then at Burnham Memorial Methodist School, Port Harcourt. He then enrolled at Ilesha Grammar School in 1945 where he edited a literary paper called The Quarterly Mirror.

· Jakande began a career in journalism in Daily Times in 1949 before he joined the Nigerian Tribune in 1953 where he later became the Editor-in-Chief.

· He was elected the Lagos governor on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 1979.

· He established 23 local government councils while he was governor. These were later disbanded by the military who overthrew the civilian government on December 31, 1983.

· After the military take-over in 1983, Jakande was charged, prosecuted, and convicted for corruption. He was later pardoned by ex-President Ibrahim Babangida in 1985.

· He left Tribune in 1975 and established John West Publications on whose platform he published The Lagos News.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo, Jakande Recommend Fanimokun for Lagos Guber Contest

· He was the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).

· He later became member of different political parties at different times, including All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Action Party of Nigeria (APN).

· He was happily married to Alhaja Abimbola Sikirat and survived by children.

· The deceased was appointed the Minister of Works by the late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, in 1993.

· He introduced one of the largest mass housing projects in the country, building about 30,000 housing units for low-income earners.

· Jakande rode in his private car, a Toyota Crown, as governor, rather than the luxurious Benz used by his colleagues.

· He established the Lagos Television (LTV), the first of its kind by a state governor and the Lagos State University (LASU).

· He angered several people in Lagos by taking over the “Legacy Schools” in the state and opening them up to the general public. The schools include CMS Grammar School, Methodist Boys High School, St Gregory’s College, and Baptist Academy, among others.

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