Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appointed Engr. Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins as the new Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in the state.
Bamgbose-Martins is replacing ex-Commissioner, Dr. Idris Salako, who tendered his resignation letter last Monday, barely 24 hours after a seven-storey building collapsed on Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru Road, Oniru Estate, Victoria Island, area of the state in which six persons died in the rubbles.
Lagos has been faced with recurring cases of building collapse in recent times.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement on Wednesday that Bamgbose-Martins, the new appointee, had been the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations since inception of the present administration.
Omotoso said that Bamgbose-Martins, born on June 3, 1957, in Lagos, had his Primary Education at St. Mary’s Private School, Lagos and went to St. Gregory’s College, Lagos for his secondary education, which he completed in 1974.
He said that the new commissioner obtained his First Degree, Bachelor of Science (B.Sc Hons) in Civil Engineering from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and a Master of Science Degree (MSc.) in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos, majoring in Highways/Transportation.
According to him, Bamgbose-Martins’ constant quest for knowledge led him to embark on several post-qualification programmes such as Infrastructure Development at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
”He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), a Member of the Institute of Highway Transportation (MIHT) and a Registered Engineer (COREN).
”Bamgbose-Martins is an astute Civil Engineer with over 33 years of professional experience as a Public Servant.
”He has served the Lagos State Government in various capacities, such as Area/Resident Engineer, Director of Planning and Design, General Manager, Lagos State Ferry Services, Executive Secretary and Vice Chairman, Lagos State Roads, Bridges and Highway Infrastructure Private Sector Participation (PSP) Board.
”He rose through the Public Service ranks to become a Permanent Secretary in 2005 and headed at different times, the Ministry of Rural Infrastructure, Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Works and Infrastructure from where he retired in 2015.
”He was appointed by the present administration as a member of the Lagos State Project Finance and Process Compliance Audit Committee,” Omotoso said.
