Speeches

Inauguration Ceremony Of The Newly Elected Chairmen Of Local Government Areas And Local Council Develpoment Areas

Oct 30, 2008 - Today’s inauguration of our newly elected chairmen at Local Government and Local Council Development areas across the state represents a high water mark in the story of our Democratic Journey.

By this election, Lagosians have very clearly signified their preference for multi-party democracy, for progressive politics of development and for the Action Congress.

On your behalf, on behalf of the leadership of our great and growing party, on behalf of the Government of Lagos State, l thank all Lagosians who have yet again placed their trust in us and our ideas and policies.

Having secured the mandate of Lagosians, the season for inter party politics is temporarily over. In the way that darkness gives way to light, a new season dawns. A season of service, dedication and selflessness to our people has dawned. It is a season that will task all of you. It is a season that demands only of one thing – performance.

It is a season during which, no matter what happens, you must all continue to remember that you asked for this job. It is a season that requires us to learn from history.

Let me assure you that public service is noble and those who have undertaken it with the passion and selflessness that it deserves have always ended up on the right side of history and entrenched themselves in the hearts of the people. The opportunity to write your names indelibly in the hearts of the people and in the sands of time now beckons and as this is happening, let me reiterate that the difference between success and failure in any venture has been how people reacted to opportunity.

In 1952, Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo was elected Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria.

By 1960 , he had ceased to be Premier. Indisputably therefore, he served as Premier for only eight years.

In those years, many things happened. Cocoa House, the tallest building in West Africa was built; the Liberty Stadium was built; University of Ibadan emerged; WNTV / WNBS the first in Africa was created ; Odua Group was created to drive investment , by far the most audacious revolution in Black Africa was launched on 17th January 1955 in the form of free education.

Today, 48 years after, all of us including me who was not born then are haunted by the achievements of a man who had education , self discipline and an undying will to succeed and be different as his tools.

He did not have the computer, internet or technology as we have it today.

I do not think that he wished development to stop where he left it. My position is vindicated by his many writings, interviews, protests and advise to successive leaders after him about what to do to move our country forward many years after he has left office.

Even as our challenges are greater today in terms of a more complex world, an increasing population, a huge deficit in so many areas of human endeavour, I also believe that we have the opportunity to make a difference and build on his achievements and fulfill his dreams and that of his contemporaries such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello.

In 1999, my predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was opportuned to Govern Lagos. In a most difficult political terrain where politics was used to destroy and pauperise our people, instead of developing and prospering them, he along with our leaders chose the path of good governance, democracy, rule of law and true Federalism that gave birth to the opportunities for more Chairmen, Councillors , Secretaries and other public office holders at the local Government level. Their sacrifice must not be in vain.

I believe that we can draw inspiration from those achievements and resolve to surpass them.

Today as you take office, l urge you to inspire yourselves because l do not think there is a greater inspiration than self inspiration. The inspiration to be positively different.

I urge you to love the people you serve and show them compassion; remembering at all times that you hold office only because of them and to solve their problems because their hope rests on you. In the same way that a good decision by you can turn their lives around positively forever, a bad decision or policy can do irremediable damage. That is the seriousness and importance of Governance and the office you are assuming.

Because of so many broken promises of the past, recognise that the needs of our people are enormous but not insatiable.

I recognize the enormity of responsibility created by lost opportunities when we laboured in the throes of political crises after political crises and neglected the development of our country.

But this is not the time to dwell on the past. It is a time to take the fullest stock of the present, learning from the errors of the past to prepare for a future we can all see. A future that is bright and rewarding.

As I have always said, it is more positive to see the glass as half full than to see it as half empty.

I therefore urge you to see pressure and increasing demand for services from you by our people not as a bother but as a vote of their belief in your ability to lead them.

Indeed if they doubt that you have the capacity l am sure that they will not ask you to do so. Let me also use this opportunity to appeal to our people to understand that public officers are not there to solve personal problems but rather to respond to communal needs that create the greatest benefit for the greatest number.

It is therefore by resisting the temptation to pressure them for personal benefit that the people also play their part by showing good followership.

In terms of taking stock, we had embarked on a long and detailed tour of all the local Governments and Local Council Development Areas of the State last year.

We have listened to critical stakeholders about what their needs and expectations are, we have compiled a report of those requests which I believe has been made available to you.

As a State Government, we have taken the initiative to start addressing those demands by a N20 Billion Local Government intervention fund in the State’s 2008 budget and the utilization of this provision in the implementation of Y2008 budget has become evident by our presence in every part of the State.

Now that you have emerged by the will and mandate of the people, l expect you to continue where we left off and do even better.

For the record, let me state that as diverse as those requirements were , there was consistency and uniformity amongst all Local Governments and LCDAS on the need for roads, health care facilities , potable water and schools. Most importantly there was a clamour for Jobs. While Government cannot directly employ all those who require jobs , our strategy which l commend to you , is to use every policy and programme of Government to drive the economy and stimulate job creation.

Jobs will be created at construction sites if you construct roads and schools.

Access to potable water will make water dependent activities thrive and create water dependent services at an affordable rate. Health care facilities that are functional will require people to man and operate them as indeed they would provide a healthy and reliable work force.

A well organized sanitation targeted at cleaning your communities and consequentially our state, will require men and women to deliver it and therefore create jobs.

Our waste to wealth programme and the involvement of private sector participants has created thousands of jobs and I urge you all to tap into it to create even more.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot over emphasise the fact that your election and inauguration today provides an opportunity for you to keep a rendezvous with history.

It is a most important rendezvous , that gives you the chance to prove the cynics wrong and show that you are men and women of vision, purpose and character.

It is a rendezvous that provides the opportunity to surpass the dreams of our founding fathers and write your names in Gold.

It is a rendezvous that provides the opportunity to entrench our democracy in pillars of concrete and achievements that will stand the test of time.

It is a rendezvous that will increase the momentum and popularity of our party the Action Congress as the party of ideas and the place for all men and women of goodwill.

It is a rendezvous that gives you the unique opportunity to spread the good news of a government of the people, elected by the people and working for the people.

It is a rendezvous that we cannot fail to keep.

As I heartily congratulate you today, I urge you to go out there holding the manifesto of our party aloft as your guide, deploying the resources at your disposal judiciously in life changing and qualitative projects and services on the simple but time tested and democratic principles of life abundant for all and greatest good for the greatest number.

God bless you all.

Long live the Action Congress

Long live Lagos State

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Eko o ni baje.

BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA (SAN)
GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE