Press Releases

Fashola Advocates Accurate Census Figure As Bases For Good Govenance

Nov 26, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday advocated the attainment of accurate census for Nigeria as a fundamental bases upon which the populace can enjoy good governance.

Governor Fashola who was Guest Speaker at the 2009 Alumni Day Celebration of the Lagos Business School on Lekki-Epe Expressway, described population census as the most important basic tool for development and equitable distribution of resources.

Speaking on the topic, “Ethics and Good Corporate Citizenship, the Lagos Experience”, Governor Fashola declared, “If we do not resolve this fundamental issue very quickly; if we do not know the number of people in the country, how do we know how much power they need, how much water they need, how many houses they need, we can never get it right”.

The Governor lamented that even the basic information from individuals which are also fundamental in building up data for good governance are lacking, pointing out that people are unwilling to give such basic information as their ages, residential addresses, date of birth and other related information that are necessary for building up essential data.

Likening governance to staging a party, Governor Fashola queried, “How can anyone stage a party without knowing the number of guests that are expected? That is an invitation to chaos.”. He wondered why people shy away from giving such information at home while they readily do so at the entry points into foreign countries when they travel abroad. “Citizens must sign on. They must let us know that they exist”, he said.

Governor Fashola also emphasized the need for elites to get more involved in electoral process rather than sit in the background and criticize the government that emerges after such election, pointing out that every society gets the kind of government it deserves.

“I wonder how many of us here in this hall voted in the last elections. I wonder how many of us, got involved in the local government elections, That is the government that is closest to us, that is responsible for primary education, primary health care and other basic needs at the grassroots ”, he said.

According to the Governor, “Elections remain a crucial aspect of development of any society and nation at large. It could either make or mar a nation”. He said anomalies arise in governance when the people field their “third eleven”, adding that for good governance to prevail the “first eleven” must return.

Governor Fashola cited past leaders and public servants who gave their best in service describing them as the First eleven of their generation. He declared, “The first eleven must come back not only at the leadership level but also at the public service level. The successes that have been achieved in the private sector can be attained in the public sector if the First Eleven are involved”.

The Governor said non-participation of elites in electoral process subjects a society to obey laws made by the not-too-sound to whom they leave public office, adding that the people have no right to complain when they have abdicatedsuch right by non-participation.

Democracy, the Governor said, does not guarantee good leadership or citizenship but focuses on ensuring that there is due process and participation in the selection of leaders adding that whether the leader is intelligent, compassionate, and tolerant of religious belief and practices does not depend on the system of government but rather on the role that citizens play towards the process of electing such leaders.

“There is a vacuum at the leadership level”, the Governor lamented, adding, “We hold elections at our various clubs and they are successful, why can’t we translate those successes to our national elections where they really matter”, he queried.

On Taxation, Governor Fashola who likened Government to leadership of an organization, said just as it would be difficult for companies to succeed in a situation where shareholders failed to pay for their shares in a company, same way issues of taxation, civic responsibility, role of citizens in election and DNA of citizens are critical in the government’s ability to deliver good governance to the people.

“Taxation is the permanent qualification for citizenship of any nation”, Governor Fashola said pointing out that it is the civic responsibility and part of the Social Contract of each citizen to pay tax while Government has the responsibility to deliver democratic dividends as its part of the Social Contract.

The Governor also urged the people to pay their refuse collection fees so that the men and women who are responsible for carting them away will be paid adding, “The process of managing refuse is a social security process. If you pay the bill, those area boys who work at night to cart away the refuse while you sleep will be paid. They are not doing it for free. They do it in order to put food on their table. If I can protect the poor, it makes it easier for me to protest the rich”.

Responding to a question on the issue of a second term come 2011, Governor Fashola said it is rather too premature to talk about re-election when the first four years is still far from conclusion.

“There is a process involved in election, you cannot seek for political position on your own, you have to do so under the platform of a political party. For you to be voted for, there would be primaries and my party has not called for nominations, when the call for nomination comes, then we’ll see what happens.

On the issue of continuity in governance, Governor Fashola declared, “You must view the development of a state as a journey not as a destination. The temptation to see it as the latter creates a problem that makes you think only you can solve”.

In his remarks, Professor Pat Utomi who was chairman of the occasion said unless the government gets the human capital right every other thing would fall, adding that mineral resources and other resources would be useless without the right human capital.

He said the Alumni Conference was an opportunity to ask the relevant questions about what is truly important to Nigerians as a people adding, “It is an opportunity to show how little waters can become a mighty ocean”.

Professor Utomi likened “the dream and idea of the Lagos Business School becoming a Pan African University to a dream and idea of a Raji Fashola coming into governance and making a great difference in so short a time”

Earlier in her introductory remarks, Dean of the Business School, Enase Okonedo, said the business School is established as a place for leadership training adding that the Annual Alumni Conference of the School was established as a means of giving to the society the benefit of their training.

The Governor later undertook a tour of the Lagos Business School and was presented with an award of the School by Prof. Alos.

Also present at the occasion were Professor Pat Utomi who was chairman of the occasion, Chairman of the Governing Board of the School, and former Nigerian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, Vice Chancellor of Pan African University, Brig-Gen. Tunde Reis.