Press Releases

Greatest Good For The Greatest Number, Our Guiding Principle – Fashola
• Urges collective restraint at seminar for businessmen

Jul 15, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday explained the policy objectives of his administration saying policy decisions are always based on the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Golden Tulip Hotel, FESTAC, venue of a one day Seminar for Igbos in Business organised by an Igbo cultural group, Aka Ikenga, with the theme, "The Impact of New Government Reform Initiatives On Their Businesses", said the fundamental essence of what the Government does and why it does them are embedded in that principle.

The Governor told the gathering of Igbo businessmen from Ladipo Spare-parts Market in Mushin, the Balogun Market in Central Lagos, Traders from Alaba International Market in Ojo, and members of ASPAMDA at the Trade Fair Complex as well as other Igbo business associations across the State, that no policy of his administration is based on ethnic, religious or other sentiments.

"Let me assure you that every decision that we have taken has been informed by one single consideration; whether it will be in the best interest of the greatest possible number of people", Governor Fashola said pointing out that even with the best wishes of the Government, no decision can be in the best interest of all.

According to the Governor, "When there is poverty in the land, not everybody is unhappy. There are some people who make money from poverty. And when there is prosperity in the land, not everybody is happy. But we think that the time-honoured principle of decision-making in Public Office which is whether it will bring the greatest benefit to the greatest number has been the most important single business decision-making condition that has been evolved by humanity".

Reiterating the absence of any other consideration in Government's decision-making process, Governor Fashola further declared, "As human beings, we may make mistakes, but if we do make mistakes, we expect that our mistakes should be challenged and criticized on their merit, not on other considerations such as religion, ethnic background and the colour of our skin".

"I like to be put on record here as saying that whatever decisions we have taken here have never been targeted at any interest group. They have been conceived on the basis of what will benefit all of us", the Governor said.

Governor Fashola noted that as businessmen, the primary thing that should concern the participants is the economy but added, "I assure you that without political stability, there will be no economy", pointing out that the relative political stability that the nation has enjoyed so far has allowed both the State and the national economy to grow.

Citing the venue of the seminar as "one of the visible signs of the stability of our polity and our economy", Governor Fashola declared, "The courage to come and rebuild this hotel is one of the very strong indicators of how the Nigerian economy is being perceived".

The Governor, who described Security as a corollary to political stability explained that investors and businessmen will always take their investments and businesses to a secure environment adding, "I tell people that if you take your money to an economy that is not secure, where lives mean nothing, where law and order means nothing, you won't be told to leave the place.

"This is why what we have tried to do as a policy in the last three years is to put law and order at the front burner of the decisions that we take. It is the foundation upon which we have built up ever since and I feel happy to announce that in spite of some of the difficult turns that we have to negotiate, we have delivered a safer Lagos; we have brought down violent crimes by very large percentages", the Governor said.

According to him, "The impact of that has been increasing investments in our State, increasing creation of small and medium businesses", adding that on the back of security has been infrastructural renewal, such as roads and bridges, which enables businesses to operate more efficiently.

Saying that Government is propelled to continue in its course "by our legitimate aspiration for prosperity and improvement in the quality of our lives", Governor Fashola, however, decried some of the practices by businessmen which, according to him, have constituted a hindrance to achieving the needed quality of life for the people.

He declared, "These aspirations, as legitimate as they may be, are not realized by accident but only by conscious collective plan evolved in town meetings such as this and these plans can only be delivered by collective resolve and collective sense of restraint to do a lot more of what is good and a lot less of what is wrong".

"Some of the things that have impeded the quality of our lives, in my view, are that we have tried to do unnatural things and that means that unnatural consequences will follow. You can't expect for example that people who site industries in residential areas will expect to have good roads", the Governor said pointing out that the roads in residential areas are not built with the same design capacity as those in industrial areas. "That is why we have taken some decisions which are for the greatest good for the greatest number", he said.

Other unnatural practices being exhibited by the people, according to the Governor, include street trading which impedes traffic flow, adding, "if you thing that you have the right to do that thing which is wrong, you lose the moral ground to restrain others from doing it".

"As a government, we have tried to fulfill the promises we made to you a little over three years ago; and as businessmen, one of the promises I made to you during the elections was the opportunity of a very efficient transportation network coming towards this axis of Alaba, ASPAMDA, Badagry in general and also to relieve you of the cost of many of the goods that you trade in through the development of a Free Trade Zone", the Governor said adding that the two promises are already being fulfilled.

Commending the Aka Ikenga for initiating what he called "a long expected move", Governor Fashola urged the businessmen to always endeavour to do what is right pointing out that Government would continue to create and sustain a business and investment friendly environment in the State.

In his remarks earlier, Chairman of the occasion and former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, commended the organizers of the event noting that it was the first time an organized effort was being made to enlighten the Igbo Businessmen in Lagos on the implications of Government reform initiatives on their business.

Senator Anyim also commended the State Governor for "the excellent work you are doing in Lagos State", adding, "The impact of your services has given encouragement to our organization".

Noting th at the seminar is a recognition of the fact that sometimes the businessmen are ignorant of government policies, the former Senate President urged them to take advantage of the existing business opportunities in the State by identifying with all the policies of the State Government pointing out that in doing so, both the people and the Government will experience prosperity.

Earlier in his welcome address, President of Aka Ikenga, Dr. Sylvanus Ebigwei, said some of the reasons for the seminar include the need to explain some of the policies of the State Government and how they impact on the businesses of the people adding that this will help smoothen some of the frictions sometimes experienced between the businessmen and law enforcement agents.

He commended Governor Fashola and the Lagos State Government as well as the Guarantee Trust Bank for their support in the organization of the seminar adding that the outcome will be of immense benefit to both the businessmen and the Lagos State Government.

Also present at the occasion were some members of the State Executive Council including the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze, other executive members of Aka Ikenga, members of staff of the State's Internal Revenue Board and other top Government functionaries.