Speeches

Inauguration Of The Elected Chairmen Of The Lagos Local Governments And Local Council Development Areas

Oct 29, 2011 - On the 30th day of October 2008, we swore in elected Chairmen into the 20 (Twenty) Local Governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas for a tenure of 3 (Three) years. That tenure of 3 (Three) years expires at midnight on the 30th of October 2011.

On Monday the 31st of October 2011, I expect that outgoing Chairmen will conduct the process of handing over, while returning ones resume at their duty posts.

Our gathering today, to inaugurate the newly elected Chairmen into the 20 (Twenty) Local Governments and 37 (Thirty Seven) Local Council Developrnent Areas is particularly instructive.

It means that we have now achieved a consistency in tenure and cycle of Local Government administration.

The credit for this achievement, which is to my knowledge, the first in the country in terms of Local Government elections, must go to the staff of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) under the leadership of Hon. Justice Fatai Adeyinka.

This has ensured that elections have been held promptly to coincide with the end of the tenure of Incumbent Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and Councillors.

It is my view that this consistency of tenure and timing of elections will have a long term impact on policy planning and implementation and ultimately manifest in improved service delivery as we progress.

Another important milestone that these last Local Government elections recorded is its contested nature.

About 3 (Three) years ago when we were preparing for the 2008 elections, a few parties instigated by our now defeated but quarrelsome opponents, choose to boycott the elections, after failing in their efforts to use the judiciary and the Federal Executive to stop the elections.

This time they have sensibly, in my view, decided to contest, and it is instructive to mention that they contested across 20 (Twenty) Local Governments and 37 (Thirty Seven) Local Council Development Areas.

I must commend them for this sense of participation, because this is the essence of the participatory democracy that we preach. This is what will enrich the system, and promote a contest and intercourse of ideas.

While I congratulate them for successes, I must salute and congratulate our Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, victorious Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Councillors for their overwhelming majority and victory.

This is the result of a vigorous and energetic campaign by the candidates and the Party, led by our National leader, the irrepressible Asiwaju Bolo Ahmed Tinubu.

It is a testimony to the superiority of the ideas and values of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the contest of ideas.

For me this contest across board, signals the end of the dispute over the legality of the 57 (Fifty Seven) Local Governments of Lagos.

What must therefore become uppermost in our minds today is to deliver the promise of good governance that inspired the restructuring of the Local Governments.

To our elected Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and Councillors as I congratulate you yet again, let me assert that the victories you recorded did not come by your personal capabilities alone but largely due to the trust of Lagosians in our party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and their firm belief in our capacity to deliver on our electoral promises.

This is a trust you must ensure is kept on the front burner through diligence, hard work and service to our people.

You asked for this job and we expect you to discharge the responsibilities diligently.

To this end, let me emphasize that we will not tolerate any act of indolence on your part. Service to the people must be taken with all the seriousness it deserves and Lagosians expect nothing less.

In the discharge of your duties, while we encourage you to be firm, we equally expect you to show compassion in the discharge of your responsibilities by bringing a human face to bear in your dealings with our people.

While it is true that you were elected by the people, our Party will take a more active role in holding you to account for the implementation of our programmes and policies.

You are taking office at a time when the world attention is focussed on the attainment of certain targets to be achieved within the time frame of 2000 - 2015.

These are what ordinarily should be minimum goals of any society, which are now referred to as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

These goals have been described as "the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions" .

In its entirety, MDGS consists of eight (8) goals, namely:-

1. Eradication of' Extreme Poverty and Hunger;

2. Achievement of Universal Primary Education;

3. Promotion of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women;

4. Reduction of Child Mortality;

5. Improvement of Maternal Health;

6. Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases;

7. Ensuring Environmental Sustainability; and

8. Development of a Global Partnership for Development.

Under the 4th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution which we operate, your responsibilities for primary health, sanitation and primary education if successfully discharged will impact the delivery of other goals such as reduction of poverty, disease control and infant and maternal mortality.

In spite of the doomsday prophesies that abound from the West, I am determined to ensure that Lagos at least meets and exceed 4 (Four) of these Goals and make significant progress with others.

You will agree that the State Government acting alone cannot do this. A partnership with you is critical to the attainment of these laudable goals.

To this end as your primary assignment, we will expect you to focus on the primary healthcare system, primary education, sanitation and empowerment of our women. These would form the basis of the policy thrust of our Local Government administration.

Before I conclude; let me use this opportunity to also say that all those who wish to see improved governance at the State and Local Government level, must lend their voice to the urgent clamour for on urgent revision of the revenue allocation formula, in favour of the States and Local Governments.

A revenue allocation formula that gives 52% to the Federal Government, which is further from the people, and 26% and 20% to the States and Local Governments which are closer to the people will remain a huge hindrance to local development and the implementation of policies and programmes at local level.

In these very challenging times that we now live in, it would seem that goodluck will not be enough.

I must therefore on behalf of the Government and people of Lagos State wish you all the very best of luck for a successful tenure towards a brighter and rewarding future.

Thank you and God bless.

Eko o ni baje o.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State