3rd Anniversary Of The Administration Of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN

May 29, 2010 - Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as I welcome you all to this 3rd Anniversary of the tenure of our administration I will like to start by re-calling the promise I made to Lagosians in my inaugural address on May 29, 2007 when I said:

"…I want to assure you that you have chosen a Government that cares; a Government with a clear vision of where we are and where we want to be; a Government with a clear compelling purpose from which its priorities shall logically flow".

For the past few weeks, my colleagues in Government, Honourable Commissioners, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Special Assistants have been briefing you as they have done year on year since 2007 about what we have been doing with your resources to make life better, in fulfillment of that promise.

I stand here very proudly and fulfilled to conclude those briefings that commemorate the 3rd Anniversary of our services to Lagosians, as we hit 1,096 (One Thousand and Ninety Six) days and 26,304 hours of our stewardship. This leaves us with 322 (Three Hundred and Twenty Two) days representing 7,728 hours of service ahead of us to render.

I assure you that we are not tired, we remain committed and hold your trust in our abilities most inviolate.

I assert without equivocation that we have fulfilled our promises and, performed our part of the social contract.

We have shown that democracy can be contentful and successful in Nigeria; because in every part of the State that you go, whether in the 3 senatorial districts, the 24 Federal and 40 State Constituencies or the 57 Local Governments, you will see the imprimatur of our efforts. No section of our State whether rural or urban has been left untouched; even as we acknowledge that there remains a lot ahead to do.

This takes us to the strategy which I must re-state.

Permit me to explain that while we are impacting the most urgent needs according to priorities dictated by our people during the Local Government tour of 2007 and within the limits of our resources against the competing demands, we have evolved a clear strategy of how our State should develop, based on the 10 Point Agenda, the manifesto of our party, the Action Congress and a clear understanding of the problems, with the resolve not to fire-fight, but to be methodical in achieving that plan of an orderly and sustainable development.

We understood unarguably that the lack of infrastructure occasioned by many years of political instability and lack of continuity of Government and policies had created desperate conditions.

More vehicles have been bought, more children have been born, more graduates have been produced but no new roads, new schools, new hospitals, new markets, and similar amenities were being built, at the same pace of demand.

We resolved therefore to direct public spending at providing infrastructure as a deliberate strategy for alleviating poverty.

From that infrastructure provision, we have engineered tremendous growth in direct jobs created at the work sites, to boosting the supply chain of inputs of building materials, and supporting efficient operation of businesses.

We have employed more people into the public service and increasing population.

The result has been more motorable roads, restoration of ferry services, new hospitals, new schools, increased water supply, street signages, traffic lights, street lights, new markets, effective waste management; improved security, emergency toll free lines, a reformed civil service, increased employment and renewed hope and belief in the ability of a Government to respond to her people's need.

In the process, your Government, formed on the sound welfarist and progressive principles of the Action Congress, has exploded many myths and actualized seeming impossibilities.

In the areas of environment, Lagos is cleaner, contrary to the belief that it was impossible to manage its waste.

Thousands of jobs have been created from an increasing PSP participation in waste disposal and opportunities for expansion are still emerging.

We have successfully combated flooding in places that it was thought impossible to do so. The Gbagada expressway flooding has been resolved, Dolphin Estate and Obalende flooding has been resolved, Victoria Island and Ikoyi flooding from the Bar Beach is under control. The famous "river LUTH" in Idi Araba in now history.

We are still working in other difficult parts of the State and we expect to be successful.

Green spaces and beautiful parks have become things that Lagosians take for granted; contrary to the belief that Lagos was a concrete jungle.

We imploded the partially collapsed Bank of Industry building without damage to any building or loss of any life, the first of its type in West Africa, contrary to the belief that it could not be done.

With regards to security, Lagos is now safer than many other cities with its population size globally, and violent crime has dropped by over 70% and there was no successful bank robbery in the last two years contrary to the belief that Lagos was an irredeemably crime infested state.

Street lights now provide safety and a sense of security that has enabled the emergency of a night-time economy contrary to the belief that it would never happen.

We have operated the Bus Rapid Transit Scheme for almost 3 years carrying millions of passengers in comfort and it has now become a continental model contrary to the belief that it was doomed to fail.

We have restored order to Oshodi and made it a choice route for millions of commuters contrary to the belief that Agege Motor Road will remain impassable and that Oshodi will remain a sad and impossible dark spot of our national life.

We have converted Oluwole area of Lagos from a den of forgers to a haven of commerce and business in a new ultra modern Oluwole market.

For those who held the view that our State had no agricultural capacity apart from fishing, we have exploded that myth by expanding rice cultivation from 20 hectares to 250 hectares with packaging and we are now heading to 500 hectares cultivation with improved yield per hectare.

From cynism and condemnation, our Local Governments have moved to credibility and commendation, with a renewal sense of public service and determination to succeed by our Local Government Chairmen and other public servants at the Local Government level.

Many who left our State in the belief that it was chaotic are returning with a new belief and respect for the determination of Lagosians to take their destiny in their hands, as our State increasingly becomes the magnet for hosting local and international events.

The FA Cup returned to Lagos after many years as Lagos also hosted the U17 World Cup, the 4th and 5th Ehingbeti Summits and the 1st and 2nd Climate Change Summits all of which have attracted local and international participation. The Nigerian Bar Association Annual Conference returned to Lagos in 2009 after an absence of 20 years.

The recognition of our emergence as Africa's fashion capital, earned us the rights to host the MNET Face of Africa and our tourism economy is blossoming with the successful hosting of the Eyo festival, the Lagos Carnival, the Heritgae festival and the Boat Regatta.

The economic benefits of these events, the jobs they have created and the families they sustained, explain the new belief of our people in their State.

We have demonstrated integrity and efficient use of public funds and more Lagosians are paying taxes voluntarily, contrary to the belief that our people were irredeemable tax dodgers.

We have shown that impossibilities are excuses for failure and that it is always possible for a people to change whatever they do not accept.

I must therefore express unqualified and sincere gratitude to all Lagosians who certainly are too numerous for individual acknowledgment, who have contributed to this renaissance.

Indeed, very recently, your Government received a citation from the Green Crystal Earth Group based in Sydney, Australia for achieving the fastest infrastructure development ever undertaken in Africa.

I am humbled for the opportunity you have given me to lead such a team of men and women and citizens who have found a unique courage and determination to confront history.

All of us have found commonality of interest and purpose for a better Lagos that we cannot afford to disagree upon, because truly, a brighter and rewarding future lies ahead.

Thank you for listening.

Eko o ni baje o.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State

So what? What an arse licker!

Beaf:

So what? What an arse licker!

Thank you sir, your people need you in the swamps,

Buddha bless you


Eko o ni baje lai lai

babapupa:

Thank you sir, your people need you in the swamps,

Buddha bless you

Eko o ni baje lai lai

As if your home town no be swamp too. What a bloody arse licker!

Beaf:

As if your home town no be swamp too. What a bloody arse licker!

yes I'm and I'm proud of my swamp. are you proud of yours? why are you wasting your time on me and my swamp?


anyways, back to eko o ni baje lai lai,