Speeches

2009 Outstanding Leadership Award Of Greater New York

May 30, 2009 - I am delighted to be here at this occasion of the conferment of the Outstanding Leadership Award on me and the Gala night organized by the Egbe Omo Yoruba Greater New York here in the United States of America.

Let me first express my appreciation to the executive officers and entire members of Egbe Omo Yoruba for the reception accorded me when I came almost a year ago for the 16th Annual Yoruba National Convention. I must say that, I am happy and proud once again to be in the midst of our resourceful and distinguished sons and daughters of Yoruba here who have come together to protect the interest of the Yoruba people in Diaspora.

Your commitment and efforts through the objectives for which the Egbe Omo Yoruba was founded in this country, quite far away from your motherland is a testimony that wherever you find yourselves, you are conscious that you have a root, a source and an identity. Again, you are conscious of our elder’s saying that anywhere you find yourselves, home or abroad you should “know the son of whom you are (mo omo eni ti iwo n se)”.

When I received your letter of invitation nominating and confirming me for the Outstanding Leadership Award, I told myself that you are indeed in tune with the activities, programmes and policies of your elected leaders at home. You still know the son of whom you are because you have not forgotten your identity and you are still in touch and interested in your country, Nigeria. I am happy for this and I am proud of you.

To me, the Outstanding Leadership Award you are presenting me with today is a challenge to me and to our government in Lagos State. Before we came to office in 2007, we promised our people a better Lagos. We promised to create jobs. We promised to rehabilitate and build new roads. We promised to ensure that our hospitals, schools and public transportation run efficiently and effectively. We promised to make the environment clean, safe and investment-friendly. We were determined to build on the successes of our predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and make Lagos a model and an example of what true democracy should be.

Two years after, God has enabled us to provide the visionary and purposeful leadership and be focused to deliver on our election promises. With all modesty, I am proud to say that Lagos is now one of the safest places to live and transact businesses in the world. It is gradually and safely reclaiming its old glory as the melting pot of the country and the West African sub-region.

We are rehabilitating and building roads and the environment of Lagos has now worn a new look. We are empowering people with skills to create jobs for themselves and become employers of labour. Our free and qualitative education is without compromise. Our health centres are better equipped and functional transportation system run with clock regularly. I want to challenge some of you to visit Lagos and see things for yourselves.

As I said earlier, this award is not enough to blow our trumpet but a challenge to spur us to do more. We still have two years ahead of us and we cannot afford to relent. We still want to do more and make our Lagos State a truly model and centre of excellence.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this Outstanding Leadership Award is not for me alone, but for all of us in government and people of Lagos State. My colleagues in the executive council, the indefatigable law-makers, the judiciary, the civil servants, the private sector and all well-meaning Lagosians whose co-operation and sacrifice has ensured the success of our programmes and policies.

Let me say that once again, I really appreciate you and your activities, especially your reception for me and my entourage, and particularly the opportunity given to me to air my views on salient issues in our SPtate through the telephone conferencing meeting/interview before the last general election in 2007.

It is my pleasure to receive the Outstanding Leadership Award to the glory of God. I wish to dedicate it to all democrats, all Lagosians and Yoruba sons and daughters in the world.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, (SAN)
Executive Governor
Lagos State