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Fashola Receives 2009 Sun Man Of The Year Award
• As Maitama Sule describes Lagos Governor as light of Leadership

Feb 20, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), was at the weekend conferred with the 2009 Sun Man of the Year Award for Good Governance just as he was described as the light of the desired leadership in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule, who presided over the grand occasion at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, in his address told the distinguished audience made up of eminent politicians, bankers, jurists , media executives, artists and captains of industry, that for Nigeria to attain the dreams of her Founding Fathers, she must have “leaders and not rulers”.

He said what Nigeria needs to take her rightful place as the Giant of Africa and as an Economic Power in the world is a leader with the fear of God; a leader that does not lie but will accept in public what he has accepted in secret.

“Nigeria needs a leader who will look at the plight of the people with the eyes of a compatriot and not with the eyes of the privileged few; a leader with a vision; a leader with fire in his veins but humanity in his heart; fire so that he can take necessary though not pleasant decisions, but humanity so that he can also temper justice with mercy”, the Elder Statesman said.

Turning to Governor Fashola, Alhaji Maitama Sule said, “In your style of leadership, I have seen the kind of leadership that I want. I am beginning to see the light. You are the light”.

Recalling that Lagos was once described as Centre of Dirt, the Chairman further declared, “Lagos is the Centre of Cleanliness and Decency now” adding that the Governor has changed the face of Lagos.

In his acceptance speech, Governor Fashola, who won the Award jointly with the Group Managing Director/CEO of Guarantee Trust Bank Plc, Mr. Tayo Aderinokun, dedicated the Award to all stakeholders in the governance of Lagos State, including the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary as well as the State’s Public Service, saying everything that the Award is about happened only because these people and institutions made it happen.

Noting that Awards and Trophies are tokens of celebration and expression of appreciation for performance that the giver of the honour considers deserving, Governor Fashola declared, “I am aware that honour has been given in recognition of the work that our Government is doing. I am not the Government; I am probably the most visible face”.

“The Government is constituted by my colleagues in the Executive arm starting with the Deputy Governor, to the Commissioners and Special Advisers, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and others in the Legislative arm of Government, the Honourable Chief Judge and other Judges of the High Courts and Magistrates in the Judicial arm of Government. The Government is constituted by the Local Government Chairmen, Teachers, Doctors and Nurses, Policemen, officers of KAI and LASTMA, the men and women who sweep the streets of Lagos daily. All these people are the Government”, the Governor said.

Thanking the management of the Sun Newspaper for considering the State Government worthy of the Award, Governor Fashola said, “I expect that the Award and recognition increases the burden that you place on all of us. But I assure you that if it requires a 100 per cent effort to meet those expectations, we will gladly give it”.

He also congratulated the fellow awardee , Mr. Tayo Aderinokun, the Chief Executive Officer of Guarantee Trust Bank PLC for a well deserved recognition and honour and reiterated that the expectations of the Award givers and the people of Lagos would be met.

In his keynote address, former Senate President Senator Ken Nnamani wondered why in spite of the fact that the question of leadership was critical at the eve of the nation’s Independence, transformational leadership has eluded the country after 50 years of Independence..

According to the former Senate Leader, “The most important institutions to build and strengthen in Nigeria are those of vertical and horizontal accountability. These institutions include the Media, the legislature, the electoral management board, the anti-corruption agencies and the public procurement agencies.

He said Nigeria must rectify the ethical configuration of her electoral system before the 2011 elections in other to retain relevance in the world adding that the beginning of good electoral system is the building of political parties that respect the will of their members.

He ommended Governor Fashola for the great transformation in the State saying the Governor has become a salient reference point for the possibilities of transformation in public governance.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the Sun Newspapers, Mr. Tony Onyima, said the Award was a product of close monitoring of the governance across the States of the Federation to identify the strength and weaknesses of their institutional framework adding that the general objective was “to be able to reward those who, within the limits of our system are able to rise above the level of mediocrity and impacting positively in the lives of the people and the nation”.

”The uniqueness of the Sun Man of the Year Award is its emphasis in the goodness and objective accomplishment. As a global concept, the Man of the Year Award is conferred on those who, for good or for ill, have the most profound effect on life, situation or event under the year in question”, the Managing Director said, adding that the Award was conferred on Governor Fashola because he has “Defined Governance in Lagos State.“His performance in governance has been a yardstick for public officers in the country”, he said.

Good will messages were received from the Minister of Information and Communication, Professor Dora Akunyili, and representatives of the Governors of Edo Anambra and Rivers states.,

Also present at the Award, were the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Sarah Sosan, some members of the State Executive an Legislature, the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake and his Environment counterpart, Mr. Tunji Bello, Chieftains of the Action Congress, members of the National and State Assemblies, Local Government Chairmen, Captains of Industry and other top government functionaries.