Speeches

1400th Day In Office

Mar 29, 2011 - Dear Lagosians, since the first 100 days after you elected me as your Governor, I promised you that I will use the occasion of every subsequent One Hundred (100) days to bring your Government closer to you by rendering account of our stewardship to you every One Hundred (100) days.

I am proud to say that this is yet another of the many promises that your Government has made, which she has kept.

Today represents the 1400th day that I have had the privilege to serve you and this is the 14th of these events and of course the last in this term of our service.

I expect of course that you will all go out there starting from this Saturday the 2nd April, 2011 right through to the 16th April 2011 to re-elect me and other flag bearers of our Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria back into office to consolidate the progress, gains and transformation of the last 1,400 days.

The faces of all of you that I see here represent the inclusiveness and participatory nature of our Government and democracy in Lagos. The transformation that has won our State honours and recognition within and outside Nigeria has been delivered by that participation and inclusiveness which has allowed everybody to contribute to the development of our common wealth.

You have been the pillars of the successes of our State. You have lived together peacefully, respecting each other's diversity and this has made it possible for your Government to deploy the inherent advantages of that diversity to propel our State towards prosperity through the various policies and programmes that have touched many million lives in a most rewarding way.

In the last One Hundred (100) days, we have signed the Appropriation Law for 2011 to give effect to the budget that will consolidate the gains we have made, and we have set about the implementation of that budget in our usual methodical and efficient manner to bring forth its impactful benefits.

During the last One Hundred (100) days, whilst still canvassing for votes, your Government has been busy across the State and across all sectors, delivering projects that continue to improve the quality of life.

In Mushin, we handed over the 17th Skill Acquisition Centre built in the State to provide skill development, technical education and self employment opportunities to our youth.

In Owode-Elede, we opened a facility that comprises of a school and clinic for physically challenged children, and in Ifako Ijaiye, Ikorodu and Badore we commissioned there (3) new Mini Water Works with a capacity for two (2) Million Gallons of water daily each, to service at least five hundred (500) homes in these areas.

In Epe, Oshodi and Somolu, we have undertaken medical missions in the last 100 days to bring healthcare services closer to thousands of citizens without a charge. This is clear evidence of your taxes being put to work for you.

On Monday, the 14th of March, 2011 we engaged 507 University graduates of the basic courses of English, Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry who had undergone our special innovative conversion course to give them teaching skills.

They have all been deployed to our public schools to run special extension classes for our children preparing for their final school leaving examinations in order to assist them improve their performance and grades.

In Ibeju-Lekki and Eti-Osa, we handed over 2 (two) new blocks of classrooms for students which now provide a more conducive learning environment with libraries and laboratories. Our partnership for support with the private sector has also delivered another new school in Dolphin/Ijeh area of Lagos, built by Mobil Oil.

As proof of our commitment to serve you every day that we remain in Office, on Sunday the 27th of March, I was at the Falomo Bridge to flag off the deployment of the innovative technology deployed for the construction of the ramp from Ozumba Mbadiwe Road right on to the Falomo Bridge which will solve the congestion of traffic at the Nigerian Law School intersection.

As I speak, the Igbo-Elerin road has been completed and open to traffic, while progress is being made on the road works in Idimu, Egbeda, Igando and Ipaja areas of Lagos, as well as the Lagos Badagry Expressway, the Eti-Osa, Lekki-Epe Expressway, the Lagos Light Rail Project where the construction of the pillars, and the first stations at Orile, Alaba, Mile 2 are currently being constructed.

We have improved our capacity for road maintenance as more roads are daily being rehabilitated and repaired as we simply get better day after day.

During the last One Hundred (100) days, we restored hope to the middle class settlement of Adeniran Ogunsanya with a new road, and a rejuvenated shopping centre, as we are also about to complete and handover Ogunlana Drive, while work is going on in Akerele, and Bode Thomas.

Our road works along Fashoro and Mba Street, in parts of Idi-Araba and Mushin, such as Akauro are making progress even as we are working in places like Imam Shuaibu in Ijesha Tedo and work is progressing in Agiliti, Agege and other parts of Lagos.

During the period, our State water transportation received a boost of four (4) new ferries which will operate from Ikorodu to Ebute-Ero in seventeen (17) minutes, as an addition to the existing six (6), and we expect to deliver more ferries as we progress.

During the last One Hundred (100) days we formally launched the completed Lagos Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that gives us enormous capacity in land administration, urban and town planning and so many other opportunities.

This project has captured in photographic form, every building that exists in our State, every inch of land that exists in our State and also the length and depth of all our entire waterways. It is perhaps, the most defining investment we have made on your behalf.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this is at best a summary of the progress that our State has made in the last One Hundred (100) days.

While it is commendable, we must be vigilant to ensure that it is sustainable and that our State does not fall into the hands of political jobbers who have no record of accomplishment and seek to experiment with our common patrimony.

Our votes therefore remain the safest weapons to protect and preserve our common patrimony, from the forces of poverty merchants, who purvey destruction at every station they have been unfortunately trusted with public office.

That plague of poverty, destruction and depletion must never be visited on our State, the Centre of Excellence.

I urge you all to go out and vote for the Action Congress of Nigeria; and to protect your votes.

Before I conclude, let me express my profound gratitude to all Lagosians, to all members of our Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria and especially to our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the architect of this transformation. It is perhaps a fitting coincidence that this 1400th day event also falls on his birthday.

I also wish all our flag bearers in the forthcoming General elections a very successful and rewarding experience.

Personally, as I offer myself for further service, I thank you profoundly for the honour you have done me by giving me the opportunity to serve Lagos and my country. It is the greatest honour any country can bestow on a citizen.

Thank you for listening.

Eko o ni baje o!

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State