2008 Budget Speech - Protocols

The Great Leap Budget

The Y2008 Budget Presentation To The Lagos State House Of Assembly By The Governor Of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) On Monday, December 17, 2007.

Dec 17, 2007 - Mr. Speaker, Honorable members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, we will recall how, over three months ago, several governments across the country celebrated their first 100 days in office with pomp and fanfare. In Lagos State we deliberately decided to be different.   Our commemoration of the day was low-keyed.  This was because of our perception that the 100 days tradition across the world, not just in Nigeria, had become more of publicity hype without much substance. We were of the view that the first 100 days of any Administration ought to be a crucial period of planning and laying a firm foundation for enduring achievements.

At the same time, however, we resolved to take the 100 days concept to a new and more concrete level by giving an account of our stewardship on all subsequent 100 days till the end of our tenure. This is why this presentation of the first full budget of our Administration christened, “The Great Leap Budget”, was planned to coincide with our first 200 days in office, which fell on Saturday, December 15th, 2007. I am, therefore, addressing this august Assembly this morning on our 202nd day in office and will report on how we have utilized the opportunity of our mandate to deliver democracy dividends to the wonderful people of Lagos State since our assumption of office. This is a practice we will maintain when we are 300 days, 400 days, 500 days and so on in office till May 29th, 2011 by the grace of Almighty God.   

Mr. Speaker, Honorable members, when I woke up this morning, I repeated a practice that has become a regular habit for me since my assumption of office on May 29th this year; it is a habit I recommend to every member of this government. I checked my calendar to calculate exactly how many hours we have spent in office since we were sworn in 202 days ago. As of today we have expended 4,848 hours out of the total of 34,560 hours we have to spend in office between May 29 this year and May 29th, 2011, when our first term mandate will end. This means that we have just 29,712 hours of our first term left to deliver on our mandate, positively transform our state and leave indelible imprints of achievement on the sands of time.

I make this point because time is the most critical resource necessary for the development of any individual, group or country. This is why we are wisely admonished to count our days that we might apply our years unto wisdom. The use of time more often than not makes the difference between success and failure; between realized achievement and unfulfilled potential. The effective implementation of the budget we are presenting today will depend significantly on the productive investment of every minute of our time to achieve set goals and objectives. My training and practice experience as a lawyer has taught me to always place maximum premium on the efficient and effective use of time. The effective performance of a counsel in court to the advantage of the client is a function largely of the productive investment of time outside the court. This is also the case in all other spheres of life, including governance.

My appreciation of the value of time has been considerably enhanced ever since the April 14th governorship election that ushered us into office. I can never forget the men, women and youths who turned out in their thousands to exercise their mandate and vote us into office. They defied great odds. They withstood the sun and weathered the rains. They refused to be intimidated and were not deterred by threats. I was particularly touched by the elderly men and women who patiently waited for several hours to cast their vote. Our people reposed so much trust in us. They invested so much faith in our capacity. They demonstrated so much confidence in our integrity. They took the bold risk of committing their future into our hands. We have no choice but to ensure that the good people of Lagos State abundantly reap the rewards of their investment in us; in our party; in democracy. To whom much is given, much is certainly and justifiably expected; we must never forget this.

Mr. Speaker; Honorable members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I will shortly present to you details of our plans, programs and proposed expenditure for Y2008. In the course of my speech, I will emphasize the need for individuals and corporate groups in Lagos State to pay their taxes and rates. I will renew my call on individuals and members of the private sector to partner with government by investing in the provision of public infrastructure as an essential ingredient of participatory democracy. But then, are we a government worth partnering with? Are we capable of ensuring that tax payers get commensurate value for performing their civic responsibility as citizens of Lagos State?

I can confidently say that we have in the last 202 days demonstrated the clarity of our vision and the precision of our goals. We have shown clearly that we are focused. We have been purposeful, systematic and methodical in our approach to governance. The fruits of our efforts so far are evident for all to see as I will proceed to illustrate.

I must at this juncture, however, express my profound gratitude to the leadership and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for sharing our vision and passion. The timely but diligent and thorough consideration and passage of the Y2007 supplementary budget of N35.9 billion at the inception of this Administration has been the bedrock of all we have been able to achieve in the last six months. The supplementary budget enabled us not only to continue on-going projects inherited from the immediate past Administration but to also immediately commence fresh initiatives to reflect new priorities. 

Just as morning shows the day, our vigorous and disciplined implementation of the supplementary budget is an indication of the rigorous pace we are determined to maintain throughout our tenure.  I can assure the good people of Lagos state that we have no intention of slowing down; rather we will accelerate the tempo of our work in coming months. Let me also acknowledge the immense contribution of my immediate predecessor, the illustrious Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Governor Mentor, in laying a solid foundation over the last eight years on which it is our privilege to build in elevating Lagos State to the next level of excellence.

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