Dinner Held On The 3rd Anniversary Of The Admninstration Of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN

Speeches

May 29, 2010 - After having addressed a press conference this morning, I believe that we should do more of what this dinner was intended for, which is to dine and wine in a celebratory mood as is deserving of a people who truly have cause to celebrate.

In doing so therefore, we should talk less and celebrate more tonight, of course with restraint and self consciousness that a lot of work remains to be done.

According to one of Ebenezer Obey's famours lyrics, "omo to ba sise dede, o ye ko ni asiko igbadun…" I therefore will not make any long speech.

I will only address the need for us on this type of occasion to remember those in distress, who are ill, who are under privileged and who are in need and this is the only subject of my address.

When our administration set out, we put a very high premium in time management, set serious schedules of deadlines for prompt attendance of meetings and compliance among members of the Executive Council, body of Permanent Secretaries, Directors and other levels of public service, we agreed to pay fines for lateness or failure to meet deadlines because we took our jobs seriously and placed a high premium on the value of the resources of our employers, the tax payers.

These meetings held over the last 3 years, in the Executive Council, at Departmental meetings of finance, physical planning, lands, housing and others have generated a total sum of N679,500.00 (Six Hundred and Seventy Nine Thousand, Five Hundred Naira Only).

I must confess that my immunity has not availed me here, because I paid on occasion, when I arrived later to chair some of those meetings.

Although the Attorney General had cause to comically remark that these monies were proceeds of our crimes, the entire boyd of members of the Executive Council see them as proceeds of our commitment to serve.

We resolved to use them for lawful purposes with unanimous resolution of the Executive Council to donate them to the following Charities:

a. Bethlem Charity & Orphanage
17, Ozumba Street
Off Pako Bus-Stop
Igando

N144, 875.00

b. Missionaries of Charity
Mother Theresa
117, Demorin Street
Ketu
Lagos

N144, 875.00

c. Bab Salam
Joel Ogunaike Street
Ikeja
Lagos

N144, 875.00

d. Children's Development Centre
31, Modupe Johnson Crescent
Off Adeniran Ogunsanya Street
Surulere.

N144, 875.00

e. Motherless Babies Home
Lekki

N100,000.00

I thank my colleagues for their public spirited gesture even as I hope that in the pursuit of our commitment to serve Lagos better, we will be more complaint with deadlines, pay less fines and provide more opportunities for the under privileged,

Furthermore, on the advice of Committee on the Prerogative of Mercies and the recommendation of the Honourable Attorney General, I have approved the appeals for clemency and granted pardon, with directives for the release of the following convicted prisoners, all of who are now over 50 (fifty) years of age and who have served a minimum of 20 years of their various life terms.

The prisoners are:

a. Latifu Alabi; - 60 years

b. Sunday Oladapo; - 58 years

c. Sunkomi Alao; - 55 years

d. Idowu Salami; - 50 years

e. Olushola Adewoyen; - 52 years; and

f. Musibau Lasisi - 51 years

May they go and sin no more!

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I wish us all a very happy anniversary and best wishes for the future.

Thank you for listening.

Eko o ni baje o!

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State