Eradicating poverty major essence of governance ― Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on Monday said the essence of government in any country or state is to eradicate poverty and introduce strategies that would aid business activities, adding that it was incumbent on anyone at the helm of affairs to ensure that government policies were in favour of a larger percentage of the citizens.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said this while addressing the Alumni Association of the 3^rd Regular Course at Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) led by former Senate President, David Mark, who paid him a courtesy visit at the State House, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

According to the governor, this obligation is one of the real dividends of democracy, adding that, “The real essence of governance is to take people out of poverty and create an avenue for businesses to thrive, that is what government is all about.”

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Sanwo-Olu, while assuring that his administration would continuously tow this line, said that it would focus on poverty eradication and provide an avenue that would assist businesses to thrive in Lagos.

“So for me, I have decided to always ensure the greatest good is for the greatest number of people; that is the real dividend of democracy. We will ensure that in Lagos always,” the governor said.

“Lagos has been so many things to several people and we will ensure that to bake the state so that it becomes the melting point for all, that it becomes a home for all and a place that everyone can feel happy to have contributed their quota to its development,” he added.

Sanwo-Olu, who commended the effort of the statesmen to eradicate poverty across the country through the Alumni, stated that giving back to the society was crucial to the development of any state.

“Your effort is bringing succor to those that really need it. That further indicates that the foundation that you helped built several years ago, you have continued to ensure its survival. We thank God for you for believing in the narrative called Nigeria.

“Nigeria will continue to remember all of you for the good things that you have done for the development of this country. Your action has afforded us the reason to reflect and think of what peoples will say after we leave the public stage,” the governor said.

Earlier, Mark, who led other members, including former Administrator of Lagos, Brig-General Raji Rasaki (retd); Tunji Olurin, and others, stressed that the alumni had embraced assisting widows and indigent children across the country.

“Once you develop individual, one is developing the nation. We help to develop the widows and children of military personnel and the public as well. We do this in terms of providing for them as much as we can,” the former Senate president said.