We’re committed to fulfilling promises to Lagosians ― Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has assured Lagosians that his administration is committed to fulfilling all his promises despite disruption occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges that were not envisaged.

Governor Sanwo-Olu gave this assurance, on Monday, while speaking during the opening ceremony of the first Lagos State 2-day Ministerial Performance Review Retreat being held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium.

The Governor said fulfilling the promises in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda for ‘Greater Lagos’ would be delivered by his administration, despite the reduction in the budget as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, knowing full that no excuse would be tenable to the residents of the state.

The governor assured that the state government was determined to step up the tempo of governance through innovative and inclusive policies that were not only inclusive but provide sustainable solutions and lay the foundation for future administrations.

Sanwo-Olu said: “I want to assure you that despite disruption occasioned by COVID-19 and other challenges that we did not envisage, we are still committed as a government to fulfilling the promises we made to people knowing fully that no excuse will be tenable to our citizens.

“We must be determined to step forward, heighten the tempo of governance and continue to create opportunities through innovative policies that are not only inclusive but provide sustainable solutions for this present administration and lay the foundation for future administrations coming behind us,.”

The governor also implored members of the state executive council and other public office holders to be committed to the incumbent administration’s effort to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Lagosians, especially the electorate who elected him to govern the affairs of the state.

He emphasises that yardstick for performance assessment of the administration would not be based majorly on the amount of money expended or the budget but the outcome of its various interventions and their impact on “the lives of citizens that we swore to serve.”

“One of the promises we made at the inception of our administration and in line with the principle of continuity was to ensure the completion of projects that were inherited from the last administration. A significant part of our efforts and resources was devoted towards fulfilling this promise and taking the government to another level,” he said.

The deputy governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, in his address, enumerated all the government achievements in the last one year and four months in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration promised the people of the state.

Hamzat, who listed the agenda to include Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economic, Entertainment and Tourism, and Security and Governance, emphasized that the administration’s focus should be Lagosians, Lagosians and Lagosians as ultimately, they would define what the administration “do and grade us.”

“So, we are like in an examination now and examiners don’t have deep knowledge into the operations of how we actually do things but they only measure it by perception and of course by what they see.

“And as such, our job is to make sure that we set that perception right and then we give quality things in dimension; that at the end of the day, our integrity will be intact and then they can say the party has done very well and this government has done very well,” he said.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs Folashade Jaji, said the COVID -19 pandemic had adversely affected governments and institutions globally bringing in its wake, a new normal, adding that Lagos State, which is not left out, was the epicentre of cases in Nigeria for a long.

She, therefore, commended the State Incident Commander, Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, as well as the entire health sector family in Lagos State for the outstanding management of the pandemic, which was acknowledged statewide, nationally and internationally.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has affected not only the health sector but also the economic sector and how we work. Therefore, our trajectory for implementation of the THEMES agenda to achieve ‘A Greater Lagos’ is going to change as we operate within the new-normal to deliver the dividends of democracy to the good people of Lagos State.

“I believe in the capability of the executive council members, to prolifically deliver as political heads in our various MDAs and of course with the support of all others present for this retreat. I also believe that when objective feedback is given and taken in good faith, it can only lead to improved performance,” she counselled.

Also speaking, the Head of Service (HoS), Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, stressed the importance of a harmonious and effective working relationship between permanent secretaries who are accounting officers of ministries and the political heads who are members of the State Executive Council.

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“While the permanent secretary has overall responsibility for the day to day administration of the ministry as accounting officer and in addition to advising the commissioner on public service processes and procedures, it is critically important that the responsibility of the political head for the implementation of government policies is duly recognised and the right balance and conducive atmosphere for a cordial and productive working relationship is established,” he said.

Muri-Okunola, who disclosed that the core objective of the retreat is to conduct a forensic review of the present administration’s scorecard along the five pillars of our strategic development plans in the last one year, among others, pointed out that the main thrust of the present administration was to make the Lagos economy a 21st Century economy.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Sanwo-Olu committed to fulfilling promises