Mansur Oladunjoye
1 October 2008
Lagos — Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has called on Nigerians to face the future with optimism and not cynicism, saying the experience of the past nine years of democratic governance should give hope of tomorrow's successes.
In his Independence Day address to Lagosians, Governor Fashola said:
"Many will be tempted to focus on our failures and to lament our national deficiencies; they will compare our accomplishment to our potentials and conclude that we could have done better. But let us see the cup as half full rather than half empty", adding that it would be more beneficial to choose a more positive attitude in our assessment of the country.
He suggested that adopting a positive attitude would enable "the country to count its blessings and assess our strengths so we can have the courage and will to turn yesterday's short comings into tomorrow's successes."
Citing the experiences of some countries around the world where elections degenerated into mindless violence and virtual civil wars, where religion has been the unfortunate fountain of endless conflict and bloodshed, Fashola declared, "We have for the last nine years sustained the longest democratic experience in Nigeria's history despite the lapses of our political system", adding "At least the rule of law prevails here and Nigerian judiciary has again and again demonstrated its capacity to defend the freedom and rights of the individual.
"This is why we must face the future with courage and optimism", he said pointing out that most of the nation's pressing problems have come to the fore now because the rule of law and a more democratic climate has encouraged the open expression of grievances.
He said Nigerians must continue to build on the present achievements by strengthening democratic constitutions and processes and the rule of law pointing out that the present problems of power supply, management of our oil wealth, the economy, decaying infrastructure, unemployment and other challenges confronting the nation today were all there before June 1993 but got eclipsed by aftermath of the June 12, 1993 political debacle.
"Today we are not as distracted on the scale that we were about those issues. Today, if the truth must be told, and indeed it must, the polity is much calmer and I am convinced that this has now enabled us focus better on power, roads, security, the economy and so much more. This is as it should be and I believe that if we stay the course the solutions are within reach", the Governor said.
Governor Fashola recalled that Nigeria 's rating in the global corruption scale has improved in the last nine years adding, "We are definitely making progress. Yes, there is no excuse for the large scale misapplication and misappropriation of our resources that we experienced in the past."
On the nation's hope of being among the top 20 global economies by Year 2020, Governor Fashola said there was so much Nigerians could still do in the next 12 years to transform the nation's fortunes adding, "We can invest massively in Education at all levels to provide the pool of knowledge, skills and ideas to create opportunities out of our challenges"
"We can fast track the power sector reforms to accelerate national economic growth through uninterrupted power supply. We can rehabilitate and reconstruct the two or three most critical highways in each region within a stipulated time frame. We can give ourselves a deadline to put in place a mass transit light rail transit supply across the country. We can unleash the power of micro-finance on an unprecedented scale to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty", the Governor said adding that the only thing required was to do a few basic things that would unchain the potentials inherent in the people to enable them make a leap forward.
He called for the deepening of Federalism and restoration of greater autonomy and initiative to the states adding that this would facilitate the developmental competitiveness that drives progress in dynamic and versatile federal system.
Wishing all Nigerians a happy and fulfilling Independence Day Anniversary, Governor Fashola urged Nigerians never to underestimate the immense advantages geographical configuration and population size has bestowed on the nation. He declared: "After 48 years of co-existence, there is simply no viable alternative to one stable and indivisible Nigeria , united in our mutually enriching diversity, "adding that in Lagos State , his administration would continue" to be at the vanguard of the Nigerian renaissance by aiming in all our endeavours to meet the highest global standards."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
