Remarks Delivered At The Swearing In Of New Members Of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, Public Procurement Agency, Audit Service Commission And The Director General Of Lagos State Safety Commission Held On Monday 19th June 2017

We have all witnessed the swearing in of members of four important agencies in compliance with relevant laws under which they were established. It is my pleasure to congratulate you all on your appointments which were strictly informed by your track record of achievements, integrity and credibility.

Your appointment is a call to public service and I am very confident that you will justify the trust the government has reposed in your ability and capacity to add value to the corporate governance, growth and development of the State.

Let me also add that your appointment is an invitation and a privilege to be part of history as we lay a solid foundation for the future of Lagos, a Lagos that our children and their children will enjoy for many years to come.

The appointment of Professor Gabriel Olatunde Babawale and Dr. Noah Olanrewaju Lawal-Jinadu to the Board of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) was necessitated by the exit of two members of LASIEC who had completed their second tenure. Beyond filling the two vacancies, this appointment became compelling in order to satisfy the provision of the law setting up the Commission which requires that the Board of the Commission shall be constituted by the Chairman and six members. With this appointment therefore, LASIEC is properly constituted to conduct the forthcoming Local Government elections in the State.

Let me use this opportunity to commend the Chairman and members of the Commission for all the actions that have been taken so far to ensure free, fair and credible elections come July 22nd, 2017.

The Public Procurement Agency and Audit Service Commission are two key agencies established mainly to ensure transparency and accountability in the procurement process as well as the management and application of public resources. These have been the guiding principles of this administration in the past two years.

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The coming on board of  Mr. Bolaji Miftah Are, Mrs. Iyabo Elizabeth Ladipo and Mr. Ayo Adebusoye at the Public Procurement Agency as well as Mrs. Jokotola Ojosipe-Ogundimu at the Audit Service Commission will further deepen the application of these principles to ensure that the tax paying public get full value for their money. I charge you to ensure strict application of relevant rules and never to hesitate in applying appropriate sanctions when necessary.

The safety of all Lagosians is paramount to this administration. We are committed to ensure full compliance with safety rules as well as quick response to emergencies in any part of the State. We will continue to ensure that all safety agencies in the State are adequately equipped both in terms of state-of-the-art equipment and well trained manpower.

I charge the newly sworn-in Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission to show leadership and deliver on the mandate of the Commission to prepare and adequately handle emergency situations. We should work hard at preventing emergency situations through continuous public education and enlightenment as well as enforcement of safety precautions and rules.

Once again, I congratulate you all and wish you best of luck in your assignment.

I thank you all