Making Lagos work for all is a 24-hour job. It requires selfless service, hard work, dedication and an uncompromising focus on the improvement of lives of all Lagosians. At the inception of this administration, our vision was to build a clean, safe and prosperous State guided by the rule of Law; a globally competitive smart City.
As simple as it sounds, this is a tough task but I am happy to state here that the job has been made uncomplicated because we have the best team working together to achieve this vision. Today, we are delighted to welcome on board the newly sworn-in members of the State Executive Council.
You are joining a winning team of committed professionals and politicians who have been working round the clock for the past 32 months to make Lagos functional, efficient and a haven for business, tourism, entertainment and sports.
This is not to say that we have arrived at our desired destination. There is still a lot of work to be done in order to achieve the desired vision of Lagos we all want to see, live and work in.
Moving our State forward on the path of sustainable growth requires regular stock taking and injection of new ideas to reinvigorate and reenergize government machinery. This is the thinking behind the appointment of the new members of the State Executive Council whom we have just sworn in today.
The Executive Council of which you are now members, is the highest policy making body of the State which is also charged with the responsibility of implementing government programmes through the various MDAs. It is my expectation that you will bring to bear, your knowledge, expertise and experience, on the mandate of the Ministries to which you have been assigned and the overall vision of this administration.
One of the approaches of our administration has been to infuse Innovation and creativity into governance. Given the cosmopolitan nature of our State and the peculiar challenges of a mega city, we cannot afford to rely on the status quo approach to providing solution to new and emerging issues. We must therefore, as a matter of necessity, adopt new methods to achieve greater efficiency and increased productivity.
You must also keep in mind that the greatest asset of this administration is the goodwill of the people which cuts across all segments of the society. We are committed to sustaining this goodwill by upholding our policy of inclusion and implementing programmes and projects that will positively and directly impact on the livelihood of all our people.
As you settle down to your new assignments, I demand nothing but the best from you. Your immediate task as you hit the ground running is to quickly bring yourself up to speed with the mandate of your MDA and key into the immediate priority for this year which is the completion of all ongoing projects. This however does not preclude the initiation of new projects that are considered highly essential and critical to the general well-being of our people.
I congratulate you all on your new appointment. I also want to use this opportunity to thank the former members of the State Executive Council for their dedicated service and contribution to the achievements so far recorded by this administration.
This occasion would not have become a reality without the support and cooperation of the State House of Assembly. I therefore thank the leadership and members of the House for ensuring due diligence and speedy confirmation process for the members of the Cabinet.
Once again, I congratulate you all on your appointment and look forward to working with you for the growth, progress and prosperity of Lagos.
Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko, lo je wa logun!
Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode,
Governor of Lagos State,
Alausa.