FASHOLA ENJOINS NIGERIANS TO TAKE UP RESPONSIBILITIES EVEN AS THEY AGITATE FOR RIGHTS
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday urged Nigerians to take up their responsibilities to the country with as much zest as they agitate for and pursue their rights saying it is only by so doing that the nation could witness more rapid development.
Governor Fashola, who spoke at the unveiling of bust and dedication of the newly constructed Park in Gbagada Phase 2 to the memory of prominent civil rights activist and lawyer, Chief Alao Aka-Bashorun, noted that if citizens pursue and undertake their Constitutional responsibilities with as much selfless and passionate commitment as they agitate and pursue their rights, the nation would be the better for it.
The Governor told the audience consisting of top Government functionaries such as members of the State Executive Council, retired and serving government officials as well as prominent residents of the estate, “I have heard a lot of talks about rights, human rights and all sorts of rights. But I have heard very little about responsibility”.
He asked, “How many of us agitate and pursue our responsibility with the same fervour as we pursue our rights?”, adding, “Those rights are in our Constitution, some of them set out in Section 24, about our duty to our country; our duty to its flag, to its anthem, our duty to declare our income honestly and pay our taxes”.
The Governor, who pledged that his administration would strive to create the necessary environment for people in Lagos to actualize their rights, declared, “As we ask very fervently for our rights let us also very dispassionately and selflessly take up our responsibilities”.
Governor Fashola explained that the greening policy of his administration took its origin from the promise he made to Lagosians on May 29, 2007, when he took the oath of office “to reclaim as many Parks as possible and clean them” adding that it was in furtherance of a responsibility that he bears always, “to protect life and property”.
Recalling that many did not understand the reason behind his commitment to the greening initiative as demonstrated by their initial antagonism towards it, the Governor declared, “The protection of life and property does not start and end with guns. It does not start and end with hospitals; it lies more profoundly in prevention, in wellbeing, in cleanliness, in sanitation and nothing can be healthier than a green environment”.
“When we started, many who did not understand what we were doing called us all sorts of names. But we were undaunted because it was clear that we were operating at a level higher than what they could understand at the time. But they have become converted; they are now loyal disciples”, the Governor said.
He expressed the hope that such people would move the frontier of the initiative beyond what his administration has done adding, “That is the burden of pioneering initiatives and if there is one initiative that I am happy to have pioneered, it is the greening of Lagos and by extension Nigeria”.
On the advantages that have accrued to the citizens through the policy, Governor Fashola said the process has created jobs for people pointing out that several thousands of people, including people who worked in the new Park, have benefitted through contracts for the construction of Parks and Gardens across the State, supply of seedlings, transportation of manure, contracts for the manufacture of interlocking blocks among other jobs.
“So, from an economy where nothing existed, we have created an economy that puts food on people’s tables. Of course you, more than me, know the benefits”, the Governor said adding that residents, both young and old, stand to benefit from the new environment.
Besides, the Governor said, the greening process will ensure healthier residents as “greening and tree planting have become the global standard for mitigating the effects of pollution”.
He cited the case of China where residents of Beijing wear face masks to protect them from industrial pollution adding that the Chinese have now embarked on massive tree planting across the city of Beijing as the only way to protect themselves from the effects of pollution.
The Governor however, added, “But, very proudly, I stand here to say that Lagos is ahead of Beijing in terms of tree planting. Today, we have restored, rebuilt and reclaimed a total of 180 parks and open spaces in Lagos from ground zero. Out of that number, 40 were put in place by private sector organizations who signed up to this initiative and many more. That is apart from over five million trees that we have planted in the State”.
He said the idea to dedicate the various parks to the memory of illustrious sons and daughters of the State stemmed from the desire of his administration “to immortalize the memory of the people who sacrificed for people like me to stand here and it is important to begin to write their stories even if they are no longer physically with us, so that when all of us are gone some people may ask who is this Aka-Bashorun and they would be educated”.
“This was how we started with MKO Abiola, with Beko Ransome-Kuti, to the likes of Professor Ayodele Awojobi, one of the most cerebral people the African Continent ever produced, so that people will learn and remember that this is a land of great men and women”, the Governor said adding that the Gani Fawehinmi Park has gone into the International Hall of Fame.
Governor Fashola paid glowing tribute to the Ministry of the Environment as personified by both past and serving officers of the Ministry including Mr. Tunji Bello, the serving Commissioner, and his immediate predecessor, Dr. Muiz Banire as well as the Special Adviser and “all those who have served in that Ministry and those who currently serve, those who have left and so on and so forth”, adding, “It has been for me a momentous privilege to meet such remarkable men and women”.
He assured Lagosians that the greening and tree planting policy would continue after him because, according to him, “the people of Lagos now believe, they know the value, they have been persuaded”, adding, “Apart from that, your elected representatives in the House of Assembly have helped me enormously. They have passed a bill to create an agency called the Lagos Parks and Gardens that has statutory mandate now for the maintenance and preservation of all of the green areas of Lagos”.
Enjoining Lagosians to abstain from cutting trees, the Governor advised, “I will implore you to acquaint yourselves more with the functions and duties of that agency, how you can prune trees in your neighbourhood. Trees can grow wild but if you call the agency they will send a team to come and prune them. Every time you cut down a tree, you diminish the quality of life. I appeal to you, don’t chop down trees, we can come and prune them for you”.
Thanking members of the Gbagada Phase 2 Residents Association for taking up their responsibilities in the estate, the Governor promised to ask the State’s Public Works Corporation to the Estate to resurface some of the roads in the area.
In his Goodwill message on behalf of the Residents, Sir Remi Omotosho, thanked the Governor and his administration for his efforts at greening the Lagos environment and by so doing prolonging the life of residents adding that the location where the Park now stands was once a dumpsite for toxic waste and hideout for hoodlums who made life uncomfortable for residents.
Pointing out that Lagos was changing both in outlook and lifestyle, Omotosho said his Association has, in appreciation of the efforts of the Government embarked on several projects to enhance the beauty of the Estate listing such projects to include the employment of street sweepers.
Also speaking on behalf of the Aka-Bashorun family, Mr. Segun Aka-Bashorun thanked the Governor for dedicating the Parks across the State to the memory of their father and patriarch and other heroes who have fought for the rights of the people.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, gave insight into of the origin of the Park pointing out that Government had to take over the location which was a subject of conflict between the Gbagada Phase 2 Residents Association and Mechanics.
Noting that the project was greatly challenged by the Mechanics resulting to the State Government being taken to court over land ownership, the Commissioner, however, expressed joy that the takeover and development of the Park has put an end to the tussle and stopped the abuse of the land as well as enhanced the aesthetics of the environment.
The Governor accompanied by widow of Aka-Bashorun and other members of the family, later unveiled the bust of the activist lawyer who was also a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association.
Among the dignitaries who attended the occasion were first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, members of the State Executive Council including Deputy Governor, Hon. (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule, Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola, Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaiye, widow of late Alao Aka-Bashorun, Alhaja Kudirat Aka-Bashorun, members of the Aka-Bashorun family and prominent members of the Gbagada Phase 2 Residents Association as well as other government functionaries.
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