Fashola: No Peace, No Development

Oct 2, 2011 – Lagos State Governor, Mr. Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday called for collective efforts to fast track the nation’s development.

He said development is only attainable in a peaceful environment where all hands are on deck.

Fashola spoke during a colourful celebration of the nation’s 51st Independence anniversary at the Open field of Police College Ikeja.

Thousands of school children, immaculate in their voluntary club uniforms, defiled heavy downpours that lasted for hours to put up a beautiful parade.

The Governor noted that the nation’s advancement towards progress and prosperity are being hindered by many challenges.

According to him, “there was an election that we had to deal with and about which the overwhelming majority of us were united in our desire to ensure that it was free and fair.

‘’There was a shuttering economy that we had to revive to make it more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the greatest number of our people.’’

He, however said: ‘’It is important to also say that we must earn it by working hard probably more than we have ever done before.

‘’We must aspire to those better days which lie ahead of us by exercising greatest restrain that we can muster when things are not going the way we expect.”

He explained that while poverty, unemployment and hunger are intolerable in a country so richly endowed, “the truth remains that we have had one strike too many for there to be a consistent period of expected productive change”.

He assured that his administration would continue to aggressively pursue policies that will lighten people’s burden (The Nation).