Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat sworn-in as 16th Lagos Gov, Deputy for second term in office

IBRAHIM QUADRI

Despite the heavy downpours, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, on Monday, officially took the oath of office as the democratically elected 16th Governor and Deputy of the State, promising residents to expect a lot more from his administration in several areas.

Sanwo-Olu had in a landslide victory over his opponent Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was elected to the Office of Governor of Lagos State at the 2019 Lagos State gubernatorial election, held on March 9, 2019, and sworn in as the 15th Governor at TBS, Lagos Island.

Coincidentally, Sanwo-Olu emerged as the winner of the March 9, 2023 governorship election of Lagos State, defeating his closest rival of Labour Party, LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Olajide Adediran, as the third runner’s up.

Dignitaries on the occasion include the Head of Service, HoS, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, members of the outgoing state Executive Council, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly/House of Assembly-elect, led by Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, Chief Judges, led by Justice Kazeem Alogba, Chief Judge of Lagos, Local Governments and Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Chairmen.

All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftains, led by Chairman Lagos chapter, Cornelius Ojelabi of the body of Permanent Secretaries, Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu I, duly represented by Cjlhief Epeluabi of Lagos, White Cap Chiefs, religious leaders, members of diplomatic corps, among others.

After reviewing the guards of honour by Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Hamzat, accompanied by his wife Oluremi Hamzat, took an oath of office and was subsequently sworn in by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba at exactly 11:30 am.

The Governor subsequently, took his oath of office and was sworn in by Alogba at exactly 11.40 am.

At exactly 11.55 am, Sanwo-Olu delivered his second-term inaugural speech.

According to Samwo-Olu, “Four years ago on this day, I stood before you for the first time as Governor, to ask you to join me on the journey to a Greater Lagos.

“Four very eventful years have since passed, and here I am again, privileged beyond measure, to take a second and final oath of office as your Governor.

“Immense gratitude goes to the Almighty God, in whom we live and move and have our being. He alone deserves all the thanksgiving for sparing our lives to see this day, for making it a joyful day, and a day to celebrate the gains of the last four years. 

“Four years ago, we promised a better future for ourselves and our children. We did not think it would be easy, or effortless. In fact, we knew it would require a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and innovative thinking.

“There were also many things we did not expect or anticipate. Nobody could have foreseen that just ahead of us lay the most disruptive and devastating global health challenge of our lifetime. 

“Nobody anticipated how the ENDSARS protests, which started peacefully, would descend into the most destructive wave of violence Lagos has seen in almost 30 years. We lost tens of billions of Naira worth of public and private property.

“As we continue to write the story of Lagos, let us embrace this spirit of inclusiveness and harmonious coexistence, for it is this spirit that makes us truly ‘Eko’.

“Dear Lagosians, I can boldly say that we have had four fulfilling years. We have learnt a lot, we have made some mistakes, and we have also implemented many transformational policies and programs. 

“We assure you that the progress we have made will not be reversed. We will remain steadfast in our mission to make Lagos State a model of good governance, a beacon of hope and opportunity for all.  Our path is clear, and our resolve is unshakeable.

“As we venture into this second term, I want to assure you that the spirit of our endeavours remains unfaltering. We will continue to tackle our challenges head-on and celebrate our successes. We will harness the potential of our greatest resource – our people. 

“We stand on the threshold of a new era. An era that calls for us to evolve, to reimagine, and to forge ahead. Our vision for Lagos is one that sees no bounds.

“It is a vision of a city where dreams take flight, where every citizen is a part of our growth story, and where the global community looks towards us with respect and admiration.

“We will continue to build a Lagos that is not only a commercial nerve centre but also a hub for innovation, culture, and sustainable development. 

“A Lagos that is not defined merely by its physical boundaries, but by the indefatigable spirit of its people. A Lagos that stands tall among the communities of the world, respected for its commitment to progress, prosperity, and the well-being of its people.”

Earlier, the State Head of Service, HOS, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, commended residents for demonstrating a commitment to the sustenance of democratic culture, processes, ideals, norms and values irrespective of political leanings, tribal affiliation, religious persuasion, gender, language, sectional interests, socio-economic backgrounds and particularly the Covid-29 pandemic and #EndSARS saga.

He said the inauguration was in accordance with the provision of Section 180 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2010), which provides for the election of leaders every four years, noting that the day would remain indelible in the history of the State.

According to Muri-Okunola, “Kindly permit me to start this short welcome address by first thanking God Almighty, not only for making this day a reality but also for sparing our lives to participate in today’s momentous occasion. 

“I have the rare privilege to welcome you all to this inauguration ceremony of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu as Governor of Lagos State and Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as Deputy Governor for a second term of four-year tenure starting today, Monday, 29th May 2023 and ending by the midnight of Friday, 28th May 2027.

“This inauguration ceremony as a constitutional requirement stated in Section 180 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2010), signifies the fact that the State, as well as the country, is making tremendous progress in her sustained democratic journey which has been uninterrupted since 1999.

“Today, the world focuses on our beloved country, Nigeria, as our democracy is witnessing another seamless transition. In Lagos State, the electorate made a convincing statement for continuity with their votes during the Gubernatorial election held on the 18th of March 2023.

“As a result, the re-election of Mr Governor, Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Hamzat on the platform of the APC for a second term is a clear testimony of the numerous unprecedented achievements made by Sanwo-Olu’s led administration through the T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.

“In spite of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, where Lagos was the epicentre and the wanton destruction occasioned by the EndSARS struggle in 2020, Sanwo-Olu as the Incident Commander showed exemplary leadership, courage, bravery, tenacity and pragmatism which were largely responsible for the successful surmounting of the attendant challenges especially the process of recovery and rebuilding, and at the same time, was able to deliver in no small measure the dividends of democracy to the citizens in the last four years.

“The success recorded at the polls showed that these rare qualities displayed by Mr Governor did not go unnoticed by appreciative Lagosians.

“Without any iota of doubt, Lagosians were resolute and steadfast in their conviction to re-elect a visionary and focused leader whose exemplary performances.

“On behalf of the good people of Lagos State and the over 149,000 Public Servants who will be provided with the needed support for the effective and efficient implementation of your administration’s policies and programmes, I congratulate both the Governor-elect, Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor-elect, Hamzat on their re-election and wish them a more successful and memorable second term tenure.