Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has said governing the state is not an easy task, as he has lost weight in just one week of assuming office.
Sanwo-Olu spoke with State House correspondents after a private meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, shortly after the expanded Security Council meeting on Friday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, governing Lagos is not a tea party, as the experience and challenges are real.
“It is not a tea party; you don’t sleep and wake up and the traffic has gone down; you don’t sleep and wake up and there is no rain or that you have resolved Apapa gridlock. It’s real.
“So, it is something that one has psychologically prepared for; the best thing you can do is to make sure that you are not about looking for what the other person did.
“It is for Lagosians to see you do what you promised to do for them. And if you don’t do it from your office; you have to do it on the road. You have to do it where the issues are so that people will truly know that you mean business,” he said.
“In one week, I will say that I have lost weight; I will probably still lose a bit more, but I think it is worth the job.
“It is also important to ensure that you have the right team; people that will also support you; so, when as a leader you can show that leadership support, then the message itself trickles down and trickles very well,” he said.
He said that clearing of the Apapa gridlock was work in progress, as efforts were being made to solve the problem.
Sanwo-Olu said that the concern of his government was to ensure that, what was done concerning the gridlock was sustained as sustainability was critical.
He further said that his administration was engaging all the stakeholders in the conversation around port utility, Shippers’ Council, shipping lines and Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and others, to achieve a sustained resolution.
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On security in Lagos State, the governor said it was something he attached much importance.
He said that security was everybody’s business but as a governor, he had a major responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Lagosians.
“So, it is a work in progress and for me in particular, it is something that I take so seriously. We are not just mouthing it; we will ensure that we put resources and strategies that can help in place,
“We have been talking about domesticating; the security trust fund that we have done is part of the initiative. We will continue to engage and identify what are the sources; what are the underlying issues that bring about insecurity.
“Are they economic or more than that? So, we can also attack the root cause. For us, as a government that is looking for investors. We certainly must continue to be in a position where we can give confidence to all our investors that Lagos State is a haven to come,’’ he said.
He said that the Security Council meeting was paramount and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for convening it.
