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FASHOLA DEDICATES STEPHEN J. SOLARZ AWARD TO TEAM WORK
· As Founder of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, commends the former Lagos State Governor for good governance
· “It’s for commitment to resolving social, economic and security challenges in the world’s most challenging urban environments”, says ICG
Immediate past Governor of Lagos State and Minister Designate, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola SAN, in faraway New York, dedicated the honour of
the prestigious annual Stephen J. Solarz Award presented to him by the
International Crisis Group (ICG) to team work saying he was only
privileged to be head of a dedicated team of men and women who devoted
their lives to a chosen cause.
Fashola, who becomes the seventh recipient worldwide, got the award
during the 2oth Anniversary Dinner Award of the global conflict
resolution organization in New York “for commitment to resolving
social, economic and security challenges” in Lagos, considered by the
world body as “one of the world’s most challenging urban
environments.”
In his short remark after receiving the award presented on behalf of
ICG by founder of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Dr Mo Ibrahim, Mr. Fashola
insisted that what happened in the eight years he governed Lagos State
happened only because he was privileged to lead “a team of dedicated
men and women who devoted their lives to the same cause”.
While thanking the organization for the honour of the award, Fashola
noted, “When you talked of Ebola, when you talked of security, it was
the health workers and the Police who did the work and as leader of
the team, I was only blessed with the men and women who really were
ready to serve in the place we call home”.
The Minister Designate, who said he would have brought the whole team
to New York for the award if it were possible, added, “For me it is an
honour and it is on their behalf that I accept this award. Let me say
that such honour will continue to inspire us to make our State and our
country a better place to live for our people”.
Describing himself as lucky to be blessed with such a team, Fashola
declared, “In all our life’s journey we encounter, we meet people who
lend a hand, we meet people who inspire, we meet people who support
and all of the things that happened throughout the eight years I
served as Governor of Lagos State did not happen because of me”.
He congratulated the International Crisis Group for the work it has
been doing in the past two decades which he described as remarkable
and also thanked the Group for the honour accorded him in presenting
the award adding that the works of Stephen J. Solarz in whose memory
he was receiving the honour has continued to inspire good leadership
especially across Africa.
Fashola, who expressed his delight to have received the award from Mo
Ibrahim who he described as “my brother”, praised the Founder of Mo
Ibrahim Foundation for his commitment to the development of good
governance and the eradication of poverty in the Continent of Africa.
Earlier in his remarks before presenting the prestigious award, Mo
Ibrahim described former Governor Fashola as “a wonderful man” who,
for eight years, exhibited good governance in Nigeria, “a country
which suffered for many years from bad governance”.
According to Mo Ibrahim, the former Governor came and gave a new face
of governance to Nigeria and showed in his eight years in office that
he understood what he was sent to do, which according to him, “is to
deliver service to the people”.
Pointing out some of the remarkable landmarks of service by the former
Governor and his team, Mo Ibrahim declared, “For instance, before he
came into office, transport from the airport to the city was a
nightmare. But when he came he did a wonderful job and things began to
move”.
He recalled that before Fashola came into governance security was a
major challenge in in the country and the State with the Police in bad
shape due to lack of institutional support adding that with the coming
of the Governor, a new initiative was introduced into security
management whereby he invited the private sector and other major
stakeholders to support.
According to him, the police were equipped with vehicles decent
uniforms and other security gadgets and equipment and Lagos became
safe again through the initiative adding that the former Lagos State
Helmsman also did the same in the Education and Health sectors.
He recalled that in the area of Education, which according to him is a
major challenge in Africa, Fashola invited the Private Sector and they
supported in building new schools and equipping them with modern
learning aids adding that in the area of Health his most prominent
Achievement was the eradication of Ebola.
“I can keep going on and on about all his achievements but the
important thing here is that all these happened in Nigeria where
governance was a major issue. That is why I am happy today to offer
this award to a man who has provided good governance in Nigeria”, he
said.
The International Crisis Group is an independent, non-profit,
non-governmental organisation committed to preventing and resolving
deadly conflicts across the globe with Mission and Method which
include Field Work, Analysis and Advocacy in crisis locations based on
seriousness of a situation, value to international understanding and
response, availability of fund and safety of operation.
Former Governor Fashola was accompanied to the high profile event by
several prominent members of the Class of 2011 – 2015 of the Lagos
State Executive Council including former Commissioner for Economic
Planning and Budget, Mr. Ben Akabueze, his Works and Infrastructure,
Finance and Commerce and Industry counterparts, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat,
Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi and Mrs. Olusola Oworu respectively.
Also in the entourage were former Special Adviser on Public Health,
Dr. Yewande Adeshina, and former General Manager of the Lagos State
Pensions Commission, Mr. Kunle Hussien, as well as a Chieftain of the
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Pastor Akintola Daramola,
among others.
And present at the impressive ceremony were Nigerian members of the
Board of Trustees of ICG including the Vice Chairman and prominent
legal practitioner, Mr. Ayo Obe and Founder of Fate Foundation, Mr.
Fola Adeola, President & CEO of ICG, Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno, fellow
honorees including President Emeritus of the Group and former Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Mr. Gareth Evans, who received the
Founder’s Award and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Ms
Emma Bonino as well as Founder of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Dr. Mo
Ibrahim, who presented the Stephen J. Solarz Award on behalf ICG to
