The Lagos State governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has received the Award of Excellence in Corporate Governance (Individual Category) from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) after beating four other nominees to emerge victoriously.
Speaking after accepting the award on behalf of Governor Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat urged Nigerians to avoid anger and violence rather than engage constructively to find sustainable solutions to the myriad of challenges facing the country.
The Deputy Governor stated that, as citizens, we are very harsh with ourselves and don’t seem to celebrate our achievements but very hasty to criticise our errors as many still believe that we are in the colonial era, where being against the government makes one a hero.
The deputy governor said “One of the things I have seen as a citizen, is that we are very harsh with ourselves as a people and we don’t seem to celebrate our achievements but we are very vigorous in criticising our errors. We still believe that we are in the colonial era where, when you are against the government, you are a hero because of the foreigners”.
“But it is high time for us to change that mentality. We must rescue ourselves from this mentality. Instead of fighting, we can engage constructively. We should look for how to solve problems not how to create them. It is a tough time to be in government, particularly in a country like ours. At this period in time, we live in an angry society”, he stated.
Hamzat explains that anger is never the best strategy for finding solutions to problems because it only adds to them.
The Deputy Governor thanked the Institute for honouring Governor Sanwo-Olu with the award, saying it was pleasing to note that in the face of all the challenges in the country, an institute is still reviewing the details and proposing ways to encourage technocrats.
Earlier in his speech, the President/Chairman of the Council of the Institute, Mr Taiwo Gbenga Owookalade, lauded the Governor for the quality of his leadership and the harmony that reigned within his team.
Read Also
30 Lagos domestic workers awarded for hard work
Emmy award nominations 2021 (full list)
According to him, the governor comes out on top in almost every metric used to evaluate nominees including two second-term governors in the country.
While affirming that the state government has been very successful in delivering developmental projects and providing the benefits of democracy, he urged the government to continue its tradition of excellence and good governance.
Mr Owookalade said the institute is well known as a leading voice in corporate governance, doing its best to improve governance domestically and internationally.
