Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged Nigerians to summon the courage, energy and political will to address problems confronting the country.
Sanwo-Olu noted that many of the country’s challenges, including secessionist calls, are products of a complex and complicated past. He, however, urged secessionists to retreat.
The governor spoke at the 83rd anniversary of Ikoyi Club 1938, held at the club’s Secretariat in Ikoyi. He presented a paper titled ‘Present, Past and Future’.
According to Sanwo-Olu, critical stakeholders must learn from the experience of other countries to guide the present and create a future that is better than what Nigerians envisaged.
He said: “Nigeria’s 61st-anniversary celebration is another opportunity to reflect on our past, our present and our future. A complex and complicated past, like many other countries; a challenging present, again like many others, and a future that we all look forward to with hope and optimism.
“Most countries face deep-seated questions about ethnic, racial and religious diversity, and so Nigeria’s seemingly intractable past and present challenges are not unique to us. What is important is that we must constantly summon the energy and political will to face our problems head-on and address them squarely.
“We cannot continue to throw our hands up in despair or retreat into the tempting ghettoes of sectionalism and ethnic and religious bigotry. We must learn from the past of others to guide our present and create a future that is even better than what we envisaged. That is yet another important link between past, present and future; the ability to assess deeply, learn and adapt in light of that learning.
“Without the past, there would be nothing to build on. When we are done with our service, we will hand the baton over to the next set of leaders to continue from where we stopped.”
The governor also expressed his administration’s commitment to providing good governance, saying, it will build on the past and adhere to a robust vision passed down over the years that will serve the people of Lagos and change their lives for the better.
