in ,

Fashola to residents: refuse to be voluntary purveyors of messages of fear

…wants citizens to alert security agencies rather than aid spread of panic messages

In furtherance of steps aimed at improving security in Lagos, Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Friday charged residents of the State to resolve not to be voluntary purveyors of messages of fear that can cause panic.

The Governor who spoke in an interview with newsmen at the end of the 11th Executive Legislative Parley which was held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac, added that residents must resolve that any message that is likely to cause panic must not be forwarded to other people but security agencies so that the link through which panic can spread will be broken.

“Don’t help to transfer those kinds of viral messages. They do not help the public, if there are any such messages you are aware of, send it to us and don’t pass it on to your friend because your friend cannot do anything about it. We can, if it occurs”.

“So we must stop passing those kind of messages of fear and be assured that security agencies are working round the clock. We will check everything that we see. I have told the Policemen and all other law enforcement agencies that nothing that is suspicious must be left to any chance. We must check and double check”.

“There may be inconvenience to some citizens but I assure you that I have told the officers not to take undue advantage or any advantage of the need to enforce for an improved vigilance and security checks”, he explained .

The Governor also appealed for restraint, patience and tolerance by citizens and residents, maintaining that all the measures are in the entire public interest, assuring: “Other than that, carry on with your life, your State is safe”.

Fashola also advised the people to stop looking at things in terms of threats because life is a mixture of the good and bad and by many measures it is observed, the State and nation have experienced more good than bad.

He added that there could be hills and valleys in a journey but the hope and assurance is that the nation will stay afloat on more of the hills and quickly get out of the valleys when she slips into them.

While using the opportunity to localize some of the issues, the Governor said Government is doing its very level best to ensure that all the residents and visitors are safe as there should be no cause for alarm.

“Your State is safe. I would be the first person to tell you if there was any problem but it still imposes a duty of vigilance, information sharing whenever you have it with us through the established channels, 767 and 112, my telephone number and that of the Commissioner of Police that are published”.

He contended that there may be a few people who still feel that they must create panic and that some people benefit by just seeing their fellow men and women panic and sending false messages around, adding that such people must not be allowed to dominate by the citizenry resolving not to be purveyors of panic messages.

Speaking on the relevance of the Retreats, Governor Fashola said it has helped in harmonizing the necessary interrelationship and interdependence among the different arms of government working for the same purpose but separate by necessity for some level of independence.

He added that it has helped the State Government especially in budgeting as it would be observed that on a year basis, Lagos State is recording by far the highest budget implementation performance in the entire country.

“The seeds of budgeting are sown at these Retreats where there is a better understanding of what the Executive is doing by the Legislature and there is a better understanding of what the legislature is also doing and how it functions through its committees simply by interaction”.

“We break down the barriers of formalities in the weekend retreat where we see each other’s strength and weaknesses and we are able to leverage on the strength and limit the impact of the weaknesses where they are”, he added.

The Governor noted that in a situation where there is a large number of people working together, there is a team and such a team is only as strong as its weakest link and how often and how efficient they communicate with one another.

“So if you have a large team of 40 members in the Legislature and 42 members in the Executive, they need to work together so that you can make progress. These are the strategic benefits of these Retreats”.

“You see that year on year over the last 7 years, the least we have returned in terms of budget performance is 70 percent and in the last two years we are now in the very high 80s, 89 in 2012, 85 in 2013 and this is something that I am proud to say is attributable in some large measures to this interactions”, Governor Fashola reiterated.

SIGNED:

HAKEEM BELLO

SPECIAL ADVISER TO H.E ON MEDIA

MAY 10, 2014

 

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Avatar

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Jonathan fails to impress Nigerians

President Jonathan congratulates President Zuma and ANC on victory in S’Africa’s general elections