29th May, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola presented handover notes to governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode ahead of the official inauguration ceremony to usher in a new administration.
The brief ceremony held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday was witnessed by party members and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by its Chairman in Lagos, Henry Ajomale; Women Leader, Kemi Nelson and Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, traditional rulers led by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu I, as well as some aides of the Governor-elect.
Handing over the notes to Ambode, Fashola promised to always be available to provide support and assistance the incoming administration might need.
“The time is now winding down and I just did a quick check at my watch and I see that it is eight hours and 30 more minutes and thereabout. But before that time winds up, let me congratulate you again for a very well run campaign, fiercely contested, let me congratulate our chairman of the party at the state level for the support and the for the victory.
“Let me also assure you of my best wishes from family, Executive Council, public servants who served with me and our prayers will be with you and our wish would be for your outstanding success. And I would always be available one phone call away, so will all members of our team to provide any support and assistance in any assignment you wish us to undertake in order to give our support. Be assured that every day I would continue to pray for your success.
“As you might be aware, we have worked with a transition team that you set up headed by the deputy governor herself and I believe that they have handed over documents. These are the summary of all the documents with my own final letter conveying them to you. Also conveying all the executive orders that I have issued during the course of my administration for you to see whichever you want to continue with or which one you want to review.
“Once again, I say congratulations and my very best wishes for a successful remarkable historic and development filled tenure,” he said.
Ambode, decked in blue native attire, thanked Fashola for the experience he garnered working under him, saying it would aid his administration surmount the challenges ahead and continue the wheel of progress in the state.
“I have had the greatest honour and opportunity to have worked under his Excellency. I have been his student, he has been a teacher, a mentor and again we are here today to do some transition from one office to the other.
“We can never be able to measure the impact that you have made until historians start to write about the difference between 2007 and 2015 in terms of the strain and stress you have gone through. Each time I particularly have trepidations believing that how is it going to be in another four years but I have the consolation that you survived for eight years, so I should be able to survive eight. But the future is about the prosperity of Lagos and the future of Lagos.
“If there is anyone that has shown total commitment and passion for the development of Lagos State you have done it selflessly, you have done it with all sense of responsibility and I want to on behalf of myself, family and the whole of Lagos to thank you,” he said.