Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday said that a responsible government will always strive to banish poverty, saying that the essence government in any country or state was to introduce strategies that would aid business activities and eradicate poverty.
Speaking when Alumni Association of the 3rd Regular Course at Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) led by a former Senate President, David Mark, paid a courtesy visit to the State House, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, the governor said that anyone at the helm in any state must strive to ensure that policies introduced favour larger percentage of the citizens.
He said: “The real essence of governance is to take people out of poverty and create avenue for businesses to thrive. That is what government is all about.
“So for me, I have decided is to always ensure the greatest good is for the greatest number of people; that is the real dividend of democracy. We will ensure that in Lagos always.
“Lagos has been so many things to several peoples and we will ensure that to bake the state so that it becomes the melting point for all. It becomes a home for all and a place that everyone can feel happy to have contributed their quota to its development. “You effort is bringing succor to those that really need it. That further indicated that the foundation that you helped built several years ago, you have continued to ensure its survival. We thank God for you for believing in the narrative called Nigeria.
“Nigeria will continue to remember all of you for the good things that you have done for the development of this country. Your action has afforded us the reason to reflect and think of what peoples will say after we leave the public stage.”
Earlier in his remarks, Mark, who led other members including former Administrator of Lagos, Brig-General Raji Rasaki, retd, Tunji Olurin, and others, stressed that the alumni had embraced assistance to widows and indigent children across the country.
“Once you develop individual, one is developing the nation. We help to develop the widows and children of military personnel and the public as well. We do this in terms of providing for them as much as we can,” Mark said.
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