"Whether You Like It Or Not, You Will Hand Over" - Fashola To Jonathan

In Vanguard's interview session with Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, he explains the style of administration that has been put in place in the state such that successive governments can build and improve on what has been achieved so far. He also takes a swipe at President Goodluck
Jonathan and his aides who say no administration in the history of Nigeria has done as much as theirs. You will find him as interesting as ever, with views that are unique both in thought and presentation...See excerpts below:

The Information Minister, Labaran Maku recently said that, at all levels, no government has done what the Jonathan administration had done. But here you are reeling out achievements. How does that make you feel, compared to the assertion that they have done the best?

All I can say is that I hope the best of Nigeria is really further ahead. I don’t want to be the best governor of Lagos. I want better governors to come after me. I think that it’s a leadership problem.
When this sort of statement is  made, you must contextualize it into whether or not we really have prepared ourselves for the kind of responsibilities that we have. Would there have been a Nigeria if those who fought the war didn’t sacrifice? So, for somebody to come after that to say, ‘we are the best…’ That was governance. Keeping the peace and unity of this country, people lost their lives. They served.
How do you dishonour their memory and service by saying nobody has done what you have done? I have never heard any government that wants to progress say those kinds of things. There must be a place for your predecessors. Its a  ladder and a house built on so many blocks of blood, sweat and tears. And whether you like it or not, you will hand over the baton. How would you feel after that, when somebody says you haven’t done anything? Let’s look at power. Did they pass the legislation? They are concluding the process.
There is pension reform today. Did they pass the legislation? It’s a process of thinking and doing sometimes. As I told people, Thabo Mbeki hosted the World Cup, was he the one who did the bidding for it? What is the value they have added to the GSM today? There are more drop calls now than when the system started. Were they the ones who did it? It was a government that licensed private TV otherwise all of us would be locked on to NTA today and you won’t be here because there would only have been Daily Times. That’s the incremental contributions of your predecessors. So, how are they supposed to feel? And you want to build a nation? You’re provoking everybody? I think there can be better tactics to underscore your development. We can’t show that we are good by showing that everybody is bad.

Read the full interview here