Thread by @jidesanwoolu

By the grace of Almighty God and your votes, today marks the beginning of a new chapter in our journey to greatness. Today, I ask you to join me on this journey to awaken a Greater Lagos.

When we speak of a Greater Lagos, it is a deep and profound assertion.

Today, on this precious land we call our home, let us stand together in the very face of history.

Let us vow to ourselves, and to posterity that we shall not just dream of a Greater Lagos. Let us agree that we shall collectively rise up to build the Lagos of our dreams.

We need not be discouraged by the challenges that may be apparent. Today is an opportunity for us to forge ahead in our quest for a Greater Lagos.

It is possible!

No one should ever underestimate the spirit of Lagos and the resilience of its people. Yes, hard problems may confront us, but we will also confront them. Every problem will lose its potency to our unity.

Therefore, Lagosians, in this new chapter of our lives, we need not cry or fret. We are united by our common purpose of a Greater Lagos and a fulfilling future.

In Lagos State, our story has been of successes and achievements. Since 1999, our tradition of progressive governance has set Lagos apart and strengthened people’s belief in our ideology.

And that is the very reason I stand before you on this historic day as your Governor. While we celebrate the victory of progressive governance and democracy, tomorrow we must be ready to stand on guard and be fully vigilant.

Democracy and progressive governance hold only to the extent that we protect and nurture them. While Lagos glimmers as a beacon of progressive and quality governance, our nation now undergoes a historic battle to establish progressive and just governance.

Lagos must again rise and help lead this nation to fuller progress and to a closer realization of the greatness that exists within all Nigerians.

This inauguration symbolizes such an awakening.

Today, I stand before you as your governor, but also as your friend, brother; neighbour and your servant. I stand here to ask that you join me to script and fashion this greater Lagos with the creativity of our minds.

Let the ingenuity of our hands, the sweat of our labor and the compassion that resides in our hearts be committed to this common goal.

We are but human beings. Our time on this earth is finite, and shall one day pass. At some point, we shall all enter the book of history.

But we can choose how we walk into history. Shall we do so as masters of our fate, or as slaves to things that seek to suppress us?

When the history of our moment is written, let it not be told in tears of defeat, rather let it resound with the anthem of collective victory.

Let our time be proclaimed in golden celebration of a state, and of a people who stood in unity of purpose to make their home a Greater one.

As your Governor, I know fully well who I am, because I know where I am from. More importantly, I know where I am headed.

I have been a part of this progressive journey since its very inception. I know the efforts that went into planning so many of the innovations we now see.

It will be my job to continue that process by refining and perfecting the foundation laid by the preceding administrations.

I shall forever remain loyal to the aspirations of the people and to the developmental blueprint that has brought so much success to our dear state.

The Babajide Sanwo-Olu you see today shall not change and try to become something I am not. My prayer is only that I grow and improve as your Governor to implement good policies and bring the prosperity you deserve.

On this day, I speak to the young and old, Christian and Muslim, those who trace their earliest ancestry back to this land, and to those who came last week.

I speak to the poor and to the rich. I speak to the Danfo driver as much as to the millionaire and to the fruit vendor.

My goal is to advance the social and economic progress of this state and its people; regardless of your faith, social class, or your origin of birth.

As long as you adopt the spirit of Lagos, Lagos in turn shall adopt you.

As I said in my acceptance speech, I am too focused on moving Lagos forward to give a second thought to where a person may have come from.

As long as you are animated by the spirit of achievement, cooperation and tolerance, then you are Lagosian.

This is my motto.

My door shall remain open to all. I shall seek the advice of the learned, the wise and the ordinary Lagosian, for in the common man resides much wisdom.

While one cannot help but hear the kind words of friends, I must pay even closer attention to the voice of my critics. In constructive criticism lies the seeds of improvement.

My administration will ensure that we walk the talk as far as transparency, the rule of law and fiscal discipline are concerned.

We will make sure that we create the right environment in which security and safety of lives and property are guaranteed.

Our ultimate goal would be to ensure that Lagos state remains one of the top destinations on the African continent to live, work and invest in.

The hearts and hands of the Deputy Governor, @drobafemihamzat and myself are extended to each and every Lagosian.

Join us on this noble journey as we strive together to birth and nurture a Greater Lagos.

Today, I vow as your Governor that I will serve with my utmost ability and commitment. With your help, I know we can make Lagos greater

Indeed, our best days lie ahead of us.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

God bless Lagos State

God bless you all.