Governor Sanwo-Olu at 56: A model for excellence in leadership

A veteran of the system with veritable track records, the Lagos State helmsman who prefers to be addressed simply as Mr Governor rather than the traditional and abused title of “Your Excellency”, has continued to advance the frontiers and promotion of the common good, the uplift of Lagosians and the construction of enduring bridges and platforms of peace and security.

ßDespite the political furor that threw up the selection, election and ‘coronation’ of the new king in town, Sanwo-Olu’s administration held a great promise for many reasons.

Based on the visuals that litter the media space capturing Governor Sanwo-Olu’s involvement in projects initiation and commissioning, the youths have fondly nicknamed him ‘the point-man’ or the pointing Governor.

Governor Sanwo-Olu’s leadership capacity for team dynamics is demonstrated through the harmonious performance of his team members such as the Deputy Governor, the highly renowned Health Commissioner as well as Industrial giants who formed the CA-COVID Alliance.

Although it will be a hard call to attempt to capture enough of the successes so far recorded by the “Sanwo-Eko, Eko a san wa o” regime, I will be content to summerise the core and provide reference to those who are interested in the details in this article.

An alumnus of the John F.

Kennedy School of Leadership, the London Business School, the Lagos Business School and the University of Lagos, Governor Sanwo Olu has brought a new leadership model that has delivered qualitative direction, exhibiting and practicing transparency and accountability as deliberate policies.

The model of excellent leadershipA renowned author, business and leadership coach, John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership”.

In the area of transparency and budgetary accountability, the World Bank recently awarded a grant of about N5.51b in recognition of the commendable achievement under the States’ Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) for Result Programme.

After the general elections in 2007, Mr.

Sanwo-Olu was appointed Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions by Governor Babatunde Fashola, his meritorious service to Lagos State continued when Governor Akinwumi Ambode appointed him in 2016 as the Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC).

In fact, none of the core developmental areas has been neglected – education, technology, youth employment generation, agriculture and food security, people engagement, entertainment and tourism have all been given adequate attention.

Many citizens are unaware of so many details about the man at the saddle of affairs of such a unique geographic, social-economic and political construct, which is a significant representation of Nigeria at large.

He was the first governor to come up with a response plan, which was sold to the presidency and formed key input into the national response plan.

Now let me bring you back to the main purpose of this article, which is to give honour to whom it is due and to celebrate something good in the thick of the gloom and doom that has saturated our media space.

In terms of Security, Lagos state has lived up to its billings in up scaling security infrastructure, equipping the personnel, with a promise to eliminate traffic robbery very soon! Mr Sanwo-Olu is meticulous, intelligent and a passionate workaholic, a man of balanced cognate experience in both the private and public sectors and a thoroughbred technocrat.

In the public space, his career began in 2003, when he was appointed Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to the then Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mr.

Femi Pedro, and later in the same capacity to the Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

May you continue to reap the good fruits of democracy and may God Almighty help us eradicate crime, insecurity and bring a peaceful, progressive and prosperous season to us all.

I also pen these testimonies to the credit of the stakeholders and the Lagos political class that successfully unearthed this shining diamond from among the array of stars available in the Ehingbeti polity..

Read Full Story