LAGOS State Governor Babatunde Fashola said Nigeria can only achieve greatness by increasing productivity and maintaining peace, law and order.
Fashola, who spoke in an interview with newsmen at the Lagos State Government Central Mosque in Alausa after the Jumat and Special prayers for the nation, reminded Nigerians that just as he said last year during the 50th Independence Anniversary, the nation's best is still ahead of her.
Said he: "I celebrate with Nigerians as our country marks its 51st Independence Anniversary. I wish Nigerians a very happy anniversary. Let me say that the future that I see is one that the divergent groups aspire to a common country.
"It will not happen in division. I belief that the assets that this country has which is distributed so generously and richly across its diverse paths will only be put to optimal use if its people come together".
According to a statement, the governor also appealed to all those who are aggrieved and all public servants that the nation's greatness will lie in its productivity and not a continuous disruption and dysfunction of the production system.
"I think this country has seen one strike too many. I think it is comfort and luxury that precipitates that strike. We must understand that those comfort and luxury that we seek will only be delivered by increasing productivity rather than increasing disruptions.
"Everybody has a role to play. From the youngest worker to the highest chief executive, the sooner we understand that the sooner we go back to the productive cycle and find much more useful ways to agitate and resolve our disputes rather than continuously disrupting the production cycle, the better we will be as a country, the better we will be as a state and the nearer we will be towards that Eldorado that we seek", the governor explained.
Special prayers were also offered at the Jumat Service which was attended by members of the State Executive Council including the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Mr Mohammed Oyinlomo Danmole, his Energy and Mineral Resources counterpart, Mr Tafiq Tijani retired Judge, Justice Ishola Olorunnimbe and many other dignitaries.
The Guardian