By Minister of Power, Works and Housing , Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN was on Sunday awarded with the Minister of the Year title at the City People Awards for Excellence, but immediately affirmed that no individual recognition is worthy of note if the team is not delivering results.
The award ceremony was held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
The former Lagos State Governor was represented by his Special Adviser on Housing, Mr Abiodun Oki.
The high point of the acceptance speech read by Mr Oki on behalf of Fashola however shook everyone at the gathering.
Rather than personally accepting the award, BRF dedicated it to all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies who have in one way or the other contributed to the success of his Ministry. The Judiciary and Legislative arms were not left out too.
He referred the award to be a team goal, as he said “no striker will perform brilliantly in a bad football team.”
See below for the full speech…
REMARKS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF POWER, WORKS AND HOUSING, H.E. BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN AT THE 20TH CITY PEOPLE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE ON SUNDAY, 2ND APRIL, 2017 AT THE LAGOS AIRPORT HOTEL, IKEJA , LAGOS
P R O T O C O L S
It is always very easy for members of the public to pick and choose from a Team, who they like more within a Team.
So in a football club, we tend to pick the best striker or midfielder or defender.
But in doing so, we sometimes forget that what is most important is the team and the work they do together; the Team work, that allows any striker, midfielder or defender to thrive.
There will be no good striker, midfielder and defender in a team that does not do well.
Therefore collective success must be, and is indeed, more important than individual recognition.
A Government is no different from a football club, to the extent that they comprise individuals of different talents, passions and experiences who must work together to deliver service to the public.
A successful team is led by a Great and resourceful manager, who often has a dependable assistant.
In our Government team, President Muhammadu Buhari has discharged that role effectively by picking a team of Ministers whose commitment to change is unquestionable and the Vice President has demonstrated his ability to complement this vision of change and his dedication to help midwife it.
On their behalf I accept this Award.
Every Goal scored by a striker is the result of co-ordinated team play, and interchange of passes.
In our team, every Minister has supported the other, and the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has benefitted from a well planned Budget, well timed cash backing, very massive support and contributions to our Council Memoranda and therefore on behalf of the Federal Executive Council members, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Cabinet Office and the Office of the Chief of Staff, I accept this award.
Of course, a good football team thrives on financing and shareholders support.
We have received a lot of cooperation from those who exercise the power of appropriation in the National Assembly; the Senators, House of Representatives members and all their Committee Chairmen, members and staff are the real owners of this Award.
I accept it on their behalf.
Some of our work will not have progressed without prompt and efficient determination of some court cases. Our progress would have been hindered. This Award also belongs to the Judiciary as members of the team of change. I accept it on their behalf.
No team is complete without the army of backroom staff who we never get to see, but who help the players enormously.
The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing is blessed with an army of hardworking civil servants, led by 2 (Two) Permanent Secretaries, Directors, the Heads of our parastatals, Deputy Directors, Controllers and other staff who have signed up for change and are daily working towards it. I accept this Award on their behalf.
As I said earlier, no individual recognition is worthy of note if the team is not delivering results.
My Brother, the Hon. Minister of State in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri and I accept this Award on behalf of Government as proof that our team is gaining momentum, and the results of Government policies, programmes and action are beginning to manifest.
Our party, the All Progressive Congress, the architects of Change, know that the work is not done; on the contrary, it is just beginning.
We the team members also know this. We know that it can be a lot better, we commit to do more and to make your lives better.
We thank City People and its management for inspiring us to pursue change.
BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN
HONOURABLE MINISTER OF POWER, WORKS & HOUSING
2ND APRIL, 2017.
