Elder Statesman and first Civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande who will clock 90 years on Tuesday has said the best gift he got from God was the opportunity to serve Lagos.
Jakande was the governor of Lagos State between 1979 and 1983. He won a second term in 1983 but it was truncated through a coup by the present Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Jakande, who spoke with newsmen on Monday at his Ilupeju home said he thanked God for sparing his life to reach the age of 90.
According to him, God made it possible for him to serve Lagos and that serving Lagos had always been his priority.
“I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve Lagos. No better gift will one have than the opportunity to serve my people. I thank God for that,” he said.
Jakande advised young politicians to make up their mind to serve, saying that they have to be educated to get ready to serve.
He said successive civilian governments that came after him really served Lagos and kept the vision he had for the state.
According to him, his success in Lagos State was because of the programmes he introduced which had the acceptance of Lagosians.
Jakande added that the development of Lagos State in recent time had been very commendable, saying that “those who came after me have done very well.”
He said the government of Sanwo-Olu had started on a good note and that he believed it would further sustain the tempo in the development of Lagos that he and other governments had started.
