Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Fashola yesterday told his successor, Akinwunmi Ambode, that he will always be there to assist.
Handing over the notes at 3pm, Fashola said: “The time is winding down and I took a quick check at my watch and I saw that we have eight hours, 30 more minutes left.
“But before that time winds down, let me congratulate you again for a very successful campaign.
“Let me also congratulate our party chairman for the support and the victory.
“Let me also assure you of best wishes from my family, members of the Executive Council, public servants who served with me.
“Our prayers will be with you and our wish would be for your outstanding success.
“And I would always be one phone call away, so will every member of our team.
“We'll provide any support and assistance for any assignment you wish us to undertake.
“Be assured that I would continue to pray for your success daily.
“As you might be aware, we have worked with a transition team that you set up headed by the deputy governor and I believe that they have handed over the documents.
“These are the summary of all the documents with my final letter conveying them to you.
“Also conveying all the executive orders that I have issued during the course of my administration for you to see whichever you want to continue with or which one you want to review.
“Once again, I say congratulations and my very best wishes for a successful remarkable historic and development filled tenure.”
Beaming with smiles, Ambode thanked Gov Fashola for the experience he garnered working under him.
The governor-elect said: “I have had the greatest honour and opportunity to work under his Excellency.
“I have been his student, he has been a teacher, a mentor and we are here today to do a transition.
“We can never be able to measure the impact that you have made until historians start to write about the difference between 2007 and 2015 in terms of the strain and stress you have gone through.
“I always think about how will it be in another four years but I have the consolation that you survived eight years, so I should be able to survive another eight.
“But the future is about the prosperity of Lagos and the future of Lagos.
“If there is anyone who has shown total commitment and passion for the development of Lagos State you have done it selflessly.
“You have done it with all sense of responsibility and I want to on behalf of myself , family and the whole of Lagos thank you.
“I know that at every point in time we would be able to assess you and be able to draw from that wealth of experience.
“On behalf of the party we want to thank you for offering yourself to the APC and say thank for doing this for Lagos State and Nigeria. Nigeria will never forget you.”
The brief ceremony was witnessed by members and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by its Chairman, Henry Ajomale; Women Leader Mrs. Kemi Nelson; Publicity Secretary Joe Igbokwe; traditional rulers led by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, and some aides of the governor-elect.