We’ll like to know why you did not contest the 2011 governorship election in Lagos State after contesting in 2007.
I was on a national assignment as at that time in 2011. I was the country’s representative (an Ambassador) in Ghana. There is no way I can abandon the responsibilities given to me by the Federal Government and come home only to be chasing a political office at state level. Now that I am home, I am strongly reflecting on the last 15 years of Tinubu and the present administration in our state. I will not tell you that we don’t have few things to celebrate in the state but by and large, there are still many holes to fill up and I can honestly tell you that as a citizen of Lagos State, the overall performance of Lagos government in the last 15 years, for me, is slightly below average.
People may be saying they have done some new roads. I schooled in the USA, the biggest investment that country made that is still working for them is in education. We have not done such in Lagos despite all the noise they have been making. As we speak today, the people of Lagos are not interested and they will not voluntarily send their children to public schools in the state. That to me is failure on the part of the government after 15 years in the saddle. People are interested in sending their wards to private schools. Some people who could not even afford the private schools strive to ensure their children attend private schools. Public schools in the state are not functional in the true sense. So how a governor can just stand up and beat his chest that he has performed still baffles me.
Today, our hospitals in the state are mere consulting centers. Even the consultation is minimal in the true sense of it. Everybody that is somebody now goes overseas for ordinary medical check –up. Their leader and ex-governor of the state had medical challenge recently. He had knee injury and he was flown abroad to take care of ordinary knee injury. This minor health challenge could not be treated at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) after billions of naira they claimed they have sunk to upgrade the facility. In the area of health, Lagos government has equally failed.
In addition to that high grade of environmental pollution in the middle of the state capital, there are various kinds of reckless reclamation going on in the state right now. After the reclamation, what they often do is to sell the land to themselves and their cronies. Whereas, during the time of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, he did reclamation in Lekki and the land was sold to members of the public. Except for the reclamation at the Atlantic City, there is other reclamation that is going on secretly without the knowledge of the people. The one going on right now in Ikoyi is being done quietly and secretly.
I was one of the beneficiaries of Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s Housing policy. In 15 years now, Lagos state government has not built one house for medium income earners not to talk of the low income earners.
So where do you come in here?
As I have said, this is a time for reflection and I am still reflecting. I do believe that Lagos state, with its potentials and the kind of IGR they get every month, can be managed better than it is now. And the business of government can be done more transparently because this government is not transparent. Go and google anything about Lagos State, you won’t find any worthy information made available for members of the public. The governor has directed all members of his executive council not to talk to the press anymore on any issue; it is only the commissioner for information that is allowed to talk and you know that one who pays the piper dictates the tune. He will tell you only what they want him to say; he cannot give direct answer to your question if you succeed in meeting him at a corner.
The best investment the state government would have made is to invest in education but it failed to do so. Instead, the government increased tuition fee from N25, 000 at LASU to above N250, 000. Worst still, if you visit LASU main campus today, you will discover there is not much physical development at the institution. The government of the day increased the fee claiming it cannot subsidize education of indigent students in the state but they can subsidize their own habit. That to me, after so many years management of the state economy is not acceptable.
You’re concerned about issues in Lagos. Are you saying you will contest the governorship position once again in 2015?
I’ve not told you that. What I said is that I am reflecting for now. Whatever my decision is, I will let the people know.
You’re once a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). You were also a member of Tinubu’s kitchen cabinet. Why did you opt out of AD that time?
One of the reasons why I left AD is when my eyes were opened and I saw the character that was leading us that time. I am not a member of ACN; I have left before they formed their ACN. With the benefit of hindsight, I did the right thing by pulling out of AD. There was no internal democracy in AD in those days and they carried this style to ACN. You can recall that in ACN and other parties that now refer to themselves as ‘progressives’, they don’t do primaries. What they usually do is anointing of a candidate. Their leader will just stand up and say this is the party’s candidate and his word is the final word. It still happen till today and that is why they worshipped the so called leader.
You all saw firsthand what happened when my son won the chairmanship election of Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA as a PDP candidate. The ACN under the guise of Lagos State government went to Appeal Court to impound the victory of that young man. That shows the type of people we are dealing with. That level of impunity shouldn’t exist in any society; such recklessness should not exist in any civilize society.
But you’re never united in Lagos PDP to make any impact on wresting power from the ruling party.
Well, they are not united either. What you are looking in their party as unity is a peace of the graveyard. An honest member of their party will tell you all is not well in that party either. All what you see them doing is make believe. With time, you will also come to this conclusion. They will turn apart. In a system where a single person determines who becomes the councilor, council chairman, members of the National and State Assemblies including the governor, then you should know that the alleged peace in their party is that of the graveyard. Do you think the market women and men in the state are happy that the same man annointed his daughter to become leader of market women and men in the state? People like us cannot just stand by and allow all these to go unchallenged.
Do you think PDP can match APC in 2015?
I am convinced beyond any doubt that our party, the PDP is winning Lagos State in 2015. The people in the state will vote en masse for our party because they need change. The indices of rejection of the ruling party in Lagos are there for people that care to see. For example, if you observe clearly, you will realize that the present government in Lagos House has become unnecessarily arrogant. They are running the state as if it is their personal business venture. I have told you the recklessness involved in terms of borrowing and the expenditure that cannot be explained to the general public. We would take the facts to the people and make them know the implications. We are serious; we have what it takes to dismantle this oppressive government in the state.
Source: Daily Trust
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