Tag Archives: Fashola

You Failed, Not my Generation- Fashola to Jonathan

Posted on by
1

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, Tuesday, publicly disagreed with President Goodluck Jonathan over the statement that his generation has failed Nigeria, saying “You (Jonathan) failed Nigeria because my generation did not fail this country.”

President  Jonathan made the statement last Thursday while addressing youth at the flag-off of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP campaign held at the Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS Lagos.

Fashola however reacted at the 2015, First Quarter of the Town Hall meeting with stakeholders in the transportation sector held in Agidingbi, Ikeja, which also had in attendance Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and others.

Read More: vanguardngr.com

Fashola Signs N489.690 Billion 2015 Appropriation Bill Into Law

Posted on by
Reply
Governor Babatunde Fashola - February 2014 - BellaNaija 01
Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Sunday signed the state’s N489.690billion 2015 Appropriation Bill into law.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor’s assent to the bill followed its passage by the state’s House of Assembly on January 6.
The budget comprises N247.713 billion capital expenditure and N241.977 billion recurrent expenditure.
Assenting to the bill at the State House, Marina, Fashola said the budget would focus on the completion of on-going projects in the state.
The governor expressed the confidence that the budget would not only deliver life impacting projects, but would also impact massively on the lives of residents.
Fashola said he chose to sign the budget on a Sunday to enable him attend the National meeting of the All

Progressive Congress APC in Abuja on Monday.

He said the decision would enable the ministries, parastatal agencies and others to commence implementation of the budget while he would be away.
The governor said there is no excuse for any government to delay the passage and signing of the budget because of the ongoing electioneering campaigns across the country.
Fashola said: “When we presented the budget, there were financial challenges, but as you know, our revenue has been based largely on our common contribution; that is how we build our common wealth here.
“We need to be innovative, inventive and hard-working and that is what we have given in the last eight years and we won’t give anything less and with the support of the people of Lagos.
“They are the owners of this government and all of its service delivery programmes and I think as difficult and challenging as the revenue issue may be, we will consolidate and finish as many possible projects as we can”.
He urged residents in the state to ensure that gains of his administration are consolidated by voting the APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode during the general elections.
Meanwhile, on his part, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ben Akabueze said approximately N248billion would be spent on capital expenditure and N241billion on recurrent expenditure.
He said that the fall in the global oil price might not likely affect the state government and the performance of its budget.
According to him, the pace of ongoing projects will be intensified with the signing of the budget into law.
“The projected fall in the oil price has already been factored into the budget. The truth of the matter is that oil prices are always difficult to forecast.
“Since I started following those forecasts, everybody who has forecast oil prices over the years has failed. They haven’t got it right.
“For us, thankfully over 70 percent of our budget is financed through our own Internally Generated Revenue. There are some linkage even between IGR and oil but it is not a direct dependency in that sense.
“This also challenges us to explore additional avenues to enhance revenue. That will be the major focus this year,” Akabueze said.
A breakdown of the budget showed that Economic Affairs has the highest allocation of N146.305 billion, followed by General Service, N107.69 billion, Education, N82.14 billion; Housing and Community Amenities, N49.033 billion, Health, N44.619 billion and Environmental Protection, N34.953 billion.
Others are: Public Safety and Order, N15.547 billion; Recreation, Culture and Religion, N3.118 billion; Social Protection, N1.589 billion, Planning Reserve, N2.26 billion and Contingency, N2.448 billion.

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning #NewsBits

Posted on by
1

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has said that the Federal Government was not properly managing the country’s oil revenue account, stating that it is the reason the country is being confronted with the present economic crisis. Fashole was stated this at the commissioning of the 8.5km Amedokhian-Ugboha Road in Benin City, Edo State.

2. No fewer than 20 were killed yesterday at at Kasuwar Jagwal GSM market in the commercial capital of Potiskum, Yobe State, when two female suicide bombers, stormed the market and blew themselves up in the crowded market. The incident occurred around 3pm.

3. The All Progressives Congress, APC, has again accused the DSS of working for the PDP over its invasion of the party’s Data office. APC in a statement by its publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammad said the invasion was a ploy by PDP to postpone next month’s election.

4. It appears like political crisis is gradually taking over Rivers state as an explosion on Sunday rocked the All Progressives Congress secretariat in Abam Ama, Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. Relatively, another round of violence was recorded in Rumueme, Obio/Akpor LGA where four APC members were attacked by some suspected political thugs.

5. Report says President Goodluck Jonathan will on Monday (today) travel to Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital for his re-election campaign where he will also pay a visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his residence.

6. Nigerian Super Eagles was on Sunday defeated by the Elephants of Ivory Coast on Sunday by a lone goal in an international friendly match at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The ‘winner’ was scored at the 83rd minute by Salomon Kalo.

7. The Delta Central Police Area Command has nabbed a man identified as Gregory Tuodonye for being part of those who attacked and dispossessed a Daily Sun Newspaper reporter, Mr. Kofa Kings of his valuables. He was arrested following an attack on the journalist on December 6, 2014 at Kpakiama in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

8. Report has it that the spiritual leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Ayo Ni o, Prophet Gabriel Olubunmi Fakeye is dead.This was announced on Sunday by the C&S Movement. However details of what led to his death has remained sketchy.

9. The South-East leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and the South-East Governors’ Forum have disassociated themselves from a statement credited to a former Vice President, Chief Alex Ekwueme, where he predicted that President Goodluck Jonathan might not secure a block vote in the zone in the February 14 presidential election. While faulting the prediction, they said it does not in any way reflect the present realities.

10. Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has demanded that the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, supplies him with information on the $1bn loan approved by the National Assembly for the purchase of military hardware to prosecute the war against terrorism. Falana while making the request in a letter dated January 9, 2015 said the demand was based on the strength of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Ojota Waste Dump Site To Become Golf Course Soon -LAWMA

Posted on by
1

Have you ever passed by Ojota going towards Maryland in Lagos? Then you would have noticed the Olusosun dumpsite that stinks to the high heavens. The news is that Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) said yesterday that it would soon turn the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota into a golf course. Tagged as Nigeria’s most popular refuse dump, Olusosun has been a subject of foreign documentaries in the past because of the many activities of scavengers at the site.

The managing director of LAWMA, Mr Ola Oresanya, said the golf course project would come under the agency’s second 10-year-rolling plan.

“In the rolling plan, we are focusing downstream and our downstream is at the disposal sites. Our landfills development is a real focus, we already sign contract for development of our state of the heart landfills sites at Epe and Badagry. And those landfill sites are the real focus for the next rolling plan and a site also will be located in Ogun state. That is around Mowe/Ibafo area that we took over. Then we will close down the Olusosun dumpsite completely and turn it into golf course. We will continue to build transfer stations and material recovery plants in Lagos”.

“Those are parts of the ten year rolling plan and we will increase our waste conversion to almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the wastes we generate in Lagos. The wastes will now be converted to something very useful within that ten years rolling plan. Then, we want to make sure that we get the economics of waste management very well and the economics must be perfect within the next ten year. So those are the key ingredients of those plans.’’

Why I Would Prefer Babatundi Raji Fashola SAN, on the Seat of Senate President

Posted on by
1

I understand politics is a game of numbers, which psychologically involves the use of balance-vectors and where all odds should be carefully weighed. It is therefore notable that the south-western part of the country, a region considered to have the second largest voting population would no doubt be contributing a great deal towards electioneering. In another context, it is often said that sometimes in the game of politics two plus two (2 + 2) is not always four (4). So I urge APC leaders not to kill the momentum and excitement of many Nigerians who have long waited for the much needed change in our country by their rationale for selecting a running mate to join General Mohammadu Buhari in the presidential race come 2015 general elections.

Many would agree without feeling otherwise that Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN is the most marketable political personality from south west: A cerebral, intellectual and articulated individual, a professional who knows his onions, a man of wit who understands what governance is all about and what development entails; tried and trusted- but unfortunately the religious sentiment of a Muslim-Muslim ticket plays to his disadvantage, therefore puts him in a dicey situation to cling on the number two spot, the position of the vice president If APC emerged victorious in the upcoming presidential election.

In as much as some would say the arguments surrounding the issue of religion could be critical and is one that is very sensitive, nevertheless- it’s alarming if the process to fill the two most important positions in the country must be religious-base rather than questions of competence and technocratic solutions to fundamental problems bedevilling this nation. As it stands today, it appears the debate on the balance between Christianity & Islam in public domain has come to stay; this should therefore be treated with caution and not be disregarded especially in the face of global threats on the quest for caliphate by some evil elements.

I think over the years the citizenry have continued to overlook the relevance of the legislative arm of government with regards to formulation of laws/policies toward poverty reduction strategies and other vital issues which are long overdue and urgently begging for a redress. Like Anders B. Johnson, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, would say many legislatures are ineffective because of their own shortcomings, what he calls “lack of proper understanding by members of parliament of their role as lawmakers and overseers of government action”. I honestly feel it’s high time we stopped all manner of representatives bombarding the National Assembly, many who have little or no knowledge of basic principles and functions of the parliament.

As we have in the NASS today, there are different categories of parliamentarians with mismatched objectives but “unanimously” same personal interests. We have a group of those having their first shot at the national cake and a category of those “by virtue of status quo” found themselves in the house as part of their retirement packages after serving in other public offices or government institutions.

It is widely agreed that the issue of extreme poverty is one of the greatest shortcomings of the country today. That being said, the World Bank & IMF have critically examined the role legislatures

can play in poverty reduction; identifying practical contributions parliaments and parliamentarians could make in alleviating poverty, for example- through formulation of policies relating to poverty reduction, giving it a higher priority in all phases of the policy process, ensuring implementation and policy evaluation & reform.

The masses keep looking up to the Executives for national developments, whereas- there are much more the legislatures could do to effect change as we’ve seen in other climes, where the outcome of their legislative duties if motivated by national interest could impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians positively. Furthermore, the frivolous budgetary on National Assembly is alarming and worrisome, a blatant waste of public fund and mismanagement of national purse. The money spent to pass a law cost an arm and a leg- In spite of this, Senator David Mark’s led parliament has achieved less than expected over the years. I think more should be expected from our legislators and Nigerians must begin to hold the National Assembly accountable for her inaction.

I want a legislature that truly represents the wishes and concerns of their constituents; reviewing whether the government’s allocation of resources is consistent with their constituents’ demands as well as with the country’s developmental objectives, scrutinizing government expenditures and revenues (including loans and credits from the international institutions), ensuring that money is allocated to programs with legislative approval, and identifying instances of financial dishonesty and irregularity. There’s no doubt in my mind that an upper house presided over by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; a Fashola’s calibre would wear a new look on the National Assembly and bring sanity to the legislative arm of the government.

Following the 2015 general elections, I am particularly interested in seeing a more purposeful legislature. Many scholars have screamed for a serious and scam-free constitutional reform if we’re truly ready to move the country to the next level. Prominent voices have highlighted the necessity for us as a nation to urgently address some critical issues in our constitution: Devolution of powers, Resource control, and Local government autonomy among others- which will speedily bring developments to the grass root.

As we celebrate the emergence of General Mohammadu Buhari as the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress, fanatics have raised concerns over the choice of running mate; some believe it could be suicidal for APC if their quest to fill the number two position is not zoned to the south-south, as perceived to be a compensation peradventure President Jonathan loses out in the elections, between- it would further open up the region to a stiff competition and the argument for the south-west is that, the voting populace are more enlightened and would vote for the right candidates without regional sentiments. This permutation would give room for Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN to occupy the position of senate president, thus representing south west in the top three positions of the country.

I charge the APC leaders to act in the best interest of the bleeding crowd who have bear the brunt of the agony, torture and misery infiltrated on Nigerians by the PDP- led government over the past fifteen years. God bless this nation of ours.

Boluwatife Adekunle. @boluzzz

VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE SOLELY AUTHOR’S.

Banky W Condemns Religious Option For Deciding Buhari’s VP

Posted on by
Reply
Today, Buhari’s running mate will be named and there are strong indications it won’t be governor Fashola of Lagos who many feel is worthy of being in that post. Banky W took to twitter to air his dissapointment over religion being used as a criteria for political selection… He says it should be Fashola and no one else

 

 

 

Lagos; City Of Rubbles !!! By Agbara C. Paschal

Posted on by
1

Lagos? Yeah!

But I should address what this is not.

This isn’t another pot hole of rocky words cast to the Lagos state Government. It’s also not a basket of fruity words to sweeten the appropriate authority. This is grapy as much as it is candied in nature.

Without my thoughts stammering, you’d agree with me that the government of Lagos state has scored herself high in virtually all areas. If the government of Lagos state were an individual enrolled in a Federal University in this country amidst all other states, you will concur if I say “she” would graduate with a 1st Class Hon.

And that was fruity! Laughs…

The last four and a half years (obviously mine. Not yours!) have been majorly spent in the then Labour Party but now PDP controlled state capital – Akure. And that means, a little part of my life in the last four and a half years have been spent in the opposition controlled state – Lagos state. By opposition, I meant “All Progressives Congress.”

Now, that was political! Yet another laugh…

Time to be eyeballed from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet by reality…

Lagos is unusually dusty! You don’t agree? Well, I forebode that.

It means you must drive in air-conditioned cars, live in air-conditioned houses et al but the last time I checked, the Gas Stations (what you call Filling Stations) haven’t become AC-ed too. Meaning, you feel the pepperiness of the dusty city too.

Lagos is dusty! Yes!

This isn’t a war paint. This is a backwash of experience. From the rubbles and junks masked as buses and cabs to intense traffic to sea of heads to shacks to loads of Danfo-nized, and BRT-ized Carbon Monoxides and lots more, Lagos is a smoky ocean full of varying fishes. Fishes that do nothing but survive.

I’m probably not the only one “Kissing” and “Telling.” See this!

Someone tweeted; “Lagos is frustrating.”

Many hours later, another retweeted independent of the other; “Lagos is tiring.”

Oh! Beautiful! I don’t know if it’s beautiful but there are others too playing the K and T game.

This hasn’t been theorized but I must postulate. No!, I would rather infer. Infer is the word as a Statistician. More Oxygen is needed in Lagos than any parts of Nigeria albeit respiration has grown snarlier than natural in Lagos.

Decongestion has to come out from its hiding. Lagos needs it!

How?

Would that mean, every Salisu, Amaka, Toyin be sent packing? Would that also mean, Agba Akin has to visit Owode Onirin with his rickety and road unworthy bus? Or should Nze Obinna be forestalled from hosting his Umunna(s) on the street facing his house?

I wouldn’t know.

But to wipe my face a 100times in 5minutes, tapping my shoes to wipe the dust, having to avoid the Pomo Iya-Only-God-Knows is carrying from blotting my cloth sucks me of strength.

Laugh it off!

The next Lagos state Governor should mellow and stylishly visit Akure and see the way its cabs operate. Yes! That’s the only obvious thing Lagos can learn from Akure. Don’t borrow Akure’s climatic conditions I beg.

But Lagos is a model of growth for other states in Nigeria. It’s a pacesetter, a forerunner. It leads and others tweet, “follow back.”

I also look forward to, in a year or two, say Tinubu did it, Fashola did it, “??????” is doing it.

Agbara C. Paschal is a Writer, Speaker, and a Groomed Statistician

I Promise Continuity And More After Gov Fashola – Ambode Promises Lagosians

Posted on by
1

THE governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has promised to build on the legacies of the state Governor, Babatunde Fashola.

Ambode, who recently defeated 12 other governorship aspirants of the party at the primaries, said the state would witness increased economic growth, if he won the 2015 elections.

He made the remarks at a thanksgiving service in his honour at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Lagos, a statement said on Sunday.

He said, “We have a legacy to build upon, and it is our collective responsibility to build on the progress that Lagos has witnessed in the last 15 years.

“I wish to restate my promise, that I commit to the continuation of excellence and the uplift of the lives of all Lagosians.

“My mission and vision, is to create a clean, secure and prosperous Lagos State that is driven by a vibrant economy and supported by quality service, equity and justice; a Lagos where no one is left behind and where no one is discriminated against on account of age, religion, creed or origin.

“In building on the legacies of the last 15 years, it is important to expand the frontiers of doing business in this state that has the potential to be one of the top five economies in Africa. Lagos deserves nothing less and this will continue to be part of my message to every Lagosian as we begin to solicit their votes towards the February 2015 governorship election.”

Source – Vanguard Ngr

Gov Fashola Rallies Support For Akin Ambode

Posted on by
2

he Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has urged Lagosians to vote for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Party, Mr. Akin Ambode, to sustain the programmes of his administration.

Fashola, who spoke at the Lagos Sea Food Festival 2014 on Saturday, said supporting the candidate of the APC would also ensure that the state continued to enjoy good governance and high performance.

The governor stated that the 2014 edition of the festival would be his last as governor of the state.

He said, “I urge you all to support the new APC governorship   candidate and make sure that the festival continues.

“You have a role to play; you have to register and you have to collect your Permanent Voter Cards and then you can use your vote to choose who you want.

Source – Punch Ng

10 Things You Need To Know This Morning #NewsBits

Posted on by
1

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. The French government has said it owns the alleged armed-laden cargo plane that was ceased by the Nigerian authorities at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Saturday. They have however denied that the plane was carrying any kind of weapon. It said the plane was only carrying two light helicopter and their maintenance equipment.

2. An enstranged political associate of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, Buruji Kashamu has suceeded in securing a motion ex-parte from an Abuja High Court, restraining Obasanjo or anybody from publishing an autobiography written by the former president. The restraining order was given in favour of Kashamu by Justice Valentine Ashi last Friday following Kashamu’s complaint that the book was targeted at his person.

3. Report says the Boko Haram insurgents had on wednesday last week abducted 20 more girls in in Lassa, a town in Borno State, following the capture of the area after much resistance by local security outfit.

4. Reports also have it that Senate President, David Mark, Gov. Gabriel Suswam and Mike Mku picked the PDP’s ticket to contest the 2015 general elections in their respective senatorial zones in Benue. This was as the Saturday’s primaries held in the state ended peacefully with Mr Mike Onoja, withdrawing from the race against David Mark few hours to the commencement of the primaries.

5. With the report that the Enugu state senatorial primaries were marred by parallel elections, the INEC has said that it won’t recognize such parallel primaries as it is not recognized by the law.

6. The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has requested and stressed on the importance of having all politicians seeking political offices in the 2015 elections undergo a psychiatric test to check their mental state. The body at the end of a communique issued at the end of the National Executive Council meeting in Jos, directed all psychiatric doctors to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission to supervise such test.

7. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Sunday cautioned all airport workers and travellers to desist from all forms of illegal transactions, saying anyone caught will risk 5 years’ jail terms.

8. The Police is currently searching for a 50-year-old man who defiled his own daughter. The man identified as Mr Vincent Uzor, allegedly raped his 14-year-old daughter in his house after the daughter visited him. The daughter narrated that she was raped in the kitchen.

9. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will today hold its governorship primaries nationwide. Report says tension remains very high in different states as the incumbent governors make to push for their successors.

10. The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has assured that he would not deviate from the good work already done in the state by Governor Babatunde Fashola, promising to retain the Governor’s legacy if elected come next year.

Source – Daily POST NG

Akin Ambode Clinches Lagos APC Guber Primaries Ticket With 3,735 votes

Posted on by
Reply

The two-day Lagos State APC governorship primary ended in Lagos on Friday with Mr Akin Ambode scoring 3,735 votes.

Former Commissioner for Works in the state, Dr Obafemi Hamzat came second with 1,201 votes while Senator Ganiyu Solomon scored 272 votes to pick the third spot.

The victory of Ambode over Supo Shashore, a candidate preferred by the current governor, Babatunde Fashola, re-asserts Mr. Tinubu firm control of the state’s political party machinery.

Details later…

Buhari Will Pick A Southern Christian As Running Mate – Fashakin

Posted on by
1

A former National Publicity Secretary of the now rested Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, has ruled out the possiblity of a Muslim becoming the running mate of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

He said Buhari would rather choose a southern Christian as his running mate.

Fashakin, who is a strong force in Buhari’s campaign organisation, said Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, a fellow Muslim, would not emerge as Buhari’s running mate

Read more at http://dailypost.ng/2014/11/17/2015-buhari-will-pick-southern-christian-running-mate-fashakin/

Lagos State Sending Ebola Medics To Sierra Leone, Says Raji Fashola

Posted on by
237

The Lagos State Government on Sunday said it was finalising arrangements to deploy some health workers who had helped in the containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state to Sierra Leone .

Governor Babatunde Fashola, made the announcement in Ikeja while speaking at a programme to commemorate the 2,700 Days of his administration in office.

The governor said the health workers were to replicate the state`s virus containment strategies in Sierra-leone with a view to assisting the Ebola-hit country overcome the health crisis.

Edo Government Insists Oshiomhole In APC presidential Race Despite Governor’s Silence

Posted on by
Reply

The government of Edo State has insisted that Governor Adams Oshiomhole is still in the race for the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential ticket.

Commissioner for information and orientation in the state, Mr Louis Odion yesterday said that his boss “is in the race to rescue Nigeria”.

Odion, who spoke in Benin, Edo State capital said that Oshiomhole was better equipped to lead the nation with his pan-Nigeria perspective, asserting that he had better credentials than other APC presidential aspirants to pick the party’s ticket.

His words: “It is not a rumour, it is a fact, Oshiomhole is in the race. But if you expect the kind of jamboree that is currently taking place, where people embark on road show, promising heaven and earth, Oshiomole is not going to do that.

“I can tell you he is in the race. And it is in response to the yearnings of well-meaning Nigerians that our country need somebody of his pedigree at this point in our history to move Nigeria forward.

“You will even recall early this year when Governor Fashola said the nation needs somebody like Oshiomhole as president to change Nigeria.

APC And PDP Thugs Clash In Lagos

Posted on by
1

A brutal clash occurred between thugs loyal to the All Progressives Congress and those sympathetic to the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday at the Fadeyi end of Ikorodu Road, Lagos State, claiming the life of a lottery agent, Sheriff Alasia in the process.

According to one of the residents in the area, the deceased, a 30-year-old man was married with a son.

The victim, who was a Premier Lotto agent, was said to have been caught in a fire exhange between the two factions on Ikorodu Road, and died on the spot.

According to reports, the Mushin area of Lagos has become a ground of violent cult clashes between two groups- Toba gang and Toheeb boys, with the Toba gang loyal to the APC, while the Toheeb’s boys are PDP supporters.

The two groups have continued to engage themselves in a battle for supremacy ahead of the 2015 elections.

The latest battle was said to have started on Saturday afternoon after some hoodlums embarked on a protest for the release of their leader, Joel Oloruntoba, aka Toba, who was facing murder charges at a state High Court.

According to a source, Toba boys went about destroying all political posters and banners belonging to the APC.

They went on the rampage tearing the posters because they believe that Toba is an APC boy and for the past six months, the party has refused to come to his aid or assist in his release. They were shouting, ‘No Toba, no APC, no election’ They were breaking bottles,” said the source.

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD: #OKADABAN: THE TERMINATION OF A NECESSARY EVIL BY @LANRE_OLAGUNJU

Posted on by
1

It might be difficult to look beyond the poverty and backwardness in our society, but only when we try, will it become intelligible that the use of motorcycle for commercial transportation has to stop. Aside that it’s unsafe, in the real sense it’s an abuse of the product itself, essentially when you consider that it was originally never meant for commercial transportation.

Motorcycles were initially not part of our transportation system. Institutional failure gave room for them in the first place. Okada came to being as a result of government’s failure to create adequate jobs and transportation facility that can cater for the growing population. No developing city can permit the nuisance they constitute on our roads, let alone the threat they pose to safety and security, security in the sense that it aids the easy movement of weapons and ammunitions and also the sudden influx of many okada riders who came into Lagos after they were banned in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo and other states. This in itself is a threat to the city of Lagos.

Despite the annoyance in many Lagosians, we can’t but agree with Governor Fashola when he said “visit the hospitals and emergency wards and see those who have lost limbs, arms, those who had lost children or those who had become orphans by the recklessness of the okada riders.

Honestly, Nigerians should expect that if we must progress as a nation, many more difficult and unpopular laws and decisions would be needed. The only challenge is that our leaders have a knack for doing good things in bad ways, which majorly questions the sanity in their policy. Look at the fuel subsidy issue that put the entire nation to a stand-still in January for instance, and here again is Fashola destroying bikes. They shouldn’t have destroyed those seized bikes. Not for any reason! That in my opinion is cruel. Like some other states did, they should have made plans for them to pay more to receive brand new tricycles instead of their seized bikes. Nigerian politicians need to develop sensitivity and a human face to leadership; hence of what essence is democracy!

Trust they say is built on antecedents. Until Nigerians have a higher level of trust in their leaders, unpopular decisions taken by politicians will always be yelled at and seen as anti-people. This same spontaneous Governor in collaboration with his party gave out free crash helmets to okada riders during the 2011 general election and now it’s a different ball game entirely.

Fashola actually once said it’s only a dumb student that repeats a class. The denotation of this statement might actually be responsible for many of the overzealous laws that have characterized the second term of his administration. Or how else do you explain that a governor who doubles as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who in every sense should actually know better, will zealously and unreasonably criminalize traffic offenses.

Lagosians are not dumb. All they are angry and mad at is that Fashola and his group of advisers are yet to understand the concept of creating alternatives.  And that for every action there will be several equal and opposite reactions.

Many of these okada men used to be artisans; welders, carpenters, tailors and the rest. Just like a welder I spoke with asked me “when there’s no light to work, how do I buy diesel and still make money? So I’d to settle for okada. No be say me self won die now”. Lagos state government needs to think deep about the aftermath of the widened gap between the haves and don’t haves.

Fashola recently in Lagos urged business executives and corporate leaders to be mindful of the type of ventures they support, emphasizing that tricycles known as Keke Marwa represents the sign of India’s age of poverty which the country is doing so much to do away with by busy manufacturing TATA buses. Fashola said he wonders how Nigerians are now embracing it wholeheartedly. On the contrary, I wonder why he can’t learn the simple lesson of creating alternatives from the same Indian government he used as example.

In a society majorly comprised of the jobless and the poor, with no hope of social security, a society where hunger beat many soft like clay, you just don’t preach normalcy and order by banning a bad thing that comes with several good benefits. Moreover the ruling class will never have a feel of the consequences of such drastic actions. So how on earth do they expect people to see sanity in their decisions?

 

Many of our roads are so bad and un-motorable. I had to take the picture of this part of Mushin road, a route I take almost every day. When you consider the traffic caused by such roads especially when it rains, okada becomes the available alternative if you must meet up. Ijegun road, Jakande Estate in Oke-afa in Isolo to Ejigbo road got some attention after so much complains, yet it hasn’t been completed donkey years after the contract has been awarded.

The Lagos State government needs to do more in terms of infrastructure, transportation and good roads, before coming up with harsh laws and decisions. Fashola needs to be reminded that his tenure made all Lagosians, including bike men who pay for various nameless tickets, pay more in tax than any previous administration. Lagosians are playing their part. We can’t wait to see the tax collected transform the whole of Lagos and not some designated areas.

Eko o ni baje!

Follow @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.

Blogs @ www.larigold.blogspot.com

#INSIGHTWITHLARIGOLD runs on www.omojuwa.com every Saturday.