Fashola is just exercising the level
of his crudeness. In recent times he has always contradicted himself.
Shortly after the 2007 elections
that brought him in, he said: "It's only a dullard that repeats a
class" meaning, he won't re-contest in 2011, because he prides himself as
the most intelligent Governor in Nigeria then, owing to the intimidating media
publicity he enjoys in Lagos.
But today, the chickens have come
home to roost, as the achievements of uncommon governors like the Akpabios,
Obis, Lamidos, Kwakwansos, Imokes, Uduaghans, have shown us that Fashola's
performance(s) don't make him the best.
On May 29, 2011, I was among
thousands of Lagosians who thronged the Tafawa Balewa Square for his 'Repeat of
Class' when he said: "I shall bring education to the door-step of the poor
masses in Lagos."
But in a sharp contrast, Fashola in
September that same 2011, steeply and outrageously hiked LASU tuition fees with
a over 1, 000 per cent....continue
Despite countless protests by
activists like us, newspaper editorials, radio and tv commentaries, features
and news stories, letters of appeal, appeal by our revered Pa Lateef Jakande
and other eminent Nigerians like the late Bamidele Aturu, Falana, Obanikoro,
Dosunmu, et al, Fashola never budged, until the forthcoming election drew nigh.
In that dramatic u-turn in September
2011, Fashola shut the doors of tertiary education to the poor masses in Lagos,
whom he promised to protect their interests just 4 months back that year.
Fashola promised to complete
the Lagos Light Rail, as well as the Lagos-Badagry Expressway before the end of
his administration, but just some days back, he made a passionate appeal that
he would no longer be able to complete the projects.
That Ambode, a man he vehemently
detested for allegedly diverting Lagos funds into Tinubu's account, while the
Accountant-General of Lagos, would continue where he stopped.
Recall that Fashola never trust the
safety of Lagos in Ambode's hands, that was why he antagonized his emergence,
but rather went for Obafemi Hamzat and later Olasupo Shasore.
Recall that Fashola gave Ambode a
soft-landing for that alleged illegal act he committed while the
Accountant-General of Lagos.
These Lagos Light Rail and the
Lagos-Badagry expressway, are among numerous other abandoned projects and
uncommenced projects littering across Lagos.
But the same Fashola in several
journalistic style of Afghanistanism accused GEJ of failing Nigerians.
Fashola recently told Lagosians that
the candidate of the PDP, Jimi Agbaje is too old to govern Lagos at 50+, yet
his party's Presidential candidate is officially 73, but unofficially 86.
What a confused analogy!
Fashola's-led government recently commended
the PDP candidate in Lagos for being a good Lagosian in the payment of taxes,
but in a hypocritical contrast, just some days to the elections, is making
Lagosians believe Jimi Agbaje is a tax defaulter.
Someone who has resigned as the
Director of a pharmaceutical firm since 2007, should have nothing to do with
the ongoings of that same firm.
If I must raise some issues here, do
we think Tinubu, Lai Mohammed, Bisi Akandes of this world pay their taxes
promptly? If they do, let them be the first to throw stones (I mean, publish
their own tax clearances or institute legal action against JK) and let's see
how it goes.
Fashola told us that it's only GEJ
that has failed Nigerians, that himself and all APC governors haven't .
But I make bold to say that Fashola
should not be carried away by the perks and spoils of office.
He and the present crop of leaders
in this country have failed this generation.
How? For instance in Lagos, since
the emergence of Democracy, Lagosians are yet to get all the roads fixed; all
the hospitals fixed; all the schools (basic and tertiary) fixed.
Lagosians are yet to be saved from
slums and ghettos given the huge federal allocation and IGR it generates over
the last 16 years.
Lagosians had since the return of
our khaki boys to the barracks not enjoyed adequate access to free and potable
drinking water.
Lagosians are still prone to floods;
Lagosians are daily meted with constant harassments by our security agencies
(police, KAI, LASTMA, VIO, FRSC among other plethora of uniform-bandying touts)
and more unfortunately, irresponsible illiterates and touts in the name of
"Agberos" and yet our 'Holy Michael' Governor Fashola said himself
and Tinubu et al have not failed.
Moreso, rather than give Lagosians
low-cost houses like our revered Pa Lateef Jakande did when Lagos' IGR and its
monthly allocation was paltry, Fashola never did.
With his elitist Homes Scheme, he
has further shut the door closed of getting affordable shelters for Lagosians.
For instance, in 2007, when Fashola
came to Ajegunle for a bulldozing spree, he promised to build a road to ease
the log-jam in AJ, where houses numbering over 1,000 were bulldozed and the
residents given no recourse.
As I speak, that place has seen not
a single heavy-duty construction equipment mobilised to show Fashola is an
Action Governor like Pa Jakande.
Yet he said he has not failed
Lagosians.
Fashola had been constructing Ojoku
Road, Ajegunle, a major road which links to Tolu Complex housing the largest
concentration of schools (primary and secondary) any where in Lagos, since
2007.
It is rather wicked that till date,
the few meters road is incomplete, yet Fashola feels he is a Saint.
In the same Ajegunle that has just
about five major state roads, only the Cemetery-Ajegunle road has been fixed by
the APC-led government in 16 years, whereas places like Surulere, VI, Ikeja,
Ikoyi continue to be rehabilitated every now and then.
Let me inform this forum, that in
Ajegunle, the other four major roads where built by the military administration
of IBB, and they have no drainage channels as well as street lights, that is
why Ajegunle still suffer flooding every rainy season.
For the avoidance of doubt, the
roads are:
1. Suru Alaba-Ojo road axis
2. Baale-Otto Wolf road
3. Tolu-Berger Suya road
4. Tolu-Idewu road
2. Baale-Otto Wolf road
3. Tolu-Berger Suya road
4. Tolu-Idewu road
Even the Coconut road linking
Awodi-ora, to ease traffic along the Tincan-Apapa road is yet to be completed
because the street lights are yet to lit the area for one day.
The list of the 'talking-with-tongue-in-cheek'
actions of Fashola is endless.
However, just like GEJ, Fashola
should not be said not to have performed, as that will be an academic
argumentative sojourn. Howbeit, for Fashola to always take the position of a
Saint on every issue of governance, shows the crudeness and thoughtlessness of
today's leaders.
If he has not failed Lagosians in
any guise or form, let him 'cast the first stone on the adulterous woman.'
Time shall come when these wool and
peck of woods in the eyes of Lagosians shall be removed!
God bless Lagosians!
God bless Nigeria!
God bless Nigerians
