The immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, on Tuesday, formally declared his intention to contest the Lagos State governorship election, promising to implement policies that would favour the masses if elected into office.
Obanikoro, who is running for governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, said the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration had only succeeded in providing for the rich in the society while the poor had been neglected.
He said it was unfortunate that billions were being spent in highbrow areas like Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Lekki while highly congested areas like Alimosho and Mushin lacked basic infrastructure.
He said, “Governor Fashola can be commended for his efforts, it is now obvious to all that the major beneficiaries of policies and governance over the past eight years have been the privileged and the affluent. We have seen the focus of government and major infrastructural upgrade in the areas harbouring the rich and privileged.
“We have seen billions spent to link Ozumba Mbadiwe Road with Falomo Bridge; we have seen billions spent to link Lekki with Ikoyi; we have seen billions spent in sand filling our waters in order to construct low cost housing.
“We have seen billions spent on Bourdillon Road and so on. I believe it is time for a new direction. I believe it is time for government to spend billions on upgrading the infrastructures in Alimosho, in Somolu, in Epe, in Badagry, in Agege, in Mushin, in Ikorodu, in Kosofe, in Ajeromi.
“It is time to focus on the masses and majority of Lagosians, for only when the masses are catered for, and only when the masses thrive in Lagos can we truly say Lagos is working. That is the Lagos of my dream and that is what I call a greater Lagos.”
Obanikoro berated a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whom he said had continued to rule the state by proxy since he left office in 2007.
He urged the people of the state to vote against the All Progressives Congress next year as this was the only way true change could come to the people.
The former minister said his government would be hinged on three factors: “Grassroots governance, simple solutions – where we immediately address our most critical challenges and education.”
He said, “Are you aware that 70 per cent of the patients in our hospitals in Lagos are there because of malaria? Imagine that the congestion, long queues, typically experienced in our hospitals are as a result of malaria. I propose we introduce malaria centres.
“We will create malaria centres across all local governments in Lagos dedicated to providing preventive and responsive malaria treatment to our citizens. Research tells us that this initiative alone will immediately decongest our hospitals by over 50 per cent and allow our doctors focus on patients with more severe ailments.”
Also speaking at the rally, a former Student Union President of the Lagos State University, Damola Olanrewaju, berated the Fashola administration for increasing school fees and only reducing it a few months to the elections.
He said, “Fifteen years ago, when they took over, LASU fees was N250, then Tinubu increased it to N25,000. Fashola then increased it to N250,000 but as a former student union leader, I had to mobilise with others to ensure that it was brought down.
“Lagos is built on commerce and trade and it has always been the cynosure of all eyes. But things are not encouraging. Even if you just want to advertise on your car, the state government will ask you to pay.
“Only Obanikoro can bring a revolution in Lagos. When we looked at all the candidates, we saw that only Obanikoro could relate with the masses. He sold newspapers and furniture on the streets of Lagos as a youth.”
The National Vice Chairman of the South-West PDP, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, said the PDP would chase out the APC from the state just as Governor Ayodele Fayose flushed out the APC from Ekiti State in June.
Source: The Punch
