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Tag: Fashola

  • Tambuwal, Oshiomhole, Fashola, Orji mourn ‘nation’s mum’

    Tambuwal, Oshiomhole, Fashola, Orji mourn ‘nation’s mum’

    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal has described the death of Mama Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo as a great loss.

    In a statement, Tambuwal described the matriarch of the Awolowo family as a unique human being whose virtuosity, influence and charisma will be sorely missed.

    The governor urged the Federal Government to immortalise her.

    His Edo State counterpart, Adams Oshiomhole, described Mrs. Awolowo as an avatar and a “pillar of Christian propriety and fountain of humanism, who was always eager to dispense goodwill to all”.

    Oshiomhole said: “The Awolowo family and the people of Ogun State have lost a good woman, the towering figure who stood strong behind her children.

    “Mama H.I.D was a pillar of Christian propriety and fountain of humanism, always eager to dispense goodwill to all who came to her.

    “Although Mama was advanced in age, we appreciate the depth of the grief of her children and family, knowing how affectionately close and tightly-knitted the family is. Our hearts are with the family at this difficult period.”

    Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has said “the nation’s mother has translated to immortality”.

    “I condole with with the Awolowo family at this moment of physical separation and bereavement.

    “No words will suffice to describe how sorely mama will be missed. But I am confident that the memory of mama’s legacy, her national service without a title, and the pride of her life’s work will build bridges of comfort for the family,” he stated.

    The senator representing Abia Central Senatorial Zone, Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, said: “I had looked forward to her 100th birthday in November which would have been announced with pomp and pageantry.

    “I had known Mama over the years as a woman dedicated to her husband. She was in a class of her own. Always working in the background, exhibiting the real meaning of the virtuous woman King Solomon spoke about in Proverbs 31.

    “She was kind to all she came across and was never known to discriminate; rather she treated everyone equally.”

  • Fashola’s twitter account hacked

    Fashola’s twitter account hacked

    Immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola has alerted the public that his twitter account @tundefashola has been compromised by hackers who posted four tweets in a language that resembled Japanese.

    According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello on Saturday, the twitter account must have been compromised on Friday, as members of the public, who follow the former Governor, started calling to draw attention to the strange tweets in the early hours of Saturday.
    Ex- Governor Fashola also recently dissociated himself from a facebook scam, whereby some unscrupulous persons used his photographs and ascribe fictitious statements to him to defraud innocent people.
    Bello said the conmen have, through Facebook, been urging unsuspecting people to apply for some government facilities or utilities meant to benefit the public but to which some agencies of government have been given the responsibility to manage.
    One of such information titled, “Disbursement of Subsidy Dividend (SURE-P)” purported to have been issued by the former Governor is informing “Citizens that Subsidy proceed is available for Agro and commercial business”, and asking them to “Apply for soft loan with no collateral, zero percent interest rate and flexible terms”.
    While advising members of the public to always clarify with the appropriate agencies of government at all levels before engaging in any dealings with people purportedly working for them, Bello urged people to report to the law enforcement agencies so that those involved in the nefarious acts can be made to face the wrath of the law.

  • Tinubu: why Fashola is under stinking attacks

    Tinubu: why Fashola is under stinking attacks

    Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the attacks on his successor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola. He remains proud of Fashola and will never be part of any part of any process to bring him down, he said yesterday.

    Tinubu, in a statement by his media office yesterday, said Fashola would be victorious in the end.

    He said the immediate past governor contributed immensely to the development of Lagos.

    The statement reads: “The past elections were an epic confrontation between two opposing political camps. Those who believed in the progressive governance of the people gathered under the banner of the APC. Those who hearkened to the conservative elitism that had cast this nation downward for so many years.

    “The elections clearly showed the preference of the average Nigerian.  They chose the APC and rejected the PDP nationally and in Lagos State. Since the commanding victory of the APC in Lagos and all over Nigeria, the enemies of progressive governance have cleverly been at work, trying to regain through intrigue and subterfuge what they so openly and fairly lost in the elections.

    “Our political opponents now try to steal victory when their only entitlement is resounding defeat.

    “Having fared woefully with the electorate, their game plan is to sow discord within the ranks of the party people had chosen to lead them. The PDP hopes to strike division in the APC, in that way weakening us and our ability to govern.

    “Apprised of their wiles, we in the progressive camp must be wiser still. We must not allow ourselves to be pawns in this cynical strategy. We cannot fall into their obvious snares for that would be embracing defeat when victory has already been won. It is our responsibility to govern as the people want. It would be to our detriment to fall victim to our opponent’s sly instigations by allowing ourselves to be utensils picking each other apart.

    “This brings me to recent developments in the Lagos political scene. Born of this motley stew is the recent gossip mongering that I have wilfully instigated false and negative reports against former Governor Fashola to thwart him from being appointed to a major post in the Buhari administration. I want to declare clearly and categorically that these rancid attacks do not come from me nor do I endorse them. Neither my hand nor my heart is in these mean submissions. I deplore them. An attack against the performance of Governor Fashola is indirectly an attack against me and the edifice of achievements we have constructed in leading Lagos State out of a protracted time of stagnation and into an era of sustained progress and development.

    “Lagos is a much better place than when we came into governance in 1999. Each year, it has gotten better. With the APC at the helm, each subsequent year will be better yet.  Babatunde Fashola has been an integral part of this improvement. He does not deserve the pillory. His record has been applauded and will continue to be when all this rumour mongering has died natural and quick death.

    “I am proud to say that I played an instrumental role in bringing Governor Fashola into politics in the first instance. He served as my trusted chief of staff, performing excellently in that role. Due to his leadership qualities and diligent work ethic, I endorsed him for governor notwithstanding the stiff and vocal opposition of many. I am not ashamed of backing him. I believe the progress the state made under his administration has more than vindicated my endorsement.

    “Fashola, the present Governor Akin Ambode including myself are the products of a progressive political institution and its programmatic expressions. I laid the governance foundation and started the first lap, running as well as I could. I handed the baton to Fashola, knowing he would do the same. He did; he ran as well as he could. Now, he has handed to Ambode who is off and running as well as he can.  We have achieved much in Lagos; but, we recognise as much as anyone that we have much more to do.

    “We also know that progress is fragile and easily undone while destruction is easily transacted but hard to undo. I for one I’m not the type to tear down my own house or to bring my enemy’s rubbish into it.

    “We must remember something. We have always governed Lagos state as an open forum where democracy and free expression were respected. Those who are against us were never placed in fear of the heavy hand of government descending on them even as they played funny tricks. We also must remember than in any democracy, a number of people will always oppose you no matter the quality of your performance. If an office holder has an approval rating of 70 per cent, this means, in Lagos, roughly five million people dislike the person. Also remember the PDP is just recently out of office at the federal level and that it built a vast, unprecedented financial war chest to contest the elections. The residual of that war chest is still at work, buying media space to plant rumours in hopes of spreading discord through the APC. Thus, the enemy camp may be a minority but it is a large and well-funded one that knows its only chance lies in us attacking each other.

    “I for one will not bend to the artificial provocation of those seeking to tear at what we have painstakingly built over the years. In my mind, Governor Fashola and I are and shall always be political allies and fellow travelers on a vital journey; that alliance is unshakeable and our journey must not be interrupted. I would no more attack his character or his administration than I would attack myself.

    “I see this present moment as crucial to Nigeria’s future. The nation faces acute challenges of security, corruption and economic development. Our task is to create policies that bring prosperity, dignity and hope to all. Great change is in reach because we have progressive governments at the federal and state levels for the first time. With great change at hand, it would be a terrible abdication of our duty to allow agents provocateur to prompt us to suspect and toss dirt at each other at a time when we should be focused on building a better, more equitable nation and society.

    “I for one shall never allow myself to be a tool of a political enemy that has nothing good in mind for Nigeria. I for one will never engage in the intramural character attacks of which I am being accused. I stand for the unity of the APC and for the progressive purpose we serve. I will not be guilty of tearing down our progressive house, not a brick of it. That I vow to all.”

  • Fashola: Aftergame or endgame?

    Speculators may be correct about the existence of a wall in between two former governors of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Mr. Babatunde Fashola. But the specifications of the wall may well be beyond the scope of speculation. It is an instructive demonstration of changed and changing circumstances that the one who empowered the other has been linked with the demystification of power, but it is another matter altogether whether the power of demystification is potent enough to achieve its objective.

    The August 18 Lagos launch of three books on Fashola’s time in power was like reading a book on power and its consequences. His memorable era as governor of the megacity was captured by his media aide, Hakeem Bello, and Dapo Adeniyi in the titles “The Great Leap”, “In Bold Print” and “The Lagos Blow Down”. But the celebratory ceremony had the appearance of a blow down of Fashola’s well-publicised pluses in governance, particularly because of the significative shunning by the cream of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Of course, there was a tokenistic representation of the party’s soul, but it was a presence symbolic of a parting.

    The stage provided thought-provoking insights into the drama. Tinubu’s representative, Prof. Tunde Samuel, was quoted as saying: “Fashola acquired a lot of apprenticeship in a wired political engineering and this further helped his actions while in office. I am happy  that  your ruggedness in office has shown Lagosians and Nigerians that Asiwaju took a very good decision when he made you his Chief of Staff and later two-time Governor of Lagos State…We are happy about your success in office and we believe the sky is your limit.” It is unclear how much of what the speaker said was politically influenced, but the implications of his historicization were obvious enough.

    On the same stage, Mr. Fola Adeola, a former chairman of Guaranty Trust Bank who chaired the occasion, painted a telling picture of things behind the scenes. He reportedly said: “I believe everybody that came here today considers Fashola as a friend, brother, cousin, so I greet everyone and welcome them. I will also say some people are here just because they are brave and not afraid. The people who are here are simply telling him that no matter what, they still remain his friend.”  Adeola’s words were important more for what he left unsaid than for what he said. Questions: Who are those no longer friends with Fashola and why? Why would anyone be afraid to attend a book launch?

    There is no doubt that the books and the launch were publicity stunts. The truth is that if gubernatorial grading is informed by fair-minded measurement of results, and devoid of the narrow-mindedness that comes with judging on extra-governmental grounds, Fashola cannot by any stretch of the imagination be qualified as undistinguished.

    It was fitting that Adeola was quoted as saying at the event: “I was in Benin and somebody was talking about Lagos State and Fashola. I was surprised and wondered where they knew him from. Also in Kano State during Governor Kwakwanso’s tenure, a young man was saying his governor is trying to replicate what Fashola is doing in Lagos in the state. So in my dictionary, Fashola represents every good thing.”  Indeed, so exemplary was Fashola’s administrative competence in a country used to mediocrities in power that ahead of the general elections held a few months ago, there was a serious public debate in his favour concerning his suitability for vice-president in a dream tag team with Muhammadu Buhari.

    To the extent that he demonstrably left Lagos State a better place than he met it, even if he allegedly merely actualised the grand vision of his predecessor and sponsor, Fashola does not deserve a place in the hall of infamy.  But the ways of politics and politicians are polyvalent, which is the central point about the aftergame that may prove to be an endgame.

    While Fashola may have offended party hierarchs based on misapprehensions and miscalculations encouraged by power, it is indisputable that while the romance lasted he was an awesome advertisement for his party and its leadership.  Fashola’s sins in the eyes of those he displeased by his failure to recognise his limits and limitations in the political game and the political space should not be considered too outrageous to be forgiven.

    It is revealing that Fashola himself is under no illusion as to the plot to rubbish him and his achievements. In an earlier statement, he referred to “manipulated and unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing.” He said: “They range from allegations of extramarital paternity of children, to mundane and phantom conspiracy in the National Assembly, a debt profile for Lagos State and lately a website upgrade contract of N78 million, which is being distorted.”

    The tragedy of Fashola’s apparent reduction within his party is that it provides ammunition to the opposition. Given the ugly picture of intra-party dissonance, it won’t be surprising if the opposition launches its own anti-Fashola campaign.

    Ultimately, the biggest casualty may be Fashola’s political future. Now that his party is in power at the federal level, Fashola’s fans are realistically hoping he would play an important role in the central government on the basis of his impressive governorship credentials. It would be an unmerited anti-climax if his political ascent is forced to plateau at this stage, considering the great promise of his governorship years.

    However, the APC cannot expect to go through the circumstances unscathed. Its progressive image will be badly dented by any dent inflicted on a rising and shining star in its firmament. As a symbol of the possibilities of developmental governance, Fashola just can’t be ignored. Those who appreciate that development always comes with a price tag acknowledge the great leap and bold print of the Fashola years in Lagos State. Nothing can blow these down.

    If what looks like an aftergame develops into an endgame, it would be an unwelcome ending to a political interconnection that has benefited Lagos State and deserves to be replayed to the country’s advantage.

  • The many books on Fashola

    The many books on Fashola

    Three books on the stewardship of former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola were presented on Tuesday.  The books chronicled the achievements, speeches and landmarks of Fashola’s tenure.  Edozie Udeze writes on the essence of the books that show a leader among leaders

    Many of the guests tried to decode the puzzle; the underlying factor behind the motivation to write three books on the era of one person and then present them all to the public on the same day.  The three books, described as a trilogy are The Great Leap, In Bold Print-thoughts of Babatunde Raji Fashola and The Lagos Blow Down – West Africa’s first controlled demolition.  While the first two were solely compiled and edited by Hakeem Bello, erstwhile Media Adviser to the governor, the third was jointly edited by Bello and Dapo Adeniyi, the idea of which was to document the monumental era of an action governor, who, right from the first day in office showed Lagosians that he was prepared to work.

    The public presentation of the books on Tuesday in Lagos attracted an unprecedented crowd, most of whom came to identify with a man they described as a leader who came and actualised a dream, a very big dream for that matter, for the state.  This was a dream he took time to perfect and really actualised so as to take Lagos to the mega state level.

    Presenting the review of the book, The Great Leap, Dr. Wumi Raji, said “Before Babatunde Raji Fashola presented himself to be governor, he took his time to understudy the state, to understand the many needs and yearnings of the people.  Even though, he got to office by chance because Lai Mohammed had suddenly resigned as the Chief of Staff to Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu when he was the governor, Fashola had seen the problems of the people of the state as the focal point of his regime.”

    A lecturer in the department of English Language, Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ife, Osun State, Raji made it clear in his review that the books were put together to enable the public have a perception of a dynamic leader who promptly travelled round the world at a point to be able to know and see firsthand the ideals and characteristics of a mega city.  He did this in order to know how to make the state work.  Even today he has risen to be one of the best known politicians in the land.”

    Essentially, he touched the areas of public transportation, security, education, the environment, health and more to improve on the standard of living of the teeming population in Lagos.  When it was time to carry the people along, he never hesitated to do so.  He made tough policies but with human face because he knew that the state needed to be made a better place for the people.  In fact, at a point Fashola wondered aloud how people could overcome poverty when they had six members of one family living in one room.

    For him, therefore, poverty can only be eradicated, can only be conquered when people set their priorities right.  It is when people have the opportunity to work and earn a living that they can be said to be human and responsible in ways most citizens are expected to be.  Indeed, part of the content of the book is reminding people about the agenda setting put together by Fashola who took into his team the best brains, the foremost professionals in the state to work with.  “Part of this is the usage of Public Private Partnership (PPP) to achieve most of the goals he set for the state.  And you cannot turn the light rail on, you can’t achieve the status of a mega city if the technocrats and professionals who know it all are not fully involved.”

    See how the Eko Atlantic project has been made feasible.  And soon, what many thought would not be possible would be realised.  “This was why he was seen as a kind of metaphor in most of the newspaper reports.  As he tried to leave office, he realised that even when a leader has done well to improve the society, he sometimes too makes mistakes.  But mistakes are part of human failings for which Fashola was no exception.”

    Earlier in his opening remarks Fola Adeola, a seasoned banker had noted that in life, everybody is important and that Fashola should be grateful that even after he has left office, such number of people came to grace an occasion put together in his name.  “This shows that what you did in office are still glittering before the people.  You no longer award contracts or control state funds; you are no more in-charge, yet people turned out in their numbers to identify with you today.  Well, it all goes to show and prove that in the fullest of time, everything resolves and dissolves.  Fashola is that constant star that made things work; someone that believed in the programmes of the society.  Now a role model has left office and my prayer is that we do not have to wait for too long to have another Fashola.  While in office he meant everything that is correct, that in most other states of the Federation, people clamoured for their leaders to copy and emulate Fashola.  In fact, for a man who took decisions on behalf of over 22 million citizens, let us give kudos to him,” Adeola said.

    In his own review of one of the books titled In Bold Print, Dr. Olatunji Dare of The Nation Newspapers, harped on the need for leaders to be transparent and accountable at all times.  “This is what Fashola stood for.”   Read on his behalf by Angela Adetumobi, a broadcaster, Dare insisted that this is a book that chronicles an era; an era full of achievements in different spheres of public accountability where Fashola was busy enriching the state.  This was a luminous period in time, as the book is a judicious selection of over 600 speeches delivered at different fora by the governor.  The speeches each dwelt on his achievements, on what he did to increase the quality of lives of the people.  What is Great Leap if they are not speeches of an icon?”  Dare posed.

    He went on to situate most of the topics raised in the compilations this way – “Oh, yes, he is an exceptional achiever.  At a point, Fashola was voted one of the 700 most outstanding personalities in the world.  This was so because the world considered Lagos as one of the most congested cities in the world.  And Fashola was wont to solve most of the social and commercial conflicts affecting the citizenry in his domain.  Other leaders in this category, so recognized by the world, were Lula Da Silva of Brazil, Ellen Sirleaf of Liberia and a few others.  Fashola never lost his respect in the eyes of the people who saw in him a leader capable of leading Lagos to the state of Eldorado.  And since he had that article of faith, he therefore set out to comprehensively transform and set things aright.  A meticulous politician in all respects, governor Fashola made his tenure people-oriented, well-focused with well-articulated projects to enhance the quality of lives in the state.

    Dare reminded guests that with the vision of Fashola as governor, it was easier for most public utilities to function to the fullest.  “See how he fought the Ebola scourge,” he quipped.  “He also expanded businesses and ensured that entrepreneurs did well to improve their lots.  This was basically so because security was at its best and people keyed into the programmes to engage in the activities of the day,” Dare concluded.

    In his own review, Moses Ogunleye, a town planner, looked more into the area of town planning and how Fashola reordered the aesthetics of the state.  “Yes, he made Oshodi a pleasant place,” Ogunleye posited.  “From a no-go-area, to one of the best commercial areas, Oshodi is today a place to do business.  Many thought it would not be possible but he made it so pleasant, so conducive that you do not need to spend hours to go through Oshodi anymore.”

    He noted however, that Fashola established the Building Reforms Agency to tackle so many social issues bordering on town planning and collapsed buildings which at a point became a big headache in the state.  Indeed, the high point of it all was when the Bank of Industries (BOI) building was raised down in 2008.  The demolition exercise which was shown on the screen for people to see was done in a way to avoid inflicting colossal damages or having effects on other nearby buildings.

    In his response, Fashola gave details of how that exercise was successfully carried out without rancour or acrimony.  He first of all acknowledged the role Bello played to make his tenure good.  “Above all, these books were made possible by him.  He documented these events and he has always shown that he is a top class journalist.  Oh, yes, too, I learnt a lot from Ahmed Tinubu who is my predecessor in office.  He set the ball rolling and today the rest is history,” the ex-governor, surmised.

    Fashola also punctured the result of the 2006 national census, but cautioned that if the next year’s edition is not done well, it will affect what projects the Lagos State government many have in place for the masses.  “We need to have an accurate census so that we will have a great plan for the people.  Now, we have begun to say that Nigeria is over 180 million people.  Who is sure?  And that is why we have to be in our houses to be counted when the time comes,” he remonstrated, amid cheers from guests.

    Professor Babatunde Samuel who stood in for Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu  described Fashola as a man who was destined to be governor.  “He is a high-wired political engineer,” Samuel said.  “I am happy about what is happening today where we have three books dedicated to one leader.  This shows that it is time to reflect on the programmes and is sues raised while Fashola was governor.  Whatever you do today as a leader is your insurance for tomorrow.  People must always recognize people’s ability as leaders to intellectualize leadership and governance.  Today, we can proudly say that Tinubu was right in his choice of Fashola as the governor of the state.  We now congratulate you because, on your own part, you have proved also that Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu had the necessary foresight in choosing you as a leader of the people.  Indeed, we hope you will be called for a higher national service to the nation, for we know that the sky is the limit for you,” Samuel, a former commissioner in the state, said.

    Almost everybody who spoke paid glowing tribute to Fashola.  But above all, the three books, meticulously articulated by the duo of Hakeem Bello and Dapo Adeniyi exposed the extent of leadership by Fashola.  The duo are well-tested professional journalists who have risen to the pinnacle of their career.  The books in their epitome showed that the years of Fashola as governor truly touched on all fabrics of human lives in the state.  In the compilation, they did not leave any important detail out essentially to let history judge Fashola as a leader who came, saw and conquered.  He is a leader who deployed the huge resources of the state to better the society and empower a lot of people to be able to survive the fortitude and rigours of life.

    In a way, the trilogy is a compendium that will help scholars and politicians in future to dissect the nuances of a leader who did not disappoint his people when they needed him most.  So many new ideas that had helped to build the state; to build a concrete bridge between peoples of all classes and races were raised at the occasion.

  • I am proud of Fashola, says Tinubu

    I am proud of Fashola, says Tinubu

    •Three books on ex-governor launched in Lagos

    Former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has said he is proud of his successor and former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

    Tinubu spoke yesterday at the public presentation of three books – The Great Leap; In Bold Print, and The Lagos Blow Down– compiled in honour of Fashola by one of his aides, Hakeem Bello. It was all at the Muson Centre, Onikan.

    The three books, which are compilations of about a thousand speeches and thoughts of Fashola in his eight years as governor, were reviewed by Prof. Olatunji Dare (The Great Leap and In Bold Print); Dr. Wumi Raji (The Great Leap) and Moses Ogunlewe (The Lagos Blow Down).

    Represented by a Lagos APC chieftain, Prof. Tunde Samuel, Tinubu said Fashola added value to Lagos by combining rugged intellectualism and hard work.

    “Tinubu is happy that Fashola has taken a step further to reflect on his performance audit. The reviewers have recognised Fashola’s ability to combine intellectualism with a determination to succeed.”

    The chairman of the event, Fola Adeola, expressed joy that Fashola was a governor in his lifetime. He said Fashola, in his dictionary, means “everything is correct”.

    According to him, Fashola took the right decisions in the eight years he was governor and did his job very well.

    One-time Lagos State Finance Commissioner, Mr. Olawale Edun said Fashola did well for the state and posterity will be kind to him.

    He noted that students of history, politics and governance have a lot to learn from the former governor, especially in infrastructure, social services and economy.

    Lagos APC’s spokesman Joe Igbokwe said Fashola was at the front burner of the successes recorded by the party.

    “I worked with him for eight years and so I know him very well. I know the state of Lagos he met and I know the state of Lagos he left; he added value to Lagos,” Igbokwe said.

    Prof. Olatunji Dare, represented by broadcaster Mrs. Angela Ajetumobi, said the review was his first post-retirement assignment. He described Fashola as an exceptional achiever, adding that he took in his stride, every attempt by the Federal Government to cripple his administration without losing his focus, temper and tempo.

    Dare maintained that Fashola succeeded because of his conviction that he who seeks public office must prepare for it.

    Fashola, recounting events that led to the controlled demolition of the Bank of Industry (BoI) building, said the last ten seconds of the demolition were the longest in his life. He added that it was a very challenging moment.

    He noted that the event was in honour of Bello, who he described as a gentleman and consummate professional, whose passion for work epitomises his fidelity for any cause he believes in.

    Fashola acknowledged that no casualties were recorded when the building partially caved in 2006 because Tinubu, as Governor, declared holiday for the people to participate in the census.

  • N78m site upgrade, others: my story, by Fashola

    N78m site upgrade, others: my story, by Fashola

    FORMER Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN, yesterday responded to allegation that he used N78 million state funds to update his personal website and that he has children outside wedlock.

    In a statement titled: “Setting the records straight”, the former governor defended his name, saying those sponsoring malicious stories against him missed the point.

    The statement reads: “When you wrestle with a pig, the pig gets happy and you get dirty.”

    “This statement of profound wisdom informed my silence in the wake of manipulated and unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing levelled against me. They started a few weeks to the end of my tenure, and have continued till date.

    “They range from extra marital paternity of children to mundane and phantom conspiracy in the National Assembly, a debt profile for Lagos State and lately a website upgrade contract of N78 million which whoever it is believes is a “smoking gun”.

    “In so far as the allegations of paternity is concerned, they are wicked and false. I have no biological children other than my two children.

    “Of course, I adopted three children who became orphaned as a result of the tragic DANA Airplane crash of 2012 and the adoption followed due process. Those who do not care whether they hurt innocent children or invade the privacy of other citizens in their mindless rage against me will have their rewards served upon them in the fullness of time.

    “As far as my alleged involvement in the National Assembly elections are concerned they remain only the products of the imagination of those who made the allegations. I was out of the country at the material time and returned only in the early hours of that morning to Abuja, and from there proceeded to Lagos.

    “As far as debts of Lagos State are concerned, the fact is that Lagos has always had debts. Her population is growing and for a long time she has run deficit budgets to cater to the needs of that growing population.

    “All the debts contracted in my time were approved by the Parliament in the annual budgets, some have been paid back and the financial status was healthy and stable when l left. The outlook for the state and her rating by Fitch was long-term foreign and local currency IDRs at ‘BB-’, short-term IDR at ‘B’ and national long-term rating at ‘AA+(nga)’.

    “When we all pause to reflect and think , we will realise that there are a sizable number of companies who are running business, who have no responsibility for Security , Public Health , Public Education and other responsibilities of Government who borrow more than Lagos State Government , whether collectively or individually.

    “As far as the website contract is concerned, yes there was a contract. It went through procurement and was approved by the Government agency authorised to do so.

    “One of the services was an “upgrade” quoted for N12.5 million but awarded for N12 million. There were other services that were new like a handover countdown clock, mobile Apps for Google, IOS and “Ipad, Microsoft, Research in Motion (Rim Blackberry) which the existing website did not have , and annual maintenance and cost for hosting the site.

    “It was for all these services that the contract was issued for N78 million which the Lagos State procurement agency approved on the technical advise of the Ministry of Science and Technology who are the Government adviser on such matters.

    “In publishing this award as the Government tradition under my watch, the procurement agency’s website summarised it as “upgrade” only and which was the suspected “smoking gun”.

    “For those who are familiar with mobile Applications, they will know that users either pay for them online or download them for free.

    “What is usual is that applications for service are usually provided to users free, but somebody bears the cost.

    Since these applications were available to the public for free access and to assist Government communication, we decided to pay for them.

    “The entire documents are with the Lagos State Government and are available for those who seek the truth. For the record, since 2008, since 2008, long before the Freedom of Information Act was ever passed, we had put out all our contracts on the State website because I believe people deserve to know.

    “It is regrettable that a “summary” of the contract has been deliberately distorted to misinform the public.

    “This particular website came into being as a result of the decision I made to make my telephone number public for the several thousands of people seeking to reach me daily.

    “The website that is now under attack helped me to do my job and to respond to them, and the contract was issued to run till my last day of office. It stands logic upside down for me to fraudulently award a contract and then have it published on a website.

    “To date there have been 27.666 million hits on this website, with 1,844 videos, 34,381 photographs , 2,531 Press Releases and 595 Speeches among others.

    “I have chosen to make this response because of many calls, text messages and mails coming from many people and to prevent fiction from being mistaken for truth.

    “I expect that there may be more distorted allegations without evidence, for reasons that  remain in the realm of speculation, but I have been informed reliably that large amounts of money are being paid to some of these agent to bear false witness.

    “I cannot conclude without responding to the crusade of CACOL  seeking my prosecution on allegations that have no proof and writing letters to the Presidency.

    “In case he is unaware, I am not looking for a job, and allegations are not resolved without evidence, neither are they resolved in press conferences.

    “I have served my state and by extension my country for Twelve and half years and I did so with my heart.

    “I am taking the rest that I believe I have earned and wish those who have the responsibility to now serve us the very best in their endeavours.

    “For those who wish to throw mud at me, they should look at their own hands.

    “For those who still wish to remain in the mud, they should look in the mirror.

    “As for me, I have moved on ; my Job is done.”

  • Fashola years in the eye of artist

    Fashola years in the eye of artist

    ‘Could Fashola Years have remained the same without photography? Probably not, for were it not for his liberality in giving access to the photographer, much of contemporary history of Lagos would have been lost and the remnant would only be conjectures with mere written texts. The Fashola Years is an integral part of a continuing present, an encompassing articulation of the social and political memories of not only an artist, but the politician who represents the hopes of the people of Lagos State’

    Lagos is changing in such a daily phenomenal way that many Lagosians who are participant-observers, are not physically conscious of these changes. Take, for example, the rustic and dangerous Oshodi with its notoriety for crime and drugs, and its nerve-breaking snarling traffic. Or is it Ojuelegba and CMS Bus stops, or Orile and Oyingbo axis? On the other extremes are the Lagos Carnival, the Eyo Festival and the boat regatta – all colourful and veritable attractions to ‘natives’ and tourists alike.

    It is within this context that we must locate Lukman Olaonipekun’s The Fashola Years, a photographic compendium of governance, a rich and successful work relationship between a state governor and his official photographer. The exhibition Eyes of History accompanying The Fashola Years is also the natural follow-up on the earlier photo book, Babatunde Fashola: A Story in Photographs with its exhibit titled Lagos: Being and Becoming.

    According to the Curator of Eyes of History, Tam Fiofori, the photographer with his seeing eyes brings us sights of history, culture, lifestyles and landscapes. Lukman Olaonipekun, otherwise known as Lukesh is privileged to document the immediate past executive governor of Lagos State, Babatunde  Fashola in such a compelling manner. Tam Fiofori sums this up as “a vivid visual story of contrast and change from both an aesthetic and physical points of view.” His pictures allows the viewer to enter into the privacy of the governor in rarely seen moments, including lonely late hours, tender interactions with the populace, etc.

    What do we have in Lukesh’s Eyes of History? And what do we know with certainty about these images? Are they spontaneous or are they contrived, and are they true records of what happened in the eight-year stewardship of Babatunde Fashola? These are fragments of moments captured in the Fashola Years as the governor went round Lagos State: aerial photography of Makoko water community on the Lagos Lagoon, a rustic fishing community, the housing scheme in Lagos, the dug-out canoe, the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge taken at sunset, the Third Mainland Bridge, the Eyo Masquerade, the Badagry drummers, the Lagos Carnival, etc.

    Lukesh’s stylistic treatment of the Fashola Years goes beyond the mendacity often synonymous with governance in Nigeria, for the images are graphic and representational, and are progressive in treating the physical changes in Lagos in a descriptive manner. And the proof of all these is a very rich collection of over seven million images taken in the last eight years. The Eyes of History as an exhibit is barely made up of forty photographs but is descriptive enough as to tell the photographer’s story. This is an everyday documentary taken in the course of Governor Fashola’s Years.

    The  Fashola Years is made up of 339 pages with 16 chapters including Foreword written by the first executive governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande. The Fashola Years is a governance statement on security, health, education, housing, environment, transportation, tourism, power, law and order, agriculture, infrastructure, legislature, governance, statesmanship, etc. At his first inaugural address, Fashola promised a brighter and rewarding future with a testament to do it again for the second term. The man’s whose life passion is the administration of law did his level best to practice it in examples. Not for a day did he break the traffic law and he ensured that the menace of siren associated with convoys never had a place in his administration. This book did tell the story of more than a thousand words in pictures.

    One outstanding image in the book is when the governor accosted a senior military officer who broke the traffic law at CMS in Marina, Lagos, a testimony to the social re- engineering and governance in Nigeria and Fashola best put it thus: “What is bad has no other name and when a society decides to live above the law; one of the consequences is that it depreciates the quality of life of the whole society.” Of course, Fashola never for a day in his tenure broke the traffic law. He indeed walked the talk. The subject is the governor and the officer; and the form are intrinsically the spontaneity of the photographer’s presence of mind, or what the critic calls the timeless moment. This is representational of the challenges of the military submitting to civilian authority. But there are other photographs; of the bus mass transit that is attempting to solve the historical Lagos ‘go-slow,’ of interventions in agriculture, housing, global warming and erosion prevention, engineering involving bridges, light railway transportation, aesthetics as in the beautification of parks and gardens, reclamation and reconstruction of canals, interchanges, etc.

    Thus, Lukesh’s image relieves us of the burden of time as memory fades in what Fashola Years was all about. For with time, it is history as recorded and distilled that is remembered and venerated. As observers, we will through Lukesh’s images become either subjective or objective in our remembrances of the changes in Lagos.

    Could Fashola Years have remained the same without photography? Probably not, for were it not for his liberality in giving access to the photographer, much of contemporary history of Lagos would have been lost and the remnant would only be conjectures with mere written texts. The Fashola Years is an integral part of a continuing present, an encompassing articulation of the social and political memories of not only an artist, but the politician who represents the hopes of the people of Lagos State. Lukesh has managed to make himself the recorder of those involved in the events photographed.

    Lukesh, the personal photographer of Fashola started out innocuously enough when he borrowed a camera to document his sister’s wedding. But it was a great moment for him and from there went on to earn some income when he was in the polytechnic. In 2003, he became the personal photographer to the Onigbongbo Local Government Chairman in Ikeja and just three years after became the photographer to Babatunde Fashola. He had been in a series of solo exhibitions, a group exhibition and won several awards. He is the author of two photography books: Babatunde Fashola: A Story in Photographs and The Fashola Years. In 2009, he attended the London School of Photography, is a member of the Photojournalists Association of Nigeria and World Photography Association.

  • Fashola: Facebook scammers using my name

    Fashola: Facebook scammers using my name

    Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday dissociated himself from a Facebook scam, whereby some unscrupulous persons use his photographs and ascribe fictitious statements to him on fake Facebook accounts.

    A statement by Fashola’s Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello,  said the con men have, through Facebook, been urging unsuspecting people to apply for some  government facilities or utilities meant to benefit the public but to which some agencies of government have been given the responsibility to manage.

    One of such information titled: “Disbursement of Subsidy Dividend (SURE-P)” purported to have been issued by the former governor is informing “citizens that subsidy proceed is available for agro and commercial business”, and asking them to “apply for soft loan with no collateral, zero percent interest rate and flexible terms”.

    While advising the public to always clarify with the appropriate agencies before engaging in any dealings with people purportedly working for them, the statement urged people to report to law enforcement agencies so that those involved in the nefarious act can be arrested.