by ‘Jola Sotubo

The Chairman of the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Kehinde
Bamgbetan, has asked the public to disregard recent online reports
indicating that Former Governor Bola Tinubu is one of the owners the Lekki
Concession Company (LCC). He said this in the light of the reports from a
news website, The Will, which reported that the former senator as being
part owner of the company.

In a press release on Wednesday, signed by the Lagos State Finance
Commissioner, Ayo Gbeleyi, and the Attorney General, Ade Ipaye, the state
government explained, “(We are) engaged in buying back the rights
pertaining to the concession ahead of the 30-year period stipulated in the
Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) Concession Agreement. This is
to be achieved by purchasing all the shares in LCC.”

However, due to inexplicable reasons, The Will in its interpretation of
the events carried a rider on its story claiming that the Lagos state
government “says it is buying back rights from Tinubu, other investors for
N15 billion.”

According to Mr. Bamgbetan, who was the Chief Press Secretary to Sen.
Tinubu, “I have read the statement by the Commissioner for Finance of Lagos State twice and there is no where it was mentioned that the buy back was from Tinubu as an investor. This is the height of journalistic irresponsibility. It is editorializing. This is a continuation of the smear campaign The Will has been engaged in against Tinubu and Governor Fashola. They give journalism a bad name.”

He challenged The Will to point out to its readers where Tinubu’s name was
mentioned in the statement or provide proof that he is indeed an investor
in LCC.