by Eniola Opeyemi
“In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
I write as a concerned member of the Lagos society, not standing in between but airing my view as an active resident and citizen of the renown commercial city of Nigeria, one of the Largest economy in Africa.
I watched with surprise the address by the Executive Governor of Lagos state, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode when he took to the media to address the challenges he is facing while trying to reshape the city to a world class standard. No doubt, Ambode, as studied by me after meeting with him before and after his emergence as the Governor, is not the talking type, but ‘what could have spurred him to make his recent public address on the perceived infighting?’ remains the question awaiting answers.
In 2015 many Lagosians took to the polling units upon being convinced of not remaining ‘an opposition party ruled state’ after several years of sustaining the opposition state status. But after the Press conference by the outstanding Governor, the doubts of whether Lagos state is still opposite of the alignment with the Federal Government tops topics of discussion at classrooms, motor – parks, newspaper stands, offices and other meeting points. Former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s response to Ambode’s press conference tells much about his Oratorial prowess, leaving him with answers that are not just derogatory to the Lagos first agenda but justifying his role in the allegations.
Recall, Fashola has done more federal projects such as the Badagry expressway also referred to as the ECOWAS road, link bridges among others in the state by resolving to the court to carry on to boost his scorecard.
Former Governor Fashola as rumoured is not on the same page with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, respected All Progressives Congress’s National Leader. But as a father, it’s expected of the political insignia to put his home in order, especially now that Lagos remains the image maker of the ruling political party, APC. Like Yoruba Adage state “ Ti a ba fi Owo otun ba omo wi, a fi ti osi fa mora”, Lagosians are watching, the grass may not wait to suffer the wrath of the fighting elephants and the elephants may not see a ground to leverage.
The Nation’s economy capital, Lagos State, has over recent time faced criticism and antagonism from various quaters, such as rejection of its call for special status to the investigation by the House of Representatives on the transfer of the National stadium and so on.
The coming together of the Lagos state’s finest will strengthen its agitations and block loopholes in the quest of attaining its mega city status.
Itesiwaju Eko; lo je mi lo gun.
Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija
Eniola Opeyemi writes from the historical town of Badagry, Lagos state
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