16th August, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denied rumours that the party is behind the recent demand for the probe of the immediate past governor, Raji Fashola, and the acrimony that has generated within the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The party rather counselled the APC leaders to face the numerous allegations instead of an attempt to blackmail or drag the PDP into their burdens.
In a statement issued by Taofiq Gani, Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, the PDP reiterated that it will remain resolute opposition, noting that, it will not shy away from being a vibrant opposition party in the state.
“As long as we notice any mis-governance, we will blow the whistle. We shall not relent in doing this constructive opposition. It does not matter whether it coincides with efforts of other groups or interests in the state.
“We shall commend when appropriate and condemn when inevitable in good faith for good governance and expected growth in lagos state,” it said.
The party opined that the exposee on Fashola by the Coalition Against Corrupt Leadership (CACOL) relating to alleged fraud during the former governor’s administration has in deed vindicated the PDP’s persistent stance that the Fashola administration was more of fluke than Fact in the dividends of democracy.
“Indeed, several times during his reign, we had shouted that the governor was running a propagandists Government and that the state was being plunged into avoidable local and foreign debts.
“With over N27 billion monthly IGR, the state needs not borrow for projects. The former governor deliberately embarked on projects that were not feasible within another twenty years, got loans to complete such projects within eight years only to mismanage and or divert such loans.
“Under Fashola, the SURE-P funds well over N32 billion meant for the state could not reflect in any project and not accounted for! The local and foreign debts of near N1 trillion is hanging as debt for Lagosians to pay through over-taxes whereas the former governor is rumoured to be the purchaser and owner of several private choice property and the ones owned by the state government, including the magnificent Elephant House in Alausa.
“This is despite leaving over 75% of his initiated projects uncompleted or obviously abandoned. It baffles one that such a person can be moving around without any investigation into his administration,” PDP said.
The party has consequently supported and charged governor Ambode to cause the probe of his predecessor, saying that “this incumbent governor must speak out now! anything short of a categorical statement as to whether Fashola was clean or not is disservice to the state. Lagosians want to know what the new occupier of the office met, especially the actual amount of loan collected, how much balance owed and the actual number of Lagos State Government property still intact. Governor Ambode has this burden to discharge and indeed timely.”