21st January, 2011
There was jubilation at the Lagos State Government secretariat yesterday immediately the news broke that Deputy Governor Princess Sarah Sosan, had been dropped as the running mate to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola in the forthcoming election.
The party dropped Sosan for the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, Mrs. Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and had submitted her name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
At the office of the WAPA boss, civil servants also rejoiced and threw a mini party during which the staff ate meat pie and drank soft drink.
For teachers in the state who had been having running battle with the deputy governor because of her alleged high-handedness, it was joy galore as they felt it was now time to breathe air of relief.
At the deputy governor’s office, workers heaved a sigh or relief. Many of them believed that Sosan’s political misfortune would liberate them from the alleged dictatorial disposition of their outgoing boss.
The deputy governor is alleged not to be in good terms with several staff working with her and that she used to look down on everybody, including even the top civil servants in her ministry.
“She doesn’t have good relationship with her staff and they are not happy with her,†alleged a government staff working with her.
“If you go to work with her at the weekend, you can’t park your vehicle in her compound. You will be asked to go and park outside and you know that in Ikoyi, there is no parking space,†the civil servant added.
However, there was wild jubilation in Alimosho area of the state when the news filtered in that Orelope-Adefulire had been chosen to become running mate to Fashola.
What the WAPA boss has going for her is her friendly disposition and generosity as thousands of Lagosians had benefited from her poverty alleviation programme.
Efforts to get the deputy governor’s reaction to the allegations proved abortive as calls made to her phones did not go through and there was no one to speak on her behalf.
— Kazeem Ugbodaga
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