Nigeria Content Online

The Senate
Majority Leader, Teslim Folarin, was on Monday quizzed by the Police
over the gruesome murder of Lateef Salako (aka Eleweomo).

Mr Folarin, who
was at the state’s police command headquarters on invitation, was
interrogated for about three hours at the office of the state’s
Commissioner of Police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, before he was moved to the
Crime Investigation Department (CID), Iyaganku, to write his statement.
The lawmaker was accompanied to the police command by Lekan Balogun,
leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coalition in the state,
Yekeen Adeojo and Wole Oyelese, both chieftains of the party and
governorship aspirants; Ayoade Adeseun, Chairman, House Committee on
appropriation, Sarafadeen Alli, former secretary to the Oyo State
government, some of the suspended members of the Oyo State House of
Assembly, and many other members of the coalition.

Police almost
created a scene at the command headquarters yesterday when some senior
police officers with the Commissioner of Police wanted to push the
lawmaker into the hilux pickup van that was to convey him to where he
was to give his statement. He was about being pushed to the pickup van
when Mr Adeseun and other members supporters insisted that he should go
in his own car.

Accusing the police of bias

Earlier, before
going in for interrogation, the crowd that came with Mr Folarin had
accused Mr Bolanta of working for the state governor, Adebayo
Alao-Akala.

They shouted him
down when his men prevented them from going in with Mr Folarin to his
office, saying nothing must happen to him.

Journalists
waiting for information were prevented from coming close by the police
as he was driven out of the premises in company of some senior police
officers and their subordinates.

Speaking with
pressmen at the command’s headquarters, Mr Balogun said they had to
come with the Senator to show their solidarity as one of them.

He said he still maintains his stand that the CP was placing his interest above his professional calling.

According to him,
what he witnessed at the meeting between his team and that of the
police showed that nothing has really changed yet.

Until around 5.00
pm yesterday, Mr Folarin was still with the police where he was
reportedly made to give explanations to his alleged link with the
killing of Eleweomo, factional leader of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers (NURTW) in Oyo State, who met his untimely death
shortly after the local government congress of the PDP at Ona-Ara kast
Thursday.

As at press time,
it was not certain whether the senate leader will be detained or
released on bail as it was learnt that just as he was leaving the
premises of the state’s CID after giving his statement, he was
recalled, while some policemen were drafted to conduct a search on his
house.

NEXT also gathered that the police might bring him to court for prosecution today.

After last
Thursday’s incident, the police had withdrawn police aides attached to
the senator and interrogated them on what they know about it.

It was also
speculated that if he had not shown up yesterday, there were plans by
the police to declare him wanted today, probably, to embarrass him.

Since the major
crack within the Oyo PDP over the second term ambition of Mr
Alao-Akala, the murder of Eleweomo was about the major casualty.

A staunch
supporter of the governor, Eleweomo, reportedly led an army of thugs to
disrupt a session of the state House of Assembly where an impeachment
move against the governor was to be proposed.

Some of the lawmakers deposed to the move were injured, while the state House of Assembly suspended all of them.

With about 48 hours
to the Delta State gubernatorial re-run election, six governorship
aspirants yesterday took the stage to let the electorate know what
their plans are for the state.

The apirants who
participated in the live debate were Onokpite Ogbe, of the Citizens
Popular Party (CPP); Veronica Bamuza-Mutu, of the All Nigerian Peoples’
Party (ANPP); Abel Edijala, of the Labour Party (LP); and Peter
Oghenevwogaga, of the Accord Party (AP).

There was also
Emmanuel Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former
governor whose election was annulled by the Elections Petition Tribunal.

The gubernatorial
aspirant of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Great Ogboru, sent a
letter to the panel that he would not participate in the debate.

The debate, which
involved questions from journalists and some members of the audience,
centred around the candidates’ manifestoes, infrastructural and
economic development of the state, and the aspirants were given 90
seconds to respond.

Plans for the state

The aspiring governors took two minutes each to reel out what they would deliver to their people if elected into office.

“This is a year we
are going to have tremendous change in the history of our state. What
Labour stands for is welfarism. We need a welfarist, capitalist
government that has the peculiarities of a welfarist state,” said Mr.
Edijala.

In his speech, the
CPP candidate, Onokpite Ogbe, who spoke with an American accent,
maintained that his aspirations would be focused on youth development.

“I’m running the
race because of you guys. My people have been suffering since 1999 and
that’s why I’m running this race. To assist my people. If elected
governor, I’m gonna work hard for the people. I’m gonna focus on
health, schools, and I’m gonna work with local government chairmen,”
Mr. Ogbe said.

On his part, Mr. Uduaghan stated that his development agenda would be two-pronged.

“When you are
talking of infrastructural development, there are two of them – the
ones that will attract investment like ICT, power, and industries.

“Another is social development, like schools and hospitals. The things that people need on a daily basis,” said Mr. Uduaghan.

The LP candidate,
Mr. Edijala, blamed the poor state of infrastructures in the state on
shoddy jobs executed by low rate contractors.

“PDP has been on
infrastructures in the state for 12 years. World certified
professionals have not been engaged and sub standard jobs are being
done all over,” he said.

Power generation

As an oil producing state, some of the aspirants admitted that the state should have no business with epileptic power supply.

Mr. Edajile
questioned the rationale behind the state government’s massive
investment into generating power only to transfer it to the national
grid.

“Recently, we have
spent N29 billion to transfer electricity to the national grid. We have
to fight as a state to ensure that the reforms in the power sector are
holistically reviewed,” he said.

Sourcing for
alternative avenues of power generation, according to Mrs. Bamuza-Mutu,
is the panacea for stable power in the state.

“I’ll look into
other areas that generate power: gas flares, solar plants, and gas
turbine. But first of all, we should state that Delta will generate
power independent of the federal government,” she said.

However, the CPP
candidate maintained that power is a federal affair and he would simply
work the federal government in that regard.

“I can’t say a lot about power right now until when I get into the seat,” said Mr. Ogbe.

Mr. Uduaghan promised to complete the ongoing Delta Power Project.

The debate also touched on other issues such as health, security, and wealth creation.

While the AP, ANPP,
and PDP candidates promised to create agro based economies, the
candidate for the CPP said he would invite his friends from all over
the world to help diversify the state’s economy.

On the issue of security, the LP candidate promised to borrow a leaf from Lagos State by partnering with the police.

“We have to do
identification of Delta citizens. A lot of people come from outside to
commit crimes. We are going to identify every Deltan, and if possible,
tag them. The technology is already there,” he said.

The ANPP candidate said that job creation, especially in rural areas, is the way out of security problems in the state.

While the AP
candidate promised to give the youth “hope”, the CPP candidate said
he’d work with police officers and local government chairmen.

The two-hour debate ended with handshakes and hugs between the gubernatorial candidates.

Attahiru Jega, the
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
yesterday said in Abuja that both local and international observers
would be properly accredited for the voter registration and the general
elections.

He told the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum that: “We are going to naturally allow
observers both domestic and foreign, but there is a process of
accreditation. Any group that wants to observe will need to apply and
to be properly accredited. We are not, this time around, going to allow
anybody to just come and say that they are observers, we have to ensure
that there is discipline in that process,” he said.

He added that a
guideline had been developed for both monitors and observers, adding
that although the law did not allow for monitoring, the commission
could devise an administrative mechanism for it. “I think that some of
the problem of the past is that people were observers but they were
also assumed to be monitors and in the process they created additional
chaos and problems.

No constituency delineation for now

Mr Jega added that
the commission will work with the existing polling units for the voter
registration and the general elections because there was no time to do
proper constituency delineation.

“The former
commission started the process of constituency delineation but had not
finished it but we realised that there was no time for us to do it, so
we have decided to restrict ourselves to the existing polling units,”
he said.

According to Mr
Jega, the commission has done extensive harmonisation of the polling
units with the Geographic Information System (GIS) coordinating and
that about 90 per cent of the polling units across the country had been
properly mapped out.

“There are still
areas in Adamawa and the Mambilla Plateau as well as the creeks in the
Niger Delta and few places that we haven’t got GIS to coordinate,” he
said.

He expressed
concern at what he described as lack of internal democracy in most
political parties. According to him, “Our worry in the commission is
that it does not appear as if our politicians and the political parties
are learning the lessons that we ought to have learnt from our past
mistakes and past errors, unfortunately, these are being repeated.
Internal party democracy is very important in our democratisation
process and in ensuring that there is a credible electoral process in
place but from what we are seeing, there is a serious concern.” Mr Jega
expressed regrets that the commission was receiving complaints that
some parties are not following due process during their congresses. He
restated the determination of the commission to rekindle the confidence
of the populace in the country’s electoral process.

Part of this process is the decision of the commission not to use
vendors for ballot papers and by ensuring that ballot papers are
printed by the best security printers in the world. He said for now,
the commission has put a stop to the registration of more political
parties.

Former Vice
President and presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, alleged that President Goodluck
Jonathan is desperate to make his political rivals the scapegoats of
the latest bombing incidents in Jos and Abuja.

A statement by his
Campaign Organisation in Abuja, accused Mr Jonathan of inciting the
public against them through the administration’s paid agents to link
his (Mr Abubakar) recent comments, to the latest bomb blasts.

A bomb had exploded
in the Mammy market in Mogadishu barracks last Friday killing many and
injuring others. The incident took place barely one week after series
of such attacks in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

The organisation
said that newspaper adverts by the President’s agents are already
making insinuations that Mr Abubakar was connected to the two incidents.

While condemning
violence in any form, however, the organisation observed that Mr
Jonathan is taking advantage of national grief to hang the
responsibility for the terrorist incidents on the necks of main
political rivals, particularly the former vice president.

It also declared
that any president who exploits the bomb incidents to incite public
hatred against his opponents with the purpose of framing them up is as
guilty as the yet-to-be identified bombers.

“In a moment of
national crisis, President Goodluck Jonathan must demonstrate sobriety
and cool-headed posture rather than losing his head to impetuous
emotions,” the organisation said.

“The President
should allow security services to carry out intensive investigations
instead of using the incident to frame up political opponents whom he
perceives as stumbling blocks to his ambition.

The President’s tacit approval of linking his opponents to the bombs is dangerous politics.

“The President cannot surpass Atiku’s commitment to national
security. Such wicked insinuations, if not stopped, can complicate the
efforts to identify the bombers,” the statement maintained. Sully Abu,
media spokesman of the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, said
“There are ongoing investigations by the security and law enforcement
agencies into the blasts and whosoever is fingered by the
investigations will be brought to book.” Mr Abu stated this in a text
he sent to us.

The minister of state for foreign
affairs, Idi Hong, said on Sunday that Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, currently
in a London hospital, was no longer “in grievous danger.” “With the
state in which I have seen him, not as a minister now, but also as
somebody with a background of medicine, I think he is stable. “He is
not in any serious or grievous danger because the care is up to
standard,” Mr. Hong told the Europe correspondent of the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in London after visiting Mr. Ojukwu. “With the statistics
and figures I have seen so far, I think we will say that he is really
improving.

The vital statistics of the human person is within the
normal range and very soon he will recover,” he added. Mr. Hong,
accompanied by Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner to the UK, Dozie
Nwanna, had earlier delivered a special message from President Goodluck
Jonathan to Bianca, Ojukwu’s wife. Mr. Ojukwu was flown to London after
spending three days in the intensive care unit of the University of
Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, after he suffered a stroke.

Mrs.
Ojukwu, who described Mr. Jonathan as a great leader, expressed
gratitude for the message, saying: “It is a sign of a great leader with
a great deal of empathy not just for a single individual but for the
people he seeks to lead,” she said.

An emergency
meeting of security chiefs was held yesterday behind closed doors in
Abuja. The meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck
Jonathan, was summoned to deliberate over the spate of bombings and
security breaches across the country.

A source said the
president ordered the security chiefs to discuss and find how to bring
the violence that has become common across the country under control.

It was gathered
that the president expressed concern that security has become a
challenge, thus leading to loss of lives and raising fears over the
elections coming up in April.

On the eve of
Christmas, series of bombs exploded in different areas of Jos leading
to the death of over 80 people, while another exploded at a People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) rally in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State. On December 31,
there was a bomb explosion at the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, killing
four persons while several others were injured.

Terrorism adviser to be named

At the end of the
emergency security meeting yesterday, it was announced that an adviser
to the president is to be named in the next one week. Although the name
of the adviser was not revealed, it was gathered that the announcement
was delayed because of the need to make some consultations and carry
out some security checks on the appointee.

The Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) had in 2008 installed CCTV in some strategic areas in
Abuja and its environs. However, the functionality of these gadgets has
come under question in view of recent events.

Briefing
journalists after the meeting, the special adviser to the president on
media and publicity, Ima Niboro, said, “The president convened an
emergency meeting of the National Security Council to address the state
of security in the country. The meeting also reviewed the bomb incident
of New Year’s eve and condemned them as an act of terror. Mr. President
in the next one week is to appoint a special adviser on terrorism.

“Mr. President will
work with the National Assembly to ensure the speedy passage of the
anti-terrorism bill. Government will also introduce CCTVs in public
places for access control. Regulations are also underway for the access
control for both public and private establishments.”

He disclosed that a
presidential committee on the control of explosive and other incendiary
materials will also be set up as well as a committee on public
enlightenment on general security awareness amongst citizens.

In the build up to
the elections, Mr. Niboro said “the police have been directed to ensure
the prompt arrest and prosecution or political thugs,” adding that “all
armouries licenced by the police are to be further inspected to
regulate how the materials are imported and used in Nigeria.”

Those present at
the emergency security meeting, which was chaired by the president
include: the minister of defence, Adetokunbo Kayode; the minister of
interior, Emmanuel Iheanacho; the minister of police affairs, Humphrey
Abba; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed;
Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe; director general of State Security
Service, Ekpenyong Ita; National Security Adviser, Andrew Azazi; Chief
of Defence Staff, Oluseye Petirin; the Chief of Air Staff, Dikko Umar;
Chief of Naval Staff, Ola Ibrahim; Chief of Army Staff, Azubike
Ihejirika; and Hafiz Ringim, the Inspector General of Police.

The recently
reached truce between the two factions of the Enugu state People’s
Democratic Party will be put to test as the party will later today
elect its flag bearers for the Enugu State House of Assembly election
at a party primaries.

The deal was
reached between the two factions; Sullivan Chime’s, the governor and
Okwesilieze Nwodo’s, the party’s national chairman in Abuja,last week
Tuesday at a peace meeting mediated by President Goodluck Jonathan and
his Vice.Both factions reached a power sharing deal which gave Mr Nwodo
some level of influence in the state’s party executive while letting
the governor hold the major control. The one week old peace may,
however,collapse today as its foundation will be tested by the outcome
of the congress.

NEXT gathered that
though the governor’s faction retained the chairmanship of the party,it
also plans to ensure that most of the candidates emerge from its camp.
The governor’s faction controls most of the current political office
holders in the state including the deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu and the Senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze.

While the leading
faction favour a “return to office” (continuity) policy that guarantees
a return ticket for most members of the faction, Mr Nwodo’s faction
wants the primaries open to all interested aspirants,apparently to
inject new loyalists into the state power brokers’ cadre.“If any of the
factions accepts defeat, then there will be peace in the party, but
that will be difficult,” Clement Ogbonna, a neutral member of the party
said.

Controlled democracy

Mr Ogbonna said
although the governor has warmed himself into the hearts of the people
since 2007, he is still finding it difficult to hold sway with
emergence of Mr Nwodo as the party’s national chairman and his
subsequent increasing interest in the state’s party politics.

“You don’t expect to have a party national chairman from your state and he will not have any say in the party,” Mr Ogbonna said.

Patrick Eze, a
member of Make Your Votes Count, an NGO advocating for true democracy
in the state, however said the power tussle in the state is an
indication that the party is still very far from practicing internal
democracy and that PDP still practices godfatherism.

“If at all there is
voting in the congress, the delegates can only vote those either
faction have approved and that way, we still can’t get the best hands
in government,” Mr Eze said.

Preliminary analysis have shown that the
explosives used in October 1 twin bombings in Abuja are similar to those that
exploded in the Niger Delta, while the one that exploded at the Abacha Barracks
in Abuja yesterday is similar to the ones that exploded in Jos, President
Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Abuja.
Though investigations are still going on, the president noted that the Abuja
bombing had the characteristics of the ones that exploded in Jos last week.
“The preliminary analysis of the explosives so far used in Nigeria,the one
used in the 1st October explosion has the same characteristics with the ones
that happened in Port Harcourt, Warri and some parts of the Niger Delta, it has
been classified. The one that happened yesterday, from preliminary analysis, is
identical with the ones that happened in Jos. So there are two routes, so as
long as the security operatives know where the two routes are, we will get to
where these things are coming from,” Mr Jonathan said.
Speaking at the New Year service of the Evangelical Church of West Africa
(ECWA), Mr. Jonathan said Nigerians must learn to move their country forward
rather than destroy or stagnate it through terrorism.
He noted that there are two things which have become very important and
noticeable around the world today, technology and terrorism. He said countries
that are succeeding do not have their citizens indulging in terrorism.

“In terrorism, the instruments they use is that of technology butinstead of
using their scientific knowledge to climb, some people use it to drag their
nations backward. If you look at nations that are developing, you talk of
Brazil, those that were close to us during independence – India, Singapore,
Malaysia, China, those that are developed United States, their citizens are not
involved in terrorists attacks.
“They are moving their nations forward. But the demons who do not like good
things, if a country wants to move forward and they look for a way to push you
backwards and that is what we as a nation are experiencing,” he said.

He further urged Nigerians to be calm and see this as a challenge that will be
conquered.
“If you look at the journey of the Isrealites to go to the promised land, it
was tortuous, a number of them even died along the way. We must have
challenges. It was Bongos Ikwe who sang that ‘nothing good come easy, this I
know’.
“So nothing good will come so easily to us. For us to get where we want to
go as a nation, we will have our obstacles. These explosives and explosions are
part of the road bumps that are being placed but God will see us through. They
will never stop Nigeria from where we are going to. We must work and produce a
country for our children, a country where there will be no space for
terrorists, a country where there will no bombers and people with explosives to
deter us,” Mr. Jonathan said. “I urge Christians to continue to pray that
some of these people will even confess to Nigerians that at the appropriate
time they will tell us that they are behind this. But for now, the security
people are on it and they will get to the root of this matter. We will get to
the root of the car bombs that started in Niger Delta and crept into Abuja and
this one too that started in Jos and crept into Abuja.”

Sons of demons

Condemning Mogadishu Barracks bombings, Mr. Jonathan said he wondered what kind
of a person will plant bombs that will kill children.
“I saw on television, because I am yet to visit the victims, images of a very
young child. I’m sure most of you must have seen it. As I came into the church
and saw some of the young children, I wondered how somebody will plant an
explosive that will kill any of these children under 10. What kind of person do
you think that person is?

“Some people say they are politicians, some say they are religious
fanatics, but to me they are pure criminals. They are ones demons are using
these days not only in Nigeria. For those of you who have time to listen to
world news on Aljazeera or CNN, you will see that terrorism is criss-crossing
the whole world.”

What is the idea behind your campaign slogan, “Has Your Life Really Changed?”

After the 2007
elections, I completely withdrew from the public eye and embarked on a
personal quest that entailed traversing the length and breadth of the
great state of Lagos. In July 2010, I decided to put together a team of
young professionals to help collate data, conduct research, and analyse
the effect of the government’s policies on the everyday Lagosians. This
gave rise to the idea of asking Lagosians the most novel of questions:
“Has Your Life Really Changed?”

Interestingly, we
observed that the responses by Lagosians were relatively similar,
by-and-large. On a superficial level, they felt that the administration
was performing well, as it had beautified some parts of Lagos,
integrated the BRT buses, and fixed a number of high-brow roads.

However, when we
asked for success stories in their individual lives and local
communities – stories of how the state government had equipped,
empowered and impacted families in ways that led them to be more
prosperous – our inquires only drew blank stares and general platitudes.

We finally decided
to open the debate up online (on my website www.hasyourlifechanged.com
and on my personal Facebook page). We also put up billboards and
posters all across Lagos to pursue a more aggressive strategy in
getting Lagosians to open up about the challenges they faced on a daily
basis by uploading pictures, videos, and comments about the positive
and negative effects the administration has had on their lives to the
website.

Astonishingly, my
campaign team has collated up to 17,500 responses from Lagosians online
and offline, and the overriding view is that there is room for
improvement.

What, specifically, are the shortcomings you have identified in this present administration?

The administration
has had very little impact on the lives of average Lagosians in the
overall context of development and in improving the living condition of
majority of the people. The critical element to rate this government on
is the state’s Human Development Index (HDI), which is unfortunately
low.

While the
government has rehabilitated some roads, beautified the environment,
and given the state the closest semblance to tranquility, law and
order, the more pertinent questions are: Has my quality of life
improved since this administration came in? Has this government
impacted positively on my life in the areas of poverty reduction,
decent housing and sanitation system, quality education for my
children, good roads in and around where I live or work, good health
care system, among others?

As the BBC
documentaries recently exposed, there is still wide-spread poverty.
Very few areas have clean public water supply. Sanitation and proper
drainage are still lacking; local inner network of roads are still
generally bad; many Lagos schools remain sub-standard; the public
health care system is totally inadequate, particularly in low income
areas, and the standard and quality of life continue to deteriorate.

You may put all
this in proper perspective when you consider that the present state
government earns an average of N14 billion naira per-month and in 32
months has earned over N450 billion. This is more than my
administration earned in its 96 months in office. The current
administration earned over N209 billion in IGR (Internally Generated
Revenue) in 2009 and budgeted over N420 billion for this year. In
addition, in barely three years, it has borrowed heavily from the bond
market and drawn down on loans from the World Bank and others. The
question is: Where is all the money? The taxpayers deserve to know how
the huge revenue is being spent.

What are you promising Lagosians if elected?

I believe I can
create a Lagos environment where the possibilities are endless and the
power of ideas and ideals supersede the ‘powers that be’. If I am
elected as the governor of Lagos in 2011, a new culture of transparency
and accountability to the people will become the order of the day.

Lagosians will not
have to worry about their governor mortgaging their future away to some
dictate in a back alley somewhere. I will set up a website called the
Pedrometer (which) will give Lagosians the opportunity to track the
implementation of every single campaign promise I make, and to rate
whether or not a promised policy has been implemented.

There will also be
monthly publications of how every kobo of government money is expended.
This will eliminate the current culture of secrecy-shrouded spending in
its entirety.

Which sector of the electorate are you especially hoping to capture?

Although Lagos is
cosmopolitan and diverse, it is also interconnected. The middle-aged
teacher in Alimosho is invariably affected by the working conditions of
the market women in Tejuosho, and the statewide doctors’ strike
negatively affected the young LASU graduate from Epetedo. I think it is
difficult to focus on one particular group of voters without neglecting
another sector, so the most important thing is to have a consistent
message that can resonate with everyone.

What is your definition of a credible leader?

First and foremost,
a credible leader must have the legitimate mandate of the people, which
invariably means his emergence as a leader must be the end-product of
credible elections. Beyond this, I think a credible leader is one who
is willing to accept responsibility for his shortcomings and who
inspires people to be the best they can possibly be.

A credible leader
is one who submits himself to being held accountable for every single
proclamation or promise he makes. Honesty, integrity and humility are
some of the qualities of a credible leader in my opinion.

You were once in
AC, then Labour Party, and now PDP. Don’t you see yourself as a
politician who is more interested in power rather than building a
credible party base?

It is impossible to
live in isolation from other politicians, especially when many of you
share the same vision for a greater Lagos. After my debacle with AC,
the PDP welcomed me with open arms. There is no question that the
perception of the party may not be the greatest in the world, but I can
tell you, hand on heart, that there are many within the party who are
totally committed to a thriving and prosperous Lagos. This is what
informed my decision to join ranks with the party, and I have no
regrets whatsoever.

Unfortunately, our
politics has not matured to the point where parties are defined
ideologically. At the moment, our politicians (at all levels) are
either pro-current administration or anti-current administration. It is
as simple as that. There is enough blame to go around for this problem,
but I firmly believe that it starts and stops with our leaders being
held accountable by the electorate for the promises they make.

If you fail to capture the primaries in PDP, do we see you moving to another party?

I have been a
card-carrying member of the PDP for about three years. The party
welcomed me with open arms and has treated me cordially. I have no
reason to pitch my tent elsewhere, and I am committed to contributing
my little quota to the growth of the party in Lagos State, the south
west, and beyond.

Notwithstanding, I
am confident and hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to
represent this great party as its governorship candidate in the
upcoming general elections.

If you once again fail to capture the governorship seat in 2011, will you recontest in 2015?

After the last
elections in 2007, I honestly did not see myself running in 2011. Our
politics is very unpredictable and throws a lot of curveballs at you,
so I cannot look beyond the current elections. I will present my
manifesto and vision for a greater Lagos to the people, and I have no
doubt in my mind that our state will be better off for the debate I
will engage them in over the next few months.

How close are you to former president Olusegun Obasanjo?

I have a great
relationship with Olusegun Obasanjo. Unfortunately, the former
president does not get enough credit for his wisdom, foresight, and
honesty. He has been very supportive of my ambition, and he is
considered a father-figure by quite a number of people – politicians
and non-politicians alike.

Who has/have been your mentor(s) in life, especially politics?

Politically, I have
always admired the courage, vision, and integrity of the likes of the
late Awolowo, Enahoro, and Tafawa Balewa. Their contributions to a
united Nigeria cannot be over-emphasised. I continue to nourish and
mentor myself with their writings, speeches, and opines because many of
the ideals they propagated in the 40s, 50s, and 60s are still relevant
in our quest for the attainment of a more prosperous and united Nigeria
today.

I am also a big fan
of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama because they represented change
agents in times of political uncertainty. They challenged all
stereotypes about their electability and impressively won against all
odds.

But for the
intervention of the Lagos State government, the third day of January
2011 was going to be historic, at least for residents of Lekki, Ajah
area. The day would have marked the commencement of the much contended
tolling on the Eti-Osa-Lekki Road. Or, put bluntly, the day would have
been chaotic, marred by protests by residents who are vehemently
opposed to the tolling.

With the suspension
of the tolling which was ordered on Wednesday by the state governor,
Babatunde Fashola, the drama continues with no end in sight.

Many residents of
the area say they will not pay any toll on the road which is currently
being reconstructed by the Lekki Concession Company, LCC, while
government insists that the project will go on according to the Public
Private Partnership agreement with LCC collecting toll from three
plazas on the reconstructed road for the 30-year period of the
concession.

According to the
announcement on LCC’s website, the road expansion/reconstruction has
gone beyond the Road Section 1, informing their decision to commence
tolling at the first Toll Plaza, also known as Admiralty Circle Plaza.
The announcement also stated that the decision is in line with the
terms of the Concession Mandate granted to LCC by the Lagos State
government.

However, Opuiyo
Oforiokuma, managing director/CEO of LCC, said the concession agreement
contemplated the present kind of situation.

“We believe that
Lagos State government’s statement about the suspension of tolling is
clear. We also believe that government remains committed to
infrastructure development in the state, leveraging private sector
resources.

“Project
implementation plans sometimes require adjustment. Our Concession
Agreement contemplates situations such as this and contains provisions
for dealing with them. Be assured of our best wishes for the New Year,”
he said.

The people want an end to it

Whereas the suspension has stalled a possible immediate uproar, many residents see it as postponing the evil day.

Sani Adewale, the
president of Eti-Osa Heritage Group and the Convener of the
Stakeholders Forum on Lekki-Epe Road Expansion, said there is no cause
for excitement.

“We are not excited
at all, given that the issue is still hanging there. They have been
postponing the issue. They postponed it in May. They postponed it in
August. They should be courageous enough to face it or cancel it
completely. There is a moral burden on the project. It’s a rip-off on
the people. If not, how can you explain N150 for a car at one toll
point. The concessionaire is not a partner for social development.

“I think government
made a mistake in the choice of concessionaire, because those LCC guys
are just businessmen; they are just after the money.

“You can imagine
for someone who goes to and fro through one toll plaza will be spending
N106,000 per annum. What if the household has up to three cars and they
have to pass all the three toll plazas? That means they will be
spending millions per annum on the road. We know they are just waiting
for the elections to come and go, then they will unleash the economic
terror on us,” he said.

Another resident of
Eti-Osa, Andrew Oretan, said they are not satisfied with a suspension
of the tolling. What they want is cancellation.

“The language is
suspension, not cancellation. What we want is for government to cancel
the whole thing. We cannot pay toll on a road that we have been using
for 29 years; a road the government gave to us as four lanes and
somebody is coming to add two lanes and is asking us to pay toll for 30
years.

“We are tax payers;
we pay a lot of levies in Eti-Osa, land use charge. What we want now is
for them to give final decision on this. We understand their antics.
They are just buying time, maybe after elections they bring the toll
thing back,” Mr. Oretan said.

Protest to continue

According to Mr.
Oretan, members of Eti-Osa communities will continue their protest, in
spite of the suspension, to maintain their “no-toll” stance.

According to a press statement signed by Ayo Gbeleyi, the director
general of the State Public-Private Partnership, the suspension became
expedient after public outcry concerning the toll and to allow for more
consultation on the issue. The statement added that the time will also
allow for the completion of the alternative routes by the government.