I Have No Personal Disagreement With Jonathan – Fashola

Amid intense politicking in the country that has put political gladiators at arm’s length, Lagos State Governor Mr Babatunde Fashola yesterday debunked insinuation in some quarters that he is at loggerhead with President Goodluck Jonathan. Addressing the mammoth crowd of All Progressives Congress (APC) party faithful at a Campaign Rally held in Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government area of the state, Fashola said, “I have no personal disagreement with Jonathan.” Fashola said the only problem he has with the president is that he has failed to fulfill lots of promises made to the residents of Lagos prior to the 2011 elections. According to him, “I have no personal disagreement with Jonathan. But I am a citizen of this great nation. And if any political office seeker comes to make promises in public and the people voted for him, based on the promises he made, both the office seeker and the citizens have signed a social contract which must be fulfilled by both parties. The people of Lagos have done their part but the president has not.” He added that he has fulfilled his side of the contract he signed with residents of Lagos, saying, “I have fulfilled my side of the contract which I signed with you in 2007 and 2011 elections.” According to him, rather than fulfill his
promises, he started to “divide us along the ethnic lines. Is the President God? If God chose to make us different, no one can question that. We have lived together for hundreds of years. “We need leaders that will bring us closer and not the one that will divide us. We have been our brothers’ keeper in Nigeria especially Lagos. For instance when our athletes go ahead to represent this country in any tournament, no one is concerned about the state the person hails from or his religion.” Fashola lampooned the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), gubernatorial candidate, Jimi Agbaje for a statement credited to him that the South-South will collapse the nation’s economy if Jonathan loses in the incoming election. He said, “Nigeria will not divide if President Goodluck Jonathan losses the February 14 election. Rather, it is the President who will leave office and return to his home town in Bayelsa State. He has deceived us enough.” Fashola, however, faulted the transfer of the Commandant of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, a police formation financed by the State Government, Mr Hakeem Odumosu. He argued that, “It was because the message of change has already reached their (PDP-led Federal Government) door step. “The RRS is the unit that responded to the violent crime in the state. And last week, they transferred the commandant of the RRS out of Lagos. Whoever they bring will have his relations in Lagos.”