thelastPope:

The hallmark of Fashola and the ACN has become deception and hypocrisy and their members have all imbibed the trait. Now one eediot on NL is now telling us GEJ is the one using soldiers to enforce okada ban as if we are all kids. Very terrible set of peeps. Fashola has been the one sponsoring operation MESA, a joint military and police anti crime outfit for Lagos, not GEJ. The operation MESA commander reiterated this in January. The hipocrisy and betrayal of Fashola is alarming. This was how he chickened out of the fuel subsidy issue after all the governors, including all the ACN governors, had agreed that fuel subsidy should be removed. Only Oshiomole stood by what he believed and even spoke in the debate in favor of the removal. All the other ACN governors then receeded into their shells in traitor style only to come out when men of operation MESA were deployed to Ojota.

I did say in previous posts that I don't really mind a ban or restriction of Okada but the elitist and draconian way Fashola goes about doing stuff is very sad and should be opposed by all well meaning Nigerians. Doctors we're unceremoniously sacked just early this year. He deployed the police to brutalise haples protesting civilians on Lekki road. He used the police to terrorise LASU students and told them to drop out of school if they can't pay 250k school fees, up from 25k. He is not a democrat and Lagosians now know. We still have our voters card intact and we will show our disgust when the time comes. No problem.

300k+ not 250k.
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Fashola...The man wit a Jekyll n Hyde personality.

My only concern with this policy is that the Lagos State Government should ensure that it protects the right of the Okada riders to fair hearing.

Impounded vehicles are regularly crushed in other jurisdictions, so that doesn't sound strange to me.

However, nemo judex in causa sua (you can't be a judge in your own cause). The government should ensure that arrested okada riders are brought before an impartial judge in court.

Lagos State Government officials state that the motorcycles that are being crushed belong to riders who abandoned their machines. Therefore, there is nobody to take to court.

Mr Akele of NCP , you are entitled to your opinions but if we could carry out a popularity vote , our dear Governor Fashola SAN will win with a wide margin. So no thanks Eko baje ti!.....Leave our thinking and working Governor for us and let him move this state forward . NCP should please try and organise itself and win elections in one local government before they start giving us advice on how to manage Lagos.

On the soldier matter, again it is one of the cheap lies coming from the extremely dull sycophants Mr President has surrounded himself with.

I know the Armed forces (Combination of Army , air force, police and SSS) had been patrolling the streets of Lagos before the January protest because the POLICE (FGN UNIT) was being overwhelmed by the sophistication of Armed robberies. The Fashola government (rather than the FGN clueless approach) took it upon itself to help organise the various FGN organs and funded it under the name op MESA. They still have that arrangement till today and it has reduced the frequency of those mass robberies where a whole street or locality may be raided in one night.

In January the FGN deployed the ARMY to the freedom square and lied that they were men of OP MESA to put Fashola in bad light when our dear governor condemned the move. The Defence Minister and the Lagos army authbority contradicted themselves showing their clumsy lies. I know the senior officer that led the team, he was a former classmate. Again the FGN officials did not think before they lied and they thought Lagosians had the same low level of IQ they parade.

See below the statement from the LASG back then and the source

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/3526-lagos-federal-government-on-collision-course-over-military-deplo.html?wpmp_switcher=mobile

The Lagos State government has accused the federal government of lying about the request for military deployment in Lagos state.


The Military authorities had yesterday said that, contrary to popular opinion, the order to deploy troops in Lagos had come from the state government.


However, Premium Times has obtained an exclusive copy of a letter written by the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, which strongly compels president JOnatgan to rescind his order to deploy trrops to Lagos. The Lagos state government further issued a statement today which accused the military authorities of spreading “false” and “misleading” information concerning military deployment.


The emergence of both the letter and statement contradict claims by the Defence Headquarters that it was Governor Fashola who requested and funded the deployment of the soldiers.


A strongly worded statement, signed by the state commissioner of information, Abdul-Lateef Ibirogba, further accuses the military of resorting to “spurious and bogus claims aimed at deceiving the people.”


The statement was released as a direct response to comments made on Thursday by Mohammed Yerima, a Defence Headquarters spokesperson, who said the “soldiers seen on the streets of Lagos are still the same men of the special task force code named Operation MESA set up and sponsored by the Lagos State government.”


Mr. Ibirogba said Operation MESA has been a “long standing arrangement since the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo.” He further added that the primary brief of MESA soldiers was to aid Police work and not to occupy the streets.


In a further twist, the Defence Minister, Bello Mohammed, had on Thursday claimed that it was indeed the Federal Government who had made the order. Mr. Mohammed said that the order was in response to security reports detailing plans by some unnamed persons and groups to hide under the protests “to cause anarchy and security breach.



The letter

Mr. Mohammed’s statement corroborates Mr. Fashola’s stance which had led to the governor sending a letter directly to the President. In his letter, the governor makes it clear in no uncertain terms that he is unhappy with the military occupation in the state and asks the President, several times, to order their immediate withdrawal.


As the blame game continues between all parties, the activist group #Occupy Nigeria is planning a rally in Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota on Saturday. With military troops still positioned in various parts of Lagos, and no-one seemingly responsible for them, it is not yet clear if any protests will be allowed to hold.



Read Lagos press statement below



PRESS RELEASE

LASG DEBUNKS CLAIMS THAT IT REQUESTED DEPLOYMENT OF SOLDIERS IN LAGOS

The claim by the Military authorities that the deployment of soldiers on the streets of Lagos is at the request of the Lagos State Government is not only false but misleading.

The State Government challenges the Military authorities to show proof of the request of troop deployment to the streets of Lagos State.

Instead of simply taking the honourable path by apologizing to the people of Lagos for an unpopular act, they have resorted to offering spurious and bogus claims aimed at deceiving the people.

That this claim is coming four days after the Governor’s address, which he followed with a letter to the Presidency, is an obvious afterthought. It is also inconsistent with the explanation offered by the Minister of Defence who said that they deployed the soldiers in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

This attempt to cover up has left the public with much confusion, as the Minister of Defence offered one reason and the Military authority has offered another. They should just take the honourable path by apologizing to the people of Lagos State and withdraw the soldiers forthwith.

In the prevailing political dispensation, the administration of Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has always been in the vanguard of democratic principles as well as civility.

In the light of the view of the Governor, it will be totally irrational to expect that the Governor would call on the Military to occupy the streets of Lagos.

Also, it would be recalled that His Excellency went on air to denounce most vehemently the deployment of the soldiers in Lagos.

In His Excellency’s continuous statements and actions, he has demonstrated that democracy is still the best form of dispensation to make Lagos State remain a Centre of Excellence that it has been. It is therefore not right for anybody to try to use the Government of Lagos State to cover up their unpopular decision.

The presence of the Police, Army and other federally controlled security agencies in Lagos does not translate to their being under the control of the State and so the inclusion of soldiers in the joint Military patrol through OP-MESA should not be used to cover up this wrong act of drafting soldiers on the streets of Lagos to quell fuel subsidy protest which the Police has contained for five days.

OP-MESSA had been a long standing arrangement since the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo. lndeed, the military men involved in OP-MESSA were deployed purposely to join the Police in fighting crime and were never at any point in time drafted to occupy the streets.

For the avoidance of doubt, OP-MESSA men are still working with the Police in the fight against crime. The men of OP-MESSA should not be confused with the soldiers deployed in the last one week to suppress a civil protest in a democracy.



SIGNED

ABDUL LATEEF ADEREMI IBIROGBA

COMMISIONER FOR INFORMATION AND STRATEGY

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On the Okada Matter, I see them everyday and

1. They are unruly and believe ALWAYS in gang effect
2. They never obey traffic laws no matter how basic or simple
3. They have put many car owners in deep trouble with their carelessness. I know an FBN staff who knocked down an Okada man at Ozumba junction, he was on the bonny camp bound lane and the okada guy darted across but miscalculated and died. The FBN staff slept in detention and had to pay the idiot's family compensation. These stories abound everyday. I am sure even those popularity seeking lawyers fighting on behalf of the Okada men have their on tales to tell
4. They have made several people handicap for life. before you criticise the LASG decision on Okada, please go to general hospital ikeja or worse still Igbobi to check okada victims.
5. They believe they are always above all laws and pronouncements of government!



Our Government in Lagos made the law and they need to enforce it, you cannot talk to some of those Okada boys becos some barely can mutter good morning, those boys come to lagos and two three days after a crash course in riding start carrying innocent passengers. LASG govt cannot sit like the Clueless and shoeless FGN watching its people die and get maimed by some half wit okada men.This is good government in action and those of us who think tomorrow are few and indeed we support LASG. Truly even if Lagos will loose the election, its not to PDP, no way , God forbid, instead make independent candidate win.

As regards the alternatives , I watched the Transport commissioner on TV say they asked the Okada men to either go into the LASG skill acquisition centres or engage them in commercial farming. The Okada men are not interested....what else do you weant LASG to do.. ~Let the okada people go to their states and where they have been banned totally already.

Haba!

ekt_bear: Prof Corruption is correct

says the mo..ron who is lazy to embark on simple research but would choose idi..otic ramblings from a mentally challenged fellow. Fashola is fast identifying with his heritage of cowardice and deception. when he arrested a senior military official early this year was the directive from the president? states that form their own jtf with the military, is it the directive of GEJ. I recall Amaechi was using the military to regulate traffic in Rivers. A governor is the chief security officer of his state and is responsible for all security units in his state except during the declarations of state of emergency, trying to rope the president into a petty issue as okada ban in a state is the height of madness.

thelastPope:

People like you are not majority. Not so many people are on the ACN payroll. You lot have been playing the ethnic card but that is failing now as witnessed during the last LGA election. Go on with your propaganda and lies. We are watching!

@losthope, you are fond of giving yourself a larger than life image. Who is the "We" that are watching? Nairaland is the only place you can aspire to gain prominence, you are inconsequential outside it. Even if ACN will lose Lagos it won't be to PDP, maybe LP or others.

Tonic baby: answe plsss

[color=#006600][/color]. I think majority of Nigerians are hypocrates: quick to judge aand condemn! Have people taken time to ask yourselves what is the motive behind the banning of Okadas on streets of Lagos? Have you asked youselves what obtains elsewhere in developed climes that we want our societies to be like? You to see how dangerously reckless the Okada riders are with their like their lives and that of their passengers on the hoigh ways. Why don't we Nigerians see things the way they are rather than swallow whatever others stuffed into our mouths

Billyonaire: I really believe you are smoking gbana. Are you insane ? It is the job of the President to call the chain of command to deploy soldiers, but Fashola illegally connived with the military units to deploy soldiers to arrest Okada as clearly seen on the streets of Lagos, and it is for that reason that NCP is calling for his resignation or Impeachment. Will it take you centuries to understand simple English ? Are you telling me that its the President that is implementing the ban on Okada in Lagos. Jeeezzzzz

Truly a lot of people are literate but do not understand somethings. A Governor cannot mobilise a private soldier ( give an order). The use of the word connivance with the military DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF WHAT THAT statement means. If you have a face, do you know that can send you to JAIL. Inwhat way can that be sustantiated ?. No military commander will even have that crossing his mind not to talk of .... People say what they don't just know and the say it damn carelessly

rbjimoh: [color=#006600][/color]. I think majority of Nigerians are hypocrates: quick to judge aand condemn! Have people taken time to ask yourselves what is the motive behind the banning of Okadas on streets of Lagos? Have you asked youselves what obtains elsewhere in developed climes that we want our societies to be like? You to see how dangerously reckless the Okada riders are with their like their lives and that of their passengers on the hoigh ways. Why don't we Nigerians see things the way they are rather than swallow whatever others stuffed into our mouths

The real hypocrite is Fashola and those who condemned GEJ in january for deploying soldiers to Lagos but are today praising Foshola for using the same soldiers to crack down on okada riders.

i can see so much paid ACN supporters struggling to justify the actions of Fashola but i always wonder, why give them helmet before elections and turn back after election to seize their bikes? why raise the tuition fee to about 300k when LASU is still not the best University even amongst the state universities (check the NUC rating), why put a toll gate in the heart of a residential area and force people to pay an outrageous amount (very unfair), the worst is the use of police and touts to attack people when they are demonstrating peacefully?? the people of Ondo have led the way.....you all can come here and deceive yourselves but words on the street is people are tired of Tinubu and Fashola style of leadership and the people still have their voters card

Billyonaire: You are wrong my friend. Soldiers are on the streets of Lagos crushing Okada, are you blaming GEJ for this ?

Will stop spreading idle and baseless rumours. Fashola had a meeting with the Top Military Personnels in Lagos to ensure that their subordinates obey the law concerning no okada on some amjor roads. Name the parts of Lagos that Soldiers are crushing Okada riders.

Billyonaire: You are wrong my friend. Soldiers are on the streets of Lagos crushing Okada, are you blaming GEJ for this ?

Who is the Grand Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Nigeria?

(A) Babatunde Raji Fashola
(B) Imam Mohammed Shekau
(C) Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Whoever fits the answer to the question controls what army does in Lagos.

KDULAR:

Truly a lot of people are literate but do not understand somethings. A Governor cannot mobilise a private soldier ( give an order). The use of the word connivance with the military DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF WHAT THAT statement means. If you have a face, do you know that can send you to JAIL. Inwhat way can that be sustantiated ?. No military commander will even have that crossing his mind not to talk of .... People say what they don't just know and the say it damn carelessly

Indeed you are right bro, before you can use a Police escort, you require the approval of the Police commissioner or IG across states. Before one soldier is deployed the chain of command to the GOC must know. The GOC reports to his bosses all the way to Abuja. They only talk to the state governor by way of Political courtesy.

If people are insisting that Fashola gave the final word to the soldiers, it means a coup has taken place and the soldiers have followed the one with plan or some clue. Fashola can only seek the approval of the commander in chief to instruct the troops to move. The C in C can either direct or not direct ......dats all

I wanna be Lagos governor for just one month.......just one month babe!

Ekene dili chuckwu go make more profit that one month....... shuttling full load out and returning empty for more load......than they have made the past five christmas.

I no joke Repatriation of the baboon nation under my watch.

Negro_Ntns: I wanna be Lagos governor for just one month.......just one month babe!

Ekene dili chuckwu go make more profit that one month....... shuttling full load out and returning empty for more load......than they have made the past five christmas.

I no joke Repatriation of the baboon nation under my watch.

unfortunately, a cave deep tribal marked man from ogbomosho cannot be governor of Lagos, sorry. stay in your cave.

[Prof Corruption]

Billyonaire is a first class person! Fasola illegally
connived with military units to deploy soldiers? Wetin man no go hear!
Can you produce the letter written by Fasola to effect mobilization of
soldiers? Can you produce transcript of Fasola's speech authorizing the
soldiers? How exactly did Fasola mobilise these soldiers? What
instrument did he employ-words of mouth, speech, letter or just went to
the barrack and shouted soldiers move to the streets!

Clowns abound everywhere on Nairaland. Billyonaire is one of
them.

stop this your ignoramous statement joor! are you not aware of OP MESA on lagos street? it is the combination of army and airforce, and lagos state government sponsor them, so get your fact right!

mr Globe,

you better lobby strongly that it doesnt happen...otherwise you will go to bed one night and calculating to be in alaba next day but Negro go load you into bole kaja on a one way trip to abakalaki.

Baba fash does not just have any further political ambition and that is Y he is doing all diz and some NONENTITIES are supporting because they have not in anyway been affected by his crazy policies.

If a State government policy does not affect you in a State where you reside, then you are absolutely NOT a STAKE-HOLDER in such state, so watch what you say.

Prof Corruption:

Why are you dropping Gani's name? Did Gani issue the senseless press release? Did Gani, who's gone to great beyond, authorize the letter? Leave Gani Fawehinmi out of your palaver. The press release bears the name of one Akele, let deal with Akele and his senseless conjectural crap.

Stop mouthing your nonsense: Banning Okada is a great thing Okada has been regulated not banned in Lagos; there are designated roads that Okada can not use in Lagos. If you are found riding Okada on such roads, you ll be made to face the wrath of law. You don't need soldiers to achieve this. Police are meant to enforce the law and they don't need Fasola's directive to enforce any law for that matter. As long as the law has be gazetted, it becomes enforceable. You don't bend a law if you don't like it, you repeal it. But as long as it remains the law, it remains enforceable. If Okada people want to be plying the high ways, want to ride on Third Mainland Bridge, they should do two things:

1. Find loopholes in the law: the manner in which the law was passed, it contravenes Nigerian constitution, etc. If that's achieved, they can then challenge the constitutionality of the law in any competent court.

2. Lobby to have the law relaxed or repealed.

Self help, an euphemism for hooliganism, will attract nothing short of punishment, not even from Fasola, but from police who are empowered to enforce Lagos laws.

i do not believe you by saying okadas are only banned from plying high roads,i think okadas are completely banned in lagos cos i see what police do to okadas that operate within the neighbourhood every day.is either fashola banned okadas completely or police are taken advantage of that to execute their aim.

Billyonaire: You are wrong my friend. Soldiers are on the streets of Lagos crushing Okada, are you blaming GEJ for this ?

If the above is true, then ask the commander in chief, who will then call the GOCs to order. Governors have no business with soldiers.

Besides, that Akele of a guy must be high on something. I can remember the particular event where fashola spoke about this. It was the military that invited him to a programme, and they were only brainstorming on how to make the law work among the military personnel. there was no time he asked the military for anything special

I don't understand why we unnecessarily like to reinvent the wheel. Nasir el Rufai successfully got rid of Okadas in Abuja without all the anger from Okada owners and riders alike, because he properly planned for the expected fallout from him actions.

All Fashola had to do was invite the man for a visit and consultation. Akpabio of Akwa Ibom consults with Rufai regularly and we don't hear of anger from his employers, the people, like we do in Lagos. Fashola is losing the goodwill he enjoys from Nigerians very quickly.

For oduduwa nation or one nigeria.

Negro_Ntns: I wanna be Lagos governor for just one month.......just one month babe!

Ekene dili chuckwu go make more profit that one month....... shuttling full load out and returning empty for more load......than they have made the past five christmas.

I no joke Repatriation of the baboon nation under my watch.

Did I read;newly installed?
The guy wants everyone to know he is around.
Some days ago,fashola actually went to solicite with a general for assistance to battle the okada riders.

Oga Ndu_chucks,

1. We don't need to learn anything from El-Rufai on this matter. A state has decisively taken a decision and that is it.
2. Whether we like it or not, this is the law, it's been passed and it has come to stay.
3. Any of these aggrieved Okada ridders (99.9% non-tax paying, enjoying fruit of what taxes for you and I pay for, endagering people's lives, and making Lagos major roads eyesore) should take the path taken by most of the Nothern Okada riders. They went back to their villages in droves during Sallah break.
4. Lagos is not duty-bound to provide employment to people that troup into the state to look for greener pastures. I say it again and again. Lagos is not duty-bound to take care of those not recognized as having anything gainful to contribute to Lagos. A typical Hausa man in Mile12, or an Ibo man in Orile, Alaba, Ladipo, Eko, Suru Alaba etc are the people Fashola has business taking care of. They are the once contributing to development of Lagos. Okada riders are not.


Let me also lend a voice to the useless notion on Akele - Akele
1. I want to understand that I'm not bound to follow someone just because he makes so much noise and less sense. Akele can claim antecedents to struggle for democracy like others, he can claim being a Gani disciple and all that....but when it comes to making sense and he falls flat, then he's lost me
2. The same Akele that could not articulate simple cogent points and reasoning together in a Governorship debate, and stating ridiculous logics and ascerssions......IGR from Coconut, flood Lagos roads with Market women - as his definition of social service etc. He's a misguided Marxist
3. Yes Fashola gave Okada rider helmet - It is stricly for safety dummies. It is not gift. It is for protecting lives
4. Yes Fashola solicited their votes prior to election - Who didn't? Must he now allow lawlessness and senseless acts to pervade and persist just because the Okada riders voted for him (I am still challenging anyone on NL to serve us the statistics of Okada riders that voted for Fashola. What is their number or Percentage)
5. For me, since the custodian of Lagos State has decided that we want sanity, saftey and preservation of lives on our roads as a mantra - everybody is duty-bound to follow it. You are free to vote out ACN government and Vote in Okada riders party at the next election
6. On the issue of Fashola inviting soldier to Lagos to help arrest Okada riders.....I am not going to dignify a sen.seless ascertion with any response. I pray sane people on this forum do same

ndu_chucks: I don't understand why we unnecessarily like to reinvent the wheel. Nasir el Rufai successfully got rid of Okadas in Abuja without all the anger from Okada owners and riders alike, because he properly planned for the expected fallout from him actions.

All Fashola had to do was invite the man for a visit and consultation. Akpabio of Akwa Ibom consults with Rufai regularly and we don't hear of anger from his employers, the people, like we do in Lagos. Fashola is losing the goodwill he enjoys from Nigerians very quickly.

Their rights to fiar hearing was put in place. Their unions were consulted and communicated as with all other transport unions when all these were in the offing. These guys are simply economical with the truth and playing to gullible people's sentiments.

naptu2: My only concern with this policy is that the Lagos State Government should ensure that it protects the right of the Okada riders to fair hearing.

Impounded vehicles are regularly crushed in other jurisdictions, so that doesn't sound strange to me.

However, nemo judex in causa sua (you can't be a judge in your own cause). The government should ensure that arrested okada riders are brought before an impartial judge in court.

Lagos State Government officials state that the motorcycles that are being crushed belong to riders who abandoned their machines. Therefore, there is nobody to take to court.

I stay in Lagos and Never seen this as well. But you know NL now! People living in other places and far from Lagos (and some rubbish folks still dreaming of coming to Lagos)report things like they where there....

malele:
Oga I stay in lagos, soldiers don't have time for that mess fashola wants to use them for pls

fonzie2u: D Gov is a traitor,only interpreting his masters script Tinubu.What alternative do they have to provide jobs.very draconian govt,I remember how he used force to quell d toll gate riot.

He should do his time n gerrout!!

what else would you use to quell a riot?'promise of icecream'?
A riot is an unlawful way to express ur hurts and grievances