A new group known as Lagos Progressives have published in Thisday of last thursday an advertorial accusing Gov Fashola and Ex-Gov Tinubu of large scale corruption and abuse of office.  The advertorial is reproduced below for your comments

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS
How Gov Fashola and Ex-Gov Tinubu are raping Lagos

We are concerned citizens of Lagos State who are bothered about recent developments in the state which were brought to public awareness by the publication titled “The True Face of Lagos”.  The publication listed a number of very serious allegations which we believe warrants an immediate response by the Lagos state administration.

This publication has also presented His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos with a rare opportunity to be accountable to the people of Lagos. He should ride high on this to endear himself to the people. We now call on him to explain on a point-by-point basis these serious allegations of financial recklessness, mis-management, abuse of office and other gross constitutional violations levelled against him.
 
For the ease of reference, we have identified certain specific allegations which we expect His Excellency to respond to and which should also be of concern to the members of the public and agencies such as Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), ICPC and Special Frauds Unit of the Nigerian Police.  We have grouped the allegations into six categories which also included other issues and allegations against his predecessor-former Gov Bola Tinubu. We expect both to explain and clear their names against these weighty allegations.
1. Allegations of Contract Inflation:
 Demolition of the Bank of Industry at a whopping cost of N1.5billion
 Rehabilitation of 2 kilometers portion of Funsho Williams Road (Western Avenue) at N7.7billion
 The rehabilitation of roads within the Gbagada General Hospital at N1.8billion
 The jerking-up of the cost of LASU-IBA road project at a cost of N10billion
 The jerking-up of the City Hall rehabilitation project to a mind-boggling N5.2billion
 The mysterious N5b helicopter deal which the public is eager to know details of how a state could expend these huge resources to acquire helicopters without a transparent bidding process
 The sand-filling of the Badagry-Marina foreshore at a whopping N1.5billion

2. Allegation of Financial Recklessness and  Mis-management
 The gift of N250million to the Rotimi Akeredolu-led EXCO of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). 
 The N420million spent to hire private security for six (6) months.
 Another N135million to fuel 225 vehicles within 6 months
 A whopping N290million to send text messages and make phone calls within six (6) months
 An unbudgeted N1.5billion of unappropriated funds for the demolition of Oshodi Market
 N183m for press coverage for six (6) months
 N600m paid in two (2) years for Christmas decorations
 N2b spent on subventions, grants and donation to faceless organisations
 N100m to allegedly film soap opera on Governor Fashola
 An unbelievable $62m (N10billion)for a CCTV project
 N30m per trip for the governor’s wife for six (6) trips per year

3. DEUX Projects and Dr. Tunji Olowolafe
There are serious allegations and new revelations against this company and this person, of which the public deserves a detailed explanation:
 Who is Tunji Olowolafe and What is his relationship with Governor Fashola and former governor Bola Tinubu?

 We are aware that Olowolafe’s relationship with Lagos state government predated this present administration.  For instance in 2005, Olowolafe’s Deux Projects Ltd solely handled all rehabilitation and building projects at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).  Why is Tunji Olowalafe the only major beneficiary of major hospital projects in Lagos State since the tenure of former Governor Bola Tinubu till date?

 In 2005-2006, the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, USA donated a set of medical equipment to the Lagos State government free of charge.  Yet, records showed that a company belonging to Tunji Olowolafe was paid by way of Letters of Credit for the same equipment. The public deserves an explanation.


 The entire maintenance contract and management of hospital equipment at the LASUTH was solely concessioned to Olowolafe’s company by the Tinubu administration at an annual payment of N850m paid upfront. The Fashola’s government retains this arrangement


 The development of Tejuosho and Oluwole markets are also concessioned to companies jointly owned by. Tunji Olowolafe and former Gov Bola Tinubu.

 The on-going construction of the Children’s Hospital in Gbaja, Surulere is presently being executed by the same Deux Project of Tunji Olowolafe.

All of the above are but only a fraction of these cases of corrupt practices and abuse of office common in this government and that of its predecessor.  But wait,  there are more shocking revelations on Tunji Olowolafe and Bola Tinubu and Fashola below:   



4. Lekki Concession Company (LCC) and Asset Resources Management (ARM)

 LCC is the company to which the Lekki-Epe road construction project was concessioned for 30 years in 2006.
 Dr. Tunji Olowolafe is the Chairman of LCC.
 The construction company handling the Lekki-Epe Expressway is HITECH
 HITECH is owned by the Chagouris and former Gov Bola Tinubu is the Chairman.
 The public has been kept in the dark as to the terms, conditions and scope of this concession.  We are aware that the concession initially included the construction of Lekki-Epe expressway, a coastal road and 4th mainland bridge and several hectares of land was transferred to the concessionaire as payment in lieu.
 The public deserves to know: what is the status of the coastal road and 4th mainland bridge? Why is the Lekki-Epe expressway a toll-road when there is no alternate road for those who would not wish to pay toll? Why is the project taking so long? And what are the terms and conditions of the concession? The whole project is shrouded in secrecy. Why?
 What has become of large hectares of land concessioned to ARM and Olowolafe at Lekki corridor as part payment in lieu for this project?
 Why was the Maiyegun Scheme sold to Olowolafe and his cronies without any independent valuation and where is the N5.3b purportedly paid?.
 The land (Layeni’s compound) adjacent to the demolished BOI building was acquired in the public interest but resold to Olowolafe and his friends. Why?

5. Land Matters
 Governor Fashola should explain to the public the indiscriminate and reckless acquisition and conversion of public land for the personal use of former Gov     Tinubu and Gov Fashola himself, their close family members and cronies. Some of these are:
o Why was the hectares of land adjacent to the Ajah-Badore junction on Lekki-Epe road which was original earmarked for a general hospital to serve the people of Eti-Osa now given away (free of charge) to a prominent member of Bola Tinubu’s family and renamed Royal Garden Estate?
o Why did former Gov Tinubu give away Hecters of land belonging to several communities-Sirinwon, Igbekodo, Apakin etc in Ibeju Lekki local government to his crony, one Ibukun Fakeye to develop a golf course and housing estate with no regard for the right of the community?  In addition, why did the Lagos State Government pay a whopping sum of N5billion for the take-off of the project which today is being singularly handled by Ibukun Fakeye as a private project at the exclusion of any Lagos State Government official? Was this project ever approved by the Lagos State House of Assembly or the amount appropriated in the 2006 or 2007 budgets?
o What is the present status of Eko Akete Project for which N4.7b was raised from the bank and lost.  The scheme was later transferred to C&C owned by the Chagouris but at what price?
o Why were the hectares of land of Lagos State Fisheries office and the Fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) bequeathed to one Prince Dipo Eludoyin-a personal friend and crony of ex-Gov Tinubu and Fashola?
o At what price was the entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for low cost housing scheme sold to a company belonging to Prince Dipo Eludoyin?
o How did former Gov Tinubu get to own the Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land reclaimed by Lagos State Government? And the former Strabag yard at Alausa?
o Why did former Gov Tinubu allocate itself the choice property at Lekki-Epe road while in office of which he built and owns the multi-billion naira Oriental Hotel and the extension of multi-storey car park beside it? Also the multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe road jointly owned with ARM and Tunji Olowolafe?
o This government has expended over N5billion on the bar beach shore line project and no further work has been done by the concessionaire to develop the Atlantic City project which was claimed to have been over subscribed. We suspect The N5billion will soon become a complete waste given the temporary nature of the shoreline protection. The public deserve to know the details of this project
o Why has former Gov Bola Tinubu converted the state government residential house at 4 Oyinkan Abayomi (Queens Drive) to his own property? To the best of our knowledge, the property was put up for sale during his administration and no successful bid was received.  We have it on authority that the property now belongs to him.  Gov Fashola should explain to the public the true status of this property.
o Sources at the Land’s Bureau Alausa revealed that several hundreds of choice landed properties located in Ikoyi, VI, Lekki corridor, GRA ikeja etc are being recklessly given away by both ex-Gov Tinubu and Gov Fashola to friends, family, as political patronage and to corrupt top officials in the judiciary, legislative and executive and security arm at both the state and federal level.  We have also been reliably informed that former Gov Tinubu is still signing C of O as the Governor up till now, backdating to period during his tenure. All these with the active support of the incumbent governor, the Permanent Secretary-Lands-Gbenga Ashafa and the former PA of ex-Gov Tinubu-Hakeem Muri Okunola.
o If a thorough independent investigation is conducted on the affairs of the Land’s Bureau at Alausa, from 1999 to date, the revelations will shock the public and further expose the rape of Lagos by those elected to manage its affairs.

It is obvious that the land bureau is riddled with corruption of the most unimaginable level.  No wonder one of the Executives of Land Use and Allocation, Committee celebrated publicly his first billion naira mark and the Permanent Secretary (Lands) – Mr. Gbenga Ashafa recently threw two (2) extensively lavish parties in the space of six months. Both parties were attended by the cream-de-le-cream of Lagos including both Governor Raji Fashola and ex-governor Bola Tinubu. It is an evidence of the level of tolerance for corruption in this administration that a sitting Governor shamelessly attended a lavish party by a serving Permanent Secretary whose annual salary could hardly pay for just the bottled water drank at the party.

6. Other Issues
 What is the status of the Bus Assembly Company-a joint venture between the Lagos State Government and Marcopolo Bus Co of Brazil of which several millions of dollars was paid to a foreign consultant and a Nigerian friend of former Gov Tinubu in 2006?  Gov Fashola should update the public on this.
 What is the status of another N2b paid from the state coffers to an off shore company known only to ex-governor Bola Tinubu to build a bus maintenance facility at the old LMTS yard at Cappa, Oshodi in 2006 of which nothing has been done till date?
 What about the billions of naira paid not once, not twice on the development of Oyingbo market for which no appreciable level of work has been done?  The evidence is there for the public to see.

 The public needs to know how the proceeds of the sale of Econet Wireless (now Zain) shares in foreign currency totalling about N22billion and which was paid into the account of Lagos State held with FBN Plc vanished during the tenure of former Gov Tinubu

 On what basis is the 15% commission on total internally generated revenue (IGR) being paid to Alpha Beta Tax consultants amounting to average of N1.5billion monthly when the same work was being done by the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue?

   Who really own Alpha Beta?
 Former Gov Bola Tinubu has consistently denied ownership of the company, while Gov Fashola has publicly cleared his predecessor of any involvement with the company. So the public wants the Governor to unmask the real owners of this company Or how could a company collecting N1.5billion of tax payers’ money monthly be so shrouded in secrecy. And if Gov Fashola has indeed revoked the contract and stopped the payment, let him say so publicly.

The allegations above are pointers for Governor Fashola to react to now.
We commend the prompt action of the Lagos State House of Assembly in setting up the administrative panel to look into the allegation by the writers of “The True Face of Lagos”.  We urge the Assembly to make the panel’s work to be all-inclusive taking cognisance of all matters of concern catalogued above.  We also call on the members of the public whose taxes are being flagrantly wasted and stolen to demand for explanations.  We call on ex-Gov Bola Tinubu and Gov Raji Fashola to publicly debunk these allegations with facts and documents and not hide under the excuse of “allegations are baseless and the work of detractors”.  Let those political jobbers and other cronies in the media not hoodwink us with their usual refrain that “Gov Fashola is performing”.  These allegations are indeed weighty, criminal in nature, and constitute gross constitutional breaches.
Finally, we strongly urge the EFCC who has the legal authority to immediately commence in- depth investigation of these allegations.  Many of these allegations are specific with current names of individuals, location of assets and timing of events mentioned.  The State’s Treasury Office (STO), office of the State’s Accountant General, and the Land’s Bureau at the Alausa Secretariat all has the relevant documents and facts to confirm or disproof these allegations.
To the members of the public and in particular, well meaning Nigerians who abhor corruption, we call on you to join us in fighting this cankerworm that is destroying our nation.  First we humbly request members of the public with additional useful and credible information on the above to email us at lagosprogressives@yahoo.com with these facts.  Your identity will be protected and we intend to pursue these matters to their logical conclusion
If Gov Fashola thinks this matter will die off if he remains silence, he is mistaken as we intend to continue to bring this matter to public consciousness.  The good people of Lagos State are waiting and watching.

THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
MR GBENGA THOMAS
Cordinator
Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.com
Tel: 07065443358

Tundewoods, you are mistaken. This is not political war fare. These are concerned citizens and taxpayers like you and I. Last time i checked, i paid N350,000 as personal income tax to Lagos state govt. last year. It is part of my tax money being wasted and I like other Lagosians have rights to want to know how our taxes are being wasted. I am tired and sick of hearing about the "good work" that Fashola is doing. That I suppose gives him the right to embezzle and waste tax payers money on say N250m to NBA. To do what? he should speak up either to deny or explain these serious allegations

They will all fail and their behinds will be exposed.

let them morph into as many different names as they want, like multiple id freaks on nairaland.

@ gbengapro

if you're sick and tired of hearing about Fashola's good works in lagos, then move back to wherever you came from.

The western world is already telling you and your people the same. Even Zimbabwe is giving you your exit papers.

Gbengapro

I will post the questions I asked in response to a post you made on another thread.

Have you held Yaradua to account for lack of infrastructure, constant fuel scarcity, insufficient power supply, adequate health care? Can you name one government official who has performed more than Fashola? Have you requested accountability from the millions of looters who have held office?

tpia, you are either a slowpoke or paid agent. Maybe you should read this agian and tell me if people are not justified to ask questions

Allegations of Contract Inflation:
   Demolition of the Bank of Industry at a whopping cost of N1.5billion
   Rehabilitation of 2 kilometers portion of Funsho Williams Road (Western Avenue) at N7.7billion
   The rehabilitation of roads within the Gbagada General Hospital at N1.8billion
   The jerking-up of the cost of LASU-IBA road project at a cost of N10billion
   The jerking-up of the City Hall rehabilitation project to a mind-boggling N5.2billion
   The mysterious N5b helicopter deal which the public is eager to know details of how a state could expend these huge resources to acquire helicopters without a transparent bidding process
   The sand-filling of the Badagry-Marina foreshore at a whopping N1.5billion

2.   Allegation of Financial Recklessness and  Mis-management
   The gift of N250million to the Rotimi Akeredolu-led EXCO of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).  
   The N420million spent to hire private security for six (6) months.
   Another N135million to fuel 225 vehicles within 6 months
   A whopping N290million to send text messages and make phone calls within six (6) months
   An unbudgeted N1.5billion of unappropriated funds for the demolition of Oshodi Market
   N183m for press coverage for six (6) months
   N600m paid in two (2) years for Christmas decorations
   N2b spent on subventions, grants and donation to faceless organisations
   N100m to allegedly film soap opera on Governor Fashola
   An unbelievable $62m (N10billion)for a CCTV project
   N30m per trip for the governor’s wife for six (6) trips per year[/sup[/pre]]

Katsumoto, you need to be properly educated. This is not a debate on Yaradua or any other thieving politician. We have many of them in Nigeria and we will continue to produce them. This is not a debate on the "good jobs fashola is doing" If you allow yourself to be hoodwinked by propaganda, that's your problem.

This is an issue of two different groups accusing Gov fashola of corruption. We are only asking him to respond with denial or explanation. Corruption is universally a criminal and moral problem. We have all accepted that it is bad for Nigeria and that we should make our leaders accountable.

So if any of our leaders is accused of corruption, he should speak out to deny or explain.

Enough of this nonsense on Fashola is performing. It makes me sick. You guys are lost in the wilderness and you need to find your way back to civilisation. Lagos as far as i am concerned is still a jungle. Fashola has made little or no impact. But let's assume he is the "best Gov in Nigeria", does that make it right for him to steal or embezzle public fund?

gbengapro

you're a slowpoke and its because of morons like you that Nigeria has no respect anywhere in the world.

Cooking up rubbish allegations doesnt make you and your type any less idiotic.

Go back to where you came from and ask them what they're doing with their govt allocations there.

gbengapro:

Katsumoto, you need to be properly educated.  This is not a debate on Yaradua or any other thieving politician.  We have many of them in Nigeria and we will continue to produce them.  This is not a debate on the "good jobs fashola is doing"  If you allow yourself to be hoodwinked by propaganda, that's your problem.

This is an issue of two different groups accusing Gov fashola of corruption.  We are only asking him to respond with denial or explanation.  Corruption is universally a criminal and moral problem.  We have all accepted that it is bad for Nigeria and that we should make our leaders accountable.

So if any of our leaders is accused of corruption, he should speak out to deny or explain.  

Enough of this nonsense on Fashola is performing.  It makes me sick.  You guys are lost in the wilderness and you need to find your way back to civilisation. Lagos as far as i am concerned is still a jungle.  Fashola has made little or no impact.  But let's assume he is the "best Gov in Nigeria", does that make it right for him to steal or embezzle public fund?

The problem I have with people like you is that you are acting out the script handed out to you.
Whilst it is not right for him to steal, there is no proof that he has stolen. My argument is that if office holders are to be held accountable, then the exercise should start with the most obviously corrupt and not the most productive. If you are not being disingenuous, then why have you not started a thread requesting accountability from the Abacha, Babangida, Tinubu, Marwa, Abdusalam, etc governments? Afterall, they have all held office in areas where you are affected.

Be honest, what is your issue with Fashola? You are probably one of those individuals acting against Fashola because you want your people in office. You are either in the PDP or Tinubu camps. Leave Fashola alone.

i wonder about all these faceless groups

alliance of concerned professionals, coalition for good governance - who only exist on the faces of news paper adverts

The real question is. . . . . . . . are the allegations true?

If yes, they should be held accountable. Doesn't matter if a million others are doing the same thing, judgement will come to all sooner or later, one way or another.

As long as no one is being falsely accused, they should defend themselves to the people they serve.

Please people, let's not get distracted by sentiments!!!

^^ you are the one who should use common sense if you have any.

Any tout can make allegations. Its not mandatory a reasonable person should respond to them.

Neither is anyone with a brain supposed to take faceless criminals' accusations as gospel truth, unless you're one of them.

Where are these groups located?Who are the members?Where do they get all these facts from?These allegations on Fashola and d erstwhile gov. need an attention immediately.Hey!hey!! Ribadu, sorry,Farida,action now or never,

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