Dosunmu takes on Fashola

By Segun Balogun


February 18, 2011 01:51AM


The construction of the proposed fourth mainland bridge formed the core of the debate between second term-seeking Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, and his main rival, Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Adegboyega Dosumu, on Thursday. Both candidates, during the debate organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, agreed to the immense need of the bridge but differed on their preferred mode of implementation.

How they sparred

Mr Dosumu indicted the governor’s administration for not commencing the construction of the fourth mainland bridge as promised while campaigning in 2006 and concluded that “the federal government built the third mainland bridge and therefore the fourth mainland bridge will also be built by the federal government.” “Let me sound a note of warning here,” he said. “Lagosians will be taxed out of existence if the state government constructs that bridge.”

However, the governor, intermittently addressed Mr Dosumu as “my friend” and “my opponent,” said that a responsible government will never concede its people’s needs to impossibility, especially because “the federal government has proven quite unreliable where needed most by Nigerians.” “The federal government has kept us in perpetual darkness and has not even maintained the federal roads, so while my friend will prefer to wait for the federal government, I have chosen to take my destiny in my hand,” he said, explaining that the vicissitudes of the global financial meltdown stalled the construction project.

Mr Dosumu fired the second salvo by accusing the state government of spending taxpayers fund unnecessarily by undertaking projects meant to be done by the federal government. He blamed the state for not cooperating with the Lagos Infrastructure Development Authority, an agency of the presidency saddled with building infrastructure in Lagos State. “NDDC accessed N500bn from the federal government and nothing stops LIDA from doing the same but the policies of the state government does not allow the agency to operate smoothly,” he said, promising that the federal government will be more forthcoming about issues concerning Lagos if elected as governor.

The manifestoes

Drawing from his performance in the last four years, Mr Fashola said that he will achieve his plan for Lagos as “Africa’s model megacity of eight independent but interconnected cities.” However, Mr Dosumu said his manifesto will soon be released to the public but offered a preview of his plan for the state, the highlight of which is to provide low cost housing, and implement liberal taxation policy. “Public utilities can only be affordable if it is run by the government because the private sector only thinks of making profit,” he said. “That is why there is clear difference between public and business administration.” He promised to reduce the tax burdens of businesses to forestall further relocation of businesses from Lagos.

Reacting, Mr Fashola said the tax laws was made by the PDP dominated National Assembly. “We have not increased tax rate,” he said. “What we have simply done is to ask more people to pay. I think it is deceptive to promise good governance and at the same time reduce tax rate. Where will the money to deliver good governance come from?”

Earlier, in his welcome address, the President of chamber, Femi Deru, said the debate is necessary “to know the aspirants’ thinking on a number of critical issues that are of concern to the private sector in Lagos State.”



http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5677978-147/story.csp

This PDP candidate Dosunmu is clueless. This guy really wants to turn everything over to the Federal government. We have seen how the Federal government has woefully failed and this guy is advocating more of of it.

Fashola should win by a landslide.

who is dosunmu deputy and fashola