‘Provide strategic solutions'

By Segun Balogun

March 4, 2011 07:42AM


Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, on Thursday, said Nigerian politicians seeking elective offices have to change their campaign strategies, in the interest of the country's progress.

During an exclusive interview with NEXT, Mr Fashola, reacting to the governorship debate in which he participated along four other gubernatorial candidates, said "it would seem that none of the candidates have spoken to the issues that concern Lagosians." "What they were concerned about was to criticise what we have done," he said. "At that kind of forum where the debate was intended to inform and enlighten the public, they didn't bring the discussions that I was expecting. I wanted to learn from them if there are better ways of doing what we are doing. For me, this is not a time to criticise. Complaining that we didn't do it well is not the answer. The citizens want to know how you will do it better. There was a question, for example, that ‘what will you do to improve education system' and the answer that came was ‘I know what to do',"

Performance analysis

When asked to assess his achievement regarding the goals he set for himself on assumption of office, Mr Fashola said he has performed beyond his target, if the promises he made are considered within the context of the four-year time frame the prevailing economic environment during those four years. "I think that we have delivered more than we promised," he said. "If you read my inaugural address and the terms of the document I issued then as my contract with Lagos, I think we have delivered more than we promised," he said. "But to me, that delivery was situated within the context of a time frame and an economic environment. So if we have had more money, there are things we would have loved to do and progressed more quickly."

Answering the critics

The governor also responded to some allegations against his administration, especially the cost of road construction, the funding of election in other South Western states, taxation, and ownership of the Alpha Beta Company. "It cannot be correct," he said, responding to the allegations that to construct one kilometre of road in the state costs N1bn. "Some of our opponents who made these allegations use some of the contractors that we use," he said.

"They execute projects in a different terrain from ours and our prices are still lower than theirs. To build away from the coast is cheaper than building close to the coast. When you build close to the coast, seventy percent of your cost goes into drainage that is concrete and iron rod. There is a highway being built in Abuja towards the airport. I am building the Lagos-Badagary expressway right in the midst of marshland. The drainage we are sinking there is almost three feet deep and three feet wide. There is no such drainage on the Abuja highway. The materials they are using are right on site, we have to go to the sea to take filling materials."

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reader comments (9)



Posted by Akinyode on Mar 04 2011
Gov Fashola is not a politician but a renown technocrat, he is full of ideas, ride on BRF


Posted by wonderman on Mar 04 2011
sometimes i always wonder whether we dont deserve the kind of leadership we have. In fact i think we are all corrupt because we kept voting for corrupt PDP politicians, who rather than engage us on issues that affect us come to the public to abuse their opponents.


Posted by okechukwu on Mar 04 2011
Fashola, the Lord is with you because He chose you from the world to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last. Like you said you have surpassed your target and we believe in you and we are confident that in the next four Lagos State will be the BEST state in Nigeria. Weldone!!!!


Posted by tunde thomas on Mar 04 2011
I commend Gov. Fashola's performance at the governorship debate. He answered questions intelligently and presented facts that were verifiable. The other candidates simply proved that they had no plans and nothing to offer Lagosians

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5681328-146/story.csp

Abegi!!! Stop lecturing us. Lead the way in your state. Start by creating the very atmosphere you want to exist in the rest of Nigeria right there in Lagos and people will not only have to hear you talk and talk of it but actually see it in the lives of the people in Lagos( Now I am not speaking of the brainwashed farce that is typical of Nigerians and many Fashola Supporters today).