Read Full Post And Comments Here: https://www.nairaland.com/365672/lagos-house-plans-impeach-fashiolaThe battle for Lagos - Tax issues, road contracts tear Tinubu, Fashola apart
Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 13.12.2009
NOTWITHSTANDING the series of denials, Sunday Tribune can authoritatively reveal that loyalists of the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are set to serve impeachment notice on the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola any moment from now.
As a prelude to the release of the impeachment notice, the State House of Assembly is set to release the report of a budget performance of the state in 2009.
Besides, a review of the budget 2010 estimates submitted to the House of Assembly by Governor Fashola has also been collated, and the Assembly is also set to release some damaging aspects of budget review to further dampen the governor’s bright image among the people.
Sources contend that the Tinubu camp had been having some running battles with Fashola from his first day in office and that an association of mutual suspicion has been existing between them.
It was gathered that immediately Fashola became governor, some of those close to him prompted him to question the continued control of the state’s political apparatus by Tinubu.
A source also said that the state government toyed with the idea of reviewing the tax consultancy regime foisted on the state by Tinubu’s administration, which ensured that the consultancy company takes home 10 percent of the state’s earnings on a monthly basis.
Sources had suggested that the bulk of those earnings were being repatriated back to his predecessor in office and that allowing a former political office holder access to such funds could be dangerous to the incumbent.
It was also suggested to Fashola that it would pay him to be his own man and that merely tagging along as Tinubu’s ‘boy’ would be counterproductive to his politics.
Initial skirmishes according to sources were promptly resolved at the instance of the Oba of Lagos Oba Akiolu, who was said to have called the duo of Fashola and Tinubu together and asked them to work together.
While the initial dust settled, further disagreements were to arise from the award of road rehabilitation contracts by Fashola. Two major roads, the Lekki-Epe and the Badagry Expressways contracts were said to have featured prominently in the division that has crept into the midst of the Tinubu camp and Fashola, upon which the impeachment plot is being built.
It was gathered that while Fashola agreed to suggestions of his predecessor on the award of some internal roads to certain contractors, the Tinubu’s camp move to influence the award of the two major express ways met with stiff resistance.
While Fashola abandoned the control of politics to Tinubu, he focused on infrastructural development and the results started showing within the first year.
He instantly became the shinning example of governance in Nigeria and that, to the chagrin of the Tinubu camp.
Now as a way of curtailing the Fashola challenge, which is said to have eclipsed all achievements of the former governor, some contractors, believed to have sympathy for the Tinubu camp have slowed down their work in the last six months.
But a source said that Fashola was actually choked by the demands of his godfather, who it was said had made himself appear the man in charge of politics and government in Lagos State.
Some elders in the state said that Fashola had to lie low after reading the true nature of the political structure of Lagos under the Action Congress (AC).
Tinubu is the de facto leader and the determinant of all issues in the party. He also funded the election of all members of the House of Assembly and all of them see him as their leader.
They also continue to see Fashola as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff even two years after he became the governor.
A source said that that is the reason the Assembly members are angered after hearing of the skirmishes between Tinubu and Fashola.
Besides, Fashola has continued to rely on the media machine set up by Tinubu to project his government, while failing to court the media in his own way.
He is also said to have failed to allow what is described as a (jeun soke) lobbying regime, which would ensure that the political godfathers are well placed financially such that they could always allow the effects to trickle down.
The traditional institution in the state is also said to be suffering from the due process approach of Fashola, with no special favours going towards them, unlike the Tinubu era.
The lawmakers in the House are said to be particularly angered that while the governor is a product of the Tinubu school of politics, which places high premium on lobbying, Fashola has refused to allow them influence on the budgets, especially in a way that would afford them political patronage.
“This governor, unlike his boss, does not dispense political patronages. When he calls meetings of monarchs and political leaders, he will only shake hands with them at the end of the day. Some political leaders were angry after one of the meetings and they had to report to Tinubu, who pleaded with them and had to send ‘messages’ round,” a source said.
Other sources said that Fashola is not learning from his boss, who took the advice of some Alliance for Democracy leaders in 1998 upon his return from his sojourn abroad.
It was gathered that Tinubu was advised to take both the media and the traditional institution seriously if he was to make a headway in Nigerian politics. The source said that Tinubu took the advice and he is today a tiger in the media.
Apart from the failing political patronage, Fashola has also fallen victim of the 2011 calculations. Tinubu’s camp it was said, has calculated that Fashola would become a much more difficult customer if he is retained as governor in 2011.
He is said to have demonstrated single mindedness on crictical issues, especially issue of funding of AC outside Lagos.
It was said that Tinubu had directed the governor to take over the sponsorship of AC’s activities at the national level as well as its activities in Osun, Ekiti and Oyo States but that Fashola reneged.
Tinubu’s camp thus felt that Fashola would become much more difficult if he retains the office in 2011.
Former Transport Commissioner, Muiz Banire is the favoured candidate to take over from Fashola, but the calculation, according to sources, is that the House can even get him out early enough through impeachment.
In view of Fashola’s rising profile among the populace, his traducers are resolved to take his sins to the public and then paint him as a corrupt man.
One of the sins is that his purchase of security helicopters were against the grain of due process and that the companies that handled the purchase is related to his brothers.
“The governor is going to be charged with nepotism and abuse of office,” a source said.
On the performance of the budget, the governor is being charged with failure to implement budgets as passed by the House and disregard for members of the House of Assembly, who see themselves as his seniors in the political party.
The result of the combined alleged failures of Fashola, it was gathered, is that the governor remains vulnerable to attacks both at the political end and within the media.
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji is said to be the arrowhead of the ongoing plot against Fashola and he was the first to blow the lid on the rift when he told the governor to beware of praise singers during the 2010 budget presentation.
But the government of Lagos State has continued to insist that the Fashola/Tinubu relationship remains cordial... |
Sources contend that the Tinubu camp had been having some running battles with Fashola from his first day in office and that an association of mutual suspicion has been existing between them.
It was gathered that immediately Fashola became governor, some of those close to him prompted him to question the continued control of the state’s political apparatus by Tinubu.
A source also said that the state government toyed with the idea of reviewing the tax consultancy regime foisted on the state by Tinubu’s administration, which ensured that the consultancy company takes home 10 percent of the state’s earnings on a monthly basis.
Sources had suggested that the bulk of those earnings were being repatriated back to his predecessor in office and that allowing a former political office holder access to such funds could be dangerous to the incumbent. Emilokan: The Man Who Ruined LagosYou want to be President Your wife is a Senator Your daughter, Iya Loja, controls all monies and levies generated in all Lagos markets. Your son, the advertising guru of state account, is in charge of all billboard money generate in Lagos. All BRT money goes to your Nephew Your wife, a Senator, is the official supplier of diesel in all Lagos State formations and including street light generators. All governmental taxes and other levies goes to you - JAGABAN himself through your consulting firm - Alpha Beta You own a mega private hospital inside the state teaching hospital in Lagos. Your newspaper and TV channel are the official paid propaganda channels. You own almost all the remaining valuable real estates in Lagos. You're entitled to pension 300% amount payable to governors. The law you created by yourself. You're entitled to change of vehicles yearly and houses both in Lagos & Abuja (minimum 5 bedroom duplex) All your domestic staff - cooks, gardeners, stewards, drivers, securities etc - are paid by the government and are all pensionable. You directly control all the machinery of government in Lagos and some southwest states. - Sola Kuti 1 Like |
