₦airaland Forum

Most have these nairaland posters are either stupid or ignorant. A man donated a creche (a daycare center or nursery) to a church and suddenly he is the best thing that has happened to mankind. Meanwhile, he has allegation of stealing billions hanging on his neck but our fellow nairalanders don't think much of this.
This man was elected to manage our resources to better the lives of the citizens but we still have flood driving us out of our homes when it rains, traffic logjam on our roads, bad and dilapidated roads, chronic housing problems in Lagos, army of unemployed youths, corruption reigning supreme at alausa, sub-standard schools and hospitals, touts and thugs in uniform who call themselves LASTMA and KAI, and these apologists and sycophants are singing the praises of the governor who should be told to get to work and solve the problems he was elected to solve.
Shame on you all

Pafuri, ok you are the only person who have made reasonable contribution without using gutter language and abusive words.
Now my points are these: is it true that a person carrying a gun in Dele Alake's convoy shot and almost killed an innocent motorist on the highway? If the answer is yes, is this lawful? Can a person shot another inside a vehicle because he thought the person might be an assassin? Is this not inviting anarchy? Is Dele Alake above the law to have a private army around to fight off perceived assassins? Now assume all political aspirants afraid of assassins should have armed escorts like Dele Alake, just imagine how many private armies we will have on our roads. Now let's assume that Alapini who he shot had his own armed escort, wouldn't there be a war on the highway?
Now on Akala, the poster is obviously biased because he failed to provide any source to back up his story that Akala ordered the arrest. Where is the proof? Everybody just jumped on the bandwagon to abuse the gov.
Let's assume he did. Akala is the chief security officer of the state and has the legal power to order the arrest of anybody who breached the peace by directing the police to make the arrest. The armed escort acted recklessly and irresponsibly to shoot an innocent citizen and Dele Alake is culpable because he was the employer.
Everything in nairaland is politicized and people loose their sense of reasoning when their political paymaster is affected

Toba1909, if I am a retard, then you are a goat! So because you are security conscious, you should gomround shooting innocent citizens. Because some politicians were assassinated in the past, all politicians should go about carrying guns and shooting people. Talk about anarchy and lawlessness.
You AC apologists have no brain at all. All you do is come on line to sing praises of your thuggish leaders and run down others.
I repeat- Dele Alake has acted irresponsibly as a thug and should be arrested and prosecuted for attempted murder and aggravated assault

You are all brainwashed fools! Fashola donated crèche to church. So what Is the big deal! What has he done to help millions of Homeless lagosians;and those living in sub-standard housing; and for millions of jobless and for millions of hungry children; and for millions without clean water; and for millions in sub-standard schools; and for millions ravaged by flood when it rains. Al-jazeera just described Lagos as one of the worst cities to live. And you dumb fools are praising the corrupt governor for using your tax money to donate crèche to a tiny church. I feel sorry for you sycophants.

I am in shock with the responses so far. You are all BIG FOOLS. You have left the substance to chase shadows. So Dele Alake and his goons have rights to shoot other motorists because he is afraid of assassination. Is he a police officer? Is he licensed to carry guns to shoot other motorists? Who the hell is Dele Alake to be driving around in a convoy of armed men?Have we descended so lowly and have become so lawless? If all political aspirants are licensed to carry guns, we might as well become a war zone.
Dele Alake is a lawless tug from Bola Tinubu's school of thuggery and area boys. He is reckless, irresponsible and stupid. He should be charged for attempted murder and aggravated assault.
To you nairalanders who made these comments above, shame on you. You are blinded by sentiments and prejudice against Akala who is not a party in this matter

Lagos is always flooded when it rains. It's not only VI, and Ikoyi but all over Lagos-upland and lowland. This is basically because of poor urban planning, poor drainage and poor environmental condition. Big shame on Fashola. All the noise about his performance and building a new Lagos. It's a big JOKE. Lagos is gradually sinking and this guy and his idiotic supporters are busy making nois in the media and on line. God help us

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS - PART 4

Due to the large number of inquiries and requests from members of the public concerning land matters in Lagos
we have decided to post part 4 of our publications again. It is truly and simply unbelievable.

MONUMENTAL LAND SCAMS IN LAGOS INVOLVING GOVERNOR FASHOLA AND EX GOVERNOR TINUBU

We are concerned citizens of Lagos who have brought to your attention various cases of corruption and abuse of office by former Gov Bola Tinubu and Gov Fashola in our previous publications.

In this publication, we bring to your attention once again monumental cases of corruption and abuse of office involving land matters in Lagos State perpetuated by the duo.

Over the past 10 years, both Tinubu and Fashola have been involved in various land scams including outright conversion of Lagos land for personal use, and given out state land and buildings to their cronies, political associates, public officials, members of security agencies, politicians and members of the various arms of the judiciary to achieve one interest or the other at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Tinubu in particular is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for.

Even after he left office, Tinubu still continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He is still giving out Lagos land to curry political favours, signing C of O and backdating them to period he was in office. Gov Fashola has photocopied Tinubu’s land grabbing style as he is also acquiring land for personal and political purposes.

These brazen acts of corruption by the duo have been with the active collaboration of select few public officers who have gotten obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Most notable are Gbenga Ashafa-formerly executive secretary and now Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau since 2001; Mrs Awofisayo-formerly Permanent Secretary and now Special Adviser, New Town Development Authority (NTDA), and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun state who has been in charge of NTDA since 1999; Hakeem Muri-Okunola-PA to former Gov Tinubu and now Executive Secretary, Land’s Bureau; Mrs Nike Animashaun-Director, Land Services and known to be close to Bola Tinubu and Tunji Olowolafe. These people are arguably the wealthiest unelected public servants ever in the history of Lagos state. They are major wheelers and dealers of prime land. We mentioned in our earlier publication that the Land’s Bureau at Alausa stinks of corruption.

We catalogue below a few brazen acts of stealing and corruption committed by both Fashola and Tinubu on the good tax payers of Lagos. For ease of reference, we categorize these acts into two parts: the direct theft of prime land and properties and the use of Lagos land and properties to buy favours or pay off public officials at various levels.

A. Direct Theft of Lagos Land and Properties

Tinubu’s greed and primitive acquisition tendency knows no bound. In fact, it is believed that Lagos land personally converted by him is worth over N500 billion and growing because he hasn’t stopped. A few of them are listed below:

1. 4 Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi. A 5 bedroom detached house on 1 acre of Land which was a Lagos State Governor’s guest house since 1979 now belongs to Bola Tinubu. The C of O was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he assumed office. The property is valued at N450million

2. Tinubu’s residence at 26 Bourdillon road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as Oando Plc guest house. Later, he purportedly bought it from Oando, and used public fund to rebuild and renovate it. Recently, the Lagos state government bought the property and paid undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Bill he signed to law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600million

3. The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the State Government in 2006 for N450million purportedly to protect the main house from security breach. Shortly after he left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before he left office.

4. The 250 hectare land valued at about N35billion strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki Road which was initially meant for a General Hospital for the people of Eti-Osa local government was stolen by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd- a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu to develop as Royal Garden housing estate at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos

5. The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to LCC which is part owned by Tinubu and Fashola and being developed as golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd(ARM) as ADIVA project

6. The prime land of 157 Hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10billion and stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to Ibukun Fakeye-his crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu paid $20million (N3billion) out of public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project which is not owned by the state government.

7. The 1acre Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land valued at N1billion reclaimed by Lagos State Government is now owned by Bola Tinubu.

8. While in office, he allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos state secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja.

9. Also the choice property at Lekki-Epe road on 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. All these assets valued at over N25billion were obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.

10. Tinubu and Fashola sold the following prime Lagos properties to their personal friend and front-Prince Dipo Eludoyin at very ridiculous prices:

· The 3.8hectares of land of Lagos State Fisheries office in VI(beside the Institute of Oceanography) valued
at N3billion

· The Fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) valued at N500million

· The entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for low cost housing scheme valued at N5billion

· The Ilubinrin housing estate (which used to house Lagos state civil servants and judges up till 2007) valued at N2.5billion

· The former Julius Berger yard at Oko Orisan, Epe valued at N450million

11. Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete Project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of C & C and Hitech Construction Ltd at ridiculously low price at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos.

12. Tinubu expended over N5billion of Lagos tax payers’ money 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 Federal Government in 2005 offered to handle this project at no cost to Lagos but Tinubu refused because of his personal interest and greed

13. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the Federal Secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex to develop it. The complex is presently wasting away courtesy of the Lagos State Government.

14. It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Gov Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex.

15. Several other buyers of Federal Government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, VI and GRA Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Ministry and were made to pay ridiculous amounts to private accounts before their redevelopments were approved. Those who refused or are unable to pay could not develop their properties. This is a major economic strangulation of property developers and has contributed largely to the sky rocketing rent in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki axis.

16. Tinubu converted all the plots of land where Lagos Polytechnic was located at Ikosi near the old toll gate. He chased away the polytechnic in 2006 and went ahead to locate the choice plots to himself, his cronies and political associates. The headquarter of Television Continental (TVC) which is owned by him is located there. He deprived the youths of Lagos of decent education because of his greed.

17. Tinubu single handedly sold the prime land on Aboyade Cole, VI which was recovered from some allotees, to UACN Properties Plc. The amount of proceeds was shrouded in secrecy



B. Use of Land and Properties to buy favours from public officials

This is an act of using Lagos prime land to buy favours and corrupt public officials. This act was perfected by Bola Tinubu as governor and now inherited by Gov Fashola:

· Several prominent Nigerians in the judiciary, police, INEC, and other sensitive agencies have obtained prime land from former Gov Tinubu and Gov Fashola over the years without paying a kobo. Many of them had turned around to sell the land to third parties at substantial profit.

· Many top officials in the police, INEC and the judiciary who participated in the 2003 and 2007 elections and tribunals in states where Tinubu has interest were compromised with parcels of free prime Lagos land and cash. If the Lagos State Land’s Bureau could publish the names and identities of beneficiaries of land allotees from year 2000 to date, the scandal that will result is better imagined. Gbenga Ashafa and Mrs Awofisayo are the conduit through which these acts are being perpetuated. Both are also personally involved in various dubious land transactions on their own.

· Prime land and properties have been used to pay off public officials who are personally close to Tinubu and Fashola for ‘job well done’ or for being privy to sensitive information:

(a) Dele Alake, former commissioner for Information and Strategy was sold a whole house on Alexander road, ikoyi where he lived as official quarters at a giveaway price.

(b) Rauf Aregbesola, AC Osun State governorship candidate and former commissioner and Muiz Banire, still a serving commissioner got detached houses at Ladoke Akintola st, GRA Ikeja for the “good job” while serving under Tinubu.

(c) Yemi Cardoso and Wale Edun both former commissioners were sold houses on Iru close, and other location in old Ikoyi at giveaway prices by Tinubu. The list is endless.

· Gov Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2007. He was a part of these scams running errands for his boss to perpetuate these corrupt acts. He has since taken over as governor and has continued with these acts

· Gov Fashola in the wake of the petition against him presented by “The True Face of Lagos” to the House of Assembly has succeeded in buying his way out of trouble temporarily by bribing each of the 40 members with cash and prime state land at Abijo GRA off Lekki-Epe road. In addition, he bought a N40million bullet proof jeep for the speaker in a desperate bid to ward off investigation by the assembly

These corrupt acts have deprived the tax payers of Lagos billions in revenue which could have been used for public projects. Indeed, the prime land stolen from the Lekki axis is enough to build the Lekki-Epe road without burdening residents and other tax payers with a 30 year concessioned toll road.

Tinubu recently came out with a full page advertorial in several newspapers to deny allegations against him that he influenced the President of the Court of Appeal on the on-going Sokoto State governorship case. We call on him and Gov Fashola and all those whose names are mentioned in this publication to come out and deny or explain these allegations against them. The public will no longer take their silence as ‘golden’

We wonder why Lagosians, particularly the educated elites stand by while these men are depriving the good tax payers of Lagos. Recently, in Delta state, eminent Deltans led by Chief Edwin Clark wrote a petition to EFCC on the various acts of corruption of former Gov Ibori which caused the EFCC to make another move to charge him to court again.

Where are the elders of Lagos? Where are the elders of Island club, Yoruba Tennis club, The Metropolitan club, Lagos Lawn Tennis club, Eko club, The Association of Lagos Indigenes, Oriwu club, and a host of others. Where are the popular commentators on corruption?

Where are the human rights activists? Where is the NBA and the NLC? Where are the vibrant civil society groups? Where is the powerful and vibrant Lagos media? Where are the social crusaders? Where are the religious leaders? Where are the traditional rulers, the kabiyesis and chiefs particularly in the Lekki-Epe axis whose ancestral lands have been stolen and who have been deprived of their means of livelihood?

Why is there a conspiracy of silence by those known to be dogged fighters of corruption? Why are they watching as these men fritter away our collective wealth meant for us and future generation?

We should not expect any protection from the House of Assembly whose Speaker recently advised the group ‘The True Face of Lagos’ that leveled allegations of corruption against Gov Fashola to confront him with these allegations. What manner of Speaker?

We Lagosians should take charge of our own destiny. Let us join hands in the collective effort to call on the anti-corruption agencies, and in particular the EFCC, to act now and move into the Land’s Bureau and the State’s Treasury Office at Alausa to conduct a thorough investigation on Land matters from year 2000 to date. We assure the public that if this is done transparently, it might be possible to recover trillions of naira stolen from the tax payers of Lagos.

The Lagos Progressives is determined to continue to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We have done three previous publications and have called upon the EFCC and ICPC to act and we hope this fourth publication will trigger the necessary actions from these agencies.

We thank the numerous members of the public who have responded with mails of commendations, moral and financial support. We want more of this from you and feel free to contact us by email lagosprogressives@yahoo.com. And those who think they can intimidate us with their scare tactics, they have failed woefully

We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 5 soon



MR GBENGA THOMAS WALE ONILE- ERE

Cordinator Secretary

THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES

TEL: 07065443358 TEL: 08088662074

Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.com

Stupid fools.  So Fashola built a roadway and bravo he is a performing Gov. The man is doing a job he is elected for and the sycophants are at work.  Of course, its also an opportunity for politicians including Fashola to steal more public funds.  Aso ebi, hangers on, singing and dancing etc.  You will think he has just built 10,000 housing units or created thousands of jobs for the jobless.

Our people are just plain mugu. They get easily carried away over nothing.  Other past govs have built bigger and better projects.  Johnson constructed the Bagagry express road and the ikorodu road and falomo bridge.  Jakande built the Lekki road, isolo fly over bridge, yaba fly over, thousands of low cost housing units, LASU etc.  Mudashiru built housing units, ikorodu road, abeokuta motor road etc, Marwa built jakande road, agidingbi road, the house of assembly complex etc. Tinubu built agege motor rd, itire road, ikotun-igando rd etc.  

So what's the big deal with this bridge.  Another media blitz to deceive the people.  This certainly will not make us forget Fashola's corruption allegations.  He should face the charges and Lagosians are more interested in knowing the truth

Poster, what is commendable about Lagos environment? What other infrastructure is Lagos govt building? If okada is banned, what is the replacement?

The truth is that all the noise about Lagos is sheer propaganda. There is nothing commendable. The state is still largely filthy. If you doubt, go to Egbeda, Ikotun, Agege, Ijora-Badiya, Orile-Iganmu etc and see filth. The roads are largely bad. If in doubt go to ajegunle, mushin, ipaja, ojo, bariga etc. When it rains, the state is grounded by flood everywhere. If in doubt observe during the next rain. Traffic jam is the order of the rain. Commuting in Lagos is horrible, time consuming and stressful. If in doubt, try and move from VI to Ajah at peak hours or along ikorodu road, apapa expess road, agege motor road etc a peak hours. The schools and othe educational institutions are dillapidated and there is mass youth unemployment

The people are overtaxed and underserved. The state government is corrupt and arrogant. The gov does not account for over 18billion naira it earns monthly and there is little or no transparency in governance.

Please stop all these stupid propaganda about fashola and his govt. The True Face of Lagos has opened our eyes. We now know better

We the Lagos Progressives have done our homework on these allegations and they are factual. These are very serious allegations but we are baffled that the readers are not shocked. Tinubu and Fashola are taking lagos to the cleaners everyday. What they are doing makes the likes of Ibori, IBB, Atiku etc look like child's play. We actually feel sorry for Nigeria. Corruption is now an acceptable fad and if the thief happens to be perceived as a "performing gov" it's just ok.
However, the reason for posting these in nairaland and other internet sites is to share info with the public. We know what to do to bring the thieves to face the law and it is being done
We shall continue to share these info with the public until such a time when the will be made to face the music

Your post is arrant nonsense

Fashola is as corrupt as Tinubu. He has skeletons in his cupboard evidenced by the various revelations published in recent times. Aside from the True Face of Lagos, Fashola is involved in various land scams, the Lekki road scams, the Tejuosho market scams etc. Dont forget he was Tinubu's chief of staff and errand boy. A lion cannot give birth to a lizard. Fashola is an off spring of Tinubu tutored in the act of thievery and corruption

Fashola's acclaimed performance is highly questionable and a product of media hype. We all live in Lagos and slums have not dissapeared. The schools are still dilapidated, quality of education still very low, the roads in many areas are still unmotorable. When it rains, flood takes over Lagos, traffic jam is the order of the day. There is massive corruption at alausa. The local govts are cesspool of corruption. There is no accountability of the huge tax revenue. Tinubu is still the de facto governor and still raping Lagos under the watch of fashola

How in the world can you say Fashola is a good governor. In fact, he is pleasing the devil!

Both Fashola and Tinubu are crooks and very fraudulent. A lot of Fashola's supporters take this things personal. Indeed nothing is personal. Fashola should be probed now to clear his name. We at Lagos Progressives will continue to expose corrupt acts of both of them. We know that sooner or later, the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them

We have said it over and over again. This is not about performance and the noise making in the media. It is about accountability, transparency, ethics and what is universally right.

We reproduced below another revelations of land scam against both Fashola and Tinubu. It is mind buggling. By the time Fashola's tenure ends, he would have sold lagos to Tinubu and his friends.

Please read and digest:

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS - PART 4

LAND SCAMS IN LAGOS INVOLVING GOV FASHOLA AND EX GOV TINUBU

We are concerned citizens of Lagos who have brought to your attention various cases of corruption and abuse of office by former Gov Bola Tinubu and Gov Fashola in our previous publications.

In this publication, we bring to your attention once again monumental cases of corruption and abuse of office involving land matters in Lagos State perpetuated by the duo.

Over the past 10 years, both Tinubu and Fashola have been involved in various land scams including outright conversion of Lagos land for personal use, and given out state land and buildings to their cronies, political associates, public officials, members of security agencies, politicians and members of the various arms of the judiciary to achieve one interest or the other at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Tinubu in particular is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for.

Even after he left office, Tinubu still continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He is still giving out Lagos land to curry political favours, signing C of O and backdating them to period he was in office. Gov Fashola has photocopied Tinubu’s land grabbing style as he is also acquiring land for personal and political purposes.

These brazen acts of corruption by the duo have been with the active collaboration of select few public officers who have gotten obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Most notable are Gbenga Ashafa-formerly executive secretary and now Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau since 2001; Mrs Awofisayo-formerly Permanent Secretary and now Special Adviser, New Town Development Authority (NTDA), and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun state who has been in charge of NTDA since 1999; Hakeem Muri-Okunola-PA to former Gov Tinubu and now Executive Secretary, Land’s Bureau; Mrs Nike Animashaun-Director, Land Services and known to be close to Bola Tinubu and Tunji Olowolafe. These people are arguably the wealthiest unelected public servants ever in the history of Lagos state. They are major wheelers and dealers of prime land. We mentioned in our earlier publication that the Land’s Bureau at Alausa stinks of corruption.

We catalogue below a few brazen acts of stealing and corruption committed by both Fashola and Tinubu on the good tax payers of Lagos. For ease of reference, we categorize these acts into two parts: the direct theft of prime land and properties and the use of Lagos land and properties to buy favours or pay off public officials at various levels.

A. Direct Theft of Lagos Land and Properties

Tinubu’s greed and primitive acquisition tendency knows no bound. In fact, it is believed that Lagos land personally converted by him is worth over N500 billion and growing because he hasn’t stopped. A few of them are listed below:

1. 4 Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi. A 5 bedroom detached house on 1 acre of Land which was a Lagos State Governor’s guest house since 1979 now belongs to Bola Tinubu. The C of O was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he assumed office. The property is valued at N450million

2. Tinubu’s residence at 26 Bourdillon road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as Oando Plc guest house. Later, he purportedly bought it from Oando, and used public fund to rebuild and renovate it. Recently, the Lagos state government bought the property and paid undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Bill he signed to law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600million

3. The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the State Government in 2006 for N450million purportedly to protect the main house from security breach. Shortly after he left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before he left office.

4. The 250 hectare land valued at about N35billion strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki Road which was initially meant for a General Hospital for the people of Eti-Osa local government was stolen by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd- a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu to develop as Royal Garden housing estate at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos

5. The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to LCC which is part owned by Tinubu and Fashola and being developed as golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd(ARM) as ADIVA project

6. The prime land of 157 Hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10billion and stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to Ibukun Fakeye-his crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu paid $20million (N3billion) out of public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project which is not owned by the state government.

7. The 1acre Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land valued at N1billion reclaimed by Lagos State Government is now owned by Bola Tinubu.

8. While in office, he allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos state secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja.

9. Also the choice property at Lekki-Epe road on 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. All these assets valued at over N25billion were obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.

10. Tinubu and Fashola sold the following prime Lagos properties to their personal friend and front-Prince Dipo Eludoyin at very ridiculous prices:

· The 3.8hectares of land of Lagos State Fisheries office in VI(beside the Institute of Oceanography) valued at N3billion

· The Fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) valued at N500million

· The entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for low cost housing scheme valued at N5billion

· The Ilubinrin housing estate (which used to house Lagos state civil servants and judges up till 2007) valued at N2.5billion

· The former Julius Berger yard at Oko Orisan, Epe valued at N450million

11. Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete Project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of C & C and Hitech Construction Ltd at ridiculously low price at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos.

12. Tinubu expended over N5billion of Lagos tax payers’ money 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 Federal Government in 2005 offered to handle this project at no cost to Lagos but Tinubu refused because of his personal interest and greed

13. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the Federal Secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex to develop it. The complex is presently wasting away courtesy of the Lagos State Government.

14. It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Gov Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex.

15. Several other buyers of Federal Government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, VI and GRA Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Ministry and were made to pay ridiculous amounts to private accounts before their redevelopments were approved. Those who refused or are unable to pay could not develop their properties. This is a major economic strangulation of property developers and has contributed largely to the sky rocketing rent in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki axis.

16. Tinubu converted all the plots of land where Lagos Polytechnic was located at Ikosi near the old toll gate. He chased away the polytechnic in 2006 and went ahead to locate the choice plots to himself, his cronies and political associates. The headquarter of Television Continental (TVC) which is owned by him is located there. He deprived the youths of Lagos of decent education because of his greed.

17. Tinubu single handedly sold the prime land on Aboyade Cole, VI which was recovered from some allotees, to UACN Properties Plc. The amount of proceeds was shrouded in secrecy



B. Use of Land and Properties to buy favours from public officials

This is an act of using Lagos prime land to buy favours and corrupt public officials. This act was perfected by Bola Tinubu as governor and now inherited by Gov Fashola:

· Several prominent Nigerians in the judiciary, police, INEC, and other sensitive agencies have obtained prime land from former Gov Tinubu and Gov Fashola over the years without paying a kobo. Many of them had turned around to sell the land to third parties at substantial profit.

· Many top officials in the police, INEC and the judiciary who participated in the 2003 and 2007 elections and tribunals in states where Tinubu has interest were compromised with parcels of free prime Lagos land and cash. If the Lagos State Land’s Bureau could publish the names and identities of beneficiaries of land allotees from year 2000 to date, the scandal that will result is better imagined. Gbenga Ashafa and Mrs Awofisayo are the conduit through which these acts are being perpetuated. Both are also personally involved in various dubious land transactions on their own.

· Prime land and properties have been used to pay off public officials who are personally close to Tinubu and Fashola for ‘job well done’ or for being privy to sensitive information:

(a) Dele Alake, former commissioner for Information and Strategy was sold a whole house on Alexander road, ikoyi where he lived as official quarters at a giveaway price.

(b) Rauf Aregbesola, AC Osun State governorship candidate and former commissioner and Muiz Banire, still a serving commissioner got detached houses at Ladoke Akintola st, GRA Ikeja for the “good job” while serving under Tinubu.

(c) Yemi Cardoso and Wale Edun both former commissioners were sold houses on Iru close, and other location in old Ikoyi at giveaway prices by Tinubu. The list is endless.

· Gov Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2007. He was a part of these scams running errands for his boss to perpetuate these corrupt acts. He has since taken over as governor and has continued with these acts

· Gov Fashola in the wake of the petition against him presented by “The True Face of Lagos” to the House of Assembly has succeeded in buying his way out of trouble temporarily by bribing each of the 40 members with cash and prime state land at Abijo GRA off Lekki-Epe road. In addition, he bought a N40million bullet proof jeep for the speaker in a desperate bid to ward off investigation by the assembly

These corrupt acts have deprived the tax payers of Lagos billions in revenue which could have been used for public projects. Indeed, the prime land stolen from the Lekki axis is enough to build the Lekki-Epe road without burdening residents and other tax payers with a 30 year concessioned toll road.

Tinubu recently came out with a full page advertorial in several newspapers to deny allegations against him that he influenced the President of the Court of Appeal on the on-going Sokoto State governorship case. We call on him and Gov Fashola and all those whose names are mentioned in this publication to come out and deny or explain these allegations against them. The public will no longer take their silence as ‘golden’

We wonder why Lagosians, particularly the educated elites stand by while these men are depriving the good tax payers of Lagos. Recently, in Delta state, eminent Deltans led by Chief Edwin Clark wrote a petition to EFCC on the various acts of corruption of former Gov Ibori which caused the EFCC to make another move to charge him to court again.

Where are the elders of Lagos? Where are the elders of Island club, Yoruba Tennis club, The Metropolitan club, Lagos Lawn Tennis club, Eko club, The Association of Lagos Indigenes, Oriwu club, and a host of others. Where are the popular commentators on corruption?

Where are the human rights activists? Where is the NBA and the NLC? Where are the vibrant civil society groups? Where is the powerful and vibrant Lagos media? Where are the social crusaders? Where are the religious leaders? Where are the traditional rulers, the kabiyesis and chiefs particularly in the Lekki-Epe axis whose ancestral lands have been stolen and who have been deprived of their means of livelihood?

Why is there a conspiracy of silence by those known to be dogged fighters of corruption? Why are they watching as these men fritter away our collective wealth meant for us and future generation?

We should not expect any protection from the House of Assembly whose Speaker recently advised the group ‘The True Face of Lagos’ that leveled allegations of corruption against Gov Fashola to confront him with these allegations. What manner of Speaker?

We Lagosians should take charge of our own destiny. Let us join hands in the collective effort to call on the anti-corruption agencies, and in particular the EFCC, to act now and move into the Land’s Bureau and the State’s Treasury Office at Alausa to conduct a thorough investigation on Land matters from year 2000 to date. We assure the public that if this is done transparently, it might be possible to recover trillions of naira stolen from the tax payers of Lagos.

The Lagos Progressives is determined to continue to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We have done three previous publications and have called upon the EFCC and ICPC to act and we hope this fourth publication will trigger the necessary actions from these agencies.

We thank the numerous members of the public who have responded with mails of commendations, moral and financial support. We want more of this from you and feel free to contact us by email lagosprogressives@yahoo.com. And those who think they can intimidate us with their scare tactics, they have failed woefully

We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 5 soon

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS - PART 4

LAND SCAMS IN LAGOS INVOLVING GOV FASHOLA AND EX GOV TINUBU

We are concerned citizens of Lagos who have brought to your attention various cases of corruption and abuse of office by former Gov Bola Tinubu and Gov Fashola in our previous publications.

In this publication, we bring to your attention once again monumental cases of corruption and abuse of office involving land matters in Lagos State perpetuated by the duo.

Over the past 10 years, both Tinubu and Fashola have been involved in various land scams including outright conversion of Lagos land for personal use, and given out state land and buildings to their cronies, political associates, public officials, members of security agencies, politicians and members of the various arms of the judiciary to achieve one interest or the other at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Tinubu in particular is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for.

Even after he left office, Tinubu still continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He is still giving out Lagos land to curry political favours, signing C of O and backdating them to period he was in office. Gov Fashola has photocopied Tinubu’s land grabbing style as he is also acquiring land for personal and political purposes.

These brazen acts of corruption by the duo have been with the active collaboration of select few public officers who have gotten obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Most notable are Gbenga Ashafa-formerly executive secretary and now Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau since 2001; Mrs Awofisayo-formerly Permanent Secretary and now Special Adviser, New Town Development Authority (NTDA), and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun state who has been in charge of NTDA since 1999; Hakeem Muri-Okunola-PA to former Gov Tinubu and now Executive Secretary, Land’s Bureau; Mrs Nike Animashaun-Director, Land Services and known to be close to Bola Tinubu and Tunji Olowolafe. These people are arguably the wealthiest unelected public servants ever in the history of Lagos state. They are major wheelers and dealers of prime land. We mentioned in our earlier publication that the Land’s Bureau at Alausa stinks of corruption.

We catalogue below a few brazen acts of stealing and corruption committed by both Fashola and Tinubu on the good tax payers of Lagos. For ease of reference, we categorize these acts into two parts: the direct theft of prime land and properties and the use of Lagos land and properties to buy favours or pay off public officials at various levels.

A. Direct Theft of Lagos Land and Properties

Tinubu’s greed and primitive acquisition tendency knows no bound. In fact, it is believed that Lagos land personally converted by him is worth over N500 billion and growing because he hasn’t stopped. A few of them are listed below:

1. 4 Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi. A 5 bedroom detached house on 1 acre of Land which was a Lagos State Governor’s guest house since 1979 now belongs to Bola Tinubu. The C of O was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he assumed office. The property is valued at N450million

2. Tinubu’s residence at 26 Bourdillon road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as Oando Plc guest house. Later, he purportedly bought it from Oando, and used public fund to rebuild and renovate it. Recently, the Lagos state government bought the property and paid undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Bill he signed to law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600million

3. The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the State Government in 2006 for N450million purportedly to protect the main house from security breach. Shortly after he left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before he left office.

4. The 250 hectare land valued at about N35billion strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki Road which was initially meant for a General Hospital for the people of Eti-Osa local government was stolen by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd- a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu to develop as Royal Garden housing estate at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos

5. The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to LCC which is part owned by Tinubu and Fashola and being developed as golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd(ARM) as ADIVA project

6. The prime land of 157 Hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10billion and stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to Ibukun Fakeye-his crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu paid $20million (N3billion) out of public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project which is not owned by the state government.

7. The 1acre Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land valued at N1billion reclaimed by Lagos State Government is now owned by Bola Tinubu.

8. While in office, he allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos state secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja.

9. Also the choice property at Lekki-Epe road on 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. All these assets valued at over N25billion were obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.

10. Tinubu and Fashola sold the following prime Lagos properties to their personal friend and front-Prince Dipo Eludoyin at very ridiculous prices:

· The 3.8hectares of land of Lagos State Fisheries office in VI(beside the Institute of Oceanography) valued at N3billion

· The Fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) valued at N500million

· The entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for low cost housing scheme valued at N5billion

· The Ilubinrin housing estate (which used to house Lagos state civil servants and judges up till 2007) valued at N2.5billion

· The former Julius Berger yard at Oko Orisan, Epe valued at N450million

11. Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete Project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of C & C and Hitech Construction Ltd at ridiculously low price at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos.

12. Tinubu expended over N5billion of Lagos tax payers’ money 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 Federal Government in 2005 offered to handle this project at no cost to Lagos but Tinubu refused because of his personal interest and greed

13. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the Federal Secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex to develop it. The complex is presently wasting away courtesy of the Lagos State Government.

14. It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Gov Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex.

15. Several other buyers of Federal Government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, VI and GRA Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Ministry and were made to pay ridiculous amounts to private accounts before their redevelopments were approved. Those who refused or are unable to pay could not develop their properties. This is a major economic strangulation of property developers and has contributed largely to the sky rocketing rent in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki axis.

16. Tinubu converted all the plots of land where Lagos Polytechnic was located at Ikosi near the old toll gate. He chased away the polytechnic in 2006 and went ahead to locate the choice plots to himself, his cronies and political associates. The headquarter of Television Continental (TVC) which is owned by him is located there. He deprived the youths of Lagos of decent education because of his greed.

17. Tinubu single handedly sold the prime land on Aboyade Cole, VI which was recovered from some allotees, to UACN Properties Plc. The amount of proceeds was shrouded in secrecy



B. Use of Land and Properties to buy favours from public officials

This is an act of using Lagos prime land to buy favours and corrupt public officials. This act was perfected by Bola Tinubu as governor and now inherited by Gov Fashola:

· Several prominent Nigerians in the judiciary, police, INEC, and other sensitive agencies have obtained prime land from former Gov Tinubu and Gov Fashola over the years without paying a kobo. Many of them had turned around to sell the land to third parties at substantial profit.

· Many top officials in the police, INEC and the judiciary who participated in the 2003 and 2007 elections and tribunals in states where Tinubu has interest were compromised with parcels of free prime Lagos land and cash. If the Lagos State Land’s Bureau could publish the names and identities of beneficiaries of land allotees from year 2000 to date, the scandal that will result is better imagined. Gbenga Ashafa and Mrs Awofisayo are the conduit through which these acts are being perpetuated. Both are also personally involved in various dubious land transactions on their own.

· Prime land and properties have been used to pay off public officials who are personally close to Tinubu and Fashola for ‘job well done’ or for being privy to sensitive information:

(a) Dele Alake, former commissioner for Information and Strategy was sold a whole house on Alexander road, ikoyi where he lived as official quarters at a giveaway price.

(b) Rauf Aregbesola, AC Osun State governorship candidate and former commissioner and Muiz Banire, still a serving commissioner got detached houses at Ladoke Akintola st, GRA Ikeja for the “good job” while serving under Tinubu.

(c) Yemi Cardoso and Wale Edun both former commissioners were sold houses on Iru close, and other location in old Ikoyi at giveaway prices by Tinubu. The list is endless.

· Gov Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2007. He was a part of these scams running errands for his boss to perpetuate these corrupt acts. He has since taken over as governor and has continued with these acts

· Gov Fashola in the wake of the petition against him presented by “The True Face of Lagos” to the House of Assembly has succeeded in buying his way out of trouble temporarily by bribing each of the 40 members with cash and prime state land at Abijo GRA off Lekki-Epe road. In addition, he bought a N40million bullet proof jeep for the speaker in a desperate bid to ward off investigation by the assembly

These corrupt acts have deprived the tax payers of Lagos billions in revenue which could have been used for public projects. Indeed, the prime land stolen from the Lekki axis is enough to build the Lekki-Epe road without burdening residents and other tax payers with a 30 year concessioned toll road.

Tinubu recently came out with a full page advertorial in several newspapers to deny allegations against him that he influenced the President of the Court of Appeal on the on-going Sokoto State governorship case. We call on him and Gov Fashola and all those whose names are mentioned in this publication to come out and deny or explain these allegations against them. The public will no longer take their silence as ‘golden’

We wonder why Lagosians, particularly the educated elites stand by while these men are depriving the good tax payers of Lagos. Recently, in Delta state, eminent Deltans led by Chief Edwin Clark wrote a petition to EFCC on the various acts of corruption of former Gov Ibori which caused the EFCC to make another move to charge him to court again.

Where are the elders of Lagos? Where are the elders of Island club, Yoruba Tennis club, The Metropolitan club, Lagos Lawn Tennis club, Eko club, The Association of Lagos Indigenes, Oriwu club, and a host of others. Where are the popular commentators on corruption?

Where are the human rights activists? Where is the NBA and the NLC? Where are the vibrant civil society groups? Where is the powerful and vibrant Lagos media? Where are the social crusaders? Where are the religious leaders? Where are the traditional rulers, the kabiyesis and chiefs particularly in the Lekki-Epe axis whose ancestral lands have been stolen and who have been deprived of their means of livelihood?

Why is there a conspiracy of silence by those known to be dogged fighters of corruption? Why are they watching as these men fritter away our collective wealth meant for us and future generation?

We should not expect any protection from the House of Assembly whose Speaker recently advised the group ‘The True Face of Lagos’ that leveled allegations of corruption against Gov Fashola to confront him with these allegations. What manner of Speaker?

We Lagosians should take charge of our own destiny. Let us join hands in the collective effort to call on the anti-corruption agencies, and in particular the EFCC, to act now and move into the Land’s Bureau and the State’s Treasury Office at Alausa to conduct a thorough investigation on Land matters from year 2000 to date. We assure the public that if this is done transparently, it might be possible to recover trillions of naira stolen from the tax payers of Lagos.

The Lagos Progressives is determined to continue to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We have done three previous publications and have called upon the EFCC and ICPC to act and we hope this fourth publication will trigger the necessary actions from these agencies.

We thank the numerous members of the public who have responded with mails of commendations, moral and financial support. We want more of this from you and feel free to contact us by email lagosprogressives@yahoo.com. And those who think they can intimidate us with their scare tactics, they have failed woefully

We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 5 soon

Olafolarin, How much did Tinubu pay you to launder his image? You can rant as long as you wish but you can't fool anybody.

Tinubu's image is already battered. He is a fraud, a thief, a forger, a liar, a corrupt politician, a manipulator and a blackmailer. So stop wasting your time and fooling yourself

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS-PART 3

GOVERNOR FASHOLA AND THE LEKKI TOLL ROAD SCAM

We are concerned citizens of Lagos who are determined to fight corruption and expose the present Governor of Lagos in his corrupt tendencies and abuse of office. We have published the first and second part of our series for the information of members of the public who toil day and night to pay taxes to this government. In our first series, we catalogued several cases of corruption by the Governor and his immediate predecessor. Some of these were earlier publicized by the writers of “the true face of Lagos” while others were on the Lekki concession, land matters, bus assembly plant and the disappeared proceeds of sale of econet shares. The second series was on the Tejuosho market scam and the role of Governor Fashola.

Since our last publication, we have received hundreds of mails, text messages and phone calls by well wishers and other concerned Lagosians who commended us for this public service and demanded for more revelations. We are particularly surprised that many asked for more information on the facts of the Lekki-Epe expressway concession. It is based on this popular request that we have devoted this third series on THE LEKKI ROAD STORY AND THE ROLE OF GOV FASHOLA.

THE FACTS

1. The Lekki-Epe express road was initially constructed by the Jakande administration and completed by the Mudashiru and Mike Akhigbe military administrations in 1987. The entire Lekki axis was then opened up for rapid development. Between 1985 and now, the corridor has been experiencing rapid and unprecedented urban growth as hundreds of new communities, developments and estates have developed which drew large population of low and middle income Lagosians.



2. The last administration realizing the urgent need to address the fast growing problem of road congestion conceived the idea of the expansion of the existing express road into a six-lane roadway, the construction of an alternate coastal road that will run from Ahmadu Bello way in Bar Beach, along the shores of the Atlantic ocean towards Ibeju-Lekki Local Government area. The third leg was the construction of a fourth mainland bridge, from Langbasa area near Ajah across the Lagos Lagoon to Ikorodu town and detouring somewhere to join the existing third mainland bridge thereby forming a circular road around Lagos.





3. A committee was initially set up which recommended the adoption of the PPP concept to handle the project since it was thought then that because of the magnitude of the project, the state government might have to collaborate with the private sector under a Private-Public-Participation (PPP) model to handle the project.



4. Thereafter, Tinubu’s greed took control. He floated a company-Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to handle the project as a consortium and appointed a financial advisory company ARM as the financial adviser.



5. LCC immediately asked for 1,000 hectares of prime land as the contribution of the state government to the project. This was immediately granted by Tinubu and he released the c of o within weeks for 1,000 hectares of prime at Awoyaya, Abijo, Eputu and Sapati all in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area. Part of the land is now being developed as ADIVA housing and golf course project by ARM





6. The project was later jettisoned after obtaining the hectares of land and other payments from the state government and in its place; the rehabilitation of the existing Lekki expressway was adopted by the consortium. There is no basis for a toll road and 30 year concession arrangement for a mere rehabilitation and expansion of an existing road which the government could afford on its own.



7. Indeed, the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to Governor Tinubu in 2006, offering to construct the coastal road free of charge to Lagos and its people from the Lekki Free Trade Zone to Ahmadu Bello Way in VI. He also sent a letter of commitment written by a Chinese construction firm to that effect. Governor Tinubu firmly rejected this offer and instead opted to abandon the coastal road project which the concession was initially meant for and instead signed a 30 year concession for a toll road to his company.



8. The rehabilitation work commenced in late 2006 with the expansion and rehabilitation of the Ozumba Mbadiwe end to Mobil building and the 49.4km main Lekki road rehabilitation started in 2007 shortly after Fashola became Governor



9. By this time, Fashola’s crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe was made chairman of LCC and the entire contract was awarded to HITECH. HITECH is owned by both the Chagouris and former Gov Bola Tinubu who is the Chairman



10. LCC was given a 30 year concession (note that all their concessions are usually 30 years) with no competitive bid, no competing quote and no professional evaluation. The whole thing was packaged by Tinubu and executed by Fashola for their own selfish interest.



11. To further confirm this, Tinubu has built a multi-billion naira state of the art hotel-the Oriental Hotel along the express road. Conveniently, the toll gate is located a few meters before the hotel coming from VI so that the hotel clients wouldn’t have to pay toll. Even, special entry and exit points (including a roundabout) have been constructed for the hotel and the multi-level car park beside it (also owned by Tinubu) by the construction company using tax/toll payers’ money. Talk about creating a personal empire. One man owning an express road and a multi-billion naira hotel.



12. The 49.4km two-phased project is to cost an outrageous N50 billion which the innocent citizens and particularly the residents and indigenous communities of Lekki, Ajah, Epe and Ibeju areas will cough out over the next 30 years while Tinubu, Fashola, Olowolafe, the Chagouris and their other collaborators and their unborn generations will be smiling to the banks. A simple arithmetic shows that cost of construction averages N1billion per 1km. This did not include the 1,000 hectares of land and other costs already incurred by the Lagos state government. This must be the most expensive road anywhere in the world! Meanwhile, there will be 3 toll plazas in a 50km stretch!



13. Already, the rehabilitation work which started in 2006 has only achieved less than 2km in over 3 years; meanwhile, the consortium has only concentrated on building the toll plazas rather than first completing the two phases for the convenience of residents. Residents in these areas spend more than 6 hours daily on the road while the situation will get worse during the coming rains. This has disrupted the lives of the citizens and no proper alternate road was constructed by the consortium.



14. The entire Lekki axis hosts millions of indigenous people who are fishermen and farmers and have occupied their lands for centuries. They are largely poor and agrarian from villages like Ajah, Badore, Elegushi, Ajiran, Sangotedo, Abijo, Ibeju, and all communities in Eti-osa, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government areas. These indigenous people along with others living in the area are now being forced to pay toll to enter and exit their fatherland.



15. These people who have been subjected to economic misfortune occasioned by seizure of their lands by this government are now been economically drained by the imposition of toll gates within their communities. There has never been any consultations with the people neither was there any environmental impact assessment before the commencement of the project.





16. THE BIG FRAUD

This is the biggest fraud ever conceived!

(a) A road that was initially constructed by two previous administration and that belong to the Lagos State Government is now being jointly owned by Tinubu-the former governor and Fashola-the present governor through his crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe under the consortium LCC



(b) LCC was appointed without conforming to the Public Procurement Act of 2007. There was no public bidding process, no competing bids from other consortium and the fact that the former Governor and the present Governor have personal interest is criminal in nature.



(c) LCC will collect toll from the taxpayers of Lagos over the next 30years. The amount to be collected was not subject to any negotiation or law by any regulatory agency. Which means it is arbitrary and could be changed without notice anytime through the duration of the 30 year lease.



(d) In addition, landowners and prospective builders of homes are being charged heavily as infrastructural charge, land use charge and personal income tax and are now required to pay road tax or toll. This is multiple taxation in its worst form.



(e) The people’s livelihoods have been disrupted for the past 3 years without compensation and there is no alternate road anywhere as it is in practice in other parts of the world where there are toll roads.



(f) A concession that was granted for the building of a coastal road, 4th mainland bridge and expansion of Lekki road has now been turned into mere rehabilitation of an existing road for the same 30-year concession. This is fraud



(g) Fences are being built around the toll areas to box residents within the area. This has security and safety implications. If there is a major emergency like major armed robbery operations, civil crisis, major floods, fire incidents etc and residents need to be evacuated in a hurry; there will be major massive bottleneck at the toll plaza as there is no other escape route except through the lagoon or Atlantic Ocean. Remember the Oke-Afa mass drowning incident of 2002. God forbid!



(h) The owners of LCC have also received cash payments and land grants from Lagos state government in addition to the 30 year toll. These payments and land grants were initially made under the agreement that the 4th mainland bridge-Lekki road-coastal road would be built. It is therefore criminal to obtain compensation for a project only to turn around and reduce the scope.



(i) Several prominent Baales, residents and associations have voiced their objections over the years but were arrogantly ignored by government and LCC. The Eti-Osa Heritage Group, Concerned Residents of Lekki-Ajah (COROLA) and other Indigenous groups have expressed reservations and berated LCC for what they considered inequitable for the residents.



(j) We indeed wonder what the Lagos State House of Assembly is there for if it cannot raise its voice to protect its citizens. The House is indeed culpable as it remains ineffective when this entire charade is going on under its watch or is the House of Assembly another conquered territory of both Tinubu and Fashola?

A CALL TO ACTION

(k) We call once again the anti-corruption agencies particularly the EFCC to take immediate steps to commence investigations into the activities of the LCC, ARM, former Governor Tinubu, Governor Fashola, and Dr Tunji Olowolafe in this mega fraud. We wonder why the EFCC has not done what it did in states like Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, and Edo by carrying out detailed and comprehensive investigations into the books in Lagos State to expose the corrupt practices of those running the affairs of the state.



(l) We call on all residents in the entire Eti-Osa, Epe and Ibeju axis who would be affected one way or the other by this toll road to protest and resist this toll arrangement. We particularly call on the traditional rulers, and community leaders within the indigenous population who are being forcibly fenced in against their wish and forced to pay tolls to protest loudly and seek legal redress to resist this injustice.



(m) Finally, we call on all Lagosians to call the Governor to order and to condemn this flagrant corruption and abuse of office by the governor and his predecessor and their cronies.



The Lagos Progressives is determined to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state.

We are not a faceless organization as we are willing and ready to come forward with facts and documents whenever any of the anti-corruption agencies invite us. We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for

part 4

Signed



MR GBENGA THOMAS WALE ONILE-ERE

Cordinator Secretary

THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES

Tel: 07065443358 TEL: 08088662074

Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.com

Ha welcome babapupa. I was wondering when you will start to bark again or has your paymaster removed the bone from your mouth?

Yeah I am a jobless mumu. If it is your mama's shop that was demolished and her means of livelihood taking away from her you will understand better. Go and ask the thousands who have fallen victim of Fashola's govt wickedness.

I know that Fashola's paid agents will start to react the moment the post hits. Well let me assure you that you will soon get tired bc we have just started to show the world how corrupt Fashola's govt is and the grand deceit called Fashola's performance

The same group that accused Fashola of corruption and abuse of office-The Lagos Progressives have released another revelation against Fashola. It accuses him of deliberately setting the market on fire so as to sign another contract to rebuild the market at inflated cost through his crony and friend Dr Tunji Olowolafe. Read the new revelation below:

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS-PART 2
TEJUOSHO MARKET SCAM AND THE FRAUDULENT ROLE OF GOV FASHOLA
We are concerned Lagosians who recently brought to the attention of the people of Lagos state a catalogue of fraudulent transactions and corrupt practices of the Lagos State Government under the caption “The other face of Lagos”

This is the second in the series of corrupt and fraudulent activities of this government for the attention of well meaning Lagosians.
Tejuosho market which was gutted by fire a few years ago is now being re-built by a company owned by Dr Tunji Olowolafe-a known front and lackey of Gov Babatunde Fashola. We catalogue below, series of events from 2004 to date:

1. For the avoidance of doubt, Tejuosho market was built in the early 70s during the regime of Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson as a model market. Phase 2 of the market was completed during the time of Alhaji Jakande in the early 80s. The market was however, gutted by two mysterious fire first in 2004 and then 2007 when it was completely destroyed and innocent traders lost billions of naira worth of goods and properties.

2. Rather than the government conducting the usual enquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the fire incidents, it instead hurriedly displaced the traders without compensation. It is curious that the solid structure that had stood the test of time over three decades was suddenly and completely razed by mysterious fire

3. The Tinubu government then decided to re-build the market and accepted a proposal from a consortium known as Market Design & Management Company Ltd (MDMC) to design and build at a cost of N1.6billion. MDMC intended to build and sell at an average cost of N2million per shop. During the process of contract negotiation, the hapless shop owners got wind of the plans and protested strongly suspecting rightly that other interests might hijack the project and priced it out of their reach. The matter was reported to the House of Assembly who invited the consortium and other government officials for hearing. The consortium assured the house that it will sell the shops at not more than N2million and will give priority to the 220 traders already displaced.


4. Despite the protest, the government concluded negotiation with the consortium after completing due process and thereafter gave a letter of engagement to MDMC to build a framed structure size of 149m long x 76m wide on three floors with a roof level car park for 284 cars and 1,251 lock shops on the ground, first, and second floors. The facility would also include 1,047 steel framed and roofed klee klamp stores and other service facilities.

5. Immediately Governor Fashola was sworn in, he moved quickly to hijack the project. By August 2007, the commissioner Abosede Francisco in collusion with Ibile Holdings approached MDMC to sell the project to Dr Tunji Olowolafe. MDMC resisted the overture and threatened to take legal action against the state government, but they were eventually forced to transfer the project to Dr Tunji Olowolafe

6. The Fashola administration immediately jerked up the contract cost to N5billion and awarded the contract with a term of 30 year concession Dr Tunji Olowolafe. Despite the fact that project is yet to reach 30% completion, the shops are already being sold for between N8million to N10million.

7. The interest of the original shop owners have been wiped out and no provision for petty traders and market men and women was made. These people are now suffering untold hardship and many have been rendered in penury. This government has not shown any concern but rather has been profiting from their woes.

8. A pattern is now emerging whereby the state government deliberately destroys notable markets meant for petty traders and give the lucrative real estate to its cronies who masquerades as developers under shady and fraudulent circumstances and at the expense of innocent but poor petty traders. For example, Oyingbo market has been demolished and abandoned, and the traders displaced after several billions have been paid to Prince Dipo Eludoyin-another front and crony of the Governor. Indeed Prince Eludoyin is a major beneficiary of questionable land deals like Ogudu foreshore and Ilubinrin government estate. Oluwole market in Lagos Island has been demolished, traders displaced and land concessioned to Dr Tunji Olowolafe under questionable deals. Other markets with same pattern includes Mushin Ojuwoye, Iponri, Gbaja in surulere.

9. We urge residents and traders in these markets to be vigilant against this pattern of mysterious fire only for these cronies of government to surface as developers under questionable and shady long term concession deals.

10. In addition, other popular markets have been penciled down by the state government for similar treatment. The owners/traders of sura, obalende, sandgrouse alade market in ikeja, alaya bi agba in ajegunle etc should also be vigilant and watchful.

11. Indeed it is on record that this government and its immediate predecessor has not built a single market for petty traders in the last 10 years.

The Lagos State House of Assembly is aware of these issues and have been silent about them.

The Lagos Progressives is determined to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We challenge the anti-corruption agencies to take immediate steps to arrest and prosecute all persons involved in this fraud and investigate Governor Raji on these shady and fraudulent transactions. We wonder why the EFCC has not done what it did in states like Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Edo, etc by carrying out detailed and comprehensive investigations into the books in Lagos State to expose the corrupt practices of those running the affairs of the state.

We are not a faceless organization as we are willing and ready to come forward with facts and documents when the House of Assembly or any anti-corruption agency invites us. We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 3

Signed


MR GBENGA THOMAS WALE ONILE-ERE
Cordinator Secretary
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
Tel: 07065443358 TEL: 08088662074
Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.com

We have said it several times before. This Fashola govt is anti-people and anti-poor. He takes delight in bringing tears to the poor under the guise of building a mega city.

With all the demolitions since 2007, where is the mega city? Lagos is still dirty, crowded and slummy. Fashola has been demolishing markets and giving the land to his cronies to build expensive shops that the poor can't afford

We shall wait for him in2011. We are going to mobilise all the poor people he has displaced since 2007 to vote him out of office. Let's see whether you stupid eliteswho enjoy his stupid and wasteful flowers have the numerical strength to keep him in office

Fashola is not a saint. Agreed but he is a thief. He is a million times as corrupt as other govs

Job portal in Lagos. This same Fashola's government that has rendered millions of innocent youths jobless and put them in penury. Examples:
1.demolished markets in Oshodi,Tejuosho, Oyingbo, Mushin, Alaba etc with displaced traders without alternative place to sell
2. The activities of LASAA-the agency for outdoor adverts that has driven thousands of people in advertising and related industry into joblessness
3. The activities of Lands and planning ministry that has made it expensive and combersome to start building projects and therefore rendered thousands jobless in the construction industry
4. The double taxation and aggressive tax drive that have imposed additional 5% tax on hotels and restaurants and additional tax burden on businesses in general in this period when banks and other companies are laying off workers. Fashola's policies are anti-business and many have taken flight out of Lagos

These and many others have worsened the unemployment situation in Lagos. Fashola's government should look into these rather than deceiving us with useless job portals that will get us no where.

All of you fools saying because Fashola is "performing" he should be aloud to steal us blind. Read the new story of how Fashola bribed punch editor to write positive stories for LASG and how he paid N25million to several journalists to win the SUN's Man of the Year award. These are not Fashola's father's money but our hard earned tax money. Last time i checked, i paid N350,000 last year as tax. So i should keep quiet and let this guy waste my tax money,

Fashola is corrupt and possibly worse than the likes of Ibori and Tinubu. It is very sad that rather than fellow nairalanders to be objective and listen to these voices that have posted several stories of Fashola's corrupt practices, they will be throwing abuses at those bent on exposing corruption

Let's face reality, we accept that Fashola has done some good things for Lagos just as other governors have done some good things for their states. That's what they are elected to do. No big deal. But this does not give Fashola the right to pay journalist with our tax money to influence positive stories. This is immoral, unethical, corrupt and unprofessional. He is indeed not as decent as he is being portrayed.

Fashola has been accused by some people in "The True Face of Lagos". He has not responded. Another group came out with a new set of allegations in "The Other Face of Lagos". Still grave yard silence from Fashola and his government. Now this new allegation from a journalist and former editor of punch. Let's wait and see if he will respond.

The truth is that his political days are numbered and sooner than later he will be exposed and be made to face the music.

This is what we have been saying since. Fashola is corrupt and possibly worse than the likes of Ibori and Tinubu. It is very sad that rather than fellow nairalanders to be objective and listen to these voices that have posted several stories of Fashola's corrupt practices, they will be throwing abuses at those bent on exposing corruption

Let's face reality, we accept that Fashola has done some good things for Lagos just as other governors have done some good things for their states. That's what they are elected to do. No big deal. But this does not give Fashola the right to pay journalist with our tax money to influence positive stories. This is immoral, unethical, corrupt and unprofessional. He is indeed not as decent as he is being portrayed.

Fashola has been accused by some people in "The True Face of Lagos". He has not responded. Another group came out with a new set of allegations in "The Other Face of Lagos". Still grave yard silence from Fashola and his government. Now this new allegation from a journalist and former editor of punch. Let's wait and see if he will respond.

The truth is that his political days are numbered and sooner than later he will be exposed and be made to face the music.

Dirty War Over Money Tears Punch Apart, as Editor Opens Can of Worms on Multi-Million Naira Corruption Scandal
IReports-NG
http://ireports-ng.com/2010/03/04/dirty-war-over-money-tears-punch-apartas-editor-opens-can-of-worms-on-multi-million-corruption-scandals/
Like Chinua Achebe rightly puts it, ethics, morality and professionalism have completely fallen apart in one of Nigeria’s leading newspapers, The Punch going by the weight of corruption allegations levelled against a top management staff of the media house by the most senior editor of the paper in a petition to the company’s board of directors and exclusively obtained by iReports-ng.
According to one of the directors of the company who is not happy with the happenings in the organisation, the use of the newspaper by its Executive Director, Publications, Mr Azubuike Ishiekwene to corruptly enrich himself at the expense of other stakeholders has come to a head, hence his decision to leak the petition of one of their editors who resigned only last week.
Azubuike Ishiekwene
The petition details how Ishiekwene, known for his open and persistent criticism of corruption in Nigeria through his back page column in The Punch, intimidated, displaced and forced about five editors and several other editorial staff out of their job in a bid to protect and promote several individuals including corrupt politicians he collects millions of naira from as well as organisations where he serves as a consultant or director designate. The latest of such that brought out the expose against him is the allegation that he collected N15 million among other benefits from the Lagos state government to entrap and sack the most senior editor of The Punch, Mr Steve Ayorinde over the latter’s failure to stop publishing negative stories against Lagos State government believed to have engaged Azu, as he is often called in Nigerian media circle, as a consultant.
According to iReports-ng sources in the organisation, some directors of the company especially children of the founder of The Punch, Chief Olu Aboderin, who are on the board have long been complaining about the activities of Azu and are now poised to use the latest scenario to ease him out of the company to protect their family’s heritage and legacy. The petition which was addressed to the Chairman of the board, Chief Ogunsola and copied to other directors and members of the board is an eye opener, a must read and indeed a can of worms. According to a director who spoke to iReports-ng in Ibadan on Wednesday,” what I have read about the young man at the centre of the allegations is incredible and I know that his friends in the Nigerian media wont want to expose one of their own and I think that is why you online publishers out there have to help us expose these too many scandals to save a reputable organisation like The Punch from going down to ignominy” . The director added that if attempts are being made to cover up the allegations, some of them will not mind to petition anti-graft agencies like the EFCC to investigate all the allegations that border on corruption.
The petition which is a direct fall out of the Tinubu/Fashola rift largesse says it all and it is reproduced below:
March 1, 2010.
The Chairman,
Punch Nigeria Limited,
Punch Place, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,
Magboro, Ogun State.
Dear Sir,
RE: My Resignation – Clarifications and Petition
I would like to bring a few important issues to your notice, exactly one week after I was advised to resign my appointment as Editor of The PUNCH by the Executive Director, Publications, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, over, as I suspect, issues bordering on my supervision of the coverage of the political tussle between the Lagos State Government and the State’s House of Assembly.
I feel constrained to make a few clarifications, knowing that a clear injustice has been committed against my person and career through the harsh and unexpected decision to force me out of Punch. In my text message to you on the night of Sunday February 21, I had sought your understanding to be given a fair hearing, and had suggested that an Independent Panel be constituted to probe the event of Tuesday February 16 which, as I understand it, Mr. Ishiekwene used as a basis for demanding my resignation.
However, because I was unable to reach you before you travelled out, I have decided to write you a formal letter of petition and to seek your understanding in copying every member of the Board of Directors of Punch Nigeria Limited with a view to establishing that Mr. Ishiekwene’s action against me was informed largely by his alliance with the Lagos State Government as a Consultant who is strongly suspected to be on its pay-roll. Acting in a manner that he did against me suggested to me that he was duty bound to protect the interest of the Lagos State Government in the Punch titles.
It is my candid opinion, therefore, that the clarifications and the disclosures of consistent pattern of impropriety and corrupt practices by Mr. Ishiekwene that are contained in this petition may save the newspaper’s integrity from the pangs of one man who has mastered the art of using the system for his selfish, pecuniary interests.
A little background to the Lagos debacle
Please allow me to offer a quick reminder on how the Lagos State story became so controversial and perceivably problematic. It was last November that The PUNCH broke the story of how the Lagos State House of Assembly was considering impeachment moves against Governor Babatunde Fashola over a number of listed allegations. Our report was a result of independent investigation by our correspondents, backed with documents and reported in a fair and balanced manner, with all parties to the story having their views reflected.
Sir, you will recall that on Management’s instruction, a front-page note stating that we stood by our story was published at that time, after Governor Fashola made insinuations to fault our story. Up till today, the Lagos State Government has not responded to the three questions we raised in standing by our report. The best that the Government did was to argue that there was no problem between the Governor and his predecessor, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu. None of our reports ever said there was.
The need to be fair, balanced and accurate, before and after you called a management meeting over the issue, had always guided our operation in the newsroom, especially in January when we published the two-page advertorial by the True Face of Lagos. Apart from the fact the said advert went through the usual legal scrutiny and approval, as the Editor has no role, whatsoever, in determining how adverts are approved, a news story was prepared from the advertorial upon advice by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, with a clear instruction that all the parties mentioned in the allegation be interviewed.
With the ED Publications (Mr. Ishiekwene) being aware of that development, as I was obliged to inform him of the copy flow for each day, especially stories that would be promoted on cover of the paper, we published both the advertorial and the news story on the allegations against not just the Governor, but also against Tinubu and members of the House of Assembly. This style, as you are aware sir, is the standard practice in Punch, whereby stories are expected to be sourced from advertorials that are of news value. As Editor, I met on ground the policy that encouraged the Advert department to always draw the attention of the Editor to advertorials that are of news value. This was how we sourced cover stories from such advert publications like the listing of prominent Bank Debtors by the Central Bank of Nigeria in August and October 2009.
Initial Indication of Discomfiture
Beyond suspicion, it had come to my knowledge ever since we published the story about impeachment moves against the Governor that my boss (ED Publications) had an unusually close rapport with the Media Team of the Lagos State Government, which had often boasted subtly that “Senior Editors’ in the key papers were on its side. I must stress that each time we published a story they did not seem to like, like the story on how Lagos State Officials were changing official cars at will, which was published in October 2009 and the story about the Revocation of plots of land in Lekki Phase 1, which you asked us to do in January 2010, we had always been subtly reminded that the Lagos State Government had the ears of a particular Senior Editor in Punch. It was an open secret that the ED Publications regularly attended meetings of the media consultants to the Lagos State Government, made up of a few Senior Editors and Chairmen of Editorial Boards.
However, an obvious attempt to pander to the wishes of Lagos State Government by the ED Publications became evident at the beginning of February 2010 when he asked that I should redeploy Kemi Obasola from the Politics Desk to the Education and Science Division. He did not give any specific reason other than the need to remove her from the “Heat”. I complied.
Kemi, by the way, was the only accredited correspondent covering the House of Assembly, who had continued to cover the House even when she was initially re-deployed to the Education Desk. It was on the instruction of the ED Publications that Kemi was returned to the Politics Division again last December when the need to beef up the division became necessary. Then a few days later, the ED Publications instructed that I should suspend another correspondent on the Politics Desk, Mudiaga Affe, for missing the Joint Press Conference by Tinubu, Fashola and Chief Bisi Akande at Tinubu’s residence on February 3. In spite of the fact that no formal query was issued to Mudiaga and my explanation that the correspondent could not have known about the impromptu press conference having returned to the office at 2.30 pm (the conference held at 6pm), the ED, Publications insisted that he must go on suspension. I complied.
Obviously, those two acts, curious as they were, had sent panicky signals to the newsroom. I could not offer any plausible explanation to the Conference members – Assistant Editors – on why Obasola was redeployed and Mudiaga suspended for no just cause. The only explanation was to inform both the Politics and News desks to bring every copy on the Lagos controversy directly to me, for onward vetting by the ED Publications.
Please let me also add that our sources in the House of Assembly were reluctant to release the complete document of the committee that probed the proposed 2010 budget for the State because they feared that if the ED Publications had access to it, he would release it those he was consulting for in the Lagos State House, thereby endangering their lives. It was astounding hearing how Mr. Ishiekwene was alleged to be consulting for Lagos state.
Tuesday February the 16th
As far as the Lagos State controversy was concerned, all that we had planned to do on Tuesday February 16 for the Wednesday paper was to publish the response of Mr. Bamidele Aturu, lawyer to the journalist and activist, Richard Akinnola, who had gone to court to stop the probe of the Fashola Administration by the State House of Assembly. The decision to do this was arrived at by the ED Publications after speaking with you, I suppose, because we had published on that Tuesday the submission by Festus Keyamo, the lawyer to the House of Assembly, over why the probe should continue. The Keyamo story, I should clarify, was used after the MD/E-I-C spoke with me about it on Monday 15th in the presence of the Saturday Editor, Mr. Joseph Adeyeye, (having first called the Judiciary Editor, Tony Amokeodo, about the development) to the effect that being a story that happened in the open court and had been reported on Television on Monday afternoon, we were obliged to report it. Should there be a query as to why the copy was used, the MD told me in the presence of Mr. Adeyeye, I should feel free to say that he approved the story.
However, later on Tuesday the 16th, the News Editor drew my attention to the arrival of a story from the House of Assembly about the fact that the people behind the True Face of Lagos had, for the first time, appeared in public at the House of Assembly. The Assistant Photo Editor, Segun Bakare, also brought to me printed photographs sent from the House of Assembly with the faces of those behind the allegations. I quickly asked the News editor to inquire from the Politics Editor, Semiu Okanlawon, if his division had the story. I was told that Semiu was not on seat. I then asked Kemi Obasola if she was aware and her response was positive, because the story was also sent to her email box.
Being the correspondent who was familiar with the story of the Lagos controversy and who was still the only accredited correspondent to the House of Assembly, I asked Kemi to make all the necessary checks and anchor the story with the Political desk, with a clear instruction that since she had been redeployed to the Education Desk, her name should not appear on the story. Instead, the by-line of either of the two new correspondents on Politics desk should be put on the story, as we had done when we sourced the story of the joint press conference at Tinubu’s house from other newspapers and the media aides of the three parties concerned.
I did express preference for the name of James Azania to be put on the story being the one that I had nominated to replace Obasola at the House of Assembly. My position was informed by the fact that if his by-line had become noticeable, his accreditation to cover the House would be a lot quicker.
After the story had been re-rewritten from the copies we got from the House of Assembly and The Nation Newspaper, and additional information sourced directly by Kemi Obasola from the House of Assembly, I took the copy with James Azania’s by-line on it with the four photographs to the ED Publications for approval as usual. But he advised that because the persons that appeared for the True Face of Lagos were not the same as those who signed the advertorial and the fact that they cleared the House of Assembly of any wrongdoing suggested that they were acting out a script. I had no reason to disagree with him, although I had thought, and I did explain to him that coming out in the public for the first time would work in Punch’s advantage as it would erase any doubt that might have arisen over the identities of those behind the advertorial that we published in January. Nevertheless, we dropped both the story and photographs and I continued with production for Wednesday.
Later the ED Publications called me to his office again to find out if our correspondent was in the House and if the visit of the True Face of Lagos group was listed in the order of the day. I explained all over again to him how we sourced the story and that our inquiries from the Assembly and other newspapers showed that the visit was not listed, but that the Speaker of the House met with them at the entrance of the Assembly, the same way he had met with the people that embarked on a rally to the Assembly in January. On my way home, however, the ED Publications sent a text message for me to see him in the office. I called him back immediately to inquire why he was still in the office at that time – around 11 pm. He said he needed to clarify a few things with me over the Lagos State story and that I should ask the Politics Editor to also return to the office. It was close to midnight when I met with the ED Publications in his office where he handed over a hand-written memo to me to formally explain the source of the story that we had planned to use. He had done a similar memo to the Politics Editor who had absolutely next to nothing to do with the story. I repeated my explanation to him that the News Editor brought the story to me as was sent to us by both the House of Assembly and the Nation newspaper, and that he could see from the list of those copied in the mail that it was sent to all the newspapers. I added that I made my enquiries and Kemi Obasola also made hers to establish the authenticity of the story and after doing the story I asked that Azania’s name be put on the story for the reasons I had already stated.
Surprisingly, the ED Publications did not appear pleased, insisting that my response and that of the Politics Editor be sent to him in writing before 10 am the next day. It was already around midnight on Tuesday.
I later learnt that he had called and sent text messages to Azania, Obasola and the News Editor, Emeka Madunagu, to also state everything that they knew about the story, which was never published.
Ambush Tactics for a Reason
I had struggled within me to unravel why the ED Publications waited till late that Tuesday over a story whose source was obvious; a story that was not used and one which was published by practically all the other newspapers (with photographs) on Wednesday February 17th including This Day Newspaper which later published another set of allegations against the Lagos state government by the group Another Face of Lagos.
But having carefully considered the tone and inference of his allegations that I tried to plant a story in the paper, I sensed that it was not the independence and integrity of The PUNCH that he was concerned about, but his personal interests, both pecuniary and otherwise, in using a flimsy excuse of a story that he alleged was not properly sourced, but which was never published, to demand my exit from the company. I wish to remind you Sir, about some of the text messages that you got, one of which clearly revealed that the Newspaper houses that awarded the Man of the Year award to Governor Fashola either did so in return for N25million or got the said amount as reward for the honour bestowed on the Governor. The rumour was not unfounded Sir, and you can find out if the right investigation is carried out.
For certain other newspapers that were considered key, but which did not bestow such honours on the Governor, there was N15million largesse by way of contract to the Senior Editors, including, as I reliably learnt, Mr. Ishiekwene, who are consulting for the government. The need to watch the government’s back and either woo over or change unfriendly editors and journalists, where possible, was the charge to those senior editors. Please permit me to state, as we sometimes do in our defence of stories when government officials challenge them, that we are not obliged to supply proof beyond what has been stated or published when we are sure of our facts and sources, that knowing that my facts are correct, Mr. Ishiekwene demanded my exit because he concluded that I was not available to be used by his friends in the Lagos state government. The former Permanent Secretary and Special Adviser on Media to the Lagos state government, Mr. Segun Ayobolu, can corroborate this fact.
In any case, part of the allegations by the True Face of Lagos was the disbursement of about N183million over six months to certain editors. Sir, you may wish to know that the money that went as reward for the Man of the Year awards and consultancies for certain senior editors came from that pool. I wish to state boldly that if I had anything to hide as an editor, I would not have encouraged the publication of a story that demanded that journalists’ role, like that of state officials, also include public accountability. Nor, would I have I insisted at the Standing Committee meeting of the Nigerian Guild if Editors, of which I am the Assistant Secretary General, that the guild should make a categorical statement in its communiqué on the allegations against some of our members. I should state without equivocation that without being told, I knew that you would not have demanded anything less than fair and balance reporting considering the development over the revocation of your plot of land in Magodo GRA by Governor Fashola and the insinuations that The Punch tends to be favourably disposed to Tinubu. Those two important facts consistently guided my supervision of every news copy that affected Lagos state, and to the best of my ability, we handled everything professionally. Therefore, I would like to stress that the ED Publications chose to hide on your plea for caution, merely to protect his interests and lay ambush for an editor who had tried his best in reporting the tussle in a strictly professional way.
My boss did not accuse me of incompetence or fraud; or of fabricating the story, but of planning to plant a story in the paper; the same paper that I edit. I do not think that allegation adds up. In any case, I have never been issued a warning or a query in reporting the Lagos tussle, nor has any of our reports been found to be false or fabricated. On what basis then did the ED Publication then asked for my ouster, not just as the Editor, but from the company?
The desperation and speed with which he executed the job should show clearly that the ED Publications was not interested in either issuing a warning, if he felt so disturbed, or release a formal guideline on how the Lagos controversy should be covered, as he had done last year on how general political stories should be covered. Rather, he was only interested in going for the jugular, by presenting a wrong and incomplete account of the situation to you, for a story that was not published; but which appeared in every other newspaper the following day. It was for these reasons and other facts in my disposal that I had sought an independent probe panel of what happened on Tuesday February 16, if only to defend myself and protect my reputation.
Consistent pattern of infractions by Mr. Ishiekwene
I have chosen to merge a petition with the above clarifications with a view to establishing a consistent pattern of infractions by Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, while he was the Editor of The PUNCH and which has continued since he became the ED Publications. Suspecting that you may not be aware of this development that is at variance with your stand against corruption, I chose to chronicle a few of those infractions in order to intimate you with the ignoble development that using his position in Punch for pecuniary interest and to fight his private battles have become somewhat of a second nature to Mr. Ishiekwene, and taking a clearly biased position in the Lagos story was a deliberate act that was in sync with his previous, albeit surreptitious, unprofessional conducts.
I should establish from the beginning that what we sought to do with the Lagos story, in my opinion, was consistent with The PUNCH’s fearless foray into investigative journalism. One example was how in June 2009 we broke the story of impending doom that might befall many Nigerian banks. As you may recall sir, the story was very controversial, with insinuations that other banks were using us to destroy the so-called mega banks. But less than two months after the publication, the Central Bank of Nigeria confirmed our story with the removal of top five bank CEOs, with astounding allegations of fraud. The said story, I should inform you sir, won the story of the year for the stories published in all the PUNCH titles in 2009, with the authors of the story – Ayo Olesin and Yemi Kolapo – being given cash reward by Management. Business correspondents that could have been sanctioned for rocking the boat ended up being celebrated for a courageous act of journalism brought to their attention directly by myself as the editor.
Power Probe report and Rockson Engineering
Another example, if you indulge me sir, was our series on the report of the Power Probe report by the House of Representatives. As you may recall, we exclusively got the report in August 2008 when the ED Publications was on vacation in the United States. We were the only newspaper that got the report and after your discussion on the telephone with the MD/E-in-C, we started publishing extracts from the report.
One of the companies prominently mentioned in the report as having won huge contracts buy had done nothing was Rockson Engineering, whose chairman is Chief Arumeni Johnson. I wish to state categorically that Mr. Ishiekwene is a consultant to Chief Johnson and has never hidden his determination to protect Rockson engineering’s interest in Punch.
Immediately after we started publishing the excerpts from the power probe, the ED Publications mounted an intense pressure on me from the US, calling me on the phone repeatedly to know who approved the publication of the report, how we got it and what determined the aspects of the report we decided to publish and why it should be promoted on cover. Apparently, the explanation that the instruction came directly from the Chairman served as some deterrent. But I did not miss the sign of desperation in him to have the impact reduced for Rockson Engineering. As soon as he returned from his vacation, he called a meeting of newspaper editors for a parley with Chief Johnson at Sheraton hotel in Lagos. I was reliably informed that Mr. Ishiekwene was the one who personally distributed money to the guests, ostensibly to have them protect Rockson’s interest in their papers. He needed not invite any editor from Punch, ostensibly, as he was there to protect the interest of his clients himself.
Rockson again
Beyond his partisan interest in how Rockson Engineering is reported in The PUNCH, Mr. Ishiekwene would later in October (when we had relocated to Magboro) again demonstrated his unprofessional interest in Rockson Engineering when he requested that I should remove Chief Johnson’s name and that of Prof. Pat Utomi (who was the Chairman at his book launch) from the cover of the paper among those prominent debtors whose names were released by the CBN. I had explained to him after calling me repeatedly that it would be unethical to do so, because not only were the two names mentioned but also because the debt being owed by Rockson ranked among the biggest and should naturally put him among those whose photographs would appear on cover. The ED Publications insisted that both men were friends of the house whose interests should be protected.
Chief Arumeni Johnson and Arik’s special interests
If there was any evidence of how Mr. Ishiekwene had used PUNCH to enrich himself and fight personal battles, it would be in how he had doggedly fought the cause of Arik Air, sometimes at the expense of Punch Nigeria Limited. I shall begin by stating the obvious that Chief Johnson is the Chairman of both Rockson and Arik Air. Mr. Ishiekwene and a friend of his who is also a senior editor in another newspaper, are both consultants to the business interests of Chief Johnson through their company, A&L. The ‘A’ in that company stands for Azubuike. It should be easy to trace the owners of the company through the Corporate Affairs Commission. In any case, an investigation of all the adverts placed by A&L in PUNCH should reveal the level of conflicting interests, double standards and unethical conduct involving the ED Publications as a result of his involvement with Arik Air as a consultant.
I list a few of such infractions below:
1) Running an advert agency
A&L which is jointly owned by Mr. Ishiekwene has been functioning as an agency for a while on all Arik adverts published in Punch. All commissions of course go directly to Mr. Ishiekwene. Knowing PUNCH’s position on advert placements and commissions by staff members, this conduct in my opinion constitute a clash of interest.
Similarly, I would also implore you to request an audit of all the adverts brought to Punch in 2006 by A&L. You will discover that all the adverts from the Ministry if Education on the reforms of Unity Schools were paid in by the Editor’s advert agency, A&L, with all the commission going to his pockets and that of his partner. The adverts came as a reward for his consultancy for Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, who was then the Minister of Education. The former Advert Manager, Grace, was the officer used in placing all the adverts.
2) Using PUNCH’s office and time for Arik
The last advert campaign in November/December 2009 for Arik’s direct flight to the United States was largely executed in the ED Publications’ old office in Magboro. The choice of newspaper houses, placements, commissions etc were decided in his office, sometimes affecting his attention and concentration to PUNCH’s official duties. Evidently, what should have been done by A&L was brought to Punch premises.
3) Illegally reserving surcharge pages for Arik adverts
For the same last campaign by Arik, Mr. Ishiekwene gave a standing instruction to the Advert Department to give Arik adverts access to Page 5, which is a colour and surcharge page, without Arik ever having to pay surcharge rates. It should be noted that surcharge pages could be released for use by the advert department only when the colour pages must have been exhausted. In that case, the advert manager would have to write the editor to release an early page for advertorial use, and the editor must sign the memo if he agrees that the early page, which is usually a news page, be released for adverts purposes. In such situation, the advertiser would not have to pay surcharge rate.
However, in the case of Arik, the intention was to put the adverts on early pages whenever page 5 was free without paying surcharge rates. This was discovered in December when the Executive Director, Corporate Services requested for an early page for Mr. Jaiye Aboderin’s remembrance advert. I was in the Pre-Press hall with the ED Corporate Services (Mrs. Shalewa Aderemi) and Deputy Manager, Prepress (Mrs. Lizzy Diolulu) when the Advert Manager (Mrs. Fatima Obagaye) informed me on the phone that Page 5 had gone to Arik. I demanded to know if Arik had paid surcharge rate but was informed that it had not because the instruction came from the ED, Publications.
We then agreed to move the Arik advert off page 5 in order to accommodate Jaiye’s advert. Yet, Arik was still published on page 11, an early news page because the advert department did not want to offend ED, Publications’ instruction to keep Arik on early pages at all costs, even though they were not paying special rates for it.
At least on three other occasions when I inquired from either the Advert Manager or her executives if Arik had paid the surcharge rate any time I saw the advert on Page 5, I was always calmly reminded that they were acting on instruction.
I may not know if A&L would have collected a surcharge rate from Arik Air and was only using its leverage in PUNCH to pay the standard rate, but what is clear is that over time, Mr. Ishiekwene has fraudulently put Arik adverts in early pages without corresponding payments, thereby denying the company its due payment, at the same time denying the paper sufficient news pages.
I urge you sir to order that a comprehensive audit of the advert placements by Arik Air between November 2009 and January 2010 be carried out immediately with a view to determining how the company has been cheated and the complicity of Mr. Ishiekwene, through A&L agency, in all these.
4) Why Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye left Arik
Another dimension to Mr. Ishiekwene’s unethical romance with Arik Air was how a former Editor of The Punch, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye, (who was Mr. Ishiekwene’s predecessor as the editor) was frustrated out of Arik as its Head, Media Relations. In 2008 when Arik purchased one of its brand new aircraft in France, part of the arrangement for publicity drawn up by Mr. Ogunleye was to take aviation correspondents to France to witness the historic event. But Mr. Ishiekwene would have none of that, as the media consultant to the Chairman of Arik, and as a Board member designate of the airline, as I am reliably informed, he overruled Mr. Ogunleye, instructing instead that a select group of editors, and not aviation correspondents, should go on the trip, would fly business class and would be paid $5,000 allowance each for the three-day trip. Mr. Ishiekwene personally selected the team of editors, with himself alone from Punch and personally handed over the allowance to them. Of course he left a clear instruction for me that the photograph from the assignment in France should be used on cover, because, in his view, Arik was a major advertiser and a friend of the house. Needless to say that Mr. Ogunleye, who was not even selected to be part of the team that went to France, resigned his appointment immediately. If you are favourably disposed to finding out the truth about Mr. Ishiekwene’s involvement in Arik Air’s affairs at the expense of Punch Nigeria limited, and how he is now directly in charge of organising and coordinating events for Arik, I urge you to speak with Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye.
5) Dr. Wale Babalakin’s connection
For yet a fuller account of the infractions committed by Mr. Ishiekwene while using Punch to fight Arik’s battles, I will also urge you to speak with the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Limited, who is an old boy of the Government College, Ibadan (GCI) like your good self. Dr. Babalakin, I am aware, has a “dossier” on how Mr. Ishiekwene has used the PUNCH titles to fight Arik’s war with Bi-Courtney over the concessioning of the old domestic terminal. There were many instances when the ED Publications came to me to push Arik’s position and agenda on the tussle. There were several other times when he bypassed me and directly called the aviation reporter and the Business Editor, often harassing and threatening them and goading them to be sympathetic to Arik in their reporting.
However, matters got to a head sometimes in November when Dr. Babalakin called the ED Publications on phone to register his displeasure over the way he was using Punch to fight Arik’s battle. I know this for a fact because Mr. Ishiekwene later called me to his office, looking obviously ruffled, to inform me to take a good look at the stories that the aviation correspondent would file on the Bi-Courtney-Arik tussle over GAT in Lagos, as, according to him, Babalakin had just called to speak to him rudely.
Again, I urge you to speak with Dr. Babalakin on how Mr. Ishiekwene abused his position as the Director of Publications to force The Punch to take sides in a private matter because of his indebtedness as a consultant and Board Member designate to Arik Air.
A catalogue of greedy acquisitions
To strengthen my assertion that Mr. Ishiekwene has always used his position, either as Editor or Director, to seek pecuniary benefits while pretending to be morally upright, I would like to list a few of the corrupt entanglements that clearly showed that Mr. Ishiekwene deliberately compromised his position.
1) Consistent lodgement of money from clients
Right from when he was the Editor up till now, a good number of correspondents in the house stations, especially in Abuja, have Mr. Ishiekwene’s bank accounts through which they lodged money for him on a consistent basis. It is no secret to many people that his back page column on Tuesdays are always offered for a lumpy fee and all sorts of assistance to people in government and in the private sector. I urge you to invite for questioning two people in the Abuja office – Ifeanyi Onuba, one of our Business correspondents and Austin Okunbor, the clerk in the Abuja office, who have consistently paid in money into Mr. Ishiekwene’s accounts. They can offer useful information on the sources of the lodgements and may even provide bank slips with which the lodgements have been done over time.
I dare say that it was an open secret in Abuja in those days of Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor that not only did many of the senior correspondents have his bank accounts for consistent lodgements, the Bureau Chief was practically obliged to inform dignitaries in the Nation’s Capital anytime he was in town as the Editor, and would usually buy about 10 yards of different fabrics for Mr. Ishiekwene as gifts from the bureau. That was a consistent practice for the entire period he spent as the Editor of the daily Punch.
2) A quarterly dedicated account with IBPlc
Immediately after the consolidation era in the banking sector in 2005, Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor became a PR consultant to one of the big banks – Intercontinental Bank Plc with a mandate to be giving the bank favourable and consistent mentions. His reward for that service was a quarterly lodgement of N1m (One million naira) into an account that was opened for him in IBPlc, which would later be transferred to his other accounts. The quarterly lodgements from IBPlc continued till the middle of 2006, a few months to his promotion as the Controller Publications, when the new Head of Corporate Affairs department of the bank stopped the corrupt lodgements with the explanation that since Mr. Ishiekwene was already the sole beneficiary of the commission on every advert placed in Punch by IBPlc, it was a monumental waste to the bank to continue to pay Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor N4million a year just to watch the bank’s back. It was an open secret that part of the major problem that he had with the former Business editor, Chijama Ogbu, was his (Ogbu’s) reluctance to cooperate with Mr. Ishiekwene to milk the banks.
3) Curses and dramatic encounter with Tafa Balogun
One of Mr. Ishiekwene’s biggest financial mentors while he was the editor was the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun. Through ASP Lakanu, IGP Balogun funded practically everything for Mr. Ishiekwene, including overseas vacation with his family, part of which he would have collected a refund from Punch as a senior manager.
However, after IGP Balogun’s travails with the EFCC and The Punch, like every other paper, consistently published the story of his fall from grace, it is an open secret that Balogun spoke badly about Mr. Ishiekwene, expressing amazement openly if “Azu was no longer in Punch”! He must have been shocked that the man on who he spent millions of naira could also dedicate his back page column to accuse him of corruption.
Yet, Balogun was not the only top police officer with whom Mr. Ishiekwene had a pecuniary alliance. Former Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Young Arabamen, was also his financial ally. Apart from the fact that he consistently assisted Mr. Ishiekwene financially, he was the one who supplied most of the gift items that were given to guests at the burial ceremony of Mr. Ishiekwene’s mother in Delta in 2003. I was there and saw it, because Arabamen took the glory for his action by branding all the gift items he supplied. But Arabamen was not the only one involved in the ‘unholy alliance’ during the said burial ceremony. Mr. Ishiekwene, as the Editor, printed a personal letterhead through which he wrote and solicited funds from governors, politicians, bankers and people of questionable wealth, including former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, who out of respect for his office obliged him.
Being reliably informed that the gate of Mr. Ishiekwene’s residence is bullet-proof, I have often wondered if the fact that the series of unholy alliance with people of questionable means was responsible for Mr. Ishiekwene’s choice of expensive security apparatus at home.
4) And there was Ayo Fayose
Mr. Ishiekwene’s romance with politicians of doubtful characters is as legendary as his false moral crusade on anti-corruption. But his short romance with former governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state had a twist of drama akin to that of Tafa Balogun. Fayose had never hid the fact that he gave Mr. Ishiekwene a cash gift of N1million in February 2005 when he celebrated his 40th birthday at his former residence in Omole estate and that Mr. Ishiekwene was a beneficiary of several contracts from his administration. However, their relationship went sour immediately Fayose was impeached and Mr. Ishiekwene lambasted him in one of his columns. Being loquacious, Fayose has said it to the hearing of many people that Mr. Ishiekwene was an ingrate and a false defender of the ethics of journalism.
5) Brand new Chevrolet as a gift
In December 2007, Mr. Ishiekwene got a parting gift from the outgoing Comptroller General of Customs, Joseph Gyan, for being a good ally that gave him positive coverage in the media. The black car is one of the several in the garage of Mr. Ishiekwene who had openly described himself as a car freak. I should know because I was in the ED, Publications’ house on Friday February 19 for a surprise 45th birthday party organised for him by his wife. Being one of the last set to leave his house that Friday, oblivious of the desperation to force me out of Punch, I was there when a former staff of The Punch, Funso Aina, made a jocular remark that Mr. Ishiekwene’s house was more of an auto mart.
Sundry abuse of office, etc
I thought I should not end this petition without detailing a couple of abuse of office and actions that qualify as ethical misconduct on the part of Mr. Ishiekwene, which, when verified, would reveal a deep-rooted disposition to using the system for personal gains on the one hand and refusing to own up when his decision was either wrong or did not go down well with you sir.
1) Yusuf Alli and the problematic headline of 2007
Sometimes in late 2007 when Alhaji Yussuf Ali was still the editor, you were displeased with the lead headline about Obasanjo approving the transfer of Bakassi that was credited to the National Assembly. You had justifiably queried the choice of the headline because it was at variance with the import of the story. What you did not know sir, was the fact that the problematic headline, which as I understand it, ultimately contributed to the removal of Alhaji Alli as the editor was cast by Mr. Ishiekwene, who had demanded from Alli as the editor that he must see the news pages before they were submitted. I knew about that development as a Member of the Editorial Board then and like every other member of the Board had detected the error. But we heard reliably on the Board that not only was the headline cast by the ED Publications but that he also begged the Editor to protect him by not disclosing to you that he (Alli) did not cast the problematic headline.
If that error was used against Alhaji Alli, as many suspected it must have, then it must have been an unconscionable direct boss to the editor that would have been there with you sir, murderously silent when a subordinate was being punished for an error he did not commit. I can make an easy guess that Alhaji Ali would be willing to testify on that problematic headline as indeed the catalogue of infractions and corrupt practices perpetrated by Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor and ED Publications, if he is invited.
2) Yomi Odunuga’s exit in 2006
Unknown to you sir, a central figure somewhat connected to the allegations of bribery against Yomi Odunuga and a few staff members in 2006 was Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor. All the senior correspondents that faced the panel in Lagos knew one thing or the other about Mr. Ishiekwene’s penchant for corrupt enrichment. On the day that the correspondents and Assistant Editors involved were being interrogated, Mr. Ishiekwene sent a text messages to a couple of them to shield him. The affected correspondents obliged him and chose to go down alone.
3) A spurious letter to the American embassy
In the summer of 2008, Mr. Ishiekwene deliberately bypassed procedure by issuing two different sets of letters on Punch’s letterhead for two correspondents, Yemi Kolapo and Kemi Obasola, to assist them secure a referral letter from the Public Affairs Section of the American consulate and ultimately to obtain American visas. While it might not count for much that both the office of the Editor and the Admin department were bypassed in issuing the letters, Mr. Ishiekwene lied to the American consulate and nearly brought the company into disrepute by stating in the letter that Kemi Obasola was a correspondent covering politics, and that she was being sponsored by Punch Nigeria Limited to attend a course and would conduct interviews with known American politicians. None of those was true; so much so that when the officers of the Public Affairs Section of the consulate called me on phone as the Editor to inquire if I was aware of the letter from the office of the ED publications and if indeed the ladies were covering politics, I had to take a painful decision to protect the image of the company by not revealing the truth.
Mr. Ishiekwene knew that although Yemi Kolapo was going on vacation and had applied for a short course in the US in order to renew her visa, Kemi Obasola was only accompanying her on the trip for the funeral party of Yemi Kolapo’s mother who had passed on in April.
I know this to be true because the two ladies had earlier approached me on the real reason why they were going to the US and I had said it would be ethically wrong for me to approve a trip for an Obasola who on Chairman’s advice had then been redeployed from Politics Division to the Education and Science division (that was the first time she would be redeployed before the Lagos story controversy) and that it would be better if she could take a week’s leave from her next annual leave since the trip was a private affair.
Conclusion
I hope you would understand that in being this painstaking, all I have tried to do is to present, on the one hand, my own side of the story on how the events of Tuesday February 16 constituted a flagrant use of ambush tactics and injustice against me by the ED Publications. And on the other hand, I have used this petition to show that with a long record of corrupt enrichment and double standard as well as an obvious clash of interest, Mr. Ishiekwene does not appear to have the moral justification to stand in judgement against me in a case in which he, obviously, is the one who has an abiding interest.
I have tried to stay within the facts of the matter as much as possible and where possible suggested names of those who could be contacted for verification, or indeed be invited for interrogation, being convinced that for the values of fairness and justice that the PUNCH Managements holds dear, it would only be proper to investigate the allegations raised in this petition.
Although they are germane and could be helpful in establishing the true nature of Mr. Ishiekwene, I did not include other well-known allegations of how former Lagos State governor, supplied the cement for the building of his first house in Alagbado area of Lagos or how Alhaji Aliko Dangote, former governor Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom state and Chief Arumemi Johnson were key financiers of his new home in Magodo. Nor did I include the part of security scare at the airport when Mr. Ishiekwene as the Editor went to receive bags of money sent to him from the National Assembly in Abuja, preparatory to the burial of his mother; or the open secret that he ha already acquired a printing press in Lagos; or even the fact that in spite of his crusade against Michael Aondoakaa, Mr. Ishiekwene had at least once received bribe in dollars from the former Attorney General of the Federation through one of Aondoakaa’s contacts.
All I seek is to offer my own side of the story on the Lagos state controversy, in which I have no special interest whatsoever and had never expressed an opinion through my back page column. While I hope that you would consider it welcoming that a probe of all the issues raised be carried out, I shall leave to the judgement of yourself and the good members of the Board to determine if the heavily tainted profile of Mr. Ishiekwene, on the Lagos issues and other matters, fits into the ideals that PUNCH would accept as being representative of good ethics, professionalism, justice and accountability.
Thank You.
Sincerely,
Steve Ayorinde
CC: Dr. Lekan Are
Ms. Lola Ibi-Aboderin
Mr. Wale Aboderin
Mrs. Angela Emuwa
Mr. Seye Aboderin
Mr. Ademola Osinubi
Mrs. Shalewa Aderemi
Mrs. Olubunmi Oluoch

Indeed there is another group-Lagos Progressives who have released two advertorials in Thisday and Compass on new allegations against Fashola and Tinubu. For the benefit of others, i reproduced the advertorial below:

THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS
How Gov Fashola and Ex-Gov Tinubu are despoiling 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 despoil 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

Babapupa is a big fool, an ignorant, loud mouthed paid agent of Fashola who peddles falsehood and cheap propaganda on Lagos.

For his information,most previous Governors of Lagos did better than Fashola and left legacies behind. Jakande did wonders in education, housing and road development. Mudashiru built medium income houses and modern schools, Marwa and Oyinlola developed many new estates, built roads, schools and health facilities. Tinubu built many new roads, introduced the waste management system, the BRT, modernnise health and educational facilities etc.

Despite all past efforts and Fashola's so called good performance, Lagos is still a big slum, crowded, congested, dirty and crime ridden.

Fashola has even created more problems: Displaced thousands of traders without providing alternatives, rendered many jobless and in penury through its LASAA agency that has driven many in the advertising industry into poverty. He has introduced double taxation in new 5% hotel tax thereby putting restaurants and hotels in dire straits and throwing thousands out of jobs.

Upon all these and more, he is busy throwing N250M to NBA, dashing N200million to face of africa, wasting our taxes on Elizabeth to plant flowers and xmas decoration, wasting tax payers money in buying sunborne yatch etc

Overall, Fashola is a thieving Governor who learnt the act of stealing from his boss Tinubu using the same front-Tunji Olowolafe that Tinubu used.

Babapupa, your logic is upside down and you are obviously an old fool. A group has come out to petition the house that Fashola embezzled public funds and he went to court (using a proxy) to stop further investigation by the house, he has not deemed it fit to explain to the public and anoher group came it with more revelations.

What do you expect us members of the public to belief? Do you want us to continue singing his praise and glorifying him? Please dont treat us like fools.

I predict Fashola will eventually be impeached by the house because he is dining with the devil with a short spoon. Those who ride at the back of the tiger will soon end up in its stomach

Thank you Gekko for being objective.

The poster-Baba pupa is Fashola's paid agent. To him, Lagos is already El Dorado. He has never seen the inside of Ajegunle, Amukoko, Ijora Badia, Agege, Makoko, etc. The dirty and slummy areas in Lagos Island, Alimosho, Ojo, Badagry, Alagbado etc.

Lagos still has a long way to go. It was just recently named the 5th worst city in the world while its Governor is busing inflating contracts and looting the treasury

Fashola has been accused of massive fraud by a group who publicised as "true face of Lagos".  Another group known as "Lagos Progressives" also accused him and Tinubu of massive fraud and large scale corruption.  Since these publications came out, both Fashola and Tinubu has not deemed it fit to refute, explain or deny these allegations.  
Some Nairalanders supporters of Fashola have taken this personal rather than join in the calls for the Gov. to make a statement on these allegations, they have resorted to name calling.  
It is obvious that these people like tpia, kushamotu, baba pupa etc are Fashola's paid agents.  They see nothing wrong with Fashola for has long as he's performing.  They even came up with this warped and stupid logic that the poster should face those other politicians at the federal level and other ex-governors who stole larger amounts and who didn't perform rather than Fashola who is "performing".  Can you belief this people?
They went further to say the poster should leave Lagos and go back to where he came from.  Talk about deranged minds and blind loyalty to their pay master.  These pro-Fashola posters are obviously sponsored.  Those who are bringing corruption issues to other nairalanders should be commended for their patriotic and anti-corruption stance.
Pro-Fashola posters should know that this matter will not die.  They better go back to Fashola-their sponsor to collect more funds because they should await more bombshell

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?

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]]

I agree with the poster in its entirity. Lagos is a big hell hole. To make matters worse, the Governor has been accused of corruption and abuse of office, and he has not deemed it fit to respond. He is holding we tax payers in contempt and taking us for a ride. These Fashola apologists on nairaland are either blind or paid agents of the Gov. It is okay for him to steal us blind in collaboration with this olowolafe guy as long as he is performing