Lagos govt must prove Tinubu’s son doesn’t control tollgates —Bode George

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has called on the Lagos State Government to prove that the son of an All Progressives Congress leader, Seyi Tinubu, does not own or control the Lekki tollgate.

George called on the Lagos State Government to do this by honouring Freedom of Information requests and revealing the terms of agreement between the Lekki Concession Company and the state government.

The PDP chieftain said this in a statement on Friday titled, “We Must Withdraw from the Brink”.

He said the state government must address allegations that Tinubu’s son and his former Chief of Staff, Sunday Dare, who is now the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, control the tollgate.

The PDP chieftain recalled that the state government had changed the terms of the concession years ago and paid off the LCC.

He, therefore, wondered why tolls were still being collected from Lagosians.

George said, “We are demanding that the Lagos State Government through the Freedom of Information Act publishes the names of those who are managing the Toll Gates.

“We do remember however that there was a buy-back several years ago returning the control and ownership of the Admiralty Tollgate to the Lagos State Government. The Lekki-Ikoyi Tollgate was built from scratch with taxpayers money.

“How then can anyone/company inexplicably make a legal claim to the Lekki toll gates? Again, what is the relationship between Seyi Tinubu and Lekki Concession Company?

“Equally, what is the relationship between Sunday Dare and the Lekki Concession Company? We all know that Sunday Dare until he became Minister last year was Bola Tinubu’s Man Friday. There are too many untidy, dirty, stinking intimations here. That’s why we demand that the details of the tollgate ownership should be presented to the public immediately.”

The PDP chieftain argued that since the tollgate was the epicentre of the #EndSARS protests where unarmed demonstrators were shot, the state government should demolish it and erect a monument in its stead.

He said there was nowhere in the world where a single stretch of road would have two toll plazas as is the case along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

“George added, “In fact how much is Lagos State earning from these two tollgates per day, per month, and annually? It is alleged that an estimated N400m is collected on both tollgates everyday. If we are wrong, let them bring out their books and tell us how this humongous money is being spent.

“I have gone to this length to illustrate what could go wrong when there is a brazen interloper and a destructive tin-pot despot who has handcuffed the government of our state.

“This overbloated character is obsessed with the interests of the privileged few to the detriment of the majority of our citizens.”

George urged the Federal Government to tackle the tendencies towards nepotism and prejudicial preferences that are basically injurious to national unity.

He argued that the seemingly intractable clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the nation which are now more pronounced in the South-West can only be stopped with the outright banning of open grazing.

The PDP chieftain said the open grazing in forests, in the farms and even in the cities is wrong, archaic, deleterious to the economy itself.

He added, “The corralling and the ranching of cows are the model in Argentina, Brazil and all other beef-producing nations of the world.

“This is the time that President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrates a rallying unifying leadership to bring all our people together.

“Surely, this is not the time for ethnic or sectarian jingoism. This is the time for healing. This is the time to mend the broken places and rectify the pervasive wrongs.”

The PUNCH learnt that Dare had earlier in the week denied owning a stake in the Lagos tollgates while Tinubu’s son admitted to only controlling the advert display boards at the toll plaza.

Cpossibility:

LMS1:
Tinunbu Has Been Making Use Of Una Head Since 12BC

OritoJasi:
Dem don use Tinubu matter swear for this one. Smh. What a pitiful soul. He has left his state governor and chose to fixate on Tinubu as a job. Op, you need deliverance.

etrouble:
I don't listen to ex-convicts. Bode George should be talking with his fellow ex-convicts like Obasanjo, Lucky Igbinedion, James Onanefe Ibori e.t.c.

LegendHero:
Bode George is getting old so let’s just allow Baba to rant in peace.

Everyday Tinubu this Tinubu that, it’s now like it’s Tinubu that control everyone’s life in Nigeria now down from North to South.

An Igbo man will blame Tinubu
Hausa man will blame Tinubu
Yoruba man will blame Tinubu
SS minority tribe will blame Tinubu.

Call a dog a bad name to hang it.

We all see the bank document where Seyi Tinubu media company was paying money to the LCC account and a sensible person will ask why someone controlling LCC will start paying them again for transaction.

Let’s even say it’s a decoy by Seyi, but sensible people should be fair in their assessment instead of believing every rubbish people say about the Tinubu family just because you hate the man.

RuudVanNisteroy:

When a state is run like a mafia organization and refuses to publish financials and the legal agreement from Freedom of Information requests regarding LCC and Alpha Beta, it gives room for people like Bode George to ask for accountability.

OritoJasi:
Dem don use Tinubu matter swear for this one. Smh. What a pitiful soul. He has left his state governor and chose to fixate on Tinubu as a job. Op, you need deliverance.

AmbaliJ:


Actually, I think the Op is in rehabilitation because he has drastically reduced the number of Tinubu-related threads he opens on Nairaland. He used to open 3 to 4 threads on Tinubu daiily, but now it's down to 2 or 3 every 3 days. That to me is baby-step progress so let's cut him some slack.

LMS1:
Tinunbu Has Been Making Use Of Una Head Since 12BC

AmbaliJ:

What is this one saying? Why e be say na only online you ipob touts dey show muscle? Instead of focusing on how you people will release the remaining Igbos being tortured in Abuja dungeons, you are here bleating like an e-goat? Shey na Yoruba people kill and arrest your brothers for Obigbo? Answer me? The Wike that is behind ibo sufferings in Rivers is eating Ofensala as we speak, but you are here abusing Yoruba people. When will you ibo people be wise? What will it take for you people to receive sense??

hmohammed:


Go to your state and ask for documents abeg. Leave Lagos matter

RuudVanNisteroy:

Stop focusing on personalities and address the subject matter.Why has Lagos refused Freedom of Information requests regarding LCC and Alpha Beta, despite court orders?

LegendHero:


People like Bode George will still maintain their stand even if the state publish financial and they will push their narrative that it’s Tinubu controlling it using a decoy.

Forget about all this they are saying, it’s just politics and envy especially from Bode George.

Every day new episode of wailing.

RuudVanNisteroy:

When a state is run like a mafia organization and refuses to publish financials and the legal agreement from Freedom of Information requests regarding LCC and Alpha Beta, it gives room for people like Bode George to ask for accountability.

LegendHero:
Bode George is getting old so let’s just allow Baba to rant in peace.

Everyday Tinubu this Tinubu that, it’s now like it’s Tinubu that control everyone’s life in Nigeria now down from North to South.

An Igbo man will blame Tinubu
Hausa man will blame Tinubu
Yoruba man will blame Tinubu
SS minority tribe will blame Tinubu.

Call a dog a bad name to hang it.

We all see the bank document where Seyi Tinubu media company was paying money to the LCC account and a sensible person will ask why someone controlling LCC will start paying them again for transaction.

Let’s even say it’s a decoy by Seyi, but sensible people should be fair in their assessment instead of believing every rubbish people say about the Tinubu family just because you hate the man.

RuudVanNisteroy:

Stop focusing on personalities and address the subject matter.Why has Lagos refused Freedom of Information requests regarding LCC and Alpha Beta, despite court orders?