Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musliu Olatunde Obanikoro, believes his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, stands a good chance of overrunning the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 governorship election in Lagos State. Obanikoro, a former local government council boss in Lagos State and now the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Industrial Training Fund, told newsmen that the APC government in power, beginning from 1999 as the Alliance for Democracy, had failed largely to deliver on its mandate. The Eagle Online was at the media parley. Excerpts:
Why didn’t you contest the 2011 governorship election in Lagos State, having contested in 2007 and lost?
I didn’t contest because I was on national assignment as at that time in 2011. I was the country’s representative (An Ambassador) in Ghana. There was no way I could abandon the responsibilities given to me by the Federal Government and come home only to be chasing a political office at state level.
Now that you are back, what are we expecting from you in 2015?
Now that I am home, I am strongly reflecting on the last 15 years of (Asiwaju Bola Ahmed) Tinubu and the present administrations in our state. I will not sit down here and tell you that we don’t have few things to celebrate in the state. But, by and large, there are still many holes to fill up. And I can honestly tell you that as a citizen of Lagos State, the overall assessment I will give in terms of performance of the Lagos State Government in the last 15 years, for me, is slightly below average. People may be saying they have done some new roads, they have done this, they have done that. One, we must look at the costs of these roads and then, a state which debt profile is about N1 trillion as we speak today. I schooled in the USA. The biggest investment that country made that is still working for them is in education. We have not done such in Lagos State despite all the noise they have been making. As we speak today, people of Lagos are not interested and they will not voluntarily send their children to public schools in the state. That to me is failure on the part of the government after 15 years in the saddle. People are interested in sending their wards to private schools. Some people who could not even afford the private schools always strive to ensure their children attend private schools. Public schools in the state are not functional in the true sense of imparting knowledge in our children. So, how one governor can just stand up and beat his chest that he has performed still marvels me! The best investment the state government would have made is to invest in education but it failed to do so. Instead, the government increased tuition fee from N25,000 at LASU to above N250,000. Worst still, if you visit LASU main campus today, you will discover there is not much physical development at the institution. The government of the day increased the fee claiming it cannot subsidise education of indigent students in the state but they can subsidise their own habit. That to me, after so many years of management of the state economy, is not acceptable. Today, our hospitals in the state are mere consulting centres. Even the consultation is minimal in the true sense of it. Everybody that is somebody now goes overseas for ordinary medical check-up. Even the governor himself, I do believe without any iota of doubt that he does his medical check-up abroad. Their leader and ex-governor of the state had medical challenge recently. He had knee injury and he was flown abroad to take care of ordinary knee injury. This minor health challenge could not be treated at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after billions of naira they claimed they have sunk to upgrade the facilities. In the area of health, the Lagos State Government has equally failed. Today, Lagos State does not have the required capacity to handle emergency situation. And you know how much this state generates monthly as internal revenue? They are still struggling in the area of refuse management. Looking at the Olusosun dumpsite at Ojota and the level of pollution that is injected to the atmosphere on daily basis says a lot about the state government that has been in power since 1999. Where have you seen such big dumpsite operating in a metropolis anywhere in the world? They do not only dump refuse at Olusosun but they burn refuse there everyday. Whereas, the dumpsite is surrounded by residential communities. In addition to that high grade of environmental pollution in the middle of the state capital, there are various kinds of reckless reclamation going on in the state right now. After the reclamation, what they often do is to sell the land to themselves and their cronies. Whereas, during the time of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, he did reclamation in Lekki and the land was sold to members of the public. Except for the reclamation at the Atlantic City, there are other reclamations that are going on secretly without the knowledge of the people. The one going on right now in Ikoyi is being done quietly and secretly so that members of the public don’t know much about it. As I am speaking to you now, the level of industrial pollution in the state is at an alarming proportion. There is serious environmental degradation in the state and nobody is saying anything about it. These are serious issues that will affect residents’ life span and nobody is talking. Honestly, I don’t know what this government is celebrating every 100 days. I was one of the beneficiaries of Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s housing policy. In 15 years now, the Lagos State Government has not built one house for medium income earners not to talk of the low income earners. Go and check the cost of the houses they said they built for the people. How many workers can afford to buy those houses? Go and investigate the cost of renovated markets at Yaba, Oshodi and others, you will understand if the government in the state since 1999 is for the masses or for the elites. There are basic needs of life and housing rank very high among the basic needs. Those basic needs for a stable society is lacking in Lagos under the government that has been in power for 15 years running. That to me needs urgent change. If you take a critical look at their performance, which they are celebrating, you cannot but come to the conclusion that I have reached today that it is slightly below average.
And where did you come in here?
As I have said, this is a time for reflection and I am still reflecting. I do believe that Lagos State, with its potentials and the kind of IGR they get every month, can be managed better than it is now. And the business of government can be done more transparently because this government is not transparent. Go and Google anything about Lagos State, you won’t find any worthy information made available for members of the public. The governor has directed all members of his executive council not to talk to the press anymore on any issue. It is only the Commissioner for Information that is allowed to talk and you know that the one who plays the piper dictates the tune. The Information Commissioner will tell you only what they want him to say. He cannot give direct answer to your question if you succeed in meeting him at a corner. Those are the characters that are in government in Lagos. I can tell you so many things about the government, be it the present or the immediate past government in the state.
If you’re still reflecting whether to contest the 2015 governorship election in 2013, then it means there is problem somehow. Isn’t that?
No! You get it wrong. Let me tell you that I am eight years older than I was when I contested in 2007. A Yoruba proverb says …An elderly person doesn’t act like a child. I have focus. Don’t forget that I have also done other things since 2007. I have served my country meritoriously as an Ambassador. May be the diplomatic part of me is having greater share of me this morning. I want to let people know that we the Lagos Peoples Democratic Party are serious about 2015 and we have what it takes to dismantle this oppressive, insensitive and elitist government in Lagos State. I can also tell you that PDP, as it is now in the South West, has the capacity to dislodge the APC (All Progressives Congress) in this zone. APC is beatable electorally because their leaders are lazy and complacent.
Do you think PDP can match the ruling party and spring up surprise come 2015?
I am convinced beyond any doubt that our party, the PDP, is winning Lagos State in 2015. The people in the state will vote en masse for our party because they need change. The indices of rejection of the ruling party in Lagos are there for people that care to see. For example, if you observe clearly, you will realise that the present government in Lagos House has become unnecessarily arrogant. They are running the state as if it is their personal business venture. I have told you the recklessness involved in terms of burrowing and the expenditure that cannot be explained to the general public. We would take the facts to the people and make them know the implications. We are serious. We have what it takes to dismantle this oppressive government in the state.