Date Published: 01/12/10

Sir,

Softly, Softly, Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji

The outburst of the Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji against Governor Babatunde Fashola, which was widely reported in the media on Thursday January 7, 2010, has changed my belief that Fashola’s fantastic performance has remained because of cooperation he gets from his party men. 

I am now more fanatical of Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola. So he could perform with distractions from Party men? Unlike those governors who would use such situation as an alibi.

At the presentation of the Lagos State 2010 budget by Governor Fashola to the State House of Assembly in November 2009, I noticed Ikuforiji’s first attack on Fashola; then I thought it was just a gimmick. But for the same Speaker to have called a special end of year press conference to substantiate his seriousness, I lost my respect for him (Speaker). Also for him who has not stayed in Rivers, Gombe and Akwa Ibom to conclude that those governors were performing wonders more than Fashola makes me understand that he was infected by the same thing he complained of – “Praise-singing Governor”. He must have concluded from some media (The Nation and This Day newspapers in particular) praise-singing some state governors especially the Akwa Ibom governor who his indigenes condemned for some lies like: that the State was already enjoying uninterrupted power supply; the 17 dialysis medical equipment; other ‘monumental’ achievements; etc.

Recently, important personalities living in Lagos, like Archibishop Ademowo (OON) and Christy Essien Igbokwe (MFR) in the media, spoke the minds of most residents of Lagos as it relates to the performance of Governor Fashola. They even thanked Bola Tinubu for insisting that Fashola took over from him to continue the good work he (Tinubu) did in his eight years governance.  The general opinion is that if people like Ikuforiji should continue to frustrate Fashola, Lagosians and Tinubu; Fashola would effortlessly get the second term ticket and the Ikuforijis would not be returned to the House or elected to any other office in the next dispensation.

Fidel Ede Nyong/298 Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Isolo, Lagos

fidel.nyong@yahoo.com