Obanikoro declares, says Lagos belongs to all of us, not one man

LAGOS State governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Musiliu Obanikoro Tuesday promised to ensure the rapid development of abandoned rural areas if voted governor of the state in 2015.

He said this at the formal declaration of his campaign which he tagged ‘walk with me’, held at the National Stadium in Lagos.

　

Musiliu Obanikoro


While he commended the governor Babatunde Fashola administration for running the affairs of the state in the last eight years, Obanikoro berated the administration for abandoning the downtrodden in the state.

He noted that it is time to upgrade infrastructures in the rural areas.

His words: "We have seen billions spent on sand filling our waters, we have seen billions spent in repairing Bourdillon road and I believe it is time for a new change. I believe it it time for government to spend billions on upgrading infrastructures in Alimosho, in Shomolu, Kosofe and other parts.

"A greater Lagos is where hard working families can be successful in Lagos and where the down-trodden will be benefit from government. We must all stand together to ensure that we have a new and better Lagos. A new Lagos where the masses of the state will not be left out. That is the kind of Lagos that I offer in 2015.

"The more I look, I less I see. Any system that takes from the poor to benefit the rich, that system cannot be working for us."

Reeling out his agenda for Lagos state if voted in as governor, the former Minister of State for Defence, said "the Obanikoro administration will create a Malaria centre across the 20 local government areas of the state, we will ensure our schools stand shoulder with others."

Besides, he lamented the cost of governance saying it has gone up astronomically "because every business transaction must factor the emperor of Bourdillon into it. That has become a burden on our families. I stand here promising Lagosians that the burden brought upon them in the last 15 years by Alpha Beta, will come to an end in May 2015."

"Lagos belongs to all of us, we are going to put an end to an era where Lagos belongs to one man. Power comes from God. I am going to ensure that my wealth of experience, having served at all levels of government, will come to bare in May 2015 and I will ensure we have a constructive engagement with the Federal Government of Nigeria. I don’t know of any mega city in the world that has managed its affairs on its own without the involvement of other tiers of government," he said.

Speaking further, he said "I will use my wealth of experience to work with the National Assembly to ensure that we create a better Lagos for the people of Lagos to fast tract our development. I want to urge the people of Lagos to stand with me to ensure we achieve that greater Lagos."

We’ll win Lagos–PDP South west chairman

Earlier in his remarks, the South west chairman of the party, Mr Makanjunola Ogundipe expressed optimism that the PDP will reclaim the south west.

Ogundipe, however, said that the party in the region is united in its bid to defeat the APC.

He said "we want the APC to know that it is no longer business as usual in Lagos state. Tell them that Lagos state is no longer for the APC. Since they have been governing us, what can they show for it? Enough is enough for the APC. We are united in the PDP and whether the APC likes it or not, the PDP has come to stay."