Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has advanced reasons a change of leadership is expedient at the national level, arguing that Nigeria is too important to be left in the hands of those who play politics with the lives of her citizens.

At separate addresses to members of the Yoruba Tennis Club and their Lagos Island Club counterparts in Onikan, Governor Fashola said the national government, formed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has failed to provide its most important responsibility, the security of life and property of citizens and protection of the territorial integrity of the nation.

The Governor, who noted that Nigerians handed over a whole country to the ruling party in 2011, expressed regrets that the same party is now returning to Nigerians to ask for another leadership mandate with parts of the country lost to insurgents.

Fashola in a handshake with Yemi Osinbajo, APC Vice presidential candidate. Middle is the president of Yoruba Tennis Club, Babaseyi Joseph

Governor Fashola regretted how the PDP had politicized everything, including the abduction of 219 Chibok schoolgirls and re-calibration of Nigeria’s economy as Africa’s biggest.

“Please ask them why smaller economies could get petrol easily for their people and why we have to queue for hours and days to get petrol in a biggest economy in Africa”.

The Governor also wondered why the so-called biggest economy in Africa is trying to buy arms from a smaller economy to secure the country.

He pointed out that the nation’s currency, the Naira, is now trading for N180 per Dollar, while the South African Rand is trading at R11 to one United States Dollar.

According to him, what matters is the quality of the life and prosperity of the citizens and not the size or number being bandied by the PDP-led government.

The Governor also noted that the Federal Government also played politics with the Ebola Virus Disease containment as it almost turned the very grave situation into a political trophy, “even though they knew little about how the battle was fought and won in Lagos which was the epicentre”.

Governor Fashola said the All Progressives Congress controlled Lagos State Government has done well in many fronts including the Education, Security, Power and the financial sectors in spite of the very precarious economic and security situation in the country.

On Education, the Governor expressed pride that the public confidence in public schools have risen tremendously pointing out that a recent poll on the issue returned 53 percent of Lagosians preferring to have their children in State owned primary schools as against 47 percent that opt for private schools while 69 percent as against 31 percent now prefer to have their children in State owned secondary schools.
He said in spite of the average West African Examination Council (WAEC) results, if the Lagos State result is isolated to stand on its own, the State has moved from seven percent pass for students who obtained five credits at a sitting in 2007 to 45 percent in 2014, Lagos Standing alone.

Attributing the success recorded in this area to the support and taxes of the residents, Governor Fashola told the audience, “When you understand the ratio of private schools to State schools, which is about four private schools to one State owned school, you will appreciate the enormity of the task we undertake. But we are happy to undertake this challenge because Lagos is working with your support and with your taxes”.

In the area of Security, the Governor said the poll also showed that 77 percent of Lagosians now say they feel secure while 89 percent say crime has been greatly reduced, adding that this is in spite of the increasing global crime index and Nigeria’s security challenges.

He expressed gratitude to the Board members of the State Security Trust Fund particularly its Executive Secretary, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey, who, he said, have continued to provide the institutional capacity to keep the Rapid Response Squad going, adding, “We have been inventive, we have been determined and we have been unyielding as far as crime fighting in Lagos State in concerned”.

Governor Fashola said although the national government has continually given excuses and indulged in blame trading about failure to deliver Power, his administration has lit up public spaces in the State “in spite of this national abdication of responsibility”, citing the Yoruba and Island Clubs as examples of such public spaces where operational costs have been taken off by the provision of Power through the several Independent Power Plants built by his administration across the State.

“So when people come and say that there is no Power, they only speak of their inefficiency and incapacity to deliver Power. Electricity, as an invention, is over 100 years old so there is no excuse for Nigerians to continue to live in darkness”, the Governor said adding that businesses in Lagos now run late into the nights.
On the Financial Sector, Governor Fashola said the State’s financial indices remain stable adding, “It is the only State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria that still enjoys an A in positive outlook in Fitch rating.

He noted that Lagosians have the responsibility to keep the change that has been achieved so far adding, “You will do so with your votes; that is your Power. Please ensure that you go and collect your Voters’ Card in order to protect what you have built in Lagos. Lagos is too important to Nigeria, it is too important to Africa, it is too important across the world, to be entrusted to those who want to experiment with it”.

Urging Lagosians to vote for the APC gubernatorial candidate for Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor Fashola declared, “Our Party has held successful and well-organized gubernatorial primaries and the most successful candidate, has emerged as our flag bearer. Almost all of the aspirants in that contest have worked in our Government and they have contributed to the progress we now have”.

The Governor, who said Ambode served with him for six years as an Accountant General, asserted, “He comes to the table with a lot of experience because he was part of the process that built what we have achieved. He understands how government works, he will not be learning from Day One.”

“You should elect him as my successor because he is very experienced. The alternatives to him would be an experiment, an experiment with your lives, an experiment with your businesses and an experience with the future of your children”.

In his welcome remarks, Chairman of the Yoruba Tennis Club, Mr.Babaseyi Joseph, regretted the downturn in the nation’s economy and the quality of life of Nigerians saying in spite of the problem of Boko Haram “with no solution in sight”, the nation’s economy has remained fragile as the Naira continues its nosedive.

Chairman of Island Club, Prince Ademola Dada, in his welcome remarks, described Governor Fashola’s eight years in the saddle as Governor of Lagos State as a glorious tenure in the Lagos House and prayed that whoever would succeed him would share his philosophy for the people of Lagos State.

Also present at the Yoruba Tennis Club were the APC Vice-Presidential candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Lagos State APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Vice Chairman of the Club, Mr. Ayodele Martins, members of the State Executive Council including Secretary to the State Government and APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, among others while at the Island Club were former Governors of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Brigadier Raji Rasaki and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as well as other top government functionaries and members of the Organized Private Sector.