Former deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele has given a thumps down for the administration of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola. To her, Fashola is a disappointment because he concentrates on programmes that please the elite in the society.
When told that Fashola is popular in Lagos, she scuffed: “He is not popular with the masses. It is the elite that are praising him.”
She made reference to several houses and market stores that were destroyed without compensation and warned that such people may resort to crime to fend for themselves.
Senator Kofoworola would want the newly constituted INEC to rely on technology for the next registration exercise, pointing out that the developed world depends on sophisticated technology to ensure free and fair elections in their countries.
She also called on Governor Fashola to concentrate on masses-oriented programmes, adding that the people of Lagos are suffering. She wants the hospitals developed and qualified teachers employed to teach in Lagos schools.
What is your position on the appointment of Attahiru Jega as INEC chairman?
Attahiru Jega as chairman should be better than anybody in that position. As for the other appointed commissioners, we have to wait and see how they will perform. You cannot judge somebody on the face of it. You have to see his performance before you make judgment.
What do you think can be done to ensure we have a reliable voter’s register?
First of all, there are so many electronic devices that should be able to make us a have a reliable voter’s register. Also, there are so many devices that should make us to have free and fair elections. The present voter’s register is a complete sham. It was over-inflated. There are all sorts of false names in the register. Can you imagine that during the last election, my children, the former state chairman of PDP and myself found our names in two different polling booths on the day of election?
So, it shows you that that register is a complete sham and should be scrapped and a new voter’s register compiled. There are so many security devices that can be used to make sure that we have a reliable voter’s register and that people are not registering in multiple places. That is why we have all these computers and electronic devices. We have to move into the 21st century and start making use of them.
You are convinced that computers and modern technology can assist us to avoid multiple registrations?
That is exactly what I am saying that if you use modern technology available, you have the best voter’s register. All elections start with the voter’s register. If the voter’s register is bad, your election would be bad.
You are used to foreign elections, do the developed countries depend on technology to ensure free and fair election?
They do. They rely to a large extent on technology. I am not very used to US. I am more used to the United Kingdom because that was where I was educated. They rely on technology. You see, a country that is so fraud prone like Nigeria, the only way to eliminate fraud is by relying on technology. Not that fraud would be eliminated completely, but it is minimized.
Do you think Jonathan can be neutral if he is contesting election?
Well, I don’t see why not. If he really wants to play his role as the president of Nigeria, then, he has no choice but to conduct a free and fair election. He would have to be neutral.
Are you satisfied with the way he has handled Nigerian affairs after Yar’ Adua’s death?
I think he has been doing well.
Are you satisfied with the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State?
No. I am not satisfied with the administration of Fashola. This is because Lagos people have been cheated of their birthright right, left and centre.
How is that, ma?
If you look at all the publications regarding all the land deals and how Lagos State has been raped by just a few people who have virtually taken over all aspects of what belong to the people of Lagos State, then, I am not happy that Lagos State is not being run properly. The people are becoming more and more impoverished. More and more taxes are being imposed and nothing concrete is really being done for them. You find people going to hospitals and they can’t afford the drugs. The special private units are selling drugs at exorbitant prices. If you want to scan, there is a special unit that is doing scan at an exorbitant rate. So, what are we doing in Lagos for the ordinary people? They are not doing anything for the ordinary people. The ordinary people are not benefiting health-wise, education wise, job wise and housing wise, the people are not just benefiting.
But Nigerians are hailing Fashola and they think he is generally a success.
Yes. The elite would feel that Fashola is a success generally. This is because he is doing what the elite want. He is building roads on Victoria Island and Lekki axis where most of the elite live. He is planting flowers, which the elite like to see around them. But they are destroying the market and homes of the masses and they are not giving them alternatives.
Are you saying that the poor are not happy with Governor Fashola?
Yes. I am saying that.
But people are confident he will stage a come-back based on his impressive performance.
Who are these people?
Nigerians including the poor to which you made reference.
No. It is not the poor people. Go out into the street and into the market and see what they have to say.
Governor Fashola was quoted as saying that he was not going to comment when he was told that you said his government was that of the elite. He said you had your opportunity and everybody knows how you performed.
Well he can’t comment because he is a surrogate of Bola Tinubu who was my governor at that time. Was I allowed to perform and do anything? Did government consider any of my ideas? None of my ideas was considered. So, why should he comment?
So, Fashola was in government as Chief of Staff when you were deputy governor of Lagos?
Well, I think he came in just when I was about to leave office. So, I really didn’t interact with him.
What do you say about the challenge of the New Face of Lagos?
I agree with them that he is trying to avoid being probed. If he feels his government is open, Fashola should put himself forward for probe. He went to court to stop them because I don’t believe his hands are clean.
What do we expect in 2011?
What to expect? I don’t know. The situation is still very mucky. So, we are just looking and waiting to see how it develops.
Are you still in politics? If so, in what party are you now?
I am operating and I have been operating since 2003 in the PDP. I don’t think I am contesting any election.
Who is your candidate for Lagos PDP?
I have no candidate yet.
What do you think Fashola should concentrate on since you criticized him for being elitist?
I think the area he should improve upon is the people orientated programmes. For instance, he should try to provide houses for the masses, ensure affordable medical services even if he cannot provide free medical services. At least make it affordable. He should try to provide decent schools that are well equipped so that our children can move forward.
There are so many homeless people. There are so many living in disgusting slums. Nothing is being done along these lines. All the people whose markets and stores he has demolished should be provided with alternatives so that they can earn their living. If nothing is done as an alternative, they are going to turn to crime.
Specifically on education, don’t you think the number of students going in and out of secondary schools every year is impressive enough?
It is impressive but what is the quality of these children coming out of secondary schools? Most of them are unemployable when they come out. That is really the problem. What is the quality of the education that has been given to them?
What is responsible for this?
I think it is the appalling situation and conditions in which they are thought. You look at the state of most of the schools and look at the level of most of the teachers. It leaves much to be desired.
What we were told was that teachers with National Certificate of Education and University graduates were engaged in teaching in Lagos Secondary schools.
What is the quality of the NCE and University education? Our standards are falling. You hear a lot of professors saying that. Even captains of industries are saying that our graduates are unemployable.
No comments:
Post a Comment