15th April, 2011
Fresh from its landslide victory in the Senatorial and House of Representatives elections, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Thursday held its mega rally for the Ojo and Amuwo- Odofin Local Government Areas at Mile 2 Bus Stop, with the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) thanking Lagos residents for voting the candidates of the party and urging all registered residents to continue the process by voting massively for the Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeola ticket in the Presidential election.
Addressing thousands of party supporters who included the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Mrs Nkechi Chukwueke who has formally declared for the ACN, Governor Fashola said the results of the last election is already sending jitters down the spines of opponents of ACN.
The governor said an ACN government in Lagos if re-elected will continue to provide effective transportation, security, housing and better road management for the people just as it has been doing in the last four years.
He added that on going work on the expansion of the Lagos Badagry Expressway into a 10 lane super highway is very evident in the Amuwo Odofin area of the state, informing that work is progressing steadily on the road which will also have a light rail running through it.
The Governor said despite the fact that the Lagos Badagry Expressway belongs to the PDP led Federal Government, the ACN government has taken it upon itself to expand the road when it was abandoned by the PDP.
He also stated that the contract for the road that connects the former Durbar Hotel to Amuwo has been awarded with the contractor already mobilised to site.
Fashola informed that already, 17 roads, 13 schools, 11 canals and drainage projects have been completed by the present administration in the Amuwo Odofin area.
He added that work is almost being completed on the Maternal and Child Care Centre that is sited on the former Local Government structure in the area, adding that when completed the MCC will provide specialized medical services to mothers and children and reduce infant mortality rate.
Governor Fashola explained that the State Government will soon unfold its mortgage housing policy which has about 500 hectares of land already set aside in Iba, adding that the programme will provide houses to allottees who will be expected to pay initial deposits of 30 percent to take possession.
He said as part of long term policy to ensure clean pipe borne water flows in every household in the State, the State is working on Adiyan phase two project, just as Isashi, Odomola and Otto Ijanikin waterworks are on-going to increase the water stock to 300million gallons daily in the next four years.
Governor Fashola said when the opposition parties realized that they could not gain ground through fair means against the ACN in Lagos State, they resorted to disinformation and misinformation by sending text messages to discredit the leaders of the ACN.
The Governor said when the faceless opposition parties realized that the ACN was ready to contend with them with the lies they were disseminating through texts, they chickened out and resorted to printing and circulating leaflets that the present government intends to ban okada operations outright in Lagos State.
The Governor reminded the people that the administration has never contemplated banning okadas and has only regulated by partnering with the operators to ensure safety of lives of citizens.
He added that it is the PDP administration in the Federal capital city of Abuja that has banned the operation of okadas by deploying military men against them.
He said several other lies are being peddled that the administration is about to introduce special taxation against northern businessmen and traders who bring goods to Lagos, reminding them that it was Lagos State that took up the case of northern traders who bring goods to Lagos by road with the Federal Executive Council which led to the dismantling of illegal roadblocks and later that contributed to increase in prices of goods.
The Governor also enlightened voters that after participating in the accreditation from 8am, they must endeavour to return to the polling booth before 12noon to ensure that they are counted to vote.
He enjoined every registered voter to ensure that as they thumbprint the ballot papers, it is not folded immediately but should allow the ink to dry up so that it does not smear the other side of the ballot paper which may render it void.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the ACN, Chief Henry Ajomale introduced the House of Assembly candidates of the party in Amuwo Odofin, Mr Sultan Adeniji Adele for Constituency 0ne and Hon Ramotalahi Akinlola- Hassan for Constituency Two as well as Alhaja Muhibat Rufai-Adeyemi for Ojo One and Mr Lanre Ogunyemi for Constituency Two.
Prominent among those who attended the campaign rally are the Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan, the Deputy Governorship candidate of the ACN in Lagos, Hon Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, members of the State Executive Council, the Senator-elect for Lagos West Senatorial district, Senator Ganiyu Solomon and member- elect of the House of Representatives for Amuwo- Odofin, Hon Ganiyu Olukolu and party leaders and supporters.