21st April, 2011
For six hours, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State was on water taking his re-election campaign to remote riverine communities in Oriade Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Amuwo-Odofin and Ojo Local Governments.
The governor rode on speed boat, with his running mate, Mrs. Victoria Orelope-Adefulire, government functionaries and pressmen as he went to campaign to be re-elected for another four years in office next Tuesday when the governorship election will hold.
The riverine communities, cut off from civilization came alive as locals saw the governor physically for the first time.
Thousands trooped out in riverine communities such as Takwa Bay, Igbologun, Ilase, Ibeshe and Ikaare Kindom to welcome the governor and drummed up support for his re-election.
In most of the riverine communities, Fashola and his team were entertained by traditional dancers and masquerades, creating a vivacious atmosphere.
In each community, locals praised Fashola for extending rural projects to them in the area of health care centres, primary schools and other people-oriented projects.
Locals used the opportunity to reel out their demands and called on the state government to come to their aid.
According to them, they need rural electrification modern public toilets, contemporary sports centres, model secondary schools and comprehensive public health centres, among others.
In each of the communities, Fashola took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying that the party had failed the nation woefully.
The governor said the Federal Government should be held responsible for the poor state of power supply in Lagos communities, explaining that when the state government provided transformers and other necessary equipment, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) refused to connect the communities to the national grid.
Fashola said that it was not within the responsibilities of the state government to provide electric power, but promised that his administration would continue its rural electrification projects to better lives of Lagos residents living in the riverine communities.
He promised that their numerous problems would be addressed and urged them to vote for the ACN at the forthcoming governorship election, House of Assembly and the House of Representatives election in Ifako-Ijaye, Ikorodu and Shomolu on Tuesday.
The governor said if his second term bid was realised, he would work assiduously to ensure that rural communities in the state were given a face-lift.
Fashola thanked the leaders and residents of the communities, promising them that his administration would do more to improve their lives.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga