Fashola Sad Over Jonathan’s Refusal To Withdraw Soldiers

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State is sad that President Goodluck Jonathan has refused to withdraw soldiers from the streets of Lagos a week after the strike was called off.

Fashola had in a statewide broadcast last Monday called on the President to withdraw the soldiers deployed to Lagos to quell the protests in the state.

Fashola, in a letter to Jonathan dated 17 January, 2012 and personally signed by him, said he was surprised that the President had ignored his address, urging him to withdraw the soldiers from the streets of Lagos.

“I am compelled to write to your Excellency regarding the deployment of soldiers to the streets of Lagos because, in spite of my public address about 24 hours ago in which I implored your Excellency to direct the withdrawal of the soldiers, their presence is still evident in some parts of Lagos that I drove through today,” he said in the letter.

“On behalf of my government and people of Lagos, I renew my entreaty to your Excellency to direct the withdrawal of soldiers from the streets of Lagos,” he added.

According to Fashola, “for emphasis, I restate my commitment to good governance, law and order but I equally restate that our citizens who protest should not be confronted with military.

“The universally acknowledged purpose of the military is the protection of the state that they serve against external aggression by persons considered to be enemies to that state.”

“We must, therefore, not give the impression through this deployment that citizens who protest against economic policies are enemies of state,” he concluded.