Emmanuel Aziken
10 May 2004
Abuja — MR. Lanre Banjo, the National Conscience Party (NCP) gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State in the last elections has chided the Minister of Works, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, over his alleged opposition to the rehabilitation of federal roads in Lagos State.
In a statement, Mr. Banjo charged Chief Ogunlewe to stop playing politics with federal roads asserting that in a federal democracy it was natural for a local government chairman and state governor to feel the pains of every road passing through their terrains.
"In a federal democracy, the state governor and the members of the state House of Assembly are the Chief Executive and the legislators of that particular state. Naturally, when anything happens in a state, the chairman of the local government in which the incident occurs is the first to be expected to act, followed by the state governor," Banjo said.
He spoke against the backdrop of claims and counter claims between the Lagos State government and the Federal Ministry of Works over responsibility and conditions for the maintenance of federal roads in Lagos State.
Alleging political undertones in the minister's actions, he continued: "Ogunlewe should discontinue playing politics with the lives of the people. First, he did not agree with the Catholic who allegedly visited the Shrine for the sake of becoming a governor to repair the roads that pass through his state with the funds of the state when Ogunlewe and Tony Anenih continuously ignored the conditions of the death traps. Governor Ngige of Anambra State had to put up a fight."
"Now he is saying that Tinubu cannot beautify his own state. Ogunlewe is simply wrong, and I think he is not busy enough and he needs to get busy repairing the federal roads in the country. I can only blame the governors who do not know the scope of the office of the governor, who neglect the people, and put the cart before the horse.
"Ogunlewe would not dare tell me not to repair or beautify the federal highway that passes through Ogun State, if I were the governor. In as much as I did not steal the mandate of my people, no one would tell me not to make the state a source of pride for the indigenes and the inhabitants of the state," he concluded.
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