Yinka Kolawole, Olawale Olaleye and Kolawole Olasupo
22 July 2008
Osogobo/Lagos — Strident calls came yesterday for a comprehensive probe of the eight-year tenure of former Lagos State Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a camp within the party in the state loyal to Nigeria's Ambassador to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who made the call, said a probe of the former governor had become necessary in the light of the "earth-shaking revelations" made by THISDAY.
THISDAY had on Sunday reported the award of contracts in Lagos State.
PDP National Vice-Chairman (South-west), Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, who spoke on behalf of the party, said the anti-corruption agencies should probe the Tinubu years in Lagos in the light of the THISDAY revelation.
The party stressed that the "mind-boggling disclosures" made by the newspaper on multi-billon naira contract deals involving the former governor should attract the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
PDP lauded THISDAY for taking the lead in what it called the patriotic duty of exposing pseudo-progressives such as Tinubu who pretend to be fighting for the masses.
It urged other newspapers to wake up to their responsibilities in doing same in the interest of the nation's democratic project.
The party said it was not surprised that Tinubu was holding forte for the Abachas in their businesses in Lagos, stressing that "after all Governor Oyinlola disclosed recently that it was Tinubu who wrote the coup speech of Abacha in 1993, a charge Tinubu never denied".
While commiserating with those who lost their loved ones in the May 15, 2008 pipeline explosion in Ijegun, Lagos State, PDP said the victims would now know those to hold responsible for the calamity courtesy of THISDAY story.
The party also called on relevant security agencies to step up investigations into the political activities of Tinubu in other South-west states where he is being accused of fuelling crises.
Also yesterday, a camp loyal to Obanikoro, who was also PDP's candidate in the 2007 gubernatorial election in the state, said the THISDAY report had vindicated the Senator, adding that Obanikoro was the first to point out most of the atrocities of the former governor and his allies in the build-up to the 2007 election.
But the camp said the Senator was denied listening ears by the media then because of the campaign of calumny mounted by the Tinubu camp "in their desperation to win Lagos at all cost".
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary and another former PDP governorship aspirant in the state, Otunba Femi Carrena, the group said: "It's about time the media lived up to its responsibilities and adequately inform the public because as agents of breaking down the barriers of secrecy and silence, the public must, as a matter of constitutional imperative, be in the know of such unwholesome activities in the corridors of power."
The camp recalled that during the electioneering, its governorship candidate drew attention to the proposed 2004 Eko Akete Housing Estate in which Tinubu allegedly secured a N5 billion loan, adding that "as we speak, not a single block has been erected on that estate and yet, the state is responsible for the loan servicing".
The camp also noted that Alpha Beta Consulting, a company purportedly owned by Tinubu through his proxies, had milked the state beyond repairs.
Noting that the company is managed by one Oyetola, one of Tinubu's cousins, the camp said the company had begun operations with pseudo directors and had done that throughout Tinubu's administration.
While identifying Oregun Road in Ikeja as one of the major avenues for fraud by the Tinubu administration, the camp said the former governor used state coercion to perpetuate most of the atrocities.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) yesterday forfeited the THISDAY Governor of the Year Award conferred on him in February this year to the newspaper.
According to a letter entitled "Return of Award", personally signed by Fashola, a copy of which THISDAY obtained, the governor said the award was a Greek gift meant to tie his hands.
"Little did I know, on receipt of the award, that it was a Greek gift meant to tie my hands and prevent me from upholding my oath of office, to do right to all manner of people according to law without fear or favour, affection or ill-will," Fashola said in the letter.
The governor restated his determination to continue to hold the oath of his office sacred.
"Let me emphasise that on no condition will I depart from my binding commitment to protect the best interest of Lagos State at all times," he added in the letter.
THISDAY, however, refused to comment on the decision of Fashola to forfeit his THISDAY award-five months after he received it with pomp and pageantry.
Fashola had listed the award as one of his most cherished lifetime achievements during his first anniversary in office last May, although that was before THISDAY published stories on flood in Lagos and the award of choice contracts to Hi-tech Construction Company Ltd.
It would be recalled that Fashola was at the ceremony from 8pm to 1am with a large entourage to receive the award.
THISDAY Board of Editors gave him the award despite his refusal to approve its Lekki Event Centre for the ceremony a few weeks earlier - thereby rubbishing claims of blackmail.
Also commenting on the return of the award, the Obanikoro camp said the move was not only childish, but unbecoming of the office of the governor, adding that "it is regrettable that this SAN, rather than profess his sound mind, has exhibited the height of sheer foolishness", thus wondering how he came about his purported victory at the April poll.
"There is a saying in Yoruba that it is the God of yester years that gives you a long grace before catching up with the evil people and enemies of true Lagosians. When during the general election, we made it clear how Lagos State's tax payers' money was being used for gangsterism in Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Ogun states. Lagos State is now a PLC where investors are running the affairs of the state as opposed to true administrators.
"It is therefore not surprising that the 'Arole' had to return an award that was sincerely given to him by THISDAY because a day before, there was an expose on the Governor-General of Lagos.
"But in display of loyalty, the 'Arole' returned the award, which should have been given to the Governor-General for having taken Lagos on a long ride. You can fool some of the people some time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time (apologies to Bob Marley)," the statement said.
In another statement last night, the Lagos State Government finally confirmed THISDAY's story on the contract awards to Gen. Sani Abacha's henchmen.
According to a two-page statement by the state Comissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, it said contrary to what it called insinuations by THISDAY, the state government followed due process and transparency in the award of contracts.
He said: "Hi-tech is a highly reputable and reliable construction company that has handled projects of very high standard quality in Lagos State and at costs that are even lower than the rates used by the Federal Government."
Bamidele cited some of the jobs satisfactorily handled by Hi-tech to include the reconstruction of Saka Tinubu Street, Victoria Island, which has a very difficult terrain, construction of Adetokunbo Ademola Road, rehabilitation of the bridge to Aboyade Cole and the ongoing reclamation, stabilisation and transformation of the Bar Beach.
He also said the Lekki Infrastructural project, involving the Lekki Concession Company, "is a heavy direct private sector investment in the country and it is thus not the business of the Lagos State Government to select the contractor".
"All Nigerians can bear witness today to the high quality of work done so far on the first two kilometres of the Lekki-Epe Expressway already delivered by the concessionaires," the commissioner said.
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