THE Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) yesterday condemned the recent public presentation of the sum of N150 million to the three governors of the northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe by the Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for the Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs).
CDHR in a statement by its National President, Malachy Ugwummadu, said whereas the presentation merely appeals to the sentiments of the situation; it has fundamentally exposed the misplaced priority and imprudent application of Lagos State resources.
Consequently, the members of CDHR said as law-abiding citizens and tax-payers within the Lagos territorial space, they feel obligated to protest such an incredulous donation in the circumstances of our times.
According to the group, there is no doubt that the motive could be to lend helping hands to his brother-governors who may be in distress arising from the crises of internally-displaced persons brought about by the ravaging violence of the “Boko Haram” insurgents. It is not just a financial gesture in sympathy but also in empathy.
Yet, it is also incontrovertible that there are handful of internally-displaced persons in Lagos. Scores of Lagosians are displaced by the high incidences of building collapse, airplane crashes, excessive flood disasters and other environmental mishaps and challenges, including escapees from the northeastern Nigeria”, the group said.
CDHR argued that the Lagos Legislative House of Assembly did not appropriate the whopping sum of N150 million already deployed in such public show of patronage, insisting that the state plays host to a greater number of unemployed youths owing to massive unemployment ratio in the country compounding the insecurity index in the state.
According to CDHR, it is a common knowledge that besides the highbrow areas of Ikeja, Lagos Island and Victoria Island, there are more deplorable roads in Lagos State than in the three northeastern states put together. Proper prioritisation of the vast needs of the people of Lagos State would have dictated that such money be applied to other areas of priority for social amenities.
You will also recall that the Federal Government had disbursed special rescue fund to victims of the North-East and particularly built IDP centres across the states, including Abuja.
The principles of federalism envisages a healthy socio-economic and political competition among the federating but not a “big brother” stature as Ambode now pushes Lagos State to assume”, the group added.
