FORMER Deputy National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South West zone, Chief Olabode George has called on the immediate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola to drop any ambition or consideration for public appointment under President Muhammadu Buhari “until he has cleared all the allegations of corruption and mismanagement of Lagos funds under his eight-year administration.”
While he called for an open judicial probe of Fashola’s eight years in office, George said President Buhari should use his case as an acid test of “sparing no one with any intimation of public malfeasance.”
Reacting to the various allegations of misappropriation of Lagos funds by Fashola, George said, “We are living in a very interesting time. There is an air of repugnancy everywhere, most specifically in Lagos where the immoral stench and the dark odium of Mr. Babatunde Fashola’s regime are daily being unearthed.
“What is most disgusting and annoying in this entire episode is the arrogant and the befuddled attempt of Mr. Fashola to justify misgovernance to set up a personal web site.
“Fashola shows no remorse, no semblance of regret, no guilty nudging of conscience. Instead, he still attempts to ride a high horse, puffing and stomping in feigned seraphic innocence. We are not fooled.”
He continued: “We knew all along that the Emperor had no clothes. Using N78 million taxpayers money to build a web site is reckless misappropriation. The phony over N25 billion naira used to build a mere kilometer long link bridge is outrageous venality. The spurious N1.5 billion naira allegedly spent on phantom pedestrian bridges is another con game. And there are so many of these screaming illegalities observable in the record of our poster boy of yesterday!
“In a just society, Mr. Fashola should be facing a comprehensive investigation rather than being considered for any appointment at all. President Buhari should use the Fashola case as an acid test of sparing no one with any intimation of public malfeasance.
“Rather than engaging in a smug chest beating of innocence Mr. Fashola should first remove himself from any consideration of public appointment and openly call for a judicial probe of his eight years in office. Nothing else will bring out the true picture.”
He lamented that Lagos is now the biggest debtor in the federation with over N1 trillion in debts. It may take at least 40 years before Fashola’s indebtedness can be defrayed! What insensitive malady!”
