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Tag: Babatunde Fashola

  • How people thought I will leave my husband over children born outside wedlock – Fashola’s wife

    How people thought I will leave my husband over children born outside wedlock – Fashola’s wife

    Abimbola Fashola, wife of Babatunde Fashola, the former governor of Lagos, has recounted how many thought she would abandon her husband over the allegation of having children outside wedlock

    Mrs Fashola, during a recent interview on News Central television on Thursday, noted that the allegations were a plot by the enemies to cause separation between her and her husband.

    She said, “Some of my elderly women that I know told me not to worry about everything that was being said.

    “They said that they had defended me, and I should accept the children. They said they know me very well and that I would ask anyone who has a child for my husband to bring them in.

    “It was defamation of character. I did not talk about it at all with him. My father had several wives; I have younger ones.

    “They thought I was going to leave my husband. And I know he did not do it. Most people would think we don’t talk. I’m not saying he is a perfect man, but he carries me along.”

    The erstwhile first lady also said that her husband does not discuss political matters with her.

    She however noted that she has an unnamed source where she gets political updates about her husband from.

    “My husband doesn’t discuss political things with me. I don’t get to hear from my husband. I get to hear from a source. I have a source.

    “It is like a spiritual guide for you to know what you are praying about. That is the way I see it. I don’t have two prayers,” she added

  • Minimum wage review: My take away – By Babatunde Fashola

    Minimum wage review: My take away – By Babatunde Fashola

    By Babatunde Fashola

    During my participation at the Covenant Nation’s The Platform event, on June 12, 2024 I promised to provide a reasoned contribution to the conversation on minimum wage.

    Here it is. 

    The extant law on minimum wage is the National Minimum Wage Act 2019, which came into force on the 18th April 2019; and it provides in Section 3 (4) that: 

    “The national minimum wage expires after five years, and it shall be reviewed in line with the provision of this Act.”  

    Please note that it is the “minimum wage” that has expired but not the Act, and as is shown in the underlined portion above, the review of the 2019 minimum wage provisions, after the period of five years, shall be in line with the provision of the 2019 Act.

    What is the minimum wage? 

    The answer is to be found in Section 3 (1) of the law where it provides that:

    “Every employer shall pay a national minimum wage of not less than N30,000 per month to every worker under his establishment, except as otherwise provided under this Act.”

    Please note the words used in the underlined portion of the provision, namely; “wage” and “per month”.

    Bearing in mind that this is a federal law, there must be constitutional authority for the Federal Government through the National Assembly (NASS) to make laws on wages. 

    This authority is to be found in item 34 of the 1999 Constitution as amended in the Exclusive Legislative list which confers power on the NASS to legislate on:

    “Labour, including trade unions, industrial relations, conditions, safety, and welfare of labour; industrial disputes, prescribing a national minimum wage for the federation or any part thereof; and industrial arbitrations.”

    On the face of it, all will seem to be normal until we examine closely what a wage is. 

    In my recent monograph, “The Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole”, I had made the point at page 89 that: “…the word…used in item 34 of the Exclusive Legislative list is minimum wage.” 

    It does not talk about salaries. I further stated that “…it has also been shown, wages and salaries are different and should not be conflated.” I posited that “…efforts to improve minimum wage must be that and nothing more. It must not translate to a salary overhaul by accident”. 

    What then is the difference between “wages” and “salaries” and what has NASS legislated? 

    All the definitions available recognize that wages and salaries are common methods of compensation open to the employer.

    However, a salary is a fixed annual amount, payable at specific intervals subject to agreement. It can be paid weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. 

    On the contrary, wages refer to payment based on an hourly rate and the number of hours the employee works. 

    Therefore, it seems obvious from this definition that by making a law in Section 3(1) of the Minimum Wage Act that the minimum wage of N30,000 shall be paid monthly, the NASS may have acted unconstitutionally by legislating on a SALARY (monthly payment) when they only have power to legislate on WAGES, an hourly payment.This is important while the conversation on minimum wage is being had in 2024 because in Section 3(4), the minimum wage “shall be reviewed in line with the provisions of this Act” which includes Section 3(1) that has prescribed a monthly amount instead of an hourly wage. 

    If we follow the proper definition of wages as an hourly rate and apply the global method for computing it, which is to divide the gross annual sum by 52 weeks, and further by 40 hours recommended per week, we will have for Nigeria a minimum wage that is not N30,000 per month, but rather N30,000 X 12 (months) = N36,000 divided by 52 (weeks) = N6,923.07 divided by 40 (hours), which will give a minimum wage of N173.07 per hour. 

    In other jurisdictions where the minimum wage is applicable, amendments to increase them do not necessarily translate to massive distortions across the salary compensation scheme.

    Those who are bound to pay minimum wage can also adjust their ability to pay by limiting the hours that employees work and maximise productivity, while employees cover the gap by working the additional hours in other places.

    What we have done is to erroneously fix monthly minimum salaries as wages, and then effect consequential adjustment for all other SALARY EARNERS, which results in a bloated compensation wage that employees find difficult to meet. 

    It would seem that since the employer has a choice to compensate the employee by either salary or wages, it must be presumed all institutions whether of Government or the private sector that have opted to compensate by salary payment are not bound by the minimum wage Act provisions if they do not pay hourly rates.

    This perhaps explains in part, why some employees observe the law in breach than in compliance.

    The exemption provided in Section 4(1)(b) of the Act for “an establishment employing less than 25 persons” from being bound by the provisions of the Act to pay the minimum wage also raises serious doubts about whether we have enacted a minimum wage Act if small businesses who barely have 25 employees but who employ the largest number of the most vulnerable people are exempted from the law as currently legislated. Who then is the law protecting? 

    Of course, if and when we decide as a country on the implementation of a proper minimum wage, we must then design a formula to review salaries of those who do not earn wages in order to assist them deal with cost-of-living challenges. 

    This may yet be the most fruitful outcome of the dilemma of appropriate employee compensation as it may lay the foundation for national productivity, wealth creation and prosperity. The opportunity is too big to miss or waste.

    When cost of living rises as they have now, the lowest and the highest income earners are impacted to varying degrees and therefore deserving of reasonable adjustments whether they earn wages or salaries.

    This is the time for the experts in labour law and compensation matters to put their thinking caps on and to seek help from the best faculties around the world.

    As we do this, we must be mindful of the need for a POSSIBLE amendment to item 34 of the Exclusive list in the constitution to include SALARIES because it currently does not.

    Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, CON.

  • FG mulls social media regulation to curb abuse

    FG mulls social media regulation to curb abuse

    The Federal Government says it is working on plans to regulate the social media, to curb misconception and abuse.

    President Bola Tinubu, said this at a presentation of a book, Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole, written by Mr Babatunde Fashola, a former Minister of Power, Work and Housing in Lagos.

    Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, said that the social media conveyed a lot of fake information, misleading the citizens and hence the need to regulate its usage.

    ‘’In the world today, public discourse is driven by alternative facts, dropped with reckless abandon on social media thereby, creating false realities to confuse and deceive people.

    ‘’People are living through one of the most fraught periods in modern human history.
    ”The world is changing all around us. The international settlements underpinning the global order since the end of the Second World War are being renegotiated in real time across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

    ”Amidst this global turmoil, we are at home confronted by difficult public policy choices and decisions that must be made to ensure our children’s future and country’s prospects,’’ he said.

    Tinubu added: ”In this historical moment, as we confront and overcome the challenges that threaten our future, we have an obligation as leaders in politics and government to engage in evidence-based discourse and data-reliant decision-making as a matter of course.

    ”But as citizens interested in the issues of state and governance, the obligation is even more significant to ensure that our engagement with each other springs from a shared agreement on what truth is, what is real and what isn’t.

    ”This is a world where nothing is real, politics is fueled by emotive arguments and objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to identity and personal belief.

    ”In this new world, public discourse is driven by alternative facts, dropped with reckless abandon on social media and technology, including artificial intelligence tools, allowing for the creation of false realities to confuse, deceive people and distort perceptions of what is real and what isn’t.

    ”We must because, if we cannot agree on common truths and don’t exist in the same reality, then we cannot develop the shared values and a common purpose that is the central requirement for cohesion and national identity.”

    He described the book, ”Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole”, as a must read for Nigerian scholars, researchers, students and the likes.

    He said that the author in his usual style approached the subject with an abundance of scholarly rigour bringing his considerable intellect, wealth of experience and patriotism to a critical subject matter that had been too long ignored.

    The president said that throughout Fashola’s public service, he made it a point of duty to seek out and try to solve the thorniest problem and the most difficult tasks.
    ”This book is part of that legacy and is evidence of a continued determination to be a part of the solutions that advance the cause of our humanity and ensure the progress of our nation and her people.

    ”I am confident that the insights of this book will enlighten, influence, and improve our public discourse.
    ”It will impact the way we make decisions in government at all levels, as we strive collectively to meet the promise and overcome the perils of this critical moment in our nation and in the history of the world,” he said.

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, represented, by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also stressed the need to regulate the ‘new media’ known as the social media.

     

  • Former minister, Fashola wants rents paid monthly

    Former minister, Fashola wants rents paid monthly

    A former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday called for the review of tenancy laws in states to compel landlords to collect rents monthly.

    Fashola made the call while speaking during the launch of his book titled: “Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole”, in Lagos.

    He said that advance payment of rents, up to three years or more , was overwhelming tenants.

    According to him, many houses are unoccupied due to the way rents are being collected.

    ”That is not the only reason, but if you do not understand how dramatic and painful that three, four or five years rent has become to our nation, we have not consciously done anything to it.

    ”Can we bring it down from three years to one year? Can we hopefully bring it down to six months? Can we let it coincide with when people get paid? At the end of the month instead of in advance?,” he said.

    Fashola described data as the most important currency in the world, which no central bank could print.

    He, therefore, called for the utilisation of accurate data for better planning in the country.

    ”So, accurate data will help us determine how many we are, what amount of water we need, what quantity of food, data makes this very important, accurate data therefore will be beneficial for us.

    ”Life without shortage of basic needs, like food, like water, like shelter and energy will be a good life, and data is critical to this objective,” he said.

    Mr Opeyemi Agbaje, author and academic ,who reviewed the book ,said that Fashola wrote a thoughtful and analytical book, which sought to destroy hyperbolism, fallacies and myths.

    Agbaje explained that the book had 16 chapters delving on issues of corruption, poverty, the Nigerian constitution, minimum wage and governance, among others.

    He urged Nigerians, especially the media, to seek correct facts, statistics and data, as hyperbole could thrive if the people were undereducated with the right facts.

    According to him, the author agrees that there is misconstrued information out in the public, therefore, the book will help put out the true picture of issues.

    A panel of experts discussed the importance of data to development at the book lunch.

    The panelists all agreed that data should be used as basis to form policies and decisions, which would bring about changes that would make impact on the people.

    The panelists were Tolu Ogunlesi, a former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital/New Media; Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, a Social Entrepreneur; and Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, a lawyer and historian.

    Present at the book presentation included the wife of the author, Dame Abimbola Fashola, Representatives of Federal Executive Council; Lagos Deputy Gov. Dr Obafemi Hamzat; and Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, former Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Sustainable Development Goals,

    Others were a former Commissioner For Justice and Attorney General of Lagos, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo;a former Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, Mrs Ibukun Awosika; Traditional rulers, Lagos White cap chiefs ,friends and families; among others.

     

  • Fashola denies involvement in PEPT judgment drafting

    Fashola denies involvement in PEPT judgment drafting

    The immediate past Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, has vehemently rebutted claims that he was involved in drafting the judgment for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) Judges, describing the claim as baseless and defamatory.

    A few days ago, a Twitter user, Jackson Ude, made a post alleging that the former Lagos State Governor who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was working with lawyers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to draft the judgement PEPT in the ongoing election petition challenging President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

    Fashola was also alleged to have written the judgement for Judges in the 2019 election Tribunal that sealed victory for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Fashola, according to informants, is working day and night to conclude his proposed judgement and hand over to the PEPT Judges.

    “The Judges aside monetary compensations, have been promised elevation to the Supreme Court should they accept Fashola’s version,” Ude alleged.

    In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media, Hakeem Bello, Fashola urged members of the public to disregard the allegations, stating he had been away from Abuja for an extended period of time.

    “Fashola expressed his disappointment with the spread of this false information on social media platforms and has called on security agencies to take action against those responsible for spreading fake news,” the statement read in part.

    The former Minister believes that these allegations may be “part of a wider campaign to undermine the judiciary by those who seek to manipulate the institution for their own gain”.

    Fashola vowed to initiate the process of filing formal petitions against the offensive tweets and online reports with the management of the microblogging site, X (formerly known as Twitter), and the National Communications Commission (NCC).

    Additionally, there have been reports of heavy security presence at the former Minister’s Abuja residence.

     

  • Rehabilitation! FG hints on closure of Third Mainland Bridge on weekends

    Rehabilitation! FG hints on closure of Third Mainland Bridge on weekends

    The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has hinted at the possible closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State during weekends for maintenance work.

    This is coming a few days after the Federal Government approved the sum of N6.28 billion for the maintenance of the 11 kilometres bridge, including interchanges, ramps and critical links.

    This was revealed by Fashola when he appeared as a guest on a Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics, where he noted that this maintenance was set to fix the worn-out course of the bridge.

    Closure won’t be for a long time
    Fashola said, “We would do our best to minimise the impact. Many people have complained about their driving experiences and this is the government responding to your concerns.
    “If there is any need for closure, it won’t be for any long period. At the extreme, it would be weekends. By the time the process kicks on, I should be out of the office, so it should be somebody else’s responsibility.’’

    He stated that the ministry would incorporate with the Lagos State Government to speed up the repair process.

    He said, “We would do our best to minimise the impact on commuters. Everything is possible, we would work with the Lagos State Government.

    The minister also said the integrity of the bridge is still intact, adding that the repair would see quality construction resources put in place.

    He stated: “The concrete casing that you see at the bottom of the bridge, those are the pile caps. Some vessels have been knocked into it, they have to be put into proper shape.

    “The piers have suffered some deterioration. They have to be jacketed and a new coat of cement [is needed]. They put epoxy to strengthen and protect it.’’

    Recall that last Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of N6.28 billion for a fresh contract for the surface maintenance of the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State.

    The contract which is expected to run for a period of 24 months is to carry out maintenance that would address public concerns about the presence of potholes on the 11-kilometre bridge.

  • FG announces completion date for Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kano expressway

    FG announces completion date for Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kano expressway

    The Minister of Works and Housing Mr Babatunde Fashola says the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kano Expressways will be completed by April 30.

    Fashola said this at the pre-inspection of the completed Loko-oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State on Wednesday.

    “I want to appeal  to commuters on that road for continuous patience and understanding: it is a difficult project to execute because it is perhaps one of the busiest roads in the country.

    “Building through 40,000 vehicular traffic daily is not an easy undertaking, we cannot shut down the road. So, we have to manage and divert traffic for the safety of those involved in the construction.

    “So, I want to implore that forbearance continues because the deadline date we have for completion now is the April 30 this month.

    “In  about four weeks, 26 days, plus or minus, that road should also be fully completed, open to traffic from Lagos to Ibadan, and beyond the toll gate up to kilometre 116.

    According to him, what will be left is 9 kilometres from kilometres 17 to 27.

    Fashola said the reason why that would be left was because  Oyo State Government is constructing a drainage across the road, adding that  the drainage was necessary to  help address the issue of excessive flooding and climate change in the state.

    “We believe that it is better to wait for them to finish that project, and then complete the remaining nine kilometres, instead of building it now and then having them cut it up again.”

    Speaking also about the Abuja-Kano expressway to be completed April 30 as well, Fashola said it was the biggest of all the road projects in terms of scope and budget.

    “Abuja-Kano is the biggest of the three projects in terms of scope, in terms of size, in terms of budget; it is 375 kilometres.

    ” It encompasses 41 bridges of different sizes. It was the last to start, so it cannot finish at the same time. That is the honest truth.

    “But we have made progress from Zaria to Kano, that is, 137 kilometres, and the contractors tell us that by May15  that site should be fully completed.

    “Then, we have Kaduna to Zaria, which is about 70 something kilometres. That side of course, they say will be completed on the 30th of this month, fully open to traffic,” he said.

    Fashola, however, said Abuja-Kaduna road which is one of the projects embarked upon by the Buhari administration, would not be  finished in the life of the  administration

    “The eye of the storm, the most difficult part and that is the busiest part, is the Kaduna to Abuja side. That has suffered all kinds of delays and it would not be finished in the life of this administration.

    “It is the most trafficked side. It has almost 40,000 vehicles in the traffic every day. But those are not just the problems; the problems are that the right of way has been severely encroached on between FCT, Niger and Kaduna states.

    “We are working with the governors to help relocate all the obstructions, otherwise, we cannot fully build it.

    “Apart from that, the project is also delayed by the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project. We need that gas pipeline project as a major boost for our energy security.

    The minister said these were  some of the challenges unseen to members of the public, adding that both the road and the pipeline were important hence they had to be taken in sequence and order.

    “We lost almost a year and a half to security challenges or sometimes contractors had to move from that section completely – they could not work.

    “Thankfully, we must acknowledge the work that has been done by the law enforcement agencies, especially the Chief of Defense Staff and his team.

    “They have made the return to that site easier and possible for our contractors. So, those are no longer an existent problem now. It is just the manhours now to do the work.

    The Federal Government has also finished the Loko-oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State and the Second Niger Bridge both to be inaugurated soon.

  • 2023 Elections: Our internally generated polls show APC will win – Fashola

    2023 Elections: Our internally generated polls show APC will win – Fashola

    Former Governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Fashola has said that the people of the country will vote for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the forthcoming general elections in the country.

    According to Fashola the APC’s internally generated polls have shown that the APC clearly leads other parties in the polls.

    He said that the polls were conducted based on realities and not phone or online.

    Fashola berated polls conducted by some bodies in the county claiming the polls were self-serving and lack empirical facts and figures.

    Fashola said that the polls were conducted based on people who have their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and those who have gotten their PVCs in recent times.

    The Lagos-born politician made these comments while featuring on a political program one on one with Babatunde Fashola on Channels TV and monitored by the TheNewsGuru (TNG)

    Asked whether the APC has delivered their political promises and democratic dividends, Fashola said the government has tried its best and delivered in some areas while work is still on going in other areas.

    On the Issue of the old naira notes, Fashola said that the intention behind the policy is good but it’s not working at the moment. He lamented that he’s also directly affected because he doesn’t have cash too.

    Asked if the APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu will deliver democratic tenets to the people of the country, he said that he (Tinubu) has delivered as the Lagos state governor and the senate leader in the past.

    When asked to choose someone else apart from the candidacy of Tinubu, the senior lawyer said he would still choose Tinubu because he’s a man who has proven doubters wrong on many issues.

     

  • Elections: I don’t see victory for PDP — Fashola

    Elections: I don’t see victory for PDP — Fashola

    The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, says he does not see victory for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming presidential elections.

    Fashola, the Director, Election Planning and Monitoring of APC Presidential Campaign Council, made the remark at the Formal Launching of Eko O Ni Baje 10,000 Foot Soldiers for Tinubu/Shettima and Sanwo-Olu/Hamzat on Thursday in Lagos.

    He said that the main opposition party had been so much divided to record electoral victory either in the state or at the centre in the Feb. 25 and March 11 elections.

    He said that if PDP failed to beat the APC in 2019 elections when it was united with the current presidential candidates of NNPP and Labour Party in the party, it would be impossible for the party to beat APC in forthcoming elections.

    “When they (PDP) were together, they were not enough to challenge us. They are now broken into three, how can the sum total of what was not enough then be enough now that they have broken it into three parts.

    “Politics is about numbers but it is also about mathematics. It is a game of addition and multiplication. It is not a game of division and subtraction.

    “From 2019, this umbrella party that used to be one has now been divided into three. That party has divisions and subtractions, I don’t see a way to victory (for PDP).

    “Tell them that the arithmetics does not add up. We must go out and use our strength now. We have the largest number of registered voters, it must count.

    Fashola urged the the canvassers to move out and tell voters some of the reasons to allow APC to continue.

    According to him, the PDP ruled for 16 years without commencing work on many of the roads connecting Lagos State with other states but the APC administration is working on all of them.

    Listing such expressways to include Ikorodu-Sagamu, Lagos -Ibadan, Lagos-Badagry, Lagos-Abeokuta, Fashola urged the canvassers to explain to the people to be patient for APC to finish roads.

    Fashola commended Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for continuing projects he inherited and starting new ones to position the state for the next wave technical development to make Lagos the smartest city in the region.

    Stressing the need for experience to lead a state like Lagos, Fashola said that some of those contesting the seat were not ready because they lacked experience.

    Fashola, a former governor of Lagos State and the Chief Host of the event, urged the party agents to be conversant with the usage of BVAS and monitor its readings to prevent manipulation of figures.

    He urged the party canvassers to educate educate voters on the right way to vote to avoid void votes on election days.

    “It is not about whether we will beat them (PDP), it is about how convincingly we will beat them,” he said.

    He urged the canvassers and party agents to keep their eyes open, saying, “our tool is our PVCS and our path to victory are our votes.”

    According to him, Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and other APC candidates are resting on the people as the wall, hence the people must not let them down.

    In his remarks, Sanwo-Olu, who commended the party leaders for support, stressed the need for all to work together to deliver highest number of votes for Tinubu and other candidates in the state.

    The governor said that Tinubu remained the most suitable for the country, having done a lot for the state, the country and democracy.

    “When we work together, we can achieve a lot together. The bottom line is that we want to reach every nook and cranny of the state.

    “Our target, the five million votes will come out, we will deliver it. It is the number that we want to display.

    “Nobody has any credential that is close to Tinubu’s. Given his experience, Nigeria will be better off for it. This is what we deserve and what the county needs at this point in time.

    “We are going to deliver the largest number for our Presidential Candidate. Go all out and do all you need to do to canvass,” the governor said.

    On the tough economic situation, Sanwo-Olu said that he had given order for 50 per cent reduction in transport fares in government-controlled buses and provided food packages for people as reliefs.

    Also, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, said that Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu did not have any comparison with other presidential and governorship candidates because the duo understood the terrain with excellent track records.

    Hazmat urged the canvassers to move to “wake up those who are sleeping because this election is not about sentiment, it is about fact. The difference is clear. Open your eyes. We should not go back to PDP.”

    Dr Muiz Banire, the Guest Lecturer and former. APC National Legal Adviser, who noted that elections had become sophisticated in Nigeria, said that APC canvassers must be knowledgeable, educated and respectable to convince voters.

    According to him, with the use of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), party canvassers must avoid over-voting.

    Speaking, Mr Kayode Eleshln, the Director General, Eko Oni Baje 10, 000 Foot Soldiers, said that Nigerians must exercise their voting right in the forthcoming elections in favour of APC candidates, hence the launching of the group..

    Several APC leaders at the event took turns to address the crowd.

    They include Mr Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr Olorunimbe Mamora, the Minister of Science and Technology, Princess Adejoke Oorelope, former Deputy Governor, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa, several party chieftains and executive council members.

  • Peter Obi’s economic model of production will not work – Fashola

    Peter Obi’s economic model of production will not work – Fashola

    Works and Housing Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola has questioned the economic model of production put forward by Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming general election.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Peter Obi at different campaign rallies had disclosed he will move Nigeria from a consuming nation to a producing nation if he is elected president of the country on February 25.

    However, Mr Fashola, speaking when he was featured in Channels TV’s The 2023 Verdict programme, stressed that to grow an economy, the government must focus on infrastructural development.

    “How do you get out of a bad economy? You want to produce, according to one of the candidates. How do you produce without infrastructure?” Fashola queried.

    He added: “Where is the production going if you don’t have power, if you don’t have roads to transport it, if you cant move it by sea, if you cant clear it at the port?

    “Those economic models are not going to work. This is the backbone of the future of Nigeria and its been done”.

    The Works and Housing Minister further stressed that infrastructure is the means to get the Nigerian economy back on track and that nothing can be done without first addressing the issue of infrastructure development.

    “Infrastructure is not the end. Buhari never campaigned on infrastructure. He campaigned on the economy.

    “I do not see anything you can realistically do in any economy where the infrastructure is ageing, insufficient and broken.

    “So, infrastructure is just a means to get the economy back on the roadmap. One party says they will privatize it. We have seen the attempt to privatize the Lagos Ibadan expressway and for 16 years, they did not produce a road.

    “We also saw the attempt to privatize the Second Niger Bridge and for about 5 or 6 years, between 2010 and 2015, there was no bridge,” Fashola argued.