Fashola Lambasts PDP over Rally in Gani Fawehinmi’s Park

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola at one of the tree planting exercise

July 14, 2014 – Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola on Monday lambasted the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for holding a rally to welcome Governor-Elect of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, in Ojota, Lagos.

Fashola who spoke at the 2014 Tree Planting Campaign in Lagos said the park which is a product of on-going greening exercise in Lagos berated PDP for holding the rally in a park which it allegedly branded as cosmetic and elitist.

“You will recall that the Gani Fawehinmi Park is one of the products of this greening and tree planting initiative; there was no park there before till we started. In 2012, when people rallied at that park in Ojota, to protest the anti-people policy of the subsidy removal by our opponents, early in the New Year; people who went there to protest against this policy, were repelled by heavily armed security personnel.

“You remember? They always turn security personnel against the people they are supposed to protect instead of against those who threaten the people. But our opponents have no shame. In their unthinking inconsistency, it was at the same Ojota park, the same Gani Fawehinmi Park that they now chose to hold their party rally last week. They lie, they forget what they said, what they complained about.

“Have they forgotten that the park was cosmetic, have they now forgotten that the park is elitist, or indeed are they the true elites? For me, they have shown themselves up for who they are, a party that is unworthy of trust and lacking in consistency. For the people of Lagos, for our employees, for our artisans and welders and all of you the economic beneficiary of this policy, this is the last tree planting day that I will address you as your Governor”, the governor said.
He said his government has institutionalized tree planting policy by setting up LASPARK to maintain and sustain the gardens and trees.

“Our government and our party the APC remains committed to continuing this initiative, but you know now what our opponents think about this programme, they have told you, so if you value this job, if you value the economic benefit, you must vote to keep this programme going, you must defend your livelihood and your jobs with your votes, may God help you all as you do so when the time is right”, he said.