January 30, 2015 – Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu today called on Nigerians to vote according to their interest and the best candidate as president of Nigeria, stressing that God knows who is best for Nigeria.
The Oba made the call when Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari paid a courtesy call to the Oba as part of his presidential campaign in Lagos.
He did not endorse Buhari but Akinwunmi Ambode and urged Nigerians to be peaceful and vote, noting that President Goodluck Jonathan has already made the point very clear that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, adding that God knows the best for Nigeria.
He said the problem in Lagos was caused by the man who is now putting hole in the umbrella now.
“Since the dawn of the present civilian regime in 1979, the entity called Lagos has suffered tremendously tribulations from the Federal Government. And this was allowed by the man who is now putting hole in the umbrella which he brought. GOD knows everything. In 2011, I told Buhari certain things. But GOD knows the best for this country.
Turning to recent posting in police formations in Nigeria, he warned security personnel posted to Lagos that politicians don’t quarrel but that they can only disagree.
“I want to sound it as a note of warning to all the security officials in the state. Politicians don’t quarrel but they can disagree quite often. Recently, I have had some comment over the posting of police in the country. Posting of policemen is normal when election is approaching.
“But if anyone comes into Lagos with any sinister motive, by the grace of GOD, he will have himself to blame”, he warned, adding that the posting of police officers shouldn’t be made a political issue.
“Posting comes normally, Lagos is not Port Harcourt. No one should express any fear. And the man they did it to in Port Harcourt is able and capable to do what he should do. They dare not, if they do, it is then they that I will show them who Akiolu is, and who Iga Idugharan is”, he said and implored all to cooperate with the security agencies.
Also speaking, Buhari said the experience of the last 16 years has not been pleasant.
“It has been bedeviled with insecurity, economic imbalance and unappalled corruption, which has virtually denied Nigeria the opportunity to improve other social services like education and healthcare.
“Infrastructure is another structure that helps to bring industries back to produce goods and services”, he said, adding that APC has studied these problems in-depth and that priority is on security.
“From Maiduguri to Sokoto to Akwa Ibom and to Port Harcourt. We just have to get the security of this country right so that people can come out day and night and work hard to earn a living and correct the ills of the society”, he said.
He said the second to security is the unemployment of able bodied youths who are more than 60 per cent of the population adding that the biggest innovation through which it can tackle unemployment is farming, fishing and mining .
“And then infrastructure, power, road and of course for Lagos state, all the responsibilities have been left to the state government. The state was left with enormous decayed infrastructure which should have been for their own interest. We assure you that the APC will study this situation and make as much compensation as possible to Lagos State”, he said.
He explained that without power, Nigerian entrepreneurs cannot establish businesses or break even.
“For that reason, the money is spent on power between 1999 till now is more than $20billion but the amount of megawatts has hardly changed, it is still between 3000 to 4000 megawatts. Now this lack of accountability has acted very negatively on the economy and the security of the country.
“On the question of roads, we will try and complete the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Ilorin. This is the axis which is heavily used. What will complement that is to make the Nigeria railway efficient. We will save Nigeria Railways, we will save Nigeria Airways and Nigeria Shipping line”, he said, adding that his government will also give priority to education which he said remains the best legacy for Nigerians.
