January 13, 2015 – The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola today criticized President Goodluck Jonathan’s comment that his generation has failed Nigerians.
Fashola who was speaking in Lagos said the President was wrong and urged him to accept responsibility for his failure to address the challenges confronting the nation.
Fashola who spoke at a town hall meeting organised by the State Ministry of Transportation which featured various associations under the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) said the president should summon courage and own up to his government failures in the last six years in the saddle rather than point accusing fingers to past leaders.
“He said his generation has failed, he should account for himself, Fashola said, adding that he refuses to join the generation the President was referring to.
“He is in his 50s, I am also in my 50s, and we appear to be, because I don’t even want to join that generation because my own generation has not failed, I have done well on my job and I am proud to say so. If he has failed, let him account for himself, he should not join us”.
He noted that the issues that will form the basis of debate for the elections will be how well the citizens of the nation have fared under the present administration.
Fashola said he was pained about the situation in the North East region of the country where citizens have become refugees in their country due to the inability of the government to tame the Boko Haram insurgency.
Making allusion to recent terrorist attack in Paris, France where 12 persons were killed, he said the government moved swiftly and arrested the first suspect under 12 hours.
“By midnight, they had deployed 80,000 troops, locked down Paris, they entered the forest. Our president could not lead our trained and competent military, give them direction to enter Sambisa forest. And in 24 hours, they had killed three of the terrorists and declared one wanted and they had identified all of them.
“Instead of telling you how he plans to secure the nation, our president was telling you they tried to kill him four years ago and we did not know. That is a serious national security issue because nobody wants our Commander in Chief dead. If anybody tries to kill him, we should have known. And if I was Commander in Chief, and the person who tries to kill me is in a South African jail, I will ask that he should be repatriated to Nigeria to come and face punishment”.
Fashola accused President Jonathan of looking for sympathy to woo votes ahead of the presidential election.
“In 2011, it was no shoes, now he is saying they tried to kill him, it won’t work this time. This time it is the job record, the promise that you must look at”.
Earlier, heads of the various transport associations took turns to endorse the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Akinwunmi Ambode who was present at the occasion alongside his deputy, Oluranti Adebule.
Chairman of the NURTW, Tajudeen Agbede assured that the unions will work for the success of the APC candidate to ensure continuity in government.
Ambode assured the transport workers of his commitment to continue the strides of Governor Fashola if voted into office.
