Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN on Saturday led the All Progressives Congress (APC) statewide campaign to Badagry alongside the Governorship candidate of the party, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, urging all residents and supporters of the APC to remain calm, focused and avoid violence.
The Governor, who spoke while addressing the rally held at the Badagry Grammar School premises, stressed that the opponents are looking for an opportunity to forment violence and get an excuse to postpone the elections.
“Irrespective of all the seeming problems that you are beginning to see, remain calm and focused. It is provocation. They are looking for opportunity to forment trouble and excuse to postpone the elections.
“They are already saying that if there is violence in North East, the people would not vote. We are going to vote here irrespective of what they do and whatever the provocation. Our answer is not violence; our answer would be by massive voting for the APC”, he explained.
He stressed that while the State Government has done a lot with proceeds from the State Security Fund to set up the State Rapid Response Squad which has protected residents of the State, he alleged that the RRS is now being dismantled by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He stated that the Commander of the Squad, ACP Hakeem Odumosu who has been responsible for building it for over seven years has been transferred out of Lagos all because of the coming elections just as the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Mr Umaru Manko who was also a former Commissioner of Police in the State has also been removed.
The Governor urged all eligible voters in the State who have not yet collected their Permanent Voters Card to proceed to their ward offices where the cards are now available for collection as they are not available in the Local Government Secretariats anymore.
He told the residents of Badagry and party faithful that the State has recorded yet another first in the medical field with first successful Cochlear implant which restored hearing to a person hitherto with impaired hearing.
He said such feat was only achievable overseas before now and that he was instrumental in facilitating the homecoming of a Nigerian doctor based overseas to LASU where his collaboration with other medical staff has brought about the medical feat.
He added that the laws in Lagos State to support the physically challenged people is not merely a lip service but one borne out of a deep commitment to ensure that they function like very member of the society.
He informed that the State has provided support to the School for the Blind at Oshodi through the construction of dormitories, hostels and workshops adding that the present government is not one that visits the electorate only at election periods.
Fashola said the present administration has not only constructed the Igbo Elerin Road which was a major request of the people of the area in 2007, it has gone on to construct Joseph Dosu Road, Market Street, Cemetery road just as it is also in Iragan and Poka while work has started on Iya Afin Access Road all in Badagry.
He stated that some months ago when he came to Badagry to formally hand over the 24 hour Primary Health Care Centre, he observed a prevalence of Goitre and that immediately, tests were carried out on many of them and follow up surgeries carried out successfully at no cost at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
The Governor said the Federal Government owned Lagos Badagry Expressway, which is currently undergoing expansion to a 10 lane international highway, is about supporting the Badagry axis and allowing people to be able to come to the area for tourism so that they can come in and depart without difficulty.
He also said the first rail municipal project is also in the Badagry axis because the tourism economy is located there and the State Government in recognition of that has already completed the beachfront and is building the cultural museum just as the High Court in the area has been completed.
He stressed that four stations of the Blue line rail project have already been completed and that at whatever stage the project is, when the present administration completes its term, it would be completed by the incoming administration of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.
He described the rail being built by the Federal Government as the ones left by the colonialists in 1900, adding that what they have done is that they bought diesel engines to run them and are celebrating that.
The Governor said what Lagos is going to deliver through the Light Rail project are air-conditioned electric trains.
