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Ambode, Fashola cold war worsens

Published

7 years ago

March 9, 2017

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The cold war between Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State and his predecessor, former Governor Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, is gradually being taken to higher altitude.

The duo were observed to have worked harmoniously during the 2015 electioneering campaigns in Lagos State not because they believed in themselves but simply to comply with the party’s directives.

There were indications that Ambode was not Fashola’s choice of his successor. National Daily gathered that Fashola had preferred Obafemi Hamzat, a former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in his administration to succeed him; and was believed to have sponsored him in the governorship primary election of the party in Lagos. However, the political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, anointed Ambode for the next governor after Fashola. Hamzat eventually came second in the primary election.

When Fashola was nominated for senatorial appointment, besides the petition sent to the Senate accusing Fashola of corruption, official government record of the state government was released revealing that spent N78 million public fund on his own website, in addition to other allegations of perceived outrageous expenditures.

Indeed, Fashola was alleged to have approved an outrageous N78.3 million from the state’s treasury for the upgrade of his personal website in 2014.

It was gathered that the expenditure published on the state public procurement office’s website, was first exposed by foremost budget analytic firm, BudgiT.

Other allegations included “questionable expenditures of N1.2 billion on the “construction of pedestrian bridges along Oti-Osa Lekki-Epe Expressway.”

Contract for provision of wall signage in three magistrate courts at the cost of N17 million was also said to be awarded the same year.

It was also alleged that Fashola administration spent N3.46 billion for the construction of a beach resort in Ilase and N61 million for a Range Rover SUV and two Toyota Hilux trucks as the official vehicle of the Chief Judge of the State.

The document shows that the administration also spent N85 million for the repair and replacement of street signs.

Other curious expenses contained in the document include N330 million spent for the development of the residence of the Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, and N94 million spent on “printer consumables”.

The contract for the refurbishing of the former governor’s personal website, www.tundefashola.com, was awarded to “Info Access Plus Limited”, by the office of the chief of Staff of the governor, according to the report.

According to information technology experts, www.tundefashola.com, created by the firm for the former governor, is a WordPress website and an upgrade could not have cost more than N300, 000, his accusers argued.

Fahola, later explained the various contracts, refuted all the allegations of impropriety.

Though, he was gathered not to be happy that such report could be revealed by the Lagos State Government he survived that salvo and successfully scaled through the Senate screening and confirmation as a minister.

Thereafter, Fashola was identified with the supposed ‘Abuja Force’ in the All Progressives Congress (APC) that aligned to demystify Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s political hegemony in the South West. The Ondo State governorship election was believed to have provided the first political battle for the Abuja Force. Invariably, the gulf of disharmony of interests between Fashola and Ambode deepened in the Ondo powers struggle.

Currently, Ambode has accused the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing, where Fashola holds sway, of frustrating plans by Lagos State Government to reconstruct the road linking Murtala Muhammed International Airport to Oshodi.

Generally, states in the country are allowed to rehabilitate federal roads in the entities, thereafter, the fund spent on such reconstruction is refunded by the federal government. Ambode is currently encountering blockade on his intention to reconstruct the Oshodi – Airport Road by a ministry headed by his predecessor.

Ambode also expressed frustration that six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved the handing over of the Presidential Lodge in Marina, Lagos State Government is yet to be allowed access into the premises.

There have been insinuations in Lagos State that the recent revelation by the minster of Sports, Solomon Dalung that he has been under pressure not to handover the national Stadium to Lagos State Government for maintenance may not be unconnected with the cold war between Fashola and Ambode. Some stakeholders in Lagos were of the view that the Abuja Force may be behind the pressure on the Sports Minister to reverse his concession to handover the national Stadium, Surulere, to Lagos State Government.

There has also been the innuendo that Ambode has, since he assumed office, been dismantling Fashola’s legacies in the state.