As the directive by Governor Babatunde Fashola to members of his cabinet to refrain from granting audience to journalists continued to generate reactions, the most recent, coming from the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, has described such directive as a sign that the governor is fatigued. The PDP said the directive, also handed out to senior civil servants in the state government, has shown that the governor has a lot to hide and is currently scared of being implicated if cabinet members and principal civil servants continue attending to the press.
In a statement by its chairman, Capt Tunji Shelle (rtd) the party declared that the governor “has skeletons in his cupboard” and is “desperate to cover up his misdeeds” adding that “such a step pre-supposes that all is not well in Alausa and the Governor is panicking.” Shelle claimed that such directive could only hold sway in a fascist regime, which the governor may turn the state into if not checked immediately.
“No wonder the Lagos State House of Assembly is so slow to domesticate the FOI Act, which would allow private persons to get information on the workings of the government… We have said several times that Governor Fashola is not on the seat to serve Lagosians selflessly. We have equally stated that the huge IGR, now over N40bn monthly, is being shared between the governor and the ACN leadership.
“Now that the governor is jittery and has come out to ban his commissioners and senior civil servants from speaking to the press, then he has admitted failure and misdeeds. We are now indeed vindicated. We make bold to say that Governor Fashola is now obviously fatigued of ideas to further govern Lagos State.” He added that Fashola “is now so overwhelmed by the self-imposed pressures” since “Lagos State is too sophisticated to be used as experiment.” Rather than become a “Taiwan idea Governor,” ACN advised Governor Fashola to “apologise to Lagosians and bow out honourably.”
