Press Releases

My Relationship With Tinubu Remains Healthy - Fashola

Dec 8, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Tuesday declared that he would do everything to continue to maintain the healthy and warm relationship between him and former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu which predates his election into office as Governor.

According to Governor Fashola who spoke in an interview with newsmen at Lagos House, Marina after a meeting by the steering Committee on Lagos State position on the review of the 1999 Constitution added that: “I say very emphatically that our relationship predates my being in government and I will do everything to continue to maintain that relationship”

Said he: “The relationship is very important to me. I think some people are looking for a divide where none exists. I think at the very best some people are dreaming it. But if they remain in that dream they will not wake up. If they remain in that dream the development of Lagos will pass them by”.

He added: “They better wake up because no matter how long you dream that Governor Tinubu and I will fight, there would be no fight. There is no reason for us to fight. There is no contest between us. He is my leader. He is the leader of my party. The party that I am proud to be a member of”.

The Governor expressed concerns about what is happening to those saddled with the responsibilities of managing the information highway, advising that the people must learn to read between the lines.

“Maybe you want to give them an award for investigative journalism, if they have the facts let them bring them because if only two newspapers out of all the papers we have in Nigeria are developing a story that is baseless. Maybe they have an award for a scoop for it. Or did they receive an award which you did not have?”.

He added: “Our state is a very small state, if there is any such thing happening, it will be easy to pick. It is all grandstanding. Or maybe our opponents are just testing the waters to see if there would be a crack. But we remain solidly united”.

He was certain that Lagos remains solidly ready to continue to discharge its obligations to its people and advised the citizens to avoid rumour mongering and rumour peddling while continuing to face developmental projects and processes that are already making life better for the people.

On insinuations that the House of Assembly accused the cabinet of not performing, Governor Fashola said the House of Assembly never said the cabinet is not performing, but only asked that they should do more work.

He described the advice of the House of Assembly as a vote of confidence on the members of the State Executive Council whom they know can do it, adding that it is a self appraisal which was quite in order.

He also informed that he has just held a meeting with notable political leaders in the state on how to adopt a position paper on the South West Zone of the Constitutional review which Lagos is hosting later this week.

Governor Fashola said one of those who attended the meeting was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who with eight years of experience as Governor was a very necessary voice who made his presence felt.

Those who attended the meeting included the State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Muiz Banire, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Supo Sasore (SAN) Alhaji Femi Okunnu (SAN) and Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora among others.