Self styled coalition of all support groups that claimed they worked assuadiously for the emergence of Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu as Lagos State Governor; are demanding full patronage, empowerment and recognition for their labour in last year’s general elections.
In an open letter signed by Prince Rotimi Qassim Shitta-Bey, the coalition chairman: the group lamented the lackadaisical and uncaring attitude of erstwhile Director General of Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organization (BOSCO), now Chief of Staff to the Governor Mr Tayo Ayinde, whom they accuse as only empowering his minions, kiths and kins in the administration they jointly laboured to birth.
According to the coalition’s statement Mr Sanwo-Olu is turning out to be an ingrate, selfish and self centred camera hugger: “We did our very best and delivered him without receiving a Kobo from him. We wrote a letter dated 17th of June 2019, after he was sworn in as the Governor of Lagos State, which he responded to the same day 17th June 2019, appreciating us for our contribution and promised to support the realization of our individual aspirations and further our collective prosperity in building a greater Lagos for all.
“Ten months down the line Governor Sanwo-olu as not redeemed any of his promises. Everyone and every group that stood up to birth his mandate are now suffering seriously and have become butts of jokes in their various communities and constituencies.
“We believe strongly in party supremacy. Hence we have petitioned the APC National Reconcilation Committee headed by Chief Bisi Akande to help us compel Mr Governor and his Chief of Staff Tayo Ayinde to do the needful.
“If this option fail, we shall openly protest against him and reveal all that we did to make him the occupant of Lagos House. APC is our party, he does not have the right to deny us our dues. We stand on Ashiwaju’s Bola Tinubu’s mandate of appropriate reward for political labours.”
Laying accusing fingers at Ayinde, the statement emphasized that the former spy officer had the temerity to tell campaign organization members to revert back to their private jobs recently as he did immediately the campaign office wind down. “Our questions to him are why did he not revert back to his hotel and land speculation businesses in the aftermath of the campaign, why did he lobby to be made Chief of Staff and why were the first sets of Senior Special Assistants appointments made by Mr Governor exclusively went to Ayinde boys.
“Is it the banned transportation business that some of our members were running till late they want us to return to, or is it the shops or businesses that was vandalized during the campaign by opposition parties or the new audio jobs this administration has created ?
To demonstrate the insensitive mindsets of the handlers of the Sanwo-Olu administration, the coalition explained that they made urgent life saving representations to Ayinde on empowerment for their members, to weather the scathing effects of the global Coronavirus pandemic but were snubbed. “We made desperate physical and phone calls to Mr Governor and his Chief of Staff, to see how we can get relief packages or cash handouts to our members and party faithfuls but this was to no avail. We also spoke to the Commissioner for Agriculture Mr Gbolahan Lawal, his arrogant response was that we should “Go and Chill”. Imagine this coming from a failed police officer packaged as perennial commissioner in Lagos State. These public officers are aware that hunger kills faster than any other viruses or diseases.”
The coalition said Mr Governor has not been carrying party faithfuls along meaningfully as the custom was during the eras of his predecessors.
The 2019 State Annual Thanksgiving ended in a riot, with attendees tear gased by the police over distribution of insufficient food packages. Journalists who covered the first Conference of Wives Lagos State Officials, (COWLSO) annual summit left disappointed with the pittance availed them. No end of year packages made available to party faithfuls, we were told Mr Governor had directed the council chairmen to handle and cater for their various councils, did we work for council chairmen. The One Lagos Fiesta now christened Greater Lagos Fiesta was a poor caricature of past editions and a huge embarrassment, that the Lagos House of Assembly is investigating what went wrong. None of the ongoing projects met by Mr Governor has been completed, not to talk of initiating any.
Shitta-Bey offered that “The challenge is that Mr Governor is at home with and is focused on empowering the novices in his private Ikoyi Campaign Office, those in BOSCO Office in Ikeja GRA are seen as nominees of vested interests in the party of whom he is waery of. We are all aware he has no power over the state secretariat. These Ikoyi elements are those who could not deliver in the elections. Recall that Sanwo-Olu could not deliver the party in his polling unit in the presidential election. This shows his empirical political weight. We had to move in to save him in the gubernatorial election. Our demand is that he should place us on monthly stipend in the very least, the holy book said those who labour by the altar must be partaker with the altar”
Efforts to reach Chief of Staff to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Mr Tayo Ayinde to get his response did not yield result as at the time of going to the press.
