B. R Fashola |
Having kept mum over several allegations levelled against him
since leaving office, the immediate-past Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde
Fashola, has eventually broken the silence.
Fashola who compared his
accusers with pigs who get “happy” when they get you “dirty,” in a statement
issued on Thursday night, denied all the rumours, quoting a proverb: “When you
wrestle with a pig, the pig gets happy and you get dirty.”
On the issue of extra marital
paternity, he said he only adopted three children who were orphaned by the Dana
crash of 2012, stating that he went through due process.
He denied any involvement in
the national assembly leadership elections, and said all the loans he took as
Lagos governor went through due process and they are being repaid.
Fashola however, disclosed that
he also met debts when he became governor in 2007 after the eight-year tenure
of his predecessor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Read the full statement below
Read the full statement below
“When you wrestle with a pig, the pig gets happy and you get
dirty.”
This statement of profound wisdom informed my silence in the
wake of manipulated and unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoing recently
being levelled against me. They started a few weeks to the end of my tenure,
and have continued till date. They range from allegations of extra marital
paternity of children, to mundane and phantom conspiracy in the National
Assembly, a debt profile for Lagos State and lately a website upgrade contract
of N78 million, which is being distorted.
In so far as the allegations of paternity are concerned, they
are wicked and false. I have no biological children other than my two children.
Of course, I adopted three children who became orphaned as a result of the
tragic DANA Airplane crash of 2012 and the adoption followed due process.
Those who do not care whether they hurt innocent children or
invade the privacy of other citizens in their mindless rage against me will
have their rewards served upon them in the fullness of time. As far as my
alleged involvement in the National Assembly elections are concerned, they
remain only the products of the imagination of those who made the allegations.
I was out of the country at the material time and returned only
in the early hours of that morning to Abuja, and from there proceeded to Lagos.
As far as debts of Lagos State are concerned, the fact is that Lagos had always
had debts. Her population is growing and for a long time she has run deficit
budgets to cater to the needs of that growing population.
All the debts contracted in my time were approved by the
Parliament in the annual budgets, some have been paid back and the financial
status was healthy and stable when I left. The outlook for the state and her
rating by Fitch was long-term foreign and local currency IDRs at ‘BB-‘, short-term
IDR at ‘B’ and national long-term rating at ‘AA+(nga)’.
When we all pause to reflect and think ,we will realise that
there are a sizable number of companies who are running business, who have no
responsibility for Security, Public Health, Public Education and other
responsibilities of Government, who borrow more than Lagos State Government,
whether collectively or individually. As far as the website contract is
concerned, yes there was a contract. It went through procurement and was
approved by the Government agency authorised to do so.
One of the services was an “upgrade” quoted for N12.5 million
but awarded for N12 million. There were other services that were new; like a
handover countdown clock, mobile Apps for Google, for IOS and ipad, for
Microsoft, and for Research in Motion (Blackberry), which the existing website
did not have, as well as the annual maintenance cost for managing the website.
It was for all these services that the contract was issued for
N78 million, which the Lagos State procurement agency gave a No Objection based
on the advice of the Ministry of Science and Technology, who are the Government
adviser on ICT matters. In publishing this Contract award which was the
Government tradition under my watch, the procurement agency’s website
summarised it as “upgrade” only without detailing the other services and this
has been distorted by the agents of hate as their suspected “smoking gun”.
For those who are familiar with mobile Applications, they will
know that users either pay for them online or download them for free. What is
usual is that applications for service are usually provided to users free, but
somebody bears the cost. Since these applications were to be made available to
the public for free access and to assist Government communication, we decided
to pay for them. The entire documents are with the Lagos State Government and
are available for those who seek the truth.
For the record, since 2008, long before the Freedom of
Information Act was ever passed, we had put out all our contracts on the State
website because I believe people deserve to know. It is regrettable that a
“summary” of the contract has been deliberately distorted to misinform the
public. This particular website came into being as a result of the decision I
made to make my telephone number public for the several thousands of people
seeking to reach me daily.
The website that is now under attack helped me to do my job and
to respond to citizens, and the contract was issued to run till my last day of
office. It stands logic upside down for to “fraudulently” award a contract and
then have it published on a website. To date, there have been 27.666 million
hits on this website, with 1,844 videos, 34,381 photographs, 2,531 Press
Releases and 595 Speeches, among other items of public communication.
I have chosen to make this personal response because as the head
of government at the time of the transaction, the buck as they say stops on my
desk and also because of the many calls, text messages and mails coming from
many people seeking clarification and to prevent fiction from being mistaken
for truth. I expect that there may be more distorted allegations without
evidence, for reasons that remain in the realm of speculation, because, I have
been informed reliably that large amounts of money are being paid to some of
these agents to bear false witness.
I cannot conclude without responding to the crusade of CACOL and
their ilk, seeking my prosecution on allegations that have no proof and writing
“pre-emptive” letters to the Presidency. In case they are unaware, I am not
looking for a job. I expect them to know that allegations of wrong doing are
not resolved without evidence, neither are they resolved in press conferences.
I have served my state, and by extension, my country for Twelve
and half years and I did so with my heart. I am taking the rest that I believe
I have earned. For those who still wish to remain in the mud, they should look
in the mirror. For those who wish to throw mud at me, they should look at their
own hands. As for me, I have moved on. My job is done.
VANGUARD
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