Increase In Poverty, Unemployment Rate Are Sanwo-Olu’s Achievements In First term-Lagos PDP Replies Governor On Claims

 

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disagreed with Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of the state over what he reeled out as achievements in his first term as Governor during his swearing-in for second term of office on Sunday May 29, 2023 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

According to a statement by the party's Publicity Secretary in the state, Hon. Hakeem Amode, and dated May 30, 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu did not achieve much during his first term in office.

"Yesterday May 29, 2023, marked another Democracy Day in Nigeria, when Nigerians celebrated the return of democracy to the country with the swearing-in of the president and the governors of 28 states, whose states did not have issues of change of governors by the pronouncements of the courts after months of trial due to election petition.

"However, we in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were surprised by the claims of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the state during his swearing-in ceremony, when he said that he has met the expectations of the people.

"We wonder if Governor Sanwo-Olu is referring to the state poverty rate he met at 4.5% in 2019, which is now 8.5% according to NBS data or the unemployment rate he has taken to 37.16% from the 14.6% when he came into office in 2019. We are very sure Governor Sanwoolu was referring to another state and not Lagos because the signs are there that he performed poorly in his first term in office," Amode said.

Amode stated that just like many residents of the state, "we in the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, have been monitoring the performances of the Governor since 2019 and we are convinced that he has failed the people of the state on all fronts."

The Governor, he said, could not justify the huge amount of money he has spent as budgetary allocations in the last four years as the state is begging for good governance on a daily basis.

"The residents of the state scored the Governor low in all important areas such as healthcare, education, transportation, security, housing and several others.

"Compared to his predecessors, it is obvious that Governor Sanwo-Olu is not ready for governance, no doubt the people rejected him at the polls and the court would soon prove us right on this.

"His T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda is a total failure and when he said he would be embarking on T.H.E.M.E.S Plus from 2023 to 2027, then it is clear that Governor Sanwo-Olu has nothing to offer the people.

"The Governor, unlike his predecessors, has no landmark project that he could say he embarked upon in four years, and this is known to most residents of the state.

"He said the swearing-in for second-term offered him an opportunity to acknowledge expectations of the electorate, and to rededicate his administration towards meeting and surpassing the people’s expectations," the statement read.

He noted that this "is indeed surprising as the Governor has nothing to show for his first term, when he ought to have worked hard to seek a second term."

"Now that he is going on second term, we wonder what would motivate him to meet the expectations of the people.

"He has given nothing, but empty promises, and we in the Lagos State PDP believe that a leopard will not change its skin and we will not allow Sanwo-Olu to mismanage the resources of the state as he did in his first term.

"We will pursue our case against him in the court of law to a logical conclusion so that the PDP can take over power in Lagos State and give the residents the real dividends of democracy," he said.