ACN should cover its head in shame to remain 'local champions', says Lagos PDP

Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has counselled the leadership of ACN to cover its head in shame and remain local "champions" rather than desperately attempting to make in road into national Government by always concerning itself with the programmes of PDP instead of its own.

The party opines that the recent ACN guerilla style of criticism reflects that it has lost focus, bereft of democratic ideals and obviously against the Nigerian State. To this extent, the party has advised the ACN to save itself from its emerging nuisance value to the Nation by dissolving into the PDP since it has preferred to discuss PDP matters rather than its own.

The counselling is coming on the heels of the 14years anniversary of PDP which the Lagos ACN described as not worth celebrating.

"We are happy to be 14years with consistency and same nomenclature. We are also very happy to have the crop of leadership we have given to our Nation. Ours is that of Joy. We are far above the ACN in confidence and humility. Indeed the ACN is the group of persons who had deliberately changed their names severally in order to cover up their fraud in every dispensation. Today, they are yet planning to change their name again. Indeed, this is a sign of lack of confidence as a result of propagandists, fraudulent and bad governance unleashed on the people in their controlled states.

The Lagos PDP wonders the achievement ACN can flaunt to counsel PDP on good governance when it has actually turned out to be a group of loud mouthed and disillusioned politicians who are only full of lies and Propaganda. For sake of clarity, the ACN shall be assessed using Lagos State as a case study, since they are always quick to use Lagos State as their Model of dividend of democracy.

"We challenge ACN to a media tour of their achievements in their states. In lagos State, we challenge ACN to deny that: The State has collected over 17Thrillion Naira from the Federal Government; That the State presently realises atleast 38Billion Naira Monthly as IGR; that the State collects atleast 10Billion Naira Monthly for its Local Government Councils.

"These monies are exclusive of the Excess Crude Fund, Ecologial Fund ETC also enjoyed by Lagos State.
"We ask whether the ACN can beat its chest that the perceived development in Lagos State is commensurate to the monies the PDP National Government has given to it, when Lagos State Government still pays its workers well below the Minimum wage of 18,000 Naira."

The Party also stated that Lagosians cannot enjoy ordinary Social Service and where it is available such is very costly to enjoy. A good example is the Lekki-Epe Expressway constructed by UPN but now tolled by ACN!

"In the opinion of the Party, the meagre developments in the ACN states cannot even be linked directly to their budgets. For instance, the developments in lagos State cannot be linked directly to the monumental revenues to the State. The major developments in the State are infact contributions of Cooperate bodies, NGOs, MDGs, Federal Government and individual philanthropists.

"Such assumed services and developments include: Security by LSSTF, Modern Markets, BRT & ongoing Light Rail Projects by concessionaires, beatification by cooperate bodies, to mention a few.

"Inspite of the monumental revenues given to the ACN states, they still incur debts. Lagos State actually counts as: the biggest debtor in the Federation; the third worst City to live on Earth; the Most difficult place to do business and in the words of the "honest" Mrs Fayemi, wife of ACN governor of Ekiti state- the most expensive to live in Nigeria," the party added.

The party posited that :"the kleptomaniac tendencies of the ACN leadership is so modelled in the Government of Lagos State.
Such has become so metastatised that they don't even hide or deny the accusations. For instance, at the Democracy Day lecture that we organised, one of the speakers gave detailed exposé of the corruption and mis governance in Lagos State. Uptill now ACN has not refuted same. Indeed an admission of guilt"

The Lagos State PDP further accused the ACN of running bourgeiose and imperialist governments.
"ACN Governors refuse to conduct Local Government elections in their States. Where they have conducted, they shamelessly disrespect democratic ideals. Winning all Chairmanship seats! Similarly, under the ACN administrations, all their State institutions have increased their school fees. In lagos State, the State University school fees have been increased by over 1000% with some courses going for as much as 375,000 Naira per session. This is definitely bourgeois.

The ACN leadership is so materialistic that they even convert State owned Property and heritage to their own selfish use. Example is the Lagos State Polytechnic premises now taken over for the Television business of its National Leader"

"Finally, as we start another year, proud of our Identity, we counsel the ACN leadership to appreciate the reality that their time is up. SouthWest and indeed Lagosians are wiser, the party added.