National
leader of Accord Party and former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja
has cautioned against adverse implications of shifting election dates in the
country by ruling government.
He said that
Edo governorship election would not have been postponed if the All Progressive
Congress (APC) was sure of winning.
Ladoja who
said the federal government needs to fulfill the promises it made to Nigerians
in the spirit of Ramadan festival messages noted that while the government
complained of lack of money, it was wasteful in its approach to governance.
Ladoja who stated
this while speaking with newsmen at his Bodija home shortly after observing the
Eid-prayer at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque said nobody is convinced
by the argument being put forward on security concerning Edo guber election.
While
lamenting that Billions of naira has been wasted on the shifting of the
election date, Ladoja said the federal government should stop playing games
with the life of Nigerians adding that the economy cannot improve if the
leadership continues to waste scarce resources.
On the launch
of “Change Begins with Me” Ladoja noted that the change should begin with
president Mohammadu Buhari, his cabinet while Nigerians will follow suit
wondering how the attitude of those who are being owed over six months of
salaries will change because the government has asked them to change their
attitude.
The former
governor who noted that diversification being championed by different
governments has to start from gradual transition from artisanal culture to
industrial agriculture while he lampooned states which asked civil servants to
go and farm for two days.
While noting
that the work of civil servants should not be mixed with that of a committed
farmer who has passion for farming, Ladoja asked government to be creative and
provide lands and inputs for people genuinely interested in farming.
He also
carpeted the State governor Abiola Ajimobi over the creation of local
government development areas asking the government to be more creative and not
be lazy.
He said “Its
mixed, look at what Emir Sanusi said. Sanusi does not believe that there is
sincerity with the anti-corruption crusade. He said he as Emir can source $1m
by telephone at N197 and sell it at over N400 which means he knew some people
are doing it. You see economy and corruption go together.
As long as you have a
lot of roadblocks there will be more corruption. Liberalisation is better. Do
you need to bribe anybody to get GSM today? Go and try it in the days of NITEL.
They will ask you to go and bring the ladder and you had to bribe them for them
to render the service.
Corruption is not only public servant or politician
thing. It is endemic in us and it is caused by blockade, redtape. Remove the
red tape and you will see. Sanusi has said it that the dollar has gone up but
there is corruption there.
I don’t have anything against religion but I believe
that we should not do something that is not sustainable. There is no corruption
and yet some people can buy at N197 and those that want to employ people and do
business can go and buy at over N400 and we want the economy to improve? All
these do not add up. Who does he (Buhari) want to please. That is subsidy, if
you do it for Muslim you have to do it for the Christians.
” I think the
change starts with president buhari. Look at what INEC said about the change in
date in Edo State elections.
They said it is colossal waste and nobody has
convinced us about the postponement. They said security reasons. Billions of
naira have gone down the drain. We are wasteful.
I am not in their party. My
party has no candidate in Edo. I just know that it is wrong. We have fixed this
date for a long time. Are you now going
to ask WAEC to change the date also? We are still playing games.
I am sure that
if APC were sure that they will win Edo election they will not have postponed.” THE NATION
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