Lagosians Are No Fools; They Can’T Be Bought – Apatira
AkeemAbiodunApatira, is Chief Executive Officer of Drain Ducks (an agency responsible for clearing of drainages in Lagos and also ensuring that there is no flood in Lagos). He is also the Director General of a Lagos-based nongovernmental organisation the Eko Volunteer Campaign Group (EVCG). In this interview with SEGUN ADIO, Apatira explains the reason why APC should retain Lagos State.
What is Eko Volunteer Campaign Group and what are they out to achieve?
Eko Volunteer Campaign Group is a group of people with like minds. We are people who believe in the tenacity of change and continuity. We are youths who aspire and who know what it is to ensure that there is good governance in Nigeria as a whole. As members of EVCG, we are out to ensure that APC supersedes any other party in the state.
We are also a group under a group called ACT NOW. It is a group of like minds that believes that first term voters know the importance of governance. They are mainly youths. There are more youths in Lagos than any other states in Nigeria. These people deserve to live good life and they need to agitate for good governance. That is what we are doing in ACT NOW.
What exactly are you out to do at this period of election?
We are sensitising people on the need to be governed well. We had had PDP at the centre for the last 16 years and we are comparing what had taken place in APC-controlled states to the PDP states. What we are seeking also is effective and positive change. We have had democracy in the last 16 years. What can one show for it? See what is happening in APC states across the country. We believe these should be replicated at the centre, and continued at the states where we govern.
The aim of the group is also fiscal federalism at the centre; we are demanding for transparent and open governance at the centre. We want positive and effective change where states can control their resources and be made to contribute certain percentages to the centre. If you look at the way allocations are shared among the three tiers of government, you will realise a lot of irregularities.
About 52% is being given to the Federal Government at the centre while the states and the local governments shared the rest. What sort of a federation is that? We believe that such allocation should be given to the states because they are the one nearest to the people.
Do you think that you have any chance to remain in power in Lagos?
By the special Grace of God we have a great chance, greater than what we had in the past. There is no doubt about that because of the track record our party in Lagos. AsiwajuTinubu when he came into power in 1999, initiated certain lofty reforms in the state that made the state become the number one in the country today. Now we have Fasholaactualising those reforms and building on those foundations that Tinubu laid.
The legacy of succession instituted by Asiwaju is legendary because it is structured to foster continued progression of unprecedented growth and meaningful development. If Asiwaju had not handed over to an enigmatic and credible person like Fashola, continuity of excellent service would have been a mirage, thus a professional of repute like Mr. Ambode will continue with the trend of excellent service/output inherent in the APC.
What we need now is consolidation. Consolidation of what the actualiser (Fashola) has done. Lagos has naturally becomes the face of the country and all other states come to learn from here.
People believed that the money of EVCG is money meant for Lagos State development?
Nothing can be far from the truth. In this era of politics, there is nothing that people would not insinuate or say. The truth of the matter is that we are a non-governmental organisation. We do not receive anything from the state government. This is an organisation run with the contributions of people of like minds,
We carry out series of empowerment programmes and we intend to do more immediately after the election. We are well aware that the government cannot do everything for the people. There is need for private initiatives like this to support the government. That is exactly what we are doing even though we are a branch of the APC.
I can assure you because EVCG is a movement. After the end of campaigning we shall go into massive empowerment programme for the people of the state irrespective of sex, age, religion or tribe.
The PDP threatened to capture Lagos; how can APC thwart this move especially with the possible use of the newly created Federal Task Force?
Lagos State is not the first place where task force would be deployed, even hooded SSS operatives were deployed to Osun and Edo states, yet the voting public was not intimidated, they voted massively for the candidates of their choice defying their harassments. No federal influence can railroad our enlightened voting public in Lagos. Lagosian voters have conscience, they cannot be bought.
