Special status: Blame Obasanjo for Lagos’ woes, says Akiolu

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has accused former President

Olusegun Obasanjo of being the reason behind Lagos not being granted

a special status until now.

The National Assembly, had last week, refused a Bill sponsored by Senator

Oluremi Tinubu seeking Special Status for Lagos State.

Akiolu, who spoke during the 3rd Town Hall Meeting of Governor

Akinwnumi Ambode at Lagos Central Senatorial District, said Obasanjo

had the opportunity to have granted Lagos a special status during his

eight-year tenure, but the former president never did it in spite of the pressure mounted on him.

According to Oba Akiolu, “Obasanjo is the cause of Lagos not getting a

special status. I personally led eminent Lagosians to meet him during

his tenure to ask for a special status for Lagos.

“Obasanjo told me and the others that he had already drafted the

special status plan for Lagos, but the former president never

fulfilled that promise. If he had done it since then, the issue of the

National Assembly turning down Senator Tinubu’s Bill would not have

arisen,” he said.

Akiolu stated that if the late President Umaru Yar’Ardua had been

alive, he would have granted Lagos a special status.

“Yar’Ardua had promised the grant Lagos a special status. If Yar’Ardua

had not died, it would have happened by now,” he said.

The monarch, however, said it was only a matter of time as Lagos would

certainly be accorded a special status, while berating the National

Assembly for turning down the bill.

Oba Akiolu also expressed worry over the spate of kidnappings in Lagos

despite the efforts of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to provide security,

calling for the establishment of Local Government Security Committee

to work with the police to nip the act  in the bud.