24/08/2022
One of the greatest lie in Nigeria History is from those who say Tinubu's administration in Lagos did better than Obi's administration in Anambra. This is a blatant lie that has no basis in history.
You can't brag about your progress by how much you unjustly take from people but rather how much you were able to give to the people with your limited resources.
There was no time in history that Anambra state had more money than Lagos state. Anambra state was founded in 1991, while Lagos was created in 1967. Lagos, been the 4th largest economy in Africa owes this to it's enormous population of more than 15 million people. Some statistics places it at 20 million plus. This is why the major source of it's revenue is through TAXES.
Lagos has always attracted people due to its location and it's ports long before Tinubu ever imagined himself to be a Governor. Tinubu is not responsible for the influx of people into Lagos. None of his policies was responsible for that. Non yorubas in Lagos have always been prosperous before the time of Tinubu. Tinubu is not responsible for the prosperity of non yorubas in Lagos. Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe said in 2013 that the IGBOS have lived in Lagos since the 15th century.
Anambra state has a population of between 5 to 6 million people. And this state was once destroyed by the civil war between 1967 to 1970. For the fact that the state could rise up from it's ashes is a proof of how resilient the people of the state are. Today, it has become the manufacturing hub of Nigeria.
Most of Tinubu's establishment was mainly for collecting taxes while portraying itself as a state service delivery system. Imagine a situation where there were no ports or a large population in Lagos, what kind of idea or development would Tinubu be able to introduce? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
He has no business helping local businesses in the state to grow or help manufacturing or production companies in Lagos to grow. All he thinks about is how to take from them.
Apart from the few extremely wealthy yorubas in Lagos who got their wealth through political privileges, non yorubas, most especially the IGBOS contribute a very large share to the prosperity of the state.
Senator Adeseye said,
"The IGBOS had the skill and the industry in Lagos. The institutional development of Lagos – the railways, the ports and ship yards; the education and research facilities; the Banking and Commodities Exchange, the development of towns like Yaba, Surulere, Ebutta-Metta, Festac Town, Victoria Island, and now increasing the Ajah-Lekki axis, and of course, the ghettoes along the Orile-Badagry axis, have profound Igbo imprimatur. Most houses and shops in Lagos Island have been purchased, developed and occupied by the Igbos. The value of their investments in Lagos Island alone is in trillions of naira."
So it's a blatant lie to say Tinubu made Lagos what it is today. It's even worse and manipulative to say that Tinubu owns Lagos. If we judge by investments or contribution to the development of the state, it is not wrong to say that igbos and non Yorubas own a fair share in Lagos. The only way I can agree that yorubas own Lagos is because of their population which is over 70%.
By their investments, the IGBOS have also provided thousands of Jobs and business opportunities for the Yorubas in Lagos. By clear logic, they have collectively done more than Tinubu in Lagos.
IGR is not what you can use to judge the prosperity of the people. IGR only shows how much the state is earning from her population and not what she is giving to her population. So even if you make trillions in IGR, it does not mean that the people are now richer or better off.
Peter Obi didn't focus on IGR because he believed that in as much as taxes is a good means of generating revenue, it should be done after considering the level of unemployment, underemployment in your state or country. This is a man who has a conscience. So when people talk about the IGR of his state during his tenure, I just laugh at their ignorance.
Without focusing so much on IGR, he drastically reduced the poverty rate in his state. He improved their education and they were leading in most entrance examinations written nationwide. He improved the health sector and was the first Governor to increase doctor's salaries in his state by 60%. Ofcourse, the doctors wanted more which made them to embark on a 13 months strike. They abandoned the strike when they applied common sense. He built roads and even rehabilitated federal roads and continued to do so until President Jonathan asked him to stop and paid him back for all he has done. Remember that Tinubu didn't touch any federal road in Lagos state. Tinubu didn't build any bridge in his entire 8 years of service. But Peter obi built more than 20 bridges in his time.
Peter Obi did all these things without borrowing a penny. He did all these things with the limited resources he had at his disposal. He received some awards as the best Governor of his time.
So how is Tinubu better than Obi? How? If you tell me that Tinubu stands with the elites, and that is why you feel he is your choice, no wahala. But Obi is standing with the people.
Tinubu said; "I am the one left to rule."
Obi said; "It is you Nigerians that are contesting to rule this time through me and Datti."
Can you see the difference? Only the OBIdients will tell you to vote WISELY. The others will not because they know that the only wise thing to do is to vote for Peter Obi.
-Odia A Ogbebor
