Tinubu, whose opinion was recently sought on the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, said that any responsive and progressive leader ought to listen to its people's yearnings; especially when they do not agree with the policy the leadership may be trying to fly. Good as that might sound, this writer also think that the same Chief Remi Tinubu, wife of the supposed modern democrat should also have said same about the ACN government in Lagos which had just introduced toll at Lekki axis. The residents of Lekki axis, since last year, have kicked against the introduction of tolls on a local road without creating an alternative route for the residents and other users of the main Lekki road. Rather, Remi Tinubu looked the other side. Yes, she had to look the other side, since it was her party that introduced the unpopular Lekki toll gate. A clear case of 'those who live in the glass house don't throw stones' one might say. Who is fooling who' December 17, 2011, a day many Lekki residents would not forget in a hurry. Lekki axis residents, having secured a permit from Nigeria Police Force, embarked on a peaceful civil protest to register their dissatisfaction against the arbitrary tolling of Lekki-Epe Expressway that was recently built by Lekki Concession Company (LCC), a private company. What many meaningful Nigerians and Lagos residents in particular have been grappling with is whether ACN is a national party or a private party. Is Lagos State currently governed by Fashola or Tinubu' This question became germane when it became clearer that the soul of Lagos State is torn between the godfather and godson ' Tinubu and Fashola. Between 1979 and 1983, when Chief Lateef Jakande and Uncle Bola Ige were the Chief Executive Officers of Lagos and old Oyo States, respectively, they were governors-in-charge and not Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Why is it that each time there arise knotty issues in Lagos State, Lagosians cry against Tinubu and not Fashola' Ironically, this does not happen in other ACN-controlled States like Edo, Oyo, Ogun and Osun. So, why Lagos State! The Lekki residents have been casting aspersions on the integrity of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. They have been calling Tinubu a terrorist. To Lagosians, they are becoming more and more confused on who their sitting governor really is ' Tinubu or Fashola' The leadership of Peoples Democratic Party has not fared better; not with the ongoing debate on the removal of fuel subsidy; which as far as many Nigerians are concerned, is fait accompli. Let Nigerians cry foul from now till thy kingdom come, there may not be a going back on the deregulation policy that many have considered draconian. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as many put it may just be acting out the script of the West and her immediate principal to further pauperise Nigerians on their fatherland. Nigerians have had so many policy somersaults in the past by past Nigerian rulers. Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), a very viable programme for that matter, was hijacked by the same government that introduced it. Of course, it couldn't have been hijacked by the poor masses that should have enjoyed the dividends. The then government said that it was hijacked by a cartel. This government is also saying that importers are diverting the subsidised fuel to neighbouring countries, where it is again sold at high prices. But must the poor masses suffer for the sins of the importers and the failure of government itself in arresting the situation' Who imports fuel ' the rich or the poor' As if Okonjo-Iweala, who recently shed more light on the advantages of the removal of fuel subsidy, was reading the mind of Femi Akintola, a good family friend of mine, who recently posited that Nigerians should ask Okonjo-Iweala to highlight the inherent advantages of fuel subsidy removal. Okonjo-Iweala had gone ahead to say that dividends of the subsidy removal would be spent on the poor in the Nigerian society and farmers. Unfortunately, some attendees at the forum accepted what appeared to be a fallacy hook, line and sinker. By the way, who are the poor in the Nigerian society' Who are the farmers' Methinks government has stopped giving out funds on fertilizers to farmers since they discovered that the funds were not going to the farmers that they were originally meant for, but to a cabal. Could the same government have suddenly rediscovered that the farmers would need the illusionary fertilizers; just like it suddenly dawned on them that toll gates are once again necessary on our highways' Does our country have any data system that could identify the poor in the Nigerian society' The same lie had been sold to Nigerians in the past that the fuel subsidy removal that accrued would be spent on infrastructure. Nigerians should by now be holding their leaders accountable to their words by keeping scorecards to regularly evaluate them. Couldn't the government build enough refineries and maintain the existing ones' What has the government done with all the stolen monies recovered by the Nuhu Ribadu and Farida Waziri EFCC-led administrations from the past thievish leaders' The Lagos State Government just increased Lagos State University tuition fees by 500 percent; and ever since the students have been crying their voices hoarse, but nobody seems to be listening to them. The last Local Government election conducted by Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) was allegedly massively marred with irregularities; whereby a Returning Officer declared one PDP candidate winner but which was soon overturned and an ACN candidate was declared in his stead. The good people of Lekki-Epe axis of Lagos State will not forget the beating of their lives they recently received from some hired political thugs and some policemen. All these anomalies ought to have gained the attention of the Human Rights Community. Rather, they all have chosen to look elsewhere. Since the death of Gani Fawehinmi, the Human Rights Community has technically gone to bed. What if ACN rules at the centre, would it be better than the PDP ' this known devil'Merry Christmas.
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