Open Letter to Babajide Sanwo-Olu

I am writing this letter first as an indigene and a concerned citizen of Lagos State to our dear Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu.

My roots are deeply etched in Lagos, my grandfather’s from Odogbawojo while my paternal grandmother’s from Odoragunshin all in Epe LGA. Beyond this, Lagos has been my home for the past 21 years.

The Obi tsunami that swept Lagos during the February 25 Presidential Polls exposed the weakness in your campaign strategy. If APC had won Lagos, your re-election will have been a mere procedural process. Alas, LP won and suddenly you are scampering around to convince voters of the numerous achievements your administration has achieved in the last 4 years.

That strategy may backlash as it underpins that Lagos could have achieved more considering the huge resources available to the 5th largest economy in Africa. The scorecard shows why the past APC administrations as well as yours have been of great disservice to the people of Lagos.

I must say that it’s not entirely your fault as you have not had it easy since you were elected in 2019. Covid happened and I think you performed creditably well through your responsiveness and effective communication with the citizens. However, Lagos milked it to the fullest thereby making the cost of a PCR test one of the highest in Africa.

You bungled the ENDSARS protest and this may be the single reason why you may not be re-elected. The handling of the protests including the panel of inquiry was a farce.

As an active participant in the Lagos economy , you have not done well in making the business landscape easy for entrepreneurs. Lagos ranks 20th out of 36 in the ease of doing business despite having the most IGR. A lot of manufacturing companies have moved to neighboring states due to red tape, the multiple taxation and difficulty in getting required permits.

The Lagos civil service is structured in a way that the civil servants are the biggest beneficiaries of Government policies. The average Lagos government worker have probably built more thouses than its contemporary in other Nigerian states simply because the system allows them to extort the masses all in the name of IGR generation.

LASTMA is a nightmare and what could help in managing traffic suitation in the state is now a cacoon of corruption and tool of harassment on Lagos roads.

Housing is major boost for any economy and your administration has done poorly in terms of housing delivery. I thought the Lagos HOMS was a great idea and could be improved on to deliver housing to many in Lagos.

The level of infrastructure development is low to what similar GDPs are doing, cost of broadband is high and hinders economic activities and many more.

I personally would like to see you re-elected because the opposition has not shown the capacity to preside over an economy like Lagos. Rather than telling us what you have done, kindly tell us what you will do better in the next 4 years.

I wish you well.

aariwa:
GRV shows he is clearly qualified to lead Lagos as he clearly understand Obi principle of pulling people out of poverty through investing in small scale industries which pulled America out from recession under Bill Clinton. Nobody votes for politicians to look at only roads and buildings but people vote to have jobs and eat which is what GRV is offering and not invest billions in politics like tinubu and Sanwo Olu. He is also a son of the soil of Lagos state…imagine outsiders from Oshun and kwara ruling over his ancestral land and even had guts to call him omo ale…smh ..some people are even bandying afonja statement to discredit him thereby promoting him indirectly because they are kids without knowledge of history. Afonja was one of the warriors of Oyo empire who betrayed the kingdom and made the kingdom lose a war that lasted more than 100 years…he is seen as a saboteur, omo ale..which is what the people who took over Gbadebo land and are shouting “..we own Lagos!..”! are…smh

aariwa:
GRV shows he is clearly qualified to lead Lagos as he clearly understand Obi principle of pulling people out of poverty through investing in small scale industries which pulled America out from recession under Bill Clinton. Nobody votes for politicians to look at only roads and buildings but people vote to have jobs and eat which is what GRV is offering and not invest billions in politics like tinubu and Sanwo Olu. He is also a son of the soil of Lagos state…imagine outsiders from Oshun and kwara ruling over his ancestral land and even had guts to call him omo ale…smh ..some people are even bandying afonja statement to discredit him thereby promoting him indirectly because they are kids without knowledge of history. Afonja was one of the warriors of Oyo empire who betrayed the kingdom and made the kingdom lose a war that lasted more than 100 years…he is seen as a saboteur, omo ale..which is what the people who took over Gbadebo land and are shouting “..we own Lagos!..”! are…smh

aariwa:
GRV shows he is clearly qualified to lead Lagos as he clearly understand Obi principle of pulling people out of poverty through investing in small scale industries which pulled America out from recession under Bill Clinton. Nobody votes for politicians to look at only roads and buildings but people vote to have jobs and eat which is what GRV is offering and not invest billions in politics like tinubu and Sanwo Olu. He is also a son of the soil of Lagos state…imagine outsiders from Oshun and kwara ruling over his ancestral land and even had guts to call him omo ale…smh ..some people are even bandying afonja statement to discredit him thereby promoting him indirectly because they are kids without knowledge of history. Afonja was one of the warriors of Oyo empire who betrayed the kingdom and made the kingdom lose a war that lasted more than 100 years…he is seen as a saboteur, omo ale..which is what the people who took over Gbadebo land and are shouting “..we own Lagos!..”! are…smh

Omoawoke:


what’s your problem with Lagos? Why can’t you take your eyes of people’s land
Anybody you people support will always fail. They swear for una ni?
Una support Gej, he lose
Una support Atiku, he lose
Una carry your bad luck to Obi, he lose
Una don face your new struggle Chinedu GRV and he is on track to losing and finding his next canoe to Anambra
Sanwo olu will win and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Omoawoke:


The only reason you are here making a case for GRV Chinedu is because you are Igbo and nothing more.

After this election, you people will be put in the place they belong and in the language u understand .

U are defending someone that called his tribesman afonja telling us a dumb history. Who told u we don’t know history. Why don’t u call Hausa man aboki with goat. Is aboki not friend? Don’t be funny cus we aren’t stupid. You think say na only u wise? Are u alright?

GRV is dumb
Someone that is not visionary enough to manage his own PR and talks anyhow on twitter, we don’t give a damn about his ancestors. Giving Lagos to that clown is the biggest joke of the decade. Tufiaka

LASTMA is a nightmare and what could help in managing traffic suitation in the state is now a cacoon of corruption and tool of harassment on Lagos roads.

helinues:
From bottom to top campaign for Gov Sanwoolu, Gov Seyi and Gov Dapo reelection will start tomorrow.Party politics won't be needed in this

Omoawoke:


what’s your problem with Lagos? Why can’t you take your eyes of people’s land
Anybody you people support will always fail. They swear for una ni?
Una support Gej, he lose
Una support Atiku, he lose
Una carry your bad luck to Obi, he lose
Una don face your new struggle Chinedu GRV and he is on track to losing and finding his next canoe to Anambra
Sanwo olu will win and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Racoon:
Well written and delivered. Sanwo-Olu is already sleeping on social media now having spurn with disdain the opportunity to reassess the political pulse of Lagosians. Instead he followed in the defiant steps of his drug baron godfather. History beckons again.

Epistasis:
The pains of the loss in the presidential election is still there, sanwoolu victory on Saturday will be the final nail on the coffin of obi-diots in Lagos, gba be!!!

Racoon:
A crook and heroine-drug addict/baron fraudulently garbed in the robe of corruption, and electoral robbery by INEC? Please wait! Let the courts decide first before you will be senselessly gushing with gusto.

As part part of the follow, follow mob, there is no independent self intuitive reasoning or ability to analyse issue objectively. So it is a waste of time educating you lots.

aariwa:
yep I can call you Yoruba Muslim pig because you are omoale afonja betrayer saboteurs who is poor and beneath the Igbo for that matter. If you don’t like try and attack those igbo men oppressing you with money and find yourself six feet below the ground covered with sand

Omoawoke:


I don expose you, werey osuuu dey disguise dey speak English dey try make points.

Omo yeeeeboo osu, carry chinedu to Anambra on Saturday after his loss

Tunedey0001:
Nice writeup op

Omoawoke:



Well written, devoid of hate and shows real concern

I think Sanwo olu messed up in his campaign. He should tell us what he intends to do in the next 4 years.
Although, among the candidates, he still remain the best choice. The GRV is clueless and dumb, the Jandor does not seem to have a detailed plan for Lagos either. And Sanwo olu was over confident and now he doesn’t know where to start his campaign.
But Sanwo olu still better than the other two. I hope he beats expectations in his second term

SLAP44:
*Dear @jidesanwoolu*

*I am moved by my spirit to address you this day.*

*Sir... stop setting up the igbos for reprisal attacks. I will make the following points for posterity sake.*

*Lagos is a cosmopolitan city, its root runs for 100s of years and most families are generations old. Therefore no one ethnic group albeit the "minority" ethnic group; igbos can lay claim to Lagos state.*

*2. In this election, you have largely been absent to lagosians. You were not absent to the igbos.*

*3. I have scanned through all the contestants, I do not see an igbo man on the ballot.*

*4.When you failed to turn up for repeated debates with your co-contestants, you did not disrespect any igbo man, you disrespected lagosians, who waited to hear what you had for them.*

*5. When Lagosians complained of thugs running the city, breaking into their cars on traffic stops and threatening their everyday lives, these were not exclusively igbos complaining.*

*6. When lagosians complain of traffic gridlock, I do not see the complaint as exclusively that from the igbos.*

*7. When bus and taxi drivers complain of harassment from thugs and excessive taxation, I don't see the igbos exclusively complaining.*

*8. When lagosians complain of the opaque government, who's books are hidden from them, I do not see the complaint exclusively to the igbos.*

*9. When the bullet tracked innocent protesters and cut them down at their prime, I didn't see the bullet marked to track exclusively the Igbos sparing every other tribe, man or woman.*

*Sir,*

*Please let this obsession with igbos end. 🇳🇬's history if filled with igbos being set up for any eventualities and it is time to call this out.If your conscience tells you that lagosians are unhappy with your performance, make restitution with them, listen to them and accept their verdict.*

*Don't make it about the Igbos.*

*We are a minority in lagos and want to live our lives the best way we can like other Nigerians. Pay attention to the moans and groans of your citizens.*

*Pay attention to what they tell you. Come down to their level and stop being clever by half.*

*To every lagosian who took out time to read this, you all know where the shoe pinches, make your choice with boldness and without fear.*

*No one came to this world with the mark "governor" ascribed to their forehead.*

*I have no dog in this fight, I just want the blackmail of my own ethnic minority to end.The memoirs of 1966 is still fresh, whereas a group of young officers(of all ethnic groups) took some decisions, 3 million innocent igbos paid the price (and continue to pay the price) for what they know not.*

*Ends.*

*From a Twitter user *@nnamexi*

sammirano:


Who made refugees to become citizen of Lagos 2.5%. After elections you all will know how far you are done for.

sammirano:


Who made refugees to become citizen of Lagos 2.5%. After elections you all will know how far you are done for.