…Demand autonomous agency
Lagos State artisans and technicians have warned the Labour Party governorship candidate in last Saturday’s election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, to desist from destructive and inciting comments that may cause the breakdown of laws and order in the state, saying Lagos cannot afford a repeat of EndSARS saga.
The artisans and technicians advised Rhodes-Vivour to channel his grievances over the gubernatorial poll through the appropriate channel, which is the court of law, rather than inciting people with ‘infamous outbursts and calls for terror.’
Speaking at a press conference in Ikeja on Wednesday, the artisans and technicians through the National Coordinator of Association of Nigeria Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT), Adeshina Akinyemi, who addressed journalists, congratulated Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his victory during the March 18 gubernatorial poll and vowed to defend the Governor’s mandate.
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They appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to establish an autonomous governmental agency or parastatal that will serve as an overseer agency for the operational activities of all Lagos artisans and technicians, pleading that one of them, a professional artisan or technician should be allowed to head or manage the agency or parastatal when created.
He said: “The Governor’s re-election serves as a re-affirmation of confidence and faith reposed in him by majority of Lagosians. Through his character of competence, capacity, and sagacity, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has demonstrated his vast knowledge of Lagos and Lagosian needs.
“We believe that Governor Sanwo-Olu will use the opportunity provided by his re-election to leverage on his first term achievements and success to provide more beautiful milestones in infrastructural developments in all sectors of governance through his THEMES agenda.”
The artisans and technicians who vowed to defend the mandate given to Governor Sanwo-Olu by Lagosians called on all the traditional fathers, especially Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and all Eko elders to call Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour to order and warn him to desist from his destructive and inciting comments.
“We must be cautious and vigilant as our attention is drawn to the inflammatory statements and ranting of the Labour Party’s candidate in the last Lagos State gubernatorial election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who has been calling on his supporters to unleash terror on Lagos by embarking on a violent and aggressive protest just because he lost an election in a clean and clear contest.
“At this point, we call on the Police, the DSS, and all other relevant security agencies in Lagos State to be alert and call Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for questioning over his recent outburst. This is exactly how the EndSARS issue started without paying any important attention to it until it escalated and ravaged the whole country like a colossus.
“We fear that, if the urgent step is not taken to caution Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the aftermath of his action might also escalate like the EndSARS and the worst hit will be the artisans and technicians who depend on daily income to feed themselves and their families.
“We all remember how that inglorious pandemonium called EndSARS ravaged the entire country for almost two weeks and made it impossible for artisans and technicians to work and earned income, to that event, we lost many of our members to cold hands of death while some went into depression which cost them mental illness while some contracted stroke and have not recovered till date. So, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour should be made to retract his infamous outburst and call for terror,” they said.
Speaking on the need for an autonomous government agency or parastatal for Lagos artisans and technicians, Akinyemi said its establishment will bring about rapid development and progress to their sector and will take them out from being a liability to the government to being a great asset and major contributory body to the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State.