…Vow to defend Governor’s mandate, demand autonomous agency, says they contributed 390,225 votes
Joining other groups hailing the victory of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at last Saturday’s gubernatorial election, artisans and technicians in the State have congratulated the Governor, mentioning his victory is a justification of his posture to good governance.
This is just as they appealed to him to create an autonomous governmental agency or parastatal to serve artisans and technicians.
The artisans and technicians under the platform of Association of Nigeria Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT) and the Association of Lagos Artisans and Technicians (ASLAT) said the agency would enable them to contribute more to the development of Lagos’s economy.
They also asked Governor Sanwo-Olu to appoint one of them, a professional artisan or technician to head and manage the agency when it is eventually created by the government.
Addressing a press conference in the State Capital, Ikeja, the National Coordinator of the Association of Nigeria Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT), Mr. Adeshina Akinyemi, said the group is ready to assist Governor Sanwo-Olu in achieving all his programmes and projects for artisans and technicians in Lagos State.
The artisans and technicians while congratulating Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat on their re-election for a second term in office, said their victory in last Saturday’s gubernatorial poll is an affirmation of confidence and faith reposed in them by a majority of Lagosians.
He said: “We congratulate our amiable re-elected Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on his victory at the polls last Saturday. Mr. Governor, your emergence as the winner of that contest after polling 762,184 to whip silly, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, who scored 312,327 to a distant second position was not just by luck but by volume of hard work and thorough statesmanship.
“The Governor’s re-election also serves as a re-affirmation of confidence and faith reposed in him by majority Lagosians. Through his character of competence, capacity, and sagacity, Mr. Sanwo-Olu has demonstrated his vast knowledge of Lagos and Lagosians’ need and had adequately provided for all and sundry in all facets of governance. We believe that Governor Sanwo-Olu will use the opportunity provided by his re-election to leverage his first-term achievements and success to provide more beautiful milestones in infrastructural developments in all sectors of governance through his T.H.E.M.E. agenda.
“We call on the Governor to draw us nearer to himself and the government by creating an engagement avenue for Lagos artisans and technicians to operate independently and contribute to the development of our sector in particular and Lagos State in general. We, therefore, appeal to the Governor to create an autonomous governmental agency or parastatal that will serve as an overseer agency for the operational activities of all Lagos artisans and technicians.
“We also plead with the Governor to appoint one of us, a professional artisan and technician to head or manage the agency or parastatal when created. This will bring about rapid development and progress to our sector and will take us out from being a liability to the government to being a great asset and of the major contributory body to the internally generated revenue of Lagos State.”
The artisans and technicians also called on security agencies and traditional leaders in the State to call candidate of the Labour Party in the last gubernatorial election in the State, Gbedebo Rhodes-Vivour to order following his threat to unleash terror on the State.
They said the Police and other security agencies should ensure that they prevent a repeat of the EndSARS experience in the State.
“As we are still basking in the euphoria of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s victory and winning, we must be cautious and vigilant as our attention is drawn to the inflammatory statements and ranting of the losing Labour Party candidate in the 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 an aggressive protest just because he lost an election in a clean and clear contest.”
“Therefore, we call on all the traditional fathers, especially the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, and all Eko elders to call Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour to order and warn him to desist from this destructive and inciting comment. If Gbadebo is aggrieved he should channel his grievances through the appropriate channel which is the court of law. We, as Lagos artisans and technicians, contributed 390,225 votes to Sanwo-Olu’s votes and victory in the last election and we are ready to defend our votes for Sanwo-Olu with everything we have.
“At this point, we also 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 be escalated 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 earn income. We lost many of our members to the cold hands of death while some went into depression which cost them mental illness while some contracted strokes and have not recovered till today. So, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour should be made to retract his infamous outburst and calls for terror,” the group said.