Obanikoro: Fashola’s Official Car Costs More Than Oduah’s Bulletproof Cars

Chairman, Board of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Nigeria’s
former High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has
berated the Nigerian media for beaming its searchlight on the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) at the expense of what is going on in All
Progressives Congress, APC-controlled states, particularly, Lagos.

Obanikoro, a
former PDP governorship aspirant in Lagos State, said that while the
media blew corruption cases involving the ruling party out of
proportion, it failed to highlight an even higher level of corruption
going on at the states controlled by APC.
Speaking with select journalists at the weekend, Obanikoro, who
stressed that the PDP-led Federal Government had been fighting
corruption since 1999, and is leading the way in terms of
accountability and transparency in governance, described Lagos State
as a cesspool of corruption.
According to him: “What is good about the federal level is that
whatever the people of the country complained about, we don’t hide
them nor put them in the closet. We are dealing with them; people are
being arrested and put in jail.

“Tell me, how many local government chairmen or councilors have
they tried for corruption or put behind bars since 1999 that they have
been managing affairs of this state? There is a cesspool of corruption
in Lagos state from any angle you may look at it”, he added.
On the N255 million bullet proof cars scandal rocking the aviation
ministry, Obanikoro said: “Oh yes! Accusation has been made in the
open. Panels have been set up to look into the matter and the
president has received the report. I am sure in good time; he would
come out with a position. Be that as it may, nobody can sweep under
the carpet what PDP had done to tackle corruption. Their party has
not done anything. That is what we are saying. Everything they have
accused us of doing, they are worse off.

“They accused Stella Oduah of buying two armoured cars for N255
million. The one the Lagos state governor is riding up and down is
more expensive than Oduah’s cars. He is a public officer too who
draws his salary from tax payer’s money.
“It is the same standard, it doesn’t matter. It is even more damning
for the governor because he is elected by the people and he is
supposed to uphold the trust and confidence of the people of Lagos.
So, their own is even worse in that case but it is unfortunate the
media refuse to look at that area. I am in the know of the cost but I
am putting it to you to do the investigation on the cost of those two
jeeps which our governor uses as official car”, the former senator
said.