The Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has promised to create more local governments in addition to the current 57.
Speaking at Kosofe Local Government Area, on the last day of his party’s campaign in the 20 local governments in the state, Agbaje debunked what he saw as insinuations by detractors that he intended to scrap the new 37 local council development areas (LCDAs).
“The lie they are spreading now is that we are against the existing 57 councils. That is not true. In fact, we are already considering the possibility of increasing the local governments beyond the present 57,” he told a cheering crowd of supporters at Ogudu G.R.A.,beside the Area H Police Command.
Agbaje, who also took his message to Shomolu Local Government Area today, also took the opportunity to sue for peaceful elections, saying, he and his main rival in the competition for the Lagos governorship seat, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recently signed an undertaking, supervised by the US Embassy, that the state would experience peaceful elections.
“I have always said it everywhere I go and I will say it again here: We are winning this election. So there is absolutely no reason why PDP supporters should succumb to perpetrating violence,” Agbaje said.
Accusing the current government of short-changing the civil service and teachers, Agbaje decried a situation where the APC regime in the state withheld the allowances of employees and refused to pay them the minimum wage of N18,000.
“They have refused to pay civil servants leave allowances for five years running,” he said, adding, “I assure you that I will pay you the minimum wage of N18,000.”
Agbaje also said that the government of the day had also rolled out policies that were inimical to the interests of market men and women, school children and commercial transporters.
Earlier, a Lagos-based clergyman, Archbishop Samson Benjamin, said Lagosians were fed up with the impunity of the APC-led government and were determined to effect a change through the coming elections.
Benjamin urged Lagosians to vote out the current regime and install a PDP government with Jimi Agbaje at the helm of affairs.
“Lagos State’s sickness is more than Ebola and it needs a Pharmacist to give it the drug that will cure its ailment. Jimi Agbaje is a professional Pharmacist. And this professional Pharmacist will not prescribe to us any drug that has expired. And one drug that has expired is APC,” the cleric said.
According to him, Agbaje had a few days back demonstrated humility by personally serving the people of Ajegunle kerosene when the PDP campaign train stopped there.
His words: “Jimi Agbaje is an embodiment of humility and simplicity. He is also a man of sound pedigree. The truth is that he has not got into power yet, and he has started sharing kerosene.
“That is one reason the people love him. Agbaje is very much unlike some other people who have not got into power, yet they have started to threaten people.”
According to the Bishop, President Goodluck Jonathan deserved the people’s votes in the coming polls.
The Bishop said: “It was President Goodluck Jonathan, who for the first time reduced the price of fuel in this country. Also under his regime, the price of rice came down.”
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