By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Lagos Gubernatorial Debate put together by The Platform on Sunday at the Mariot Hotel, Lagos, ended with three governorship aspirants airing their varied opinions on how to move the state forward.
Participants in the governorship election wereAbdulazez Olajide Adeniran Jandor (People’s Democratic Party), Funso Doherty (Action Democratic Party), and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Labour Party).
The All Progressives Congress candidate and incumbent governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had, in a statement signed by the state commissioner for information, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, opted not to participate in the debate, stating that he would “henceforth shun any forum that may require us being together with the PDP and its agents of violence.”
The PDP, LP, and ADC candidates disavowed forms of political violence aimed at intimidating voters.
The debate had the aspirants speaking on issues ranging from security in the Lagos metropolis to gridlocks, down to the educational sector and health.
While the candidates differed on the methods with which they will take Lagos to a higher echelon, they agreed that technology will play a key role in driving the process of transformation in the metropolis.
Stating the need to clamp down on gangsters and rogue policemen who terrorize citizens in the state and rehabilitate hoodlums, Adediran said, “I can convert them into positive tools, especially the ones that handle our motor parks and our garages.”
Also speaking, Rhodes-Vivour said, “Youth unemployment is a menace in Lagos State, and an idle mind is the devil’s workshop; these youths in the streets want jobs. So we are going to ensure that we give them employable skills and domicile them with the local government.”
Doherty said, “First, we need to ensure that the welfare of the security agencies is taken care of because if their welfare isn’t taken care of, they will turn to terrorizing citizens. We will also basically have zero tolerance and go after offenders, prosecuting them under the full weight of the law.
“There is an element of state sponsorship in what is going on here to the extent that the agbero community is a part of the political structure of Lagos State, so there is no political will to deal with that problem, so the first step is to change the government and then bring in the political will.”
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