First let me thank you all for turning out to vote on the 28th March
2015 and for doing so peacefully to make history by electing the All
Progressives Congress candidates in the Presidential and National
Assembly elections.
Once again, I must address you as we approach Saturday's elections,
when you will be electing a Governor who will continue after me and
consolidate on the progress we have built together.
You will also be electing members of the State House of Assembly who
will make laws on your behalf to assist the Governor and his team in
the Executive arm.
Although your votes will be cast for one political party or the other,
let me remind you that you will actually be voting for your
well-being, security, prosperity and future.
You will also be voting for the future of your children. You will be
choosing candidates and a party that you will entrust your lives to.
Think hard, think clearly, think deeply. Ask yourselves a few questions.
Who has shown a better record and example of protecting and securing
you between the political parties?
Which of the parties cares more when disasters happen?
What is the record of the parties as it relates to the promises they
have made to you in the past?
Which of the parties do you see regularly and which one do you see
once in a while?
Which of the parties do you see when your life or property is
threatened by epidemics like Ebola or by unfortunate accidents like
plane crashes?
Which of the parties is showing that you can become home-owners
without knowing anybody?
Which party has responsibility for providing electricity for you, and
which one is taking up the responsibility to light up your streets and
communities at night?
Which of them cares more about your children and their safety?
Indeed ask yourself; which of the parties threatened you with thugs on
that sad Monday of March 16th and which is seeking to protect you by
supporting the police; with patrol vehicles, fuel and other equipment?
Ask yourself when last you saw the Federal Fire Service in Lagos. The
proud men and women of the Lagos State Fire Service have taken over
admirably.
Ask yourself who should be supporting the police and who is actually doing it?
Dear Lagosians, your choice of who to vote for will be easy if you
answer these questions within yourself honestly.
Indeed, you have clear choices to make between parties that use your
resources to develop your society and community on the one hand, and
the party that chooses to bring money to you for distribution when
election beckons.
So you can choose between schools for your children, hospitals for
your community, roads for your transportation or in the alternative,
you can choose to have these services monetized once in four years.
Remember, that choices have consequences and your vote will decide the
choice that shapes your lives.
Dear Lagosians, it is tempting to take the right and opportunity to
vote for granted. It is tempting to think that it is too much trouble.
I agree that the process can be made much easier. But it is no excuse
to refuse to vote.
Out of 5.8 million registered voters and 3.8 million PVC collections,
only about 1.5 million turned out to vote, on the 28th March 2015.
Think of all the pain, the effort, the sleepless nights it took to get
the PVCs to you. Think of the best way to show that the effort was not
wasted or in vain.
It seems to me that the best way is to have all these 3.8 Million
voters come out to vote.
By refusing to vote, you surrender decision making to a few and you
will be bound by the consequences of your choices.
By refusing to vote, you do a great disservice to many who have lived
before you, who fought very hard at great personal costs to
themselves, to earn you this right.
By refusing to vote, you dishonour the sacrifice of patriots before
you who fought for the right to vote.
Remember that when they were fighting for the right to vote, they were
not fighting for yesterday, they were fighting for today and tomorrow.
They have handed today to you and I, can we secure tomorrow for the
next generation?
Remember that since the capital of Nigeria was moved from Lagos 24
years ago in December 1991, Lagos has been abandoned by the Federal
Government.
Ask yourself when the last major new road in Lagos was built by the
Federal Government. It was the 3rd Mainland Bridge completed in 1990.
Read more at GistReel:
http://gistreel.com/2015/04/08/read-governor-fasholas-letter-to-all-lagosians/
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