Lagosians holding themselves in bondage not Tinubu ― Sinatu Ojikutu

FORMER deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, has debunked the claim that National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is holding Lagosians in bondage, declaring that nobody was holding them in bondage but themselves.

Ojikutu stated this at a media parley she held at her Osborne, Ikoyi residence, saying she never believed anybody was holding Lagos in bondage.

The former deputy governor said this in reaction to a question against the backdrop of a campaign slogan: “Freedom and Democracy” of the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jimi Agbaje.

“Nobody is enslaving Lagos, Lagosians are enslaving themselves, let’s say it as it is. Bola Tinubu is not enslaving Lagos, it is Lagosians that are enslaving themselves. If Lagosians do not want to enslave themselves tomorrow, Bola Tinubu would not have the kind of power he is holding that he can decide on who should be what and who should not be,” Ojikutu said.

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This was just as she lamented the poor state of inner roads in Lagos, the non-availability of potable water, the inability of the state to generate and distribute its own electricity, despite the huge amount being generated internally as revenue for the state.

“Go and see inside Lagos roads, the kind of roads Lagos can boast of, is that the kind of things we deserve? No portable drinking water. Lagos should now be boasting of its own power producing company, with the kind of IGR we have. Let’s say it, we wouldn’t die if we say it,” the former deputy governor said, adding: “I don’t know whether Agbaje can make any difference.”

Speaking further, Ojikutu said it was time Nigerians get educated on what she termed budget tracking to enable them to read, understand and know the level of performances of yearly budgets shunned by the government at different levels, charging the media to take a lead in championing the idea.

According to her, this will provide knowledge of where the taxpayers’ money is being channelled by those in charge of affairs to enable Nigerians to hold them accountable.

“Unless we can have what I have been proposing, people should be educated on how to read the budget, we don’t know how to read a budget, people don’t know it. You estimate and they perform, who is viewing it again?

“You estimate 20, somebody has performed five, who is reviewing every year? Nobody, even at the national level, budget tracking. The media should take up a platform where they can analyse budgets, how it performs, they should call financial experts, then it will show where the money is going to,” she said.