Lagos State Govt Accuses PDP Members Of Vandalising Gani Fawehinmi Park

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Nigeria 2015 Election Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

The Lagos state Government has condemned in strong terms the vandalisation of equipment and historical monuments kept at the Gani Faweyinmi Freedom Park by PDP members during a campaign rally held in Lagos recently.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, who spoke in Lagos lamented the high level of destruction and vandalisation of monument and equipment built with tax payer’s money.

It will be recalled that this is the third time in the life of this administration that such a show of recklessness is been displayed by PDP members.

“It must be noted that while, the State Government is not against the use of the park by individuals/ public as they were built for public use and not for rallies, but it frowns against the wanton destruction of the entire landscaped site and equipment that adorn the park in the name of a rally.

“A Park is indeed different from an open space. We have a lot of open spaces across the state which they can use rather than destroy our lush green parks that has given the state a lot of public acclaim,” he said.

He further noted that, nowhere in the world would people display such indecency and lack of respect to the people, where they publicly harass and chase away workers who maintain these parks because you control the Police and the Army.

“Similar acts of impunity was also displayed by the PDP led Government, through the clamp down on corporate advertisers in the state, where they forcibly with the backing of the Police removed paid adverts on street lamppost , billboards across the state. This is gross abuse of Power and Authority over the people you want to govern,” he added.

Bello wondered how a party that intends to govern Lagos could exhibit such a high level of public indecency, with its members openly chasing away operators of the park, while they carted away recreation facilities and looted the stores where equipments were kept.

Some of the facilities damaged at the park include bust of the late freedom fighter, Gani Feweyinmi SAN, about 100 animated features, mound, borehole, sprinklers, and pumping washing were all carted away.

The Commissioner, observed that restoring the landscaped site to its original state, will cost the state’s tax payers a lot, which could not be immediately computed, but would have been used to provide other facilities across the State.

Bello advised that there are several open spaces/ grounds across the state that can be used for campaign and rallies rather than destroy facilities built with Tax Payers money.

“Lagosians are therefore advised to be wary of wolves in sheep clothing’s who by their acts take away peoples means of livelihoods and infringe on their rights and privileges, especially at this time when the election is near,” he said.

The Commissioner therefore calls on the Inspector General of Police and the State Commissioner of Police to take note and follow up on this development.