Ashafa
A
former Secretary to Lagos State Government, His Eminence Reuben
Olorunfunmi Basorun, on Sunday described the representative
of Lagos East, Senator Gbenga Ashafa as the district’s greatest
ever senator in the Fourth Republic.
“Senator
Gbenga Ashafa is the best in Lagos East Senatorial district. There
have been other senators like Omoba Kingsley Adeseye Ogunlewe and
Adeleke Olurunnimbe Mamora before Ashafa came in. We cannot
physically point out what they did in terms of attracting projects to
the area or coming near the people and making them to have the
dividend of democracy. Ashafa has been doing this” he said.
Basorun,
pioneer chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos
State, former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Director and
the Asiwaju of Igbogbo Kingdom cited railway modernization projects
in Nigeria, rehabilitation of the Ikorodu-Shagamu Highway,
facilitation of water and irrigation projects within the district,
installation of transformers in the rural areas, distribution of
entrepreneurial empowerment tools, several medical outreach
programmes across the district, supporting senior adults, widows and
youths as areas where Ashafa performed excellently.
“Senator
Gbenga Ashafa has performed on the floor of the House in terms of
motions and bills. He has been a pillar of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) in the senate. He is a pillar of support for the party
and the government. We can’t send Eaglet to the senate. We need
Ashafa to be in the senate; to stand and make sure that the right
person leads the senate, the right environment that will make Buhari
succeed in his second term. We need people like him. The Lagos East
Seat is not just for anybody”
“I
do not believe Osinowo is in any way in a comparable position to
Ashafa” he told journalists in Ikorodu.
“They
say somebody is doing fourth term in Lagos State House of Assembly.
That does not mean experience. I was reading in the media yesterday,
somebody was comparing Ashafa and Sikiru. I have nothing against
Osinowo. You cannot compare the two. Ashafa is an accomplished
graduate, a civil servant in the state who rose to the position of
permanent secretary before retiring. He has been showing it. They
call him Mr. Railway in the senate. How can anybody say we collected
money? Which money? Our training is not collecting money but saying
thank you to those that have done well by asking them to continue”
Ashafa
is understood to have the backing of the leaders of the APC in Lagos
State and members within the Lagos East Senatorial District.
“All
the leaders without exception assembled on March 1 at Epe
and adopted the current governor of the state for a second term.
After that ceremony, the arrowheads met again, considered Ashafa’s
performance and approved another term for him. There was a second
meeting. We met under the leadership of our senatorial leader, Otunba
Bashura Alebiosu and formally adopted Ashafa for another term. Just
last week, one Mr. Sikiru Osinowo, a four term member of the Lagos
State House of Assembly said he wants to run. I do not see anything
wrong in it. He can run. I have been in this game since 1963. I was
brought up by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Senator Ayo Fasanmi. We are
not taught to run left, right or back because somebody wants to
occupy a position. We are taught to have reasons for following
someone. We must be consistent in doing so. Ashafa is not being
followed in this particular case for nothing. He has attracted
projects to this small community“
Basorun
who be 80 on October 15, 2018 praised Ashafa for his
impressive and resourceful delivery of the mandate of the district,
particularly his contributions towards the growth of Igbogbo, Ijede,
Imota and other areas in the senatorial district.
“Ashafa
attracted to Igbogbo an information technology centre. He brought his
friend, Rotarian Dr. Adewale Lateef Ogunbadejo to locate a vocational
training centre. Over 300 people are being trained now. How can they
say I have no reason to support Ashafa?
He
urged aspirants in Lagos State to yield to people’s yearning.
“The
decision of the leaders is not to impose Ashafa on anybody. We are
going to do direct primaries. Ashafa is going to benefit from what he
has done. Three days ago, his latest rival was here. My staff told me
that one of those who came with Osinowo from Kosofe brought out his
phone and showed them photographs of a machine given to him by
Ashafa. The machine produces six blocks at a time. This is the story
in the senatorial district. I know the number of people who took note
from us to collect school fees for their children. Those who have
benefited will vote Ashafa, except ingrate”
Chief
Basorun said a particular aspirant appeared to be increasingly
violent.
“Some
aspirants are carrying thugs about. They should stop it”
“The
PDP is zero in Lagos State. I am in a party that is doing well in
Lagos State. Buhari is doing well. He will win in 2019. He should
institute a system to redistribute Nigeria’s income. It is too
lopsided” he added.
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