Posted by By MOSHOOD ADEBAYO, Abeokuta on
National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Secretary, Dr. Lateef Adegbite took a swipe at the eight year administration of his kinsman, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday, describing it as a disaster.
National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Secretary, Dr. Lateef Adegbite took a swipe at the eight year administration of his kinsman, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday, describing it as a disaster.
Adegbite spoke at the palace of the Alake of Egbaland , Oba Aremu Adedotun Gbadebo in Abeokuta while leading other Muslims to pay homage to the Egba monarch on the occasion of the Eid-el-Kabir
Flanked by the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Chief Liadi Orunsolu, Adegbite lamented that Obasanjo's administration was anti-masses, urging President Umar Yar'Adua to distance himself from anti-masses policies.
According to Adegbite, who spoke in Yoruba language, saie the Obasanjo's years were beneficial only to a few elite and not the masses, who bore the brunt of his harsh policies.
The Baba Adinni of Egbaland, who spoke in the presence of the Minister of Mines and Steel, Alhaji Sarafa Tunji Ishola urged the minister to tell the president to let his programmes and policies to be masses-friendly.
His words: 'Minister, please take this message to Mr. President and just like I told him, he must do things that would be beneficial to the masses of this nation. The eight years rule of Obasanjo was a disaster. It was unfavourable to the masses and the masses did not benefit anything. It was eight years of failure where only a few elite benefitted."
Continuing, Adegbite said: 'Please tell President Yar'Adua that although there is still a question mark on his election, he is doing well, but he can still do more. We are happy with him."
On his own part, the Minister, Alhaji Sarafadeen Tunji Ishola called for unity among various religious groups in Egbaland and canvassed support for the economic policy of the Yar'Adua administration.
He canvassed support for the economic policy of the Yar'Adua administration, saying that it would bring the desired succour for the masses.
The minister said that all hands were on deck to make Nigeria a great nation and that it would take the collective efforts of everyone to get the country to the promised land.
Highlighting some of the policies of the new administration, Sarafa said that 'so far, so good," adding that the president would bring smiles to the faces of the masses.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Oladimeji Sabur Bankole, who also paid a courtesy call on the Alake of Egbaland said that government was already looking into the possibility of increasing the lanes on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway to ease congestion on the road.
According to him, the congestion on the dual carriage way was already taking its toll on government as it had been the one bearing the cost of reducing the congestion and explained that the private sector would be involved in the creation of the new lanes which would be public funded.
His words: 'Extension of the lanes could be the solution and government today is bearing the responsibility of ensuring that the congestion is reduced.
'Government is also looking into the area of private sector partnership so that the extension work would be public funded."
As a temporary measure, the speaker urged road users to comport themselves and cooperate with law enforcement agents, especially during the festive period.
On the last local government polls, Bankole said he had not received the full report of how the elections were conducted, but said that he only knew of Abeokuta where he voted which he said was peaceful.