Fashola Writes President Jonathan Over Federal Task Force Activities

Babatunde Raji Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has written to President Goodluck Jonathan over the legality of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Federal Road Maintenance Agency, SURE-P/FERMA task force and for occupying the old toll gate axis of the state without observing due process.

Vanguard reports Fashola disclosed this yesterday while addressing police officers, businessmen and others, at the Eight Town Hall meeting on security, themed, “Maintaining our collective resolve in fighting crime,” held at the City Hall, Lagos Island axis of the state.

The new development came after barrage of attacks from the state government and the All Progressives Congress, APC on the SURE-P/FERMA task force, which was expected to commence operation before the end of this year, 2014.

The governor who spoke at the event organized by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, lamented that the presence of the SURE-P/FERMA task force without any Government official accounting for their presence showed the laxity in the central government plan to fight insurgency.

He said: “I have written to President Goodluck Jonathan and I want action to be taken immediately. This is because when you gather people like that, without any clear mandate, it is a worrisome assembly.”

“And lately, they (SURE-P/FERMA taskforce) brought out their responsibilities and they said that part of their responsibilities was to manage the federal highways. And one would ask, what happens to the Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC. They also claim that they would be controlling the erection of advert billboards. But that was a local government responsibility in the country.

“It is obvious that little regards is paid at the centre to the ‘broken window’ theory, a theory that propounds that small acts disrespect for the law, unaddressed over a long period will ultimately snowball and lead to a break-down of law and order.”