Lagos is bleeding with over N1.2t debt, PDP Governorship Aspirant

Success Damian:

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Engr. Adedeji Doherty, has stated that with over N1.2 trillion debt profile, the state is bleeding to death.

Doherty was speaking at the endorsement of Dr. Emilia Ezeude for the Federal House of Representatives, Ajeronmi Ifelodun Federal Constituency by Non-Indigenes Elders Forum at St Patrick Training Institute Amukoko, Lagos during the weekend.

Doherty who has contested for the same position in 2007, 2011 and 2015, said passion to serve Lagos State people is his motivating factor to vie for the Governorship position. “We have to make things better, we have debt profile in Lagos State, when I was contesting in 2007, the debt profile of Lagos State was hovering around 200million or something like that, but today it is at N1.2 trillion.”

In his words, “So when you see a state being drown like that someone has to come up and be counted. I have to come out because of you, I have to come out because of my children, I have to come out because of the young people that are growing every day in Lagos State.”

He said he is coming to do things differently by halting the increasing debt profile, “Debt kills a company, I have companies, and I know what debt can do, I have taken one of my companies out of a 1.8 billion debt, it took me seven years to do that.

“But when you are the one that took the loan, you can try and reduce the debt, it will take you may be 10-15 years, there is no governor that is going to stay that long, so there has to be a change of government so all these things can be halted, so that we can stop the bleeding, right now Lagos State is bleeding, that is number one.

“Two, education is in the lowest ebb in Lagos, look at our people, they go to school, but it is like they didn’t go to school and whose fault is it? The government of course. Employment, there is youth unemployment throughout Lagos State, who created that unemployment, it is the APC Government.

“Thirdly if you look at our pregnant women, how much does it cost to have a baby in our hospital? How many of them can afford the hospital bill, then they go to quacks, the woman dies, the child dies, and there is no respite. Do we have a good hospital in Lagos State built by Lagos State government over the past 20 years, the answer is no. Do we have a good university built in Lagos State over the past 20 years? A Library over the past 20 years, long bridge over the past 20 years? The answer is no,” Doherty queried rhetorically.

In a lighter note Doherty said “What have we gotten from this government over the past 20 years? I cannot say we have not gotten anything, we have succeeded in gotten contracts and development meant for local council men like bus-stops, flyover in Lekki. Look at the two bridges just between Bourdillon and Lekki, how much are they taxing you, the people are being taxed, they collect development levy, then you now pay toll again”

He appeal to the media to highlight the anomalies in APC government “Adedeji is just one person, I cannot do it all, because anybody that comes out for Lagos State Governor is putting his life on the line. Do you see any orderly with me? Do you see any gun brandishing people with me? No, because I stand for the truth and it is only the truth that can set us free.