Lagos economy nose-diving, says PDP

Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said the economy of the state is nosediving under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

It said it disagrees with the rating of a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) which said the economy of the state has improved under Ambode, adding that the group known as Asiwaju National Forum ‘‘consists of sycophants’’.

Publicity Secretary of the party, Taofiq Gani, said Ambode has not made any concrete effort to improve on what his predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, left behind even as he insisted that Fashola’s achievements were equally hyped.

The PDP spokesman in a statement said, “Governor Ambode has rather continued in the habit of borrowing and piling up debts. For instance, he incurred a debt of over N38 billion within his 100 days. This is in spite an increment in the state monthly IGR to 29 billion”.

The party advised the governor to eschew what it called propagandists’ governance and be wary of groups and individuals who now ‘‘assume sycophant roles in his administration’’.

The PDP challenged the group to give evidence to buttress their claim of an improved economy, saying ‘‘one cannot find any specific mention of an area where Ambode has improved from where Fashola left”.

The party added, “things are getting worse. Imagine, after over 100 days in office, Governor Ambode cannot pronounce the reduction in many extortionate policies left behind by Fashola. Such policies include: the amount paid on collection of Certificate of Occupancy and other building approvals; cost of renting shops at otherwise public markets; multiple taxation and cost of using BRT/LAGBUS services. LASU is still comatose with disrupted lectures and higher prevalence of cultism. He has also refused to pay N18,000 minimum wage to civil servants to mention a few”