Sanwo-olu has no frame of reference by which to assess my achievements, he has never had to build a business from the ground up in Lagos, one of the toughest and most competitive business markets in the world.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been described as a professional lackey whose entire career has been made possible by the interventions of powerful patrons.
This was the verdict of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Dr. Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor.
Jandor was irked by alleged uncomplimentary statement made against him by Sanwo-Olu.
Sanwo-Olu had during an interview on a national television last Sunday, responded to questions where he commented on Jandor, one of the governorship candidates in the 2023 polls.
According to the PDP Governorship candidate, Sanwo-Olu has no frame of reference by which to assess his achievements.
The statement read in part: “On Sunday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu gave an interview where he made uninformed comments about my decision to run and my capacity to lead.
“I am not surprised that discrediting my achievements and questioning my competence was the angle he chose to approach the very legitimate questions he was asked.
“The fact is that Sanwo-olu has no frame of reference by which to assess my achievements, he has never had to build a business from the ground up in Lagos, one of the toughest and most competitive business markets in the world.
“Like other professional lackeys, his entire career has been possible, thanks to the interventions of powerful patrons, so he cannot possibly understand what it took me as an independent entrepreneur to bootstrap a business and grow it to the point where I could comfortably create jobs as an employer of labour in Lagos, despite crushing taxes and prohibitive and non-business friendly policies.
“Lagos is currently being led by a leader who thinks it is a joke to build and sustain a business.
“At the age of 31, I resigned my role as a broadcast journalist with Lagos Television and a state house correspondent to float my own media business. I took a risk thousands of Nigerians have contemplated at some point in their careers, most pushed to this point by dire state of the economy and the corruption in the system.
“To leave the relative security of a corporate career to build my own endeavour took courage, obviously something Mr. Governor has never had to contemplate.
“In six short years I built my idea into a media corporation and became the youngest Nigerian to float a television station at age 37. I received a Digital terrestrial TV license that enabled us transmit from our studio at Core TV News in Isheri-North, here in Lagos into homes across Nigeria with offices in 16 States of the federation including Abuja.
“I was inducted as a member of the prestigious Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria BON, and became a peer of respected media entrepreneurs like Dr. John Momoh of Channels Television and Dr. Raymond Dokpesi of Daar Communications.
“I have diversified beyond media, building four other successful businesses in various sectors without any exposure from any Nigerian bank.
“In fact, I was one of the few outspoken party members when I was in the APC demanding a more effective and people-centric governance system because I knew my success wasn’t reliant on me being on the good side of anyone.
“We can’t say the same for Mr. Governor considering that he abdicated his responsibilities in the middle of serious floods in Lagos to chaperone his ailing principal during the APC campaign tours.
“In February 2019, a brave young woman, Derin Odugbesan, asked Sanwo-olu a pointed question during the 2019 Social Media Week about the promises he was bandying if he was elected governor. It was during an election campaign like this one, and many accused her of being disrespectful to the governor.
“They swore he was going to surprise her and all Lagosians and the state will be transformed.
“The only surprise Derin and indeed all Lagosians have been faced with is in how utterly the Governor has failed to honour his campaign promises, despite being handed over a 1 trillion Naira economy.
“It is audacious for Mr. Governor, despite his well-documented failure in his current role to disparage my hard earned achievement as a successful self-starting business owner in a difficult terrain such as we have in Lagos.
“Since he has no regard for entrepreneurs or appreciation for our achievements, is it any wonder that he grew Lagos’s domestic debt stock from N507.38 billion recorded as of March 2021 to N780.48 billion in March 2022? Can someone who borrowed N273.1 billion naira on behalf of the state in one year with nothing to show for it, appreciate what it means to create revenue, employment opportunities and positive growth without assistance?
“We have had our fill of career politicians like Sanwo-Olu who have fed fat from the system and no longer have any regard for hard work and diligence. We need a breath of fresh in Lagos…
“Sanwo-Eko had its chance to make good on the promises he made to Lagosians, he has failed and we have suffered for it. It’s time for a new perspective, it is time for a breath of fresh air in Lagos. No more Sanwo-Eko. It’s now Jafun-Eko. (JandorFunke23).”