Colonel Tony Nyiam (retd) a key actor in the failed Major Gideon Orkar led coup against the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in 1990, has faulted Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos state, for shunning regional integration while in office.
Nyiam told newsmen in Lagos that the Minister of Works, Power and Housing was wrong for not showing any adequate interest in the development of the entire south-west region.
His words: “When Fashola was in office, he was never interested in anything that had to do with the Oodua Investment. This is why there is a breath of fresh air, now that his successor is pioneering the South-west integration agenda believing that the prosperity of Lagos should be spread to neighbouring states.
“This is not just altruistic but makes economic sense because if you allow Lagos to invest in Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Ogun, it will make these states more viable and the economy of the region the better for it.”
Nyiam, who was speaking on restructuring of the country and return to regional governments, added: “Reason some of us are interested in Ambode’s example is that it will kick-start same thing in other regions. It is high time the South South, South-east and the Middle belt governors take after this example and ensure that their regions are transformed by pursuing regional integration.
“I am mentioning Ambode because he is beginning to do what some of us have been advocating; that while most of us are fighting political restructuring, economic restructuring can begin and there is no better example than the economic self determination example, which Lagos is setting”.
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