Fashola calls for agenda for good governance

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, says Nigerians must agree on what must be done to enable the incoming administration deliver on its electoral promises.

The governor, who delivered a lecture titled, ‘The Nigerian Agreement’, at the Yoruba Tennis Club’s Annual Business Luncheon and Lecture in Lagos, said aside the responsibility of the government to provide security, fight corruption and fix the economy, the people must also set an agenda to do what was right, a statement said on Sunday.

Fashola added that unless a right agenda was set by Nigerians, the president-elect would not achieve much.

He said, “I think we must set for ourselves an agenda, because we have voted for mere mortals like ourselves. Our agenda should include voluntary compliance to law and order. We must agree on the definition of education on the basis of our desire to have free education as well as the national policy on housing based on whether every Nigerian must own a home irrespective of whether or not they are earning an income.

“Other areas of agreement would be the position of Nigerians on tax payment; should every Nigerian that earns an income pay tax or not? The debate on tax should be who pays more; the top one per cent who are the super-billionaires or the 99 per cent others?”

Fashola noted that Nigerians should also reach an agreement on the role of the government, adding that the question should be whether the government should face its traditional role of providing an enabling environment or that government must be in every home.

In his remarks, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the club and First Republic Federal Commissioner for Works, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, noted that the three issues that were germane at the last elections were the issues of insecurity, corruption and the economy.

The Chairman of the club, Mr. Babaseyi Joseph, said contrary to the notion that the club consisted of only persons from the Yoruba ethnic group, the club membership cut across the six geo-political zones of the country.