….PLAN AHEAD FOR 2027 HE TELLS IKEJA APC STAKEHOLDERS
by Jane osamor
It was a time for serious stock taking at the LTV Ground Alausa Lagos as Fifth term Ikeja Federal Constituency House of Representative Member Hon. James Abiodun Faleke held a Town Hall Meeting to brief the people of Ikeja Federal Constituency on his activities, programs and achievements.
He started off by giving profound thanks to the the people who had faith in him to elect him once again in the National Assembly. He also gave thanks to Asiwaju Ajmed Bola Tinubu who gave him the opportunity to serve as the Secretary of his presidential campaign council. Faleke also gave thanks to the Almighty God who ensured that their efforts were not in vain.
Faleke disclosed that despite the fact that the President and other elected political office holders elected under the APC are working assiduously to deliver on their campaign promises, the opposition is not resting and hence, all party stakeholder and leaders at all level must realise that even now is not too early to start preparing for the next elections. He said this time, party leaders at ward levels should start getting data base of residents and voters in their ward for proper canvassing for votes ahead of 2027. He urged them to know that it is about planning and they have to plan ahead. He declared that he will be willing to fund such effort. He urged them not to go to sleep. He said they don’t have to wait for elections to plan but the planning must commence now. He remembered them that if Tinubu had not won the elections, their collective political fortunes would have waned by now.
NIGERIA IS SO MORTGAGE WE ARE USING OUR CRUDE AND OTHER EARNINGS FOR DEPT SERVIICING-FALEKE
He likened political fortunes to money in the bank. He explained one has to keep putting in more deposit so that the deposit will keep increasing. He said this particular fact was the main reason for this gathering.
Giving a graphic example with the country’s accounts overseas, Faleke revealed that as a result of the backlog of loans the country has piled up, the accounts has been mortgage to the extent that any monies the country makes from the sales of crude or other earnings disappear on arrival as the monies are plugged back into servicing these debts.
SUBSIDY REMOVAL: THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SCARCITY AND THERE WILL NOT BE MONEY TO EVEN PAY SUBSIDY
He said if the Federal government had not removed fuel subsidy, there would not have been any money to pay the subsidy anymore and worst, there would have been unending ques to buy fuel as a result of acute scarcity. Faleke said subsidy was just a way for a few to steal the country dry. He revealed that after the government had paid for subsidy for the benefit of Nigerians say , the same unpatriotic elements will turn around and divert the oil government has subsidised for Nigerians to other countries and sell at double the price leading scarcity in the country. Faleke said these are the reasons Tinubu decided on reforms which led to the removal of subsidy since it was an avenue for some to steal. As a result of subsidy removal, the price of fuel in Cotonou and other neighbouring countries is now the same as the price in Nigeria so the fuel is no longer diverted as there is no more profit to be made.
He said before now, there will be over one hundred and sixty tankers of fuel leaving Nigerian borders. He said the custom service could do nothing about it because it was a syndicate and those profiteers had godfathers somewhere.
Faleke disclosed that with the removal of subsidy, government is now able to plunge in money into states and local government who are now getting more revenues as can be attested to by all present. It is not Tinubu’s duty to buy you garri or rice; his duty is to make policies and create an enabling environment to make sure commodities are cheap and available.
Faleke said reforms takes time. He said he is aware of the fact that a lot of plans are on and a lot of reforms are going on underground. He said just like Tinubu did in Lagos, he started the reforms and Lagos has not been the same again. He said that is what is going to happen to Nigeria soon. He reminded everybody that Tinubu is just implementing his first budget in office with three more to go. He said Nigeria is presently pregnant and will put to bed soon. He said there are a lot of people who are feeling threatened if Tinubu succeeds, they will become irrelevant and are trying to subvert his good works
Faleke said said we should be grateful that the issue of insecurity is not prevalent in Lagos. He said those spate of kidnapping are orchestrated to heat up the polity. He said there people behind it but he is sure Nigeria will come out better
THE RATE OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS TODAY IS ALARMING
Speaking further, Faleke said that though Lagos has not been to affected as for now, the rate of drug abuse among our youths, especially in the North and the FCT has become alarming. He said these drug induced youths have become easy weapons in the hands of criminals and those intent on destabilising the country because, once under the influence of drugs, these youths will not be in their right minds if they are called to come and rob, kidnap or kill. He warned the youths of his constituency to desist from such acts as he will never interfere if such persons are arrested
WE HAVE EMPOWERED OVER SEVENTEEN THOUSAND IKEJA YOUTHS WITH BUSINESS TOOLS AND SEED MONIES
Faleke revealed that his empowerment program has benefited uncountable youths have benefited from his empowerment programs. He said while some will collect the money and go buy fashion accessories with it, there is a particular woman, a fish seller who has grown her seed money to two hundred and forty thousand naira and even brought him a big fish in appreciation. He promised to add another four hundred and fifty thousand naira to her money. He said such people are the ones who encourages him to carry on his good works unlike others whose swwd money will not go with them beyond the Police venue of the empowerment program.
