Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has stated that all presidential aspirants under the All Progressives Congress banner would be given a fair shot to emerge as the ticket bearer.
Speaking during a courtesy visit of students from the Royal College of Defence Studies in United Kingdom, Fashola said, “There is nothing unusual in the emergence of the presidential candidate for APC. It will be an open activity and high level of accountability. I believe everyone who has aspiration will be given fair chance to express and ventilate that aspiration; subject to the rule of politics that we are all aware of.
“That is votes, persuasion, lobbying and others. Nothing unusual will happen. There will not be anything behind the closet.”
The governor said he was hopeful that the insecurity issues in Nigeria would soon come to a halt.
He said, “It is not only to electoral process, even to human existence and business activities. I believe that we will be done with this in short time; specifically in a way that it will not impede the ability and desire of Nigerians to make a choice at the next election.
“Every election brings up the contest of idea and opportunity to make the choice either to keep the incumbent government or to elect another party to govern the country. And I do not think that it will be different in Nigeria next year.”
He said the most important resource of Nigeria are the people.
According to him,” Our oil and gas as resources today are only a seasonal resources. And until the late 50s, no one was talking about the oil. We were all concerned about Agriculture and Agro-products. It is important to pay attention to the strategic resource that provides the sizeable portion of our income and revenue to date.
“I think that we should pay attention to the people in the way that they utilize the resources and that will be the bases for real diversification. To educate, strengthen them in terms of healthcare and life expectancy.
“To provide skills for them by way of education . It is only those skills that can form the basis and the totality of the understanding that the resources itself is not an end. It is only a means to a larger end. There are local issues in terms of securing the oil assets and platform but they only go back to my view as demonstrative of the reaction to lack of education, lack of skills to earn a living in a competitive and more productive way.
“But the message is out there. We have experienced boom circle. It will not be like this forever. The proceed that comes from the oil and gas sector today must be put to use in terms of providing infrastructures that will help improve the standard of living in the country.”