The controversy trailing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s attendance of a party organized by socialite, Aisha Achimugu in Grenada recently has yet settled.
Since it was reported that the state chief executive attended the lavish party, not a few Lagosians had accused him of abandoning the state at a very critical moment.
The governor was reported to have attended one-in-a-life time party in the Caribbean country alongside other prominent Nigerians to celebrate the 50th birthday of the socialite last week.
The elegant party started generating outbursts because it coincided with the fire outbreak at Mandilas, a popular shopping mall in the state.
Not a few Lagosians had critcised the state government for the tardy response to the incident, considering the destruction left in its wake, the revelation that the governor was away in far-away Caribbean while the livelihood of some people was being destroyed had further irked those demanding accountability on the part of the state’s helmsman.
According to Ibrahim Farinloye, the state co-ordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, 450 shops, 30 offices, two hotels, and five restaurants were destroyed by the impact of the fire which affected the 14-storey building.
Those watching events in the Centre of Excellence, described Sanwo-Olu’s action as the thespian Caesar who fiddled while Rome burnt.
In his reaction, Funso Doherty, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the last governorship election has demanded form the state governor the reimbursement of the funds spent during the trip to Grenada.
Others Nigerians have trenchantly criticised the governor for being insensitive to the serious economic hardship they are currently facing.
Doherty demand is contained in a letter he wrote to the governor asking him to account for the funds he spent during the journey, which he described as absolutely unnecessary and a waste of public funds.
The politician said there was nothing to warrant the trip, in response to the state government’s defence that the governor went to the island officially, because there is no bilateral trade agreement between the state and Grenada, whose Gross Domestic Product, GDP, is smaller than Lagos Economy.
In the open letter dated January 26, 2024, Doherty insist that Governor Sanwo-olu has added to the financial burden of the state by attending the lavish party at the state’s expense.
The letter reads, “Grenada is a distant Island nation with a very small population of approximately 130,000 people and National GDP of just over $1 billion, both of which are a small fraction of those of Lagos State. Its economy is primarily tourism-based and has little complementarity, trade volume and potential with Lagos.
“In the unfortunate event that LASG funded the trip, you should consider refunding the trip’s costs to the State purse, as we do not consider this expenditure justifiable in the circumstances.
“As you are aware, despite concerns we raised, the State House of Assembly has passed, and you have signed into law, a greatly increased expenditure budget of N2.27 trillion for 2024 with a projected budget deficit of over N400 billion, which the already over-stretched average Lagosian will ultimately bear.”
Governor Sanwoolu in his defence said the trip was meant to seal a deal with Grenada on the ongoing Lagos Blue Line Rail project, stressing that the purpose was to advance the economic interest of the state.
He however did not deny attending the party, though unspecific about the Achimugu luxurious party.
The governor wrote in his official X account: “Last weekend in St. George’s, I presented Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell with a miniature of the Blue Line Rail and we engaged in extensive discussions on various aspects of our bilateral relations, focusing particularly on tourism, agriculture, and other economic interests that could benefit both our regions.
“Prime Minister Mitchell also shared exciting plans for Grenada’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations in February. It was a productive and enriching exchange, setting the stage for deeper collaboration between our regions”.
“Additionally, I had the opportunity to attend several social events, further strengthening the ties between our two nations.”
Premium Times had reported that the governor had partied for days at tax payers expense, alongside other socialites in Calivigny Island and Silversand Grenada, an exotic five-year-old seven-star luxury resort in Grand Anse Beach.
The governor, the newspaper reported left Nigeria on Wednesday, January 17, for Achimugu’s party.
