Fashola bows to Tinubu! As Cabinet dissolution looms

Huhuonline.com understands that there is currently a somewhat cessation in the political rift that has been on months now between Governor Babatunde Fashola and his predecessor and mentor, Senator Bola Tinubu. Indications showed that the 2 leaders seem to have decided to sheath their swords and embrace peace for now.

Sources close to the 2 political giants confided in huhuonline.com that the peace agreement was made possible through the tireless efforts of some high-powered stakeholders in Lagos State and in Action Congress as a party. They include (Lagos monarch) Oba of Lagos Rilwan Akiolu, Chief Femi Okunnu and chief Omolade Okoya-Thomas etc. From the look of things, these eminent Lagosians have been able to broker peace between them. Part of the agreement reached, huhuonline.com gathered is the dissolution of the state executive council and the formation of a new one. In forming the new cabinet, Fashola will nominate 5 people while Tinubu and the other political interest groups will nominate the remaining. It has also been agreed that the Governor takes care of the legislative body. And it is probably in line with this that the Governor recently signed into law the establishment of the House of Assembly Service Commission. Facts also showed that each member of the Assembly was given N1.7 million as sitting allowance for the budget and a plot of land in choice areas in the state. Another source also confirmed to huhuonline.com that the sitting allowance was actually N500,000.

Meanwhile the chairman of the House Committee on Finance and a strong member of the Appropriation Committee, Hon. Adeola Olamilekan, denied that any member was given any sitting allowance. He said: ''This is a blatant lie. It is our constitutional duty to go through and approve the budget. We don't need to be goaded by the executive.'' Olamilekan also denied that members were given plots of lands in Lekki, Ikoyi and other choice areas in Lagos State. Huhuonline.com also gathered that Self-accounting Law which members which members of the State Assembly has been agitating for, for a long would be implemented by Governor Fashola, with effect from the financial year. Also the impeachment threat hanging over the Governor has also been removed, but his bid for a second term in office is still proving to be a hard nut to crack for the political gladiators in the State, as Tinubu loyalists are yet to be convinced about Fashola loyalty. Already there are unhealthy insinuations that the Party, Action Congress may use a Christian candidate in the subsequent guber poll in the state in 2011. Names of people like Jimi Agaje (one of the aggrieved aspirants Action Congress who defected to PPA in 2007 of), Dr. Leke Pitan and three other Christian members of the party are said to feature on the said list. Moreover huhuonline.com was hinted that cabinet reshuffle is currently looming in Fashola administration and that those that would be affected in the exercise are of Muiz Banire, Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele, Opeyemi Bamidele, Jide Sanwolu, Enoch Ajibosho, Tokunbo Afikuyomi may be affected in the turn of event.However another intriguing developments revealed that the Nigeria famous anti-graft agent, Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) has sent letters of invitation to some members of Fashola's cabinet connection with the financial impropriety levelled against the Governor by a group under the auspices of True face of Lagos. Almost 10 members of the kitchen cabinet and aides of the Governor who mentioned in the said advertorial in Punch newspaper and petition sent to the EFCC are said to have been invited by the body.

About the economic burden called Lagos Sunburn Yacht Hotel

Before the arrival of the Sunburn Yacht Hotel, the 105 bedroom customized floating hotel, acquired for N4.75 billion, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi the Lagos State Commissioner for Inter-Governmental Relations, Culture/Tourism had regaled us with pictures and stories of how hospitality and tourism in general would never be the same again in Lagos as soon as the yacht berths.

And when the yacht eventually arrived sometime in December 2008, it was with baited breath that Lagosians waited for its official opening and commencement of operations. But more than 14 months after, the luxury yacht is yet to become functional. Lying wastefully idle at the marina Quay, Lagos Island and rusting away, the yacht could not commence operation because Diamond Capital and Assets, a subsidiary of Diamond Bank Plc, which provided fund for the purchase, is at loggerheads with a multi-purpose Infrastructure Development Company, which facilitate the financial deal. Their bone of contention is who owns the yacht. Diamond Capital and Assets wants to take over the ownership of the Hotel because of its suspicion that Multi-purpose Infrastructure Development Company is a front for some powerful figures in Lagos State Government. For now, both parties are in Court to determine who the actual owners of the yacht should be. It was because of this controversy over the ownership of the yacht that necessitated the intervention of Lagos State House of Assembly at some point to ascertain the level of financial commitment of the state government in the controversial deal. The legislative body because of this issue summoned three Commissioners, that of Finance, Rotimi Oyekan, Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ben Akabueze and Tourism & Inter-Governmental Relations, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi. The Commissioners for Finance and Economic Planning and Budget categorically told the members of the

Assembly that the state did not contribute a dime to the deal. Afikuyomi also corroborated the 2 Commissioners adding that what the state government contributed to the deal was just the parking space. But when he was asked to provide documents pertaining to the deal, he disappeared into the thing air. It was when the members of the Assembly threatened to sanction him that he apologized to them and submitted some documents, but the documents were never made public by the Action Congress dominated Assembly. Huhuonline.com understands that the Sunburn yacht saga contributed to the impasse between Senator Bola Tinubu and his stooge Governor, Babatunde Fashola as well as the embattled Commissioner Tokunbo Afikuyomi. Tinubu is crossed with Fashola because he claimed that he distanced himself from the issue which made the whole situation to bizarre. Tinubu was also said to be scandalized by the controversy surrounding deal and has therefore advised Fashola to drop Afikuyomi from the cabinet, although this has not been effected yet, but emerging facts showed that the days ahead will resolve and settle that.