Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State says by using the Gani Fawehinmi Park in the state for a political rally, the Peoples Democratic Party has shown that it is shameless.
Fashola said the PDP had faulted his administration for building parks and gardens in the state, only for the party to make use of one of them on Friday.
He spoke on Monday at the 2014 Tree Plant Campaign in Eti-Osa Local Council Development Area, titled, ‘Life Is Better with Trees’.
He said, “The PDP has before now criticised our government, saying the parks were built for elites.
“You will recall that the Gani Fawehinmi Park is one of the products of this Greening and Tree Planting initiative; there was no park there before we started.
“When the people held rally at that park to protest against the anti-people policy of the subsidy removal by our opponents, they were repelled by heavily-armed security personnel.
“They always turn security personnel against the people they are supposed to protect instead of against those who threaten the people. But our opponents have no shame. In their unthinking inconsistency, it was at the same park, the same Gani Fawehinmi Park that they now chose to hold their party rally last week.
“They lie, they forget what they said. They have forgotten that the park is cosmetic, that the park is elitist, or indeed are they the elites? For me, they have shown us who they are ─ a party that is unworthy of trust and lacking in consistency.
“For the people of Lagos, our employers, this is the last tree planting day that I will address you as your governor.”
He said the government had institutionalised the policy by setting up the Lagos State Parks and Gardens to maintain the parks.
The governor added that the All Progressives Congress remained committed to continuing the initiative.
“But you know now what our opponents think about this programme, they have told you. So if you value this job, if you value the economic benefit, you must vote to keep this programme going,” Fashola added.
He said the state, between 2008 and 2013, created 28, 094 jobs from the annual tree planting.