The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Oyo State chapter, has
said that it doubted the engineering certificate of former governor of the
state and leader of the Accord Party, Senator Rashidi Ladoja.
It made this known in a release issued by its State
Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dauda Kolawole, in response to a newspaper interview
granted by Ladoja where he had cast aspersion on the recently inaugurated
fly-over bridge constructed by the Abiola Ajimobi government.
Ladoja, in the interview, had wondered why barriers were put
at the entrances of the bridge and said that it was a reflection of the fact
that the bridge was badly constructed.
While reacting, however, the ACN said that the former
governor was exhibiting his widely perceived mental limitations and depth.
“We wonder which school of engineering Ladoja passed
through. Was he ever taught Introductory
Highway Engineering in school? If he was, even though he claimed to be a
Chemical Engineer, this naivety, dressed in the robe of ignorance, would have
been addressed at such an elementary level. This naivety is too striking and
recommends that his engineering certificate be withdrawn forthwith,” said the
ACN.
While explaining, the ACN said that, in virtually all cities
of the world, articulated vehicles and other heavy trucks were discouraged from
highways, so as to minimize road casualties, stating that this was one of the
main reasons barriers were placed on the overhead bridge.
“This is a usual Ladoja trait. He presents as a yokel, even
on matters that demand frankness and forthrightness. But this exhibition of
palpable naivety is embarrassing. To imagine that such a person who could not
articulate the need for a reduction in highway casualty had been in the
governorship saddle for that long in Oyo State is worse than a casualty,” the
ACN said.
According to the party, one other reason which makes the
need to barricade the bridge important was that if an articulated lorry or
truck suddenly breaks down on the bridge, it will cause a traffic gridlock that
will inflict pain on road users.
“Ladoja is simply continuing his interminable dream. He said
in that interview that he dreamt to build the Mokola bridge and two others. We have
reminded him in the past that, all over the world, no one remembers dreamers.
``Indeed, graveyards are full of them. The world only celebrates
achievers and actualizers. He should continue to dream, while Ajimobi
actualizes. He also claimed that he had a blueprint which Ajimobi was
following. Between Ladoja and Ajimobi, in terms of their mental depth, who should
copy the blueprint of the other? It is his usual trait of deceptive politicking
aimed at giving him undeserved relevance,” the ACN said.
While condemning the former governor for comparing his
efforts in government with that of Ajimobi, the ACN said that the people of the
state were wiser.
“Our people can differentiate who possesses superior mental
capability to govern Oyo State between him and Ajimobi. The Iwo Road/Olodo road
he claimed to have constructed lasted for barely a year before it began to fall
apart.
``How dare Ladoja put that dross of a road beside the world-class roads being constructed in Oyo State now? Ladoja should look behind him: the people are mocking him for those clearly worthless comparisons,” said the party.
