Babatunde Fashola, governor of Lagos State, has lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for defacing the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota, Lagos, where it held a rally recently. The PDP staged a rally at the park as part of the “Thank You” tour of Southwest states by Ayo Fayose, governor-elect of Ekiti State.

Fashola, however, at the 2014 Tree Planting Campaign, held in Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area, LDCA, said the PDP, by their act, did not only vindicate his government’s greening policy, but have also displayed their inconsistency.

The governor, while expressing satisfaction at the success story of the greening initiative and tree planting exercise, which has provided job opportunities for thousands of youth, recalled that at inception, the PDP criticized the programme and labeled it a waste of tax payers’ money.

He said the tree planting exercise and greening programme has generated over 75,168 employment opportunities for horticulturists, pruners, gardeners, welders, tanker drivers, security personnel and other artisans since inception in 2008. “But our uninformed and unable, and I say so emphatically, our unable opponents they criticised this initiative, they called it cosmetic, they called it elitist. They clearly demonstrated their ignorance because the environment is also the new economy, they are ignorant people, what they call cosmetic and elitist, has developed our economy, it has created jobs and it has put food on the tables of many people who would otherwise be unemployed,” Fashola added.

Reminding residents that it was his last tree planting exercise as Governor of the state, Fashola said the exercise has been institutionalized with the setting up of the Lagos State Parks and gardens Agency, LASPARK, to maintain and sustain the parks, gardens and trees. “Our government and our party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, remains committed to continuing this 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, you must defend your livelihood and your jobs with your votes, may God help you all as you do so when the time is right.”