Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
By Abayomi Elias
…..Says Ordering of Army Not In His Purview
The International and local award winning actor, movie producer cum human rights activist Yomi Fabiyi has commended Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for the statesman part he played during the Endsars protest in October 2020 in Lagos.
Against the backdrop of the allegation that Governor Sanwo-Olu ordered the army to shoot at unarmed protesters at Lekki toll-gate, Fabiyi one of the stakeholders during the protest debunked the allegation in an exclusive interview with Newsconnect editor in Lagos.
Yomi said out of all the offices and individuals that can give the order, none of them falls under the purview of a sitting governor. He said the Army is on the exclusive list, hence, the governor can not even employ one police officer not to talk of sacking one police officer. How much more of a soldier.
In his words, he said;
“Let me be honest with you, I can never ask or put the blame or put the order of the army who shot at unarmed protesters on Governor Sanwo-Olu. A sitting governor doesn’t have the power . It is above his pay grade.
“Secondly it is not his constitutional role. Thirdly, native experience tells me that a governor cannot give order to the army not to talk of shooting when we have a President, the Commander in chief of armed forces, the Vice President, Secretary to the Federal government, The Senate President, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Chief of defense staff, chief of armed forces et Al.
“All these people can’t be there and then outsourced a crucial order to a sitting governor. He won’t even give such order because he knows it is a constitutional suicide but because politicians infiltrated in the struggle, they changed the narrative, they diverted attention asking the right question but to the wrong person.
“I make bold to say it that Govenror Sanwo-Olu did not, can never ordered the army to shoot at us at Lekki toll gate. When the time is ripe, we will be awake and we will know. We will stand by the truth as young persons, as citizens of this country and we will ask the right person not Mr Governor Sanwo-Olu in my own opinion.
“If there is anything I would even say to him, I will give him kudos because right before my eyes, he came to protest with us not once, not twice not thrice. I sincerely appreciate and I give kudos to him.
“I know one day, those responsible for the shooting would still pay. They know themselves but I am not part of those accusing Governor Sanwo-Olu for shooting at unarmed protesters at the Lekki toll gate.
“Apportioning blame to Governor Sanwo-Olu was only orchestrated to divert attention. Before you conclude that a sitting governor or a civilian out there gave an order to the army, ask yourself if you are not even a student of political science, native experience should tell you that the army is on the exclusive list and on that note, the army is under the commander in chief of armed forces.
“Why are they making the youths to stay on this question for the wrong person for this long? They want the youth to be perpetually exploited because if they are not knowledgeable, if they are not informed, if they are not properly educated, they will be redundant”.
Yomi Fabiyi concluded saying If the youth are not growing mentally, the country will not grow.
