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Emma Njoku, with agency report
The People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for Agege Constituency 1, in Saturday’s House of Assembly election in Lagos State, Auwal Tahir Maude, has vowed to defeat Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
Obasa, who represents Agege Constituency 1 in the House, has had a tight grip on the politics of the area for close to two decades, but Maude, who enjoys the full backing of Chief Dapo Sarumi, a veteran politician and party chieftain, said he is fully equipped to end the speaker’s reign.
“We shall stop Obasa this time. People say he is popular and has been around for a long time.
“They also say he is the third most powerful man in Lagos politics; if you consider his position as speaker. But, I say all these will count for nothing when we meet on March 9.
“I can assure all our supporters, those who believe in my candidacy, that the time has come to change the status quo,” Maude, fondly called ATM, told Daily Sun.
On recent rumours that he has dumped the PDP for the APC, Maude said: “I’m putting it on record that I haven’t joined the APC and do not intend to do so now, or in the foreseeable future.
“I still remain the candidate of the PDP, and, I remain committed to the ideals of the party through thick and thin.
“I, therefore, urge all our teeming supporters to disregard the rumours as cheap tactics to confuse them ahead of the election.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has underscored the need for block moulders to acquire knowledge about the processes and procedures of making quality blocks using technology that will ensure standardisation.
Speaking during an inspection tour to some block moulding industries in the State, acting General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, (LSMTL) Olalekan Ajani said sensitisation and inspection of building blocks industries across the state was to ascertain the quality of building materials, especially sandcrete blocks.
The inspection team included members of the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON), who accompanied the LSMTL staff on the tour of block moulding industries around the Eti-Osa/Ibeju-Lekki axis.
The general manager stated that sandcrete block is arguably the most important building material and must, therefore, be produced with quality components comprising water, sharp sand, cement and granite dust in the right proportion.
“We are continuing our inspection and sensitisation tour to block moulding industries to reiterate the importance of quality sandcrete blocks towards zero tolerance for building collapse in Lagos. We are telling them that block moulding is knowledge-based and technology-driven.
“We are also sensitising the public on where to go and how to know a good sandcrete block. Very soon, makers of blocks that are of low quality and do not meet the specified standard would be identified and blacklisted,” he added.
Ajani advised NABMON leadership to be united in maintaining the Standard Organisation of Nigeria’s specified stock, such that unprofessional practitioners in the industry could be easily identified and closed down.
“Insist on quality instead of affordability in order to ensure the longevity of your building,” he said.
