Ex-Lagos commissioner cautions senator against ‘vulgar language’

From the Managing Director, Lagos State Adverstising and Signage Agency (LASAA), Mr. Tunji Bello came yesterday a piece of advice for Fouth Republic Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa: refrain from the use of vulgar language against your political opponent.

Bello admonished the senator to beware of ending his political career with such abusive language.

Bello was reacting to an Alliance for Democracy (AD) presidential endorsement advert in yesterday’s Nigerian Tribune, which the senator signed as AD national chairman. The advert which lampooned The Punch for rejecting same for improper phrasing reads: “This is the paid advert rejected by The Punch because of the reference to the Gadhaffi of Lagos. “Is anyone still in doubt who really controls The Punch?  Can the paper still claim to be non-partisan?”

Bello said:  “It is a monumental tragedy that a person like Senator Akinfenwa would go public with this sort of statement, simply because he craves attention”. “Well, congratulations, he has the attention that he craves.  But how low can someone we once thought was a worthy Yoruba elder sink?”

Bello, former Lagos State Environment Commissioner said inasmuch as Senator Akinfenwa and his AD have a legal right to endorse any candidate of their choice, they should shun vulgar abuse and name-calling, if they are really taking anything to the table in their so-called Jonathan presidential endorsement.

“Of course, the senator’s ‘Gadhaffi of Lagos’ outburst is all part of the commissioned demonisation of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the pipe-dream of ‘capturing’ Lagos and the South-West.  But how would Senator Akinfenwa stand in front of his children and grandchildren, and tell them he is proud of his present role, being hired to demonise another person?”

Bello said those who hired the senator did so not because he led any phantom party; but to vilify and demonise a political opponent, adding that the senator must be proud of himself for delivering to specification.

But he challenged Akinfenwa to point to people he has mentored all through his long political career, adding that if he had any, he probably would not, at the twilight of his political life, be dropping Awo’s name and trying to demonise Tinubu, just to stay politically relevant.

“I stand as proud testimony to Asiwaju’s tutelage and mentoring.  So does Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, whose government is a national benchmark in progress and good governance.  Likewise Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Rauf Aregbesola of the senator’s native Osun State” he said.  “But pray, what is our senator’s legacy?”