Governor Sanwo-Olu is facing a backlash after tweeting to congratulate Fin.tech company, Flutterwave on their recent win and $1billion valuation of the company.
The Governor had tweeted this on Thursday 11th March 2021, to congratulate the company:
“Huge congratulations to Gbenga and the entire team of flutterwave for this landmark achievement. Stories of how they are enabling SMEs are everywhere around us and as a government, we are committed to supporting deeper interaction,” he said.
A few minutes after the Governor tweeted congratulating the team, some of the small scale businesses/startups he has banned since becoming Lagos State Governor, started trending on the Nigerian Twitter trend list.
Taking to their different Twitter handles, Nigerians, especially Lagosians who are clearly not happy with the Governor, called him out for congratulating Flutterwave, when already he has previously killed potential multi-billionaire small scale businesses being managed by youths in the State, through banning.
While some called him a hypocrite for his tweet congratulating the Flutterwave team, others reminded him of how he is an enemy of the youths and the Tech world, using the ban on the likes of Gokada, OPay, and MaxNG as a reference point.
Some even urged Flutterwave to be careful, as Lagos State and Federal Government from the experience during the #EndSARS protests do not have the interest of the youths at heart, and definitely not that of flutterwave even with the congratulatory messages, so they should be careful.
And here are the reactions that followed the tweet, with the Governor even blocking some handles for their comments. See some of them:
@KingAbsoIute: Please be careful, they’ll start doing everything possible to make you fall. Don’t fall for that hogwash congratulations. “He who dine with the devil do so with a very long spoon”
@blvck_Witch: These tech guys have been seriously dealt with by the police and sars officials because of their laptops and phones and dreads. It’s not to congratulate. Fix this system.
@Oromedayo: Watch your back Gbenga, They are enemies of progress, Cancarworm in human clothing…. May buhari and his boys not congratulate at our wins oo… Ajenirun lawon people yen
@Oromedayo: Sanwonolu could have killed you at Tollgate.. He has killed many “Gbenga” in the making at #Lekkitollgate with no remorse…. Let him hold his congrats to himself….Till he answers who ordered #LekkiMassacre
@OmoGbajaBiamila: This clown is congratulating Flutterwave but it was the same clown that frustrated OPay, Gokada and MaxNG out of business. Say na “supporting deeper interaction…” Ko fokin danu!
@PhiloeEsq: Sanwoolu is audacious. Enabling SMEs by suffocating Gokada & co. Then congratulating the same Flutterwave they smoked during the EndSARS protests. You just know when Jagss is tweeting.