by 
Lagos today is under the leadership of a learned man who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a man of sound pedigree. Raji Fashola, BRF as fondly called was also under the tutelage of a colossus who if cannot be called a democrat because of those who never see anything good in him, can be referred to as a fighter for and supporter of democracy and I am talking of no other person than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In addition, Lagos has never been found wanting in quest for social justice and what is politically correct.
Sadly however, the government of the day appears to be anti-masses or has an oversight that some people are really groaning on the rungs of the ladder under intense and agonizing poverty. But let it be quickly added that no matter its failings, the ACN led government towers far and above the main opposition party, the PDP, a party bereft of ideas of governance but adroit in deceit and deception.
It is a great irony that the real struggling people who are doing petty trading are the ones made to occupy “Black Maria” while the real “made for Black Maria” are freely drinking their concoctions early in the morning after acts of extortions and other criminalities they commit with impunity just because they are handy political instruments of politicians. Pen robbers and other gluttons for treasury contents drive around in state of the art Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) whereas their means of transport should be Black Maria and their abode being the Maximum prisons facilities.
Much as some traders are goatish in nature, given an inch they take a yard, yet that should not be the latitude for dehumanizing treatment of them; because we will not kill our goats if they return to our cassava flakes severally. We will rather find other means of keeping our valuables away from them. A government that claims to be progressive should understand fully the import of yanking self-esteem from any human being no matter his or her social status. There was no justification for such dehumanizing treatment yesterday, it does not fit into a decent society today and would definitely be absurd in the near future. Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, even governors and presidents have been nurtured through the proceeds of hard working petty traders who are today a pariah.
Before a policy is formulated a sensitive government will consider its import on the people especially the most vulnerable. Here we are; we have created a terrible fiasco in social cohesion such that leaders are not to be trusted, followers have lost hope, every hope is put on miracle, people are lazy and thoroughly rendered inertia. The few that are forging ahead by not getting involved in criminality and struggling as petty traders, artisans are not only displaced without any consideration but are also criminalized by being hounded in Black Maria simply for hawking wares on the road. How can a SAN justify the actions of a set of people in uniform who will pounce on market people, raid their wares without documenting them, haul those arrested in mobile detention in an un-dignifying manner? The “confiscated” and seized wares more often than not are shared as booties by the people hiding under the guise of non-concern by the state government.
Small businesses are not spared the onslaught of the state government either. Lagos State Advertisement and Signage Agency (LASSA) is really causing Lassa fever for small businesses. It is another irony that these employers of labour who help reduce social tension through job creation are the sector being harassed by the two tiers of government in the state with vexatious levies. Business owners are not protected from bloodshot extortionists who must be “settled” before loading and offloading. The state government will do us a lot of favour if they can explain how much revenue they generate through tax from the extortionists who have more than enough to acquire exotic and very expensive cars, spray musicians who praise sing them regularly?
I have not availed myself of the full details of what the motives were and what categories of student are affected by the decision, but the truth is that the state government increased tuition fees and other sundry fees in the university owned and funded by it. If the institution is meant to serve the inadequacies of the federal universities in admission capacity as regards Lagos indigenes, there may be justifications for a hike for students from other states who may through their own admission offers deny Lagos indigenes the opportunity to be admitted, but even at that I don’t believe education should be made unaffordable for all Nigerians and indeed any living being who so desires to acquire knowledge. If the state government’s upward review also affects Lagos indigenes with the sharp increase and the affected students have no opportunity for recourse to student loan repayable on liberal terms then it is an act of insensitivity on the part of government.
Human capital development should be the hallmark of policy formulation for any government and that is talking about education and health but I add the third to it, shelter is also very important. It is doubtful whether any country in the world has attained 100% poverty eradication. A friend once told me that there are no destitute in Denmark but I have not really verified the assertion. The crux of the matter is that the housing policy embarked upon by the present administration in Lagos is not for the poor. The administration before it could even be rated to have done one in Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate along Ajah axis. A government needs to demonstrate good faith and be thoughtful about the poor in the society. This informed the social security policy as practiced in developed democracies of the world. England have what they call council houses, Canada has a similar program for people of low income who will be made to pay what is commensurate with the income of a particular occupier at a given period of time. For argument sake, Lagos does not have the luxury of land mass but a mass housing program as done by the Jakande led administration could be embarked upon in Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry axes if only to show concern for the masses. Hawkers of wares should also be encouraged to be home owners through this kind of projects instead of them being made to be occupants of Black Maria.
Lagos should be a pioneer state where peoples’ self-esteem and human dignity are protected and championed. Why? The people in Lagos have a consistent history of support for the protection of human rights; they represent a scourge and nemesis for bad leaders and their bad policies. Abacha’s sleepless nights came more from Lagos, Babangida’s decision to abdicate had serious input from Lagos protesters; Abiola’s mandate agitation was more severe in Lagos and if the Jonathan administration chose to reverse the unpopular PMS hike even to not to its previous rate, Lagos and Lagos protesters were mainly the heroes and of course some progressive minded politicians who chose to stand by the masses.
The ban on Okada on major roads is a relief and a source of pain. Those who genuinely eke a living through the business even though it was an aberration that was allowed to subsist for too long have an axe to grind with this government. And this may not be because of the ban but rather because of how the enforcers of the law embarked on its implementation which caused dehumanization, deaths and permanent injuries.
The reduction in popularity of the present Lagos government comes more from its inactions about the excesses of characters in the midst of its law enforcers like LASTMA, KAI, CBD and others. They go about with armed police to harass, intimidate and extort people on the road. The state government ought to send true believers in their midst to feel the pulse of the people about the repulsive attitude of its agents on the road. The positive aspects of these operatives must be sustained and where they have become dictatorial, oppressors and extortionists must be vigorously discouraged, investigated and punished.
As Eko Atlantic City is being pursued with vigour, so should EKO slum renewal be given adequate consideration. There is no difference in the process of birth for the slave and the master, they all run nine months in the belly of a mother if it is a normal birth and that consideration should always be there to always lift one another. The very foundation of government is predicated on this spirit of finding equilibrium. Flying on airplane may be expensive than riding on a train but both can have almost same comfort and the advantage of air passenger is in early arrival to destination.
On a final note, a piece of advice for the leadership of ACN whether they morph into APC or any other alliance for that matter is that they should not take the people for granted hence they play into the political bait of the swashbucklers who are hungry and eager to plunder and destroy.
Babatunde Raji Fashola’s headed government had done so much in the past six years and it is still doing, and should therefore be concerned with who and what party succeeds him so that the gains of sixteen years will not be jeopardized by “Viking” who are waiting for opportunities to ravage. The mission starts in the wisdom of the ACN leadership in feeling the pulse, sharing the pains and genuinely offering succor to the aggrieved masses.
Recommendations:
1. Though availability of funds is a consideration, the state government should embark on massive construction of inner roads in different locations in the state and promote the use of specially designed buses that have wider entry and exit doors to shuttle within streets with designated bus stops. A project like that will naturally put to rest the attraction of Okada as a means of transportation.
2. Use of technology and courts should be intensified to checkmate the excesses of the goatish traders who will leave the confines of their shops to trade on the roads. Once a camera catches a potential culprit and a court summons is served on the potential violator, a more effective means of curbing street trading would have been created. KAI officials will not have to chase human beings as if they are in the jungle trying to catch some animals. The government should understand that traders don’t like to be saddled with the problem that makes them absent from their place of business, so a court date that has couple of adjournments and eventual fine or jail term are enough deterrence.
3. Massive high rise building policy should be embarked upon especially in new areas to checkmate the excesses of landlords and reduce housing shortages as well as to curb environmental problems.
4. Political leaders and political parties especially a political party that has progressive philosophy should start to disengage the services of the bad boys and instead sensitize the people to be more alive to their civic duties and the protection of their liberty. Once this is achieved, then a government formed through such due process would have less need to please “terrorists” whose services are usually needed during election time.
5. Lastly, those leaders should live by example; they should not be engaged in conspicuous consumption that makes people not to trust them.
Suggestions:
a. The state government should as a matter of urgency embark on traffic light construction at the following location: (i) Sabo bus stop on Herbert Macaulay, Lagos Mainland. (ii) Left exit before the Old toll gate at Isheri to link Seven Up and for motorists approaching Olusosun/Ojota before FRSC office from Ibadan/Lagos expressway and (iii) U turn to Ikeja Militrary Cantonment from Maryland and for motorists coming from Local airport towards Maryland. The first is to reduce tension for drivers who face serious hassles even though a major police station (Sabo) is located there, and the other two are very dangerous for drivers trying to make U turn and merging to the extreme right lane after turning.
Eko O Ni Baje O.
Olanrewaju T. Ajiboye
(Coordinator, MOHELP)
