Lagos And Its Emperor-Governor By Dr. Olusegun Fakoya

The military have enshrined the
understanding of power in the mind
of the average Nigerian. Their
maxim rests on the bedrock that
power flows from the barrel of a
gun. Such power has been deemed
undemocratic, non-participatory,
insensitive and brutal. It is precisely
its non-participatory nature, coupled
with its insensitivity that promotes
the beauty of democracy; a process
where man is seen as a decider of
his fate, the supporter and promoter
of his collective destiny. Power, in a
democracy, thus flows from the
people’s votes; power flows, by
extension from the people, therefore
making the people the primary
custodian of power. In a true
democracy, it is difficult to separate
the “people” from “power” as the
two are linked, often interacts and
exist in harmony. A “power” that
ignores its source and alienates the
people is one that is tethering on
calamity. Such a power toys with
rejection and castigation to the
dustbin of history.
Since the aim of democracy is the
installation of good governance,
what then do we mean by good
government? According to Thomas
Jefferson, in his address eons ago
to Maryland Republicans in the
United States, he emphasized that
good government was the one that
most effectively secures the rights of
the people and rewards of their
labour. He argued that a good
government promotes the people’s
happiness and also does their will;
these are the legitimate objectives of
a good government. Other theorists
went further to describe the
attributes of a good government as
possessing eight major
characteristics – participatory,
consensus oriented, accountable,
transparent, responsive, effective
and efficient, equitable and inclusive
and follows the rule of law. A good
government ensures that the views
of minorities are taken into account
and that the voices of the most
vulnerable in society are heard in
decision-making.
This is not a thesis on power but a
comment on the antics of the Lagos
State government in its unyielding
disdain for the people’s agitation. It
is indeed baffling that a government
of a highly educated gentleman
would often times be so brash
almost to the point of being
vindictive and brutal. Here is a
government that borrowed precious
little from the rule book of
diplomacy and active engagement
with the people. The head of this
government makes no pretention of
its disdain for the people and their
collective wishes. He enjoys the
limelight of challenging the people
to a duel – a duel of the might of
the government in suppressing the
peoples’ agitation and desires. It is
such that in this unfortunate state,
many war fronts against the
government have been created and
directly perpetuated by the governor
himself.
While power supposedly flows from
the people in a democratic setting,
yet in Lagos State, there is a
conflicting dichotomy. We have the
people and the government. This
has created a situation akin to that
obtainable in a military dispensation
minus the barrel of a gun. It is a
situation characterized by
government versus people. Citizens
have been brutalized, ignored,
cajoled and treated with utmost
disdain by a government that
supposedly came to power on the
strength of the people’s votes. In a
battle of two opposing forces, where
one has the arsenal of power and
yet remains inflexible, the weaker
opponent has no choice in its
ultimate subjugation and
humiliation. Such is the on-going
battle over the continuous toiling
plan for roads in the state.
The battle over toiling on the Lekki-
Epe Expressway started way back in
2011. It was exactly on the 17th
December 2011 when the peaceful
protest by affected Lekki residents
under the auspices of Lekki-Etiosa-
Epe Estates Indigenes turned awry
at the first toll collection point
known as the Admiralty Circle Toll
Plaza. The infamous role of the
Lagos State government in
sponsoring thugs to attack peaceful
protesters is well documented in
public eye. These thugs were ably
assisted by the national disgrace
known as Nigerian Police Force.
Many residents were brutalized and
injured and unconfirmed reports
even relate to possible loss of life.
This is in a democratic
dispensation. Twenty-four hours
after this show of shame, the ever
recalcitrant and inflexible Lagos
State government commenced its
planned toll collection. We are all
living witnesses to this sad fact
today. In its legendary insensitivity
to the people’s plight, the all-
powerful Lagos government actually
planned to commence operation of
the second toll point (labelled
Conservation Plaza) on the 16th
December 2012.This second toll
point is located about 10km away
from the first (Admiralty Plaza) on a
stretch of road measuring just
49.36 km. Of course, there would
still be a third plaza, probably a year
after the second!
That the Conservation Plaza has not
come to life is due to the continued
agitation and peaceful protest
staged by aggrieved residents. Even
then, the unruffled government has
only postponed its launch date,
apparently to gear up its unlimited
armoury in taming the aggrieved. It
would be nothing unusual or
surprising if this current struggle
leads the agile governor again to
army formations in requesting
military assistance in taming the
“demons”. The Guardian on Sunday
(of 16th December 2012) reported
as follows:
“Despite promises made by Lagos
State government and the
construction firm in a Public Private
Partnership (PPP) scheme to
provide a coastal route as an
alternative to the toll-point at
Admiralty Circle Plaza for road
users, as contained in the contract
documents for the project, it still
remains an intention on paper.
Instead, the goalpost is being
shifted in the middle of the game
with the creation of a single-lane
route along Oniru Estate”
The salient issues that beg for
answers remain same ever since the
idea of this obnoxious partnership
between Lagos State and the
ubiquitous Lekki Concession
Company (LCC) came to light. The
issues include the relevance of
charging money for the addition of a
single lane to an existing road, a
road built years ago by another
civilian government. The other
question is the proprietary or
otherwise of mortgaging residents
and other road users to a ludicrous
agreement of 30 years of toll
collection in the suspicious contract
between LCC and Lagos State
government. Finally, the dogged
pursuit of this unpopular
programme by the Raji Fashola’s
government brings to light an aspect
of government irresponsibility
endemic in our country today.
An aspect of the agreement between
LCC and Lagos State government is
the creation of alternate axes to
ease the burden on residents who
cannot afford to submit to the
exploitative regime. To date, if a
corridor has been completed, it is
probably one and even then, the
government is in haste to continue
its unpopular policy. It baffles one
that it takes a Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) for a government
to be responsive to its primary
commitment of building and
maintaining roads in the onerous
task of developing the state. While
the stupendous hold of LCC on
Lagos State government has set
tongues wagging, to date the
government has refused to accept
the bait to quench the unpalatable
rumour, if indeed it was unfounded.
A recent example in memory is the
effort of Dr Ademola Dominic to
compel Governor Raji Fashola to
render public accounts of its
finances to the citizens. Using the
instrument of the Freedom of
Information Act that was lawfully
passed by the National Assembly
and ably signed to law by President
Jonathan, Dr Dominic, on the 24th
October 2012, petitioned the Lagos
State government to disclose public
accounts as relate to monthly tax
revenue consultancy earned by a
private company known as Alpha
Beta Consulting Limited (ABC).
However, in a disgraceful reply that
smirks of public disdain and utter
arrogance, Lagos State government
in a statement signed by one
Olanrewaju Akinsola (a Special
Senior Assistant on Justice Sector
Reforms in the Office of the
Attorney-General), the government
maintained that it would never
release the state expenditure to
public domain. Thus an obligatory
responsibility of government was
spectacularly rejected by nervous
government with loads of skeleton
in its cupboard. For curious
Lagosians, ABC may well be a
brother or sister of LCC as Bola
Tinubu has been fingered in the
formation of both.
Thus the alternative road axis
created by the government is seen
as a pacifier to stop the ever
indebted government from being
distracted in its dogged pursuit of
gratification for its benefactor. It
was not a road created out of
altruistic necessity. It is indeed a
wonder how one man can exert so
much control over a state, nay a
geographical region. And it is
equally painful, how as a people we
have used our votes to subjugate
our future, created hardship for
ourselves and enthrone mediocrity
in governance. This is perhaps a
lesson for future elections.
Thus on the attributes of a good
government exposed by Thomas
Jefferson and others, it is obvious to
the people where the Fashola regime
belongs. Here is a government that
has consistently failed to utilise the
art of consultation and public
engagement in the formulation and
implementation of policies. Mr Raji
Fashola’s government in Lagos
State is reflective of the attitude,
internal structure and the modus
operandi of the ruling Action
Congress of Nigeria (CAN), the so-
called liberal party out to salvage
Nigeria from its moral and economic
problems. The endearing qualities of
this rather myopic regime are
shrinking by the day.
The democratic credentials of this
government beg for analysis. Here is
a government that has brought so
much hardship to the citizens in its
obsession with a mega-city status.
Here is a government that finds it
convenient to rollick and frolic with
a segment of the citizenry, only to
turn around at a convenient time to
seek for the annihilation of same.
Here is a government that will use
one side of its mouth to condemn a
military suppression of the
legitimate protest of the people, only
to turn around at a convenient time
and use another side of same mouth
to invite the military to brutally
suppress citizens that dare to
challenge its over-lordship and
supreme authority. Inadvertently,
Lagosians have entrenched an
Emperor-Governor; one who knows
so much about the laws yet takes
extreme pleasure in breaking same
with impunity; An Emperor-Governor
who is steadfastly insensitive to the
people’s suffering, yearnings and
desires. A mistake was indeed made
in Lagos.
Before Joe Igbokwe shouts himself
hoarse, may I declare that I belong
to no political persuasion. If
anything, I treat the poison called
politics in Lagos, and in Nigeria as a
whole, with nothing but a very long
stick. My sanity is too precious for
the conundrum of disconsolate
noises and shenanigans called
politics in Nigeria. It may be right to
describe me as a child of anger
(many thanks to opportunistic
Reuben Abati). Yes, I am a pestle-
welding critic and an unrelenting,
self-appointed activist. But unlike
the misguided Abati stated, I am not
idling and neither am I twittering for
fun. I have vowed to use my talent
in the extremely difficult task of
sanitizing the malodorous Nigerian
environment. An environment
polluted by the stinks from the likes
of Reuben and all those who are hell
bent on making us a joke in the
eyes of the world. Herein lies my
anger, especially at the questionable
policies and projects in Lagos State.
Yes, Lagos is my state and I have a
stake in its wellbeing and progress.