In 2007, an unknown name in Lagos politics – Babatunde Raji Fashola was thrown up. Many Lagosians asked a pertinent question ‘Babatunde who?’ Before his name rang a bell, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, a long term associate of the then Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu a.k.a Jagaban was thought to be the anointed one. He was in the Federal House of Representatives while Tinubu held sway in the Senate. They both became members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and both fled to the United Kingdom on a self-imposed exile to fight the Abacha dictatorship from the Queens Land. Afikuyomi was also instrumental to the nomination of the former deputy governor, Femi Pedro.
The wily Asiwaju who was then the last man standing among the ‘progressive governors’ in the South West had other plans and foisted Fashola, his Chief of Staff as his successor without any party primaries. He seemed to be the meekest of them all and wanted to be able to sleep with his two eyes closed after handing over power.
Fashola seemed to be akin to the legendary King Mansa Musa of the famous Mali Empire who was an expansionist that took the empire founded by Askia Songhai to the apogee. He completed the major roads started by Tinubu. He commenced the construction of the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Badagry road expansion among many others. Public parks once the haven for criminals and destitutes were restored to its original master plan. The bridge of the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and the airport by-pass had the undesirable elements hitherto resident there completely cleared and the places made to fit into the mega city agenda. There was a public-private collaboration to rid the city of the massive filth that had become something worse than an eye sore. The dump site in Ojota was turned into a recycling centre. Then came the observance of the Pedestrian walk, Zebra Crossing and other road signs were enforced religiously. The high crime rate was reduced through the establishment of the Lagos Security Trust Fund – a private-public partnership.
There is no high achiever without critics. Who could have believed that Sir Winston Churchill who saved the British Empire from total annihilation by the murderous Adolf Hitler could be thrown out of office in favour of pacifist Clement Attle. Fashola popularly known as BRF could certainly not be an exception.
He was accused of running an elitist government catering only to the needs of Ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikeja, Oshodi, Yaba and Surulere where he grew up and leaving Ajegunle, Apapa, Satellite Town, Alimosho-Kosofe, Iyana-Ipaja, Abule-Egba, Ojo, Amukoko, Okota, Ijegun-Egba, Ajangbadi, Volkswagen, Alaba, Okokomaiko and so on to rot.
His tax regime was criticized as being unduly punitive with many incidences of double taxation and the failure to utilize the funds to develop the goose that laid the proverbial golden egg. A place like Alaba for instance was heavily taxed but does not get a substantial feel of government presence. Local government officials harass shop owners for sundry payments without the issuing of receipts. The way officials of the Lagos State Management Authority (LASTMA) pounce on motorists on the roads would make one regret ever owning a vehicle. The state gets about 20 billion naira monthly from both the federation account and internally generated revenue with nothing much on ground to show for the colossal inflow of funds.
The public schools are generally unfit for human habitation – broken walls and dilapidated infrastructure.
The health sector was in shambles. A drive to LASUTH shows an ad hoc form of taxation at work. One is required to pay a toll fee of 300 naira even if you are bringing in a patient. The emergency ward stinks to the high heavens with the health workers exhibiting a recalcitrant behaviour. His administration witnessed frequent strikes in the sector leaving hapless patients to their fate.
Then came a damning report from Amnesty International that his administration had deported over 9000 people. His infamous deportation of 72 Igbos who were dumped under an Onitsha bridge was a tiny drop in the mighty ocean.
There is the menace of hooligans otherwise known as area boys or agberos. They inflict needless pain on vehicle operators who pass the buck in form of high fares to the defenseless passengers. They also make life a living hell for itinerant traders through the issuing of extortion cards with the subterfuge of tickets.
A major problem which Fashola has is the fact that he is not his own man. He is a mere stooge of Tinubu who sadly still dictates the affairs of the nation’s economic nerve centre from his home in Bourdillon. There was a rumour that Alpha Beta, a revenue collection company owned by Tinubu collects taxes on behalf of the State with a fat percentage thereby usurping the function of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service. The rumour mills had it that they fell out when BRF didn’t agree to continue to pay the high percentage and that nearly cost him his re-election which saw him sacrifice his loyal deputy, Sarah Sosan for the Godfather’s Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
There was a damning report released by a group known as the True Face of Lagos which indicted Tinubu, BRF, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe and some top Lagos government functionaries for high level fraudulent activities running into billions of naira. Olowolafe was arrested and quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for three days before being surprisingly let off the hook.
The Centre of Excellence which is arguably the economic hub of the entire black continent certainly deserves a better helmsman to effectively steer its tumultuous ship to the zenith for the citizenry to get a fair deal.
She needs an independent minded individual who will not be swayed by the evil of godfatherism which has been the bane of our politics since the advent of the fourth republic.
Jimi Agbaje certainly fits the bill. For starters he is economically independent and achieved that at a tender age. He set up JayKay Pharmacy at the age of 25, barely 4 years after leaving the Great Ife. The company has since grown in leaps and bounds. He was a founding member of the board of directors of the hugely successful Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) at the age of 33 in 1990. He also sits on the boards of numerous blue chips which include Oakwood Park, Vigeo Holdings and Atlantic Hall School, Epe. Contrast this with Fashola who was an employee all his life – his last place of employment was in the chambers of K.O Tinubu, the father of Wale Tinubu, the Oando boss. We can see the psychological impact it had on BRF in not being able to assert himself throughout his near eight year reign in the saddle. Lagos as the nation’s economic hub needs someone with a business background to run. The core politicians have messed up and its high time we turned to a bridge between a politician, businessman and technocrat.
Politics is too important to be left solely in the hands of politicians. Jimi Agbaje has not soiled his hands with the pilfering of public funds as he is a firm believer in wealth coming as a result of hard work and solid principles. Such a man is needed to save the state from further ruin. The time has come for men with unblemished reputation to stand up and be counted. His head fits the large cap as he belongs to the new breed of politicians the state desperately needs.
He is a bridge builder as his emergence as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party was not as a result of an imposition. His arch rival, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has promised to mend fences and work with him to ensure the victory for the party next month. Contrast this with the scenario that played itself in the APC where Tinubu backed Ambode, the eventual winner and Fashola threw his weight behind Olasupo Sasore SAN, his erstwhile Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. The PDP’s time has come if it can consolidate on this rare trace of unity that Agbaje unwittingly brought.
His choice of Sarufat Abdulkareem was a Solomonic one. The dust has still not fully settled on the brutal murder of Funsho Williams in 2006. In a deft master stroke, he killed two birds with a single stone – Keeping the memory of the late Funsho Williams and affirming his belief in affirmative action by making sure women hold a pivotal place in public service.
Jimi Agbaje has the moral high ground to occupy the exalted office in Alausa and institute a probe to recover all the lost assets for the development of the state if indeed the APC which has held sway for the past 16 years is found wanting. He doesn’t live in a glass house and hence can throw as many stones as possible without getting any infraction. Lagosians deserve every penny of their funds especially honest and hardworking tax payers who have made so much sacrifice.
Jimi Agbaje fought for the enthronement of democracy albeit on a low key level. He was a member of the concerned professionals – a group which fought for the de-annulment of the June 12 Presidential elections won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Also as an Afenifere member, he did his bit in the brutal struggle without drawing attention to himself. A true gentleman, he did not take advantage of his part in the struggle to demand political appointments like many of his contemporaries did. He did not harass any government for lucrative contracts or mouthwatering, under the table deals. Such men are rare and this is the kind of man we need to occupy Alausa.
His emergence as the PDP gubernatorial flagbearer saw the mass defection of about 3000 members of the APC to the PDP. His popularity keeps soaring by the day. With the allegations of massive corruption leveled Tinubu and Fashola, won’t it be suicidal to entrust the future of our dear state in the hands of Ambode who worked closely with both men in his capacity as a former Permanent Secretary in the State Finance Ministry and State accountant-general?
He has expressed the desire to improve the transportation system as the BRT has not met the yearnings and aspirations of the ever increasing populace. He is also concerned about the building of the light rail project which will not only create jobs but will make movement around the state a whole lot easier especially for workers who live in far flung places like Ikorodu or Badagry and have to get to work every day on the island. Education is also on the front burner of his campaign as having benefitted from a sound education, he is ready to give Lagosians nothing short of the best. Housing is also important to him as he is concerned about the non-affordability of the so called low cost housing scheme of the Fashola administration. He opines that Lagos needs 170,000 housing units every year.
Will Jimi Agbaje a.k.a JK the symbol of change and the dawn of the new era get the mantle or will it be a continuation of the old guard?
Over to you Lagosians!
Tony Ademiluyi is a public affairs analyst based in Lagos
