Ambode: How Lagos is remembering him

On Tuesday, May 28, Akinwunmi Ambode, a financial expert, rewrote his social media biodata to reflect his new status: a former governor of Lagos State. But unlike his Ogun State next-door neighbour, Ibikunle Amosun, who also adjusted his public biodata the same day to reflect the new reality of his life’s journey, Ambode won’t be transiting to a “Next Level.” Also unlike Amosun, he wasn’t constitutionally barred from seeking another four years in office. He was a victim of high-wire power play allegedly orchestrated by the one who brought him to be governor in the first place, another former governor of the state, Bola Tinubu.

The political development that threw Ambode out was not unprecedented in the state but the outcome had no precedent. When Ambode’s predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, was enmeshed in the same cauldron, residents of the state practically engaged the political warlords scheming to stop his second term in office. The handwriting was so legible that the jackals baying for the Surulere-born lawyer’s blood had to back off. Fashola was deemed a performer. Surprisingly, Ambode, who has also been roundly acknowledged for commendable governance delivery, did not appear to enjoy the same all-consuming public positive emotion, supportive energy and fiery indignation that scarred away the jackals closing in on Fashola. The Epe-born politician has now gone down in history book as the first incumbent to be denied a second term, while the people he served sat back and watched him get consumed by partisan politics. For now, he is fresh history in the Alausa seat of power and here is how residents of the state are remembering him.

His politics

Chief Demola Adeniji, a well-known politician from Ikorodu, told Saturday Tribune that before Ambode became governor, the future of Lagos had started emerging at an outstanding pace through the execution of the “10-point development plan” by former Governor Tinubu (1999-2007) and thereafter, “Lagos Development Plan” by former Governor Fashola (2007-2015).

“Wonderfully, in the last three and a half years, Lagos has undergone possibly the biggest transformation since its creation in 1967. Change swept across Lagos State and the speed of change is unprecedented. Just as the saying goes, ‘change is the only thing that is constant’, but change under Ambode has not just been constant but unprecedented and unmatchable,” Chief Adeniji said, adding that the immediate past governor had done the best he could.

To another respondent, Mr Tony Ayeni, Lagos has undergone a renaissance under Ambode. “A new Lagos has emerged and the transformational change occurring across Lagos in terms of the scale of massive infrastructural and urban regeneration projects is visible throughout the state with no sector left untouched. Lagos is open to business and is fast becoming the financial and economic hub of Africa. Health facilities have been upgraded. A typical example was the upgrading of Ayinke House, a first-class hospital located in Ikeja,” Ayeni said.

Ambode was adjudged to have also done well in the areas of art, culture and creativity sector, while he encouraged modern transportation with buses, bus terminals, pedestrian bridges and lay-by.

However, critics believed that Ambode was a bad player of politics. One or two examples would suffice. Land Use Charge passed by the 40 members of the state House of Assembly as well as the replacement of PSPs with Visionscape may have been grave mistakes which consumed him. “The former governor was not very popular with politicians and members of his immediate constituency – the civil servants,” said a senior civil servant who spoke with Saturday Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

His stewardship

Alhaji Kola Lateef is the chairman of Auto Mechanic and Motor Dealers, CMD Road, off Magodo, Shangisha Unit. He presents a mixed bag: “He (Ambode) did well. We had no problem during his time. The only problem was the environmental and waste management issue, which I believe was poorly managed. At a point, refuse took over the state. The arrangement he met on ground was perfect. They were doing waste management activities even at night. They were very effective and everywhere was clean. He then changed the structure and it became a failure. Replacing LAWMA with Visionscape and removing the PSP operators were a major mistake on his part. He should have allowed the arrangement he met on ground to continue. In that regard, he failed. But he did well with traffic management. He opened a lot of places up to allow for free flow of traffic. He handled congestion very well. Roads were opened up in almost all the local governments. He really tried with that. Sanwo-Olu should learn from both his failure and successes. He should improve on what he is taking over.

The people should be made to enjoy his government. LASTMA, VIO and the like also gave Ambode’s government a bad image. They need proper orientation because the governor cannot be coming to the road to do their work and they will continue to give government a bad image with the people if they are not given proper orientation.”

Mr Mukaila Alatise, a businessman, wants a connection between the old and new. According to him, “I would have loved that Sawo-Olu’s government continues with the unfinished projects of the last administration, especially on road infrastructure. Ambode’s government did its best in that regard. His government had opened up many places, especially the remote communities across the state. But most of the projects were not completed before his exit. Let me give you examples. Power Line Road, from Jankara Market in Ijaiye-Ojokoro area down to Olaniyi Street. And the one by the Oba Lambe Palace, among others, are the major alternative access roads for people by the left side of the expressway inward Lagos from Sango Toll Gate axis up to Oguntona-Jankara area. The roads are just not motorable. Though works had started on them with drainage dug, they have long been abandoned. Sanwo-Olu’s government should come to the aid of the people of the axis to save their time on the roads, prevent damage to their vehicles and reduce pressure on the ever busy Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. Also, the government should build more classrooms in its schools to decongest overcrowded classes. I am aware that many classes in public schools have more than 80 students in one class and that is not good for effective teaching and learning. The new government should also handle public waste disposal very effectively. The last government failed in this area. Sanwo-Olu should make Lagos clean again.”

A note from the street

The street also has a verdict. A driver at Andela Company, Mr Isaac Ebubechukwu, was exciting with his “mixed” English: “Go Oshodi! E don change. Go Oshodi for night, you go see the good things wey Ambode don do. If you drop pin for night for Oshodi, you go still see am. Before, did you normally see security people on Third Mainland Bridge? But when Ambode came in, they are always there. See Obalende Underbridge, you go see touts for there before, especially during Fashola regime. But now, Ambode don drive dem comot. The man get a lot wey him won do but dem no allow am do am.”

A pension officer, Mr Oyakhire Aminudeen, said Ambode was a very good administrator who knew what Lagos State needed but he needed time. He, however, felt “Sanwo Olu will do well” as well.

From everyday Lagosians comes a teacher at Wesley Girls Secondary School, Mr Salau Adeyinka. Here is his view: “Ambode is a good man. I am a Lagos State worker. I can remember him for his prompt payment of our salaries. I am able to see some of the works he has done, especially Ajah overhead bridge which has reduced the traffic on that road. I wish him best of luck in whatever he does and desires.”

Barrister Adeniyi Aderinsola was more expressive: “To me, the former governor’s administration was a good one, although with a little nostalgia at the latter part of his administration which almost dented his image and his good work. Ambode ticked correct in some boxes as far as I am concerned, like in the area of roads and other similar sectors. I recall how an initiative was put in place to light up Lagos, giving it a huge facelift. Equally, his administration scored highly, for me, in the area of security. If you stay in the Lagos metropolis, you should be able to attest to the reduction in crime. But I can’t really say that waste management fared well like the other sectors. Maybe this was due to the protracted cases at the courts which crippled the initiative of Visionscape. But sincerely, I still see no reason for the discontinuance of the environmental sanitation which prompted communities to clean up their surroundings every last Saturday of the month. Anyway, be that as it may, the administration still scores highly, for me. I hope the new governor continues with the blueprint for Lagos.”

AbdusSamad AbdurRahman, a public relations practitioner, is simply staying with the nostalgia of witnessing the administration in action, saying, “I would remember Akinwunmi Ambode as a visionary and innovative leader who looked at the development of Lagos in terms of infrastructure and technology. I wish him all the best in his next race.”

Security verdict

A security expert, Babatunji Wusu, urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to build on the legacies of the immediate past administration and use Lagos as a template for community policing in Nigeria.

Wusu told Saturday Tribune that “the governor does not have too many things to do in Lagos. I am not sure there were any major bank robberies in Lagos State in the last three years. That is to tell you that the police and the past administration have tried. The major security challenges in Lagos toady are traffic robbery, cultism, gangsterism and abuse of drugs. In fact, cultism has become a serious security threat. It is even worse than bank robbery and kidnapping. Many innocent citizens in different parts of the state have lost their lives to cult-related clashes. The new governor should build mechanism for a safer Lagos State through the Rapid Response Squad and the Task Force. These two outfits have been doing well, particularly the RRS. The governor should make these outfits stronger with human and material resources.”

• Nigerian politics: I’m wiser now ― Ambode

The security expert added: “A senior police officer at the level of a Deputy Commissioner of Police should head the RRS. That should be the standard. The leader of the RRS should report directly to the Commissioner of Police and the governor. He should be given more responsibility. The last administration bought some equipment valued at billions of naira. Some of the police stations in the state cannot boast two functional patrol vehicles. You still see policemen using commercial buses. The governor should look at this. You cannot chase armed robbers with commercial buses. The governor should procure modern crime-fighting technologies for the police. The governor should also show a strong intent to fight cultism and gangsterism. Most of these gangsters and cult members are being sponsored by policemen. There should be a proper legislation against cultism and gangsterism. Charging them to court for illegal possession of firearms cannot deter them.”

He also charged the governor to tighten security on the waterways. “This has been the channel through which most of the kidnapping operations in the state are carried out. The marine police section should be equipped to battle kidnappers on the waterways.”

For Mr Nnamdi Onyeka, a logistic and safety expert, “what I expect from the new governor of Lagos State is for his administration to fight multiple taxation because it is really affecting people with multiple businesses. The state will collect. Local governments will collect. I feel that the new governor should harmonise the tax system, just like what they did with land charges. The new governor should give everybody living in the state a sense of belonging and not discriminate against any ethnic groups. He should not abandon projects started by Governor Ambode. He should make sure he completes them all.”

Educators speak

Mr Fatai Raheem, chairman, League of Muslim School Proprietors, Lagos State

I would love the new government to increase the budget for education and give the sector a desirable attention. The children need to have access to qualitative education. There are many out-of-school children on the streets of Lagos. The government needs to do something about them. Lagos is a model for other states in the country. Without quality education, it will be difficult for meaningful economic development to take place. The government should also make the environment friendlier for us – private school operators. The government should also complete road networks embarked upon by the last government and devote more attention to the development of remote communities because they are also Lagosians.

Alhaja Wasiu Adunmadehin, chairman, National Association of Private School Proprietors (NAPPS), Lagos

The new governor has said he would explore technology to drive education and that is a good approach for the education sector to thrive in the state. There is nothing to compare with a government running a quality and quantitative education. People must have the right knowledge and skills in whatever careers they choose. That is the only way we can grow appreciably as a state and as a country. Lagos has been a model for other states in the country and this administration, I want to believe, would not deviate from that path. For the private schools, government should make the environment friendlier for the operators. We need encouragement to be able to contribute more to the educational and economic development of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole. It should give license to more willing private schools. Education is a social service and not a money-spinning venture as some people believe and we are, therefore, partners in progress.

Mr Adesina Adedoyin, chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lagos State

I don’t doubt the new governor. He will definitely perform. He did well when he was Commissioner for Establishment in the state. I believe he will replicate the performance now as governor. So, my wish for this administration is to evolve policies that are people-friendly so that all of us can assist in moving Lagos State to a greater height. One of the areas his administration should focus on is infrastructural development, which the past governments started. In schools, we have shortage of manpower. He should accelerate the recruitment of new competent hands into the teaching service. There are some subjects with not enough teachers to handle them from primary to secondary school levels. Aside from that, his administration should motivate teachers to perform better. There is the need for special allowances for certain teachers like those in riverine areas, those teaching sciences and those taking care of students with special needs. The government should also encourage sports in schools. I am not in doubt as regards Sanwo-Olu’s capability to perform. He is a man of intelligence and he should be able to demonstrate that as a governor.

Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, 2nd Deputy National President, National Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria

During his campaign, he promised to drive the education sector in the state with technology. That means he would connect the two important sectors together to move the state’s economy forward. Technology is the way to go in this 21st century. It will greatly help teaching and learning in the state. Education is a catalyst to development. His decision to go ahead with the programmes already started by his predecessor is a welcome development. That means he would continue with the massive road infrastructures around the state. With his LSDPC background, he should be able to help make housing schemes accessible and affordable to Lagosians. Let us all support his government to experience a better Lagos.