•conversation around Greater Lagos Rising real, says Sanwo-Olu
A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Adigun Agbaje, on Tuesday, urged the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and political leaders in the state to ensure that the democratic space in Lagos does not get clogged in order to avoid regression into oligarchy.
Agbaje made the call in a lecture he delivered at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, as part of programmes lined up for the second term inauguration into the office of Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.
The University don from the Department of Political Science, however, commended the Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team which according to him, have “tended to elevate ideals in governance infrastructure and superstructure,” the way it should be.
The lecture titled: ‘The Making of a Beacon: Lagos and the Consolidation of a Democracy that Works for all’, was also accompanied by a book launch to celebrate Sanwo-Olu’s exceptional achievements during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
The book titled: “The Incident Commander,” was reviewed by foremost journalist, Ray Ekpu, who was represented by Kofo Adedeji, while the event was rounded off by a play with the title, “Echoes of the Drums.”
Speaking further, the lecturer noted that Governor Sanwo-Olu, in line with precedent, had carefully crafted a knowledge-based, inclusive pathway to renewal and consolidation, noting that Lagos had been blessed by a happy coincidence over the decades of technocrats and astute politicians in governance.
Agbaje said the state must be steered more in the direction of greater and wider inclusion, in the understanding that a democracy that works for all was not only desirable as a means to an end and an end in itself.
“I propose, not because I stand before the people and government of Lagos today, that Lagos belongs to the few marching positively toward democratic renewal and, therefore, raising possibilities for even more meaningful development, peace and equity.
“At the same time, I want to quickly warn that given that democracy is a fragile process often prone to decline and even reversal, leaders of thought and of governance, along with members of the political elite, must consciously work to ensure that the democratic space in the state does not get so clogged as to witness a regression into oligarchy.
“For, experiences globally have shown that the longer-term interests of those that rule, and those they rule over, are better served when power remains democratic, rather than when it is undemocratically concentrated in the hands of a few. Democratic achievements must continue to be nurtured, otherwise, they may falter and wither away.
“As stated earlier, leaders of thought and action at all levels of government, private, business and professional life, organized labour, religion, community leaders and civil society, among others, must reassess and fully appreciate their role in all this.
“Happily, the government of Governor Sanwo-Olu, in line with precedent, has carefully crafted a knowledge-based, inclusive pathway to renewal and consolidation in this regard.
“Lagos has traditionally been blessed by a happy coincidence over the decades of technocrats and astute politicians in governance, with the added advantage of a higher civil service long cultivated on efficiency and effectiveness.
“His vision for governance in his first term was built around what was described as his THEMES agenda, comprising Traffic management and transportation, Health and the environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21” century economy, Entertainment tourism, and Security and governance.
“He and his deputy, Dr Hamzat, have promised to do more in this regard, with their campaign for re-election in the March 2023 election guided by the theme, A greater Lagos is Rising.
“The challenges before the leaders of thought and action in all this are daunting, but happily not strange or unsurmountable. The state must be pointed more in the direction of greater and wider inclusion, in the understanding that a democracy that works for all is not only desirable as a means to an end and an end in itself but also achievable. It is one in which leaders must not be immune to pressures of the expectations and pains and cries of the people,” he added.
Responding, Sanwo-0lu expressed appreciation for the gathering in his honour and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, assuring that the conversation around the Greater Lagos Rising was real.
The governor added that his administration was resolved to ensure commitments to its actualization.
“I want to thank you very much. I want to say to you that the conversation around the Greater Lagos Rising is real. it will happen in your lifetime, and all of our commitments to you will be actualized.
“We have started some of the programmes that will lead, you know, to our inauguration on the 29th of May 2023. And this lecture, Cum Book Launch cum drama play, three in one, is one of the activities that have been put forward. This is an activity that is meant to challenge intellectual prowess.
“And I want to say that Professor Adigun has given us that tonic here this afternoon. He has challenged us, he has encouraged us. He has shown that indeed, the beacons that Lagos continues to hold as a state for our country is real, even on a political land space.
“Economically, commercially, we hold it, but he has come to also now tell us that even politically, Lagos is a beacon, Lagos is a force to reckon with and I think we all deserve a big round of applause for ourselves,” he said.
Sanwo quickly recalled the commissioning of Dangote Refinery, the biggest refinery in the world, which took place on Monday in Lagos, saying that such was to demonstrate that Lagos would continue to remain home to people that want to do real business and grow the economy of the country.
“We saw what happened yesterday at the commissioning of the biggest refinery in the world, single line refinery in the world, here in Lagos, working with all of our locals, ensuring that Lagos continues to remain home to people that want to do real business that wants to grow the economy of our country.
“And that that kind of an investment, not only will it transform the economic prowess of Lagos, it will also provide lots and lots of jobs for our youth,” he said.
The governor posited that it was not out of place when his administration decided to convert one of the state universities into the University of Science and Tech, “because what they require in the refinery will be engineers in all fields, and those are some of the things that we saw.”
“Those are some of the works of the future that we talked about. And part of the things that you also do in computer science, that’s all. We also are encouraging all of our students to come up with skills that are required to ensure that they become useful to themselves and to their families in future,” Sanwo-Olu said.
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