Tokunbo Wahab: Celebrating sheriff of Lagos environment @ 53

By Kunle Adeshina

A lawyer, administrator, great thinker, visionary leader, good governance advocate, and many things rolled into one, Tokunbo Wahab’s first foray into public service was in 2019 when he was appointed to the cabinet of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Special Adviser on Education. Then, part of his brief was the supervision of the tertiary institutions in Lagos State, namely Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State Polytechnic, and the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, as they were then known, as well as other state-owned institutions of higher learning. Being a visionary and inspirational leader, Wahab worked tirelessly with other key stakeholders to ensure the successful upgrade of the then Lagos Polytechnic to the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, the then College of Education to Adeniran Ogunsanya University of Education. To keen watchers of events in the State, the upgrade of the former Office of Special Adviser on Education to that of a substantive Commissioner for Tertiary Education, overseeing a Ministry of Tertiary Education, is a testament to his many laudable strides while he was the Special Adviser on Education.

Upon the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu for a second tenure in office, Wahab was given what many considered a tough job. He was named the Commissioner Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources. Based on his antecedents as a performer, many believe that the appointment is a round peg in a round hole. No doubt, he possesses the energy needed to drive the implementation of the state’s environmental laws as well as the dynamism required to successfully maintain a delicate balance between being just and firm to all concerned. In his first interaction with the ministry’s management staff, he was very equivocal that his style of leadership is about leading from the front. He came across as a very energetic personality with a listening ear, but he also cut the image of someone who has no time for sycophants. His job is to manage the environment and water sector in Lagos State, and he is not going to do the job sitting down in the office. While stressing that he is ready to work with everybody, he urged the ministry’s management staff to gear up for hard work. He did not mince words: Tough days lie ahead, especially for those responsible for enforcing the environmental laws. “There must be no compromise”, he warned. He assured that he will lead from the front to ensure that the State Environmental Sanitation Laws of 2017 are implemented to the letter and that they have the full backing of the law to do their jobs. He said from the briefings and what he has seen, the state has tolerated a lot of brazenness from some residents who have concluded that anything goes in Lagos.

In his words, “If we don’t act now, the state could become a Hobbesian state, where life is solitary, nasty, brutish and short”. The time for talk was over. Then came the time to act. Wahab went into straight action, seeking official information on many residential estates in highbrow Lekki Phase 1 and II, and many such areas where some residents blatantly built on drainage setbacks and alignments. Upon further enquiries, the commissioner realized they had all been served mandatory notices to stop construction, but they defiantly refused to comply.  Naturally, these infractions resulted in perennial flooding and loss of properties by some residents due to the insensitivity of some residents who believed they were untouchable. An example is the Lekki II Mobil Ologolo corridor in System 44 Ikota, where, despite repeated serving of stop work orders on structures erected on the drainage setbacks and convening of stakeholders’ meetings, many of such structures were still springing up indiscriminately. It is about the interest of the greatest majority at all times, according to Mr Tokunbo Wahab, as he went ahead to authorize the removal of many infractions and structures lying deep inside the System 44 canal in Ikota, Lagos.

The action and many others that followed generated a backlash, especially on social media, with many labelling it as a tribal move targeted at a particular ethnic group. Many of the allegations were outright falsehoods spread by those who never had facts to back up their claim. The commissioner also publicly challenged any of the property owners who had the requisite government approvals to come out in public with such approvals, but none came out. With many such contraventions, he also initiated consultative meetings with many residents’ associations to bring suggestions to the table. At such fora, Wahab always reiterates that his major preoccupation is to ensure that the collateral damage suffered by the defaulting property owners is reduced to the barest minimum whilst also ensuring that the interest of the majority of residents is safeguarded. “We will not be here forever. However, if tomorrow some new administrators come in, they should not be able to fault our actions because we took these decisions acting in the best interest of the majority at that time, which can be defended anywhere in the world”, he stressed.

Today, in Lagos, the consciousness has been raised by the Sanwo-Olu administration, so much so that people now think twice before committing environmental infractions. A new Sheriff is in town. As far as the environment sector is concerned, it is no longer business as usual.

The Lagos State Government has also received plaudits for its efforts in sanitizing the environment. Many of those who still flagrantly engage in street trading, hawking, and indiscriminate parking, among others, are quite aware of the dire consequences of their action if caught. The same applies to people who erect structures without undertaking the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) tests that the law mandates them to do. If you are caught, your property will be sealed, and you will also do the needful in addition to paying heavy fines. The state is now witnessing an upsurge in the request for drainage permits by prospective property owners who have come to terms that if they proceed with such constructions without obtaining the necessary approvals, they stand the risk of losing such properties to the state government. 

At 53, it is amazing that Tokunbo Wahab remains sharp and fit. His youthful look betrays his five decades and three years of reality in the land of the living. If you have ever been on his team during inspection tours, you would be wowed by his athleticism, dynamism, fitness, and sheer energy. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, excellence does not come by accident; it is achieved by habit and conscious commitment to one’s goals and objectives. This has, indeed, been the guiding philosophy of Tokunbo Wahab since his foray into public service. As it is often said, there is a need to tackle old challenges with new methods. Wahab’s viewpoint is that if we continue to use the same approach, which has not resulted in any significant positive results, we are bound to get the same results.

As this inspirational leader celebrates 53 years on planet earth, we wish him and his family all the best in the years ahead, especially as he marches on in the onerous task of making Lagos a livable city for its over 22 million residents.

•Adeshina is the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Alausa, Ikeja

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