It is a sad story that Nigerians have continued to live through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where political leaders usually fail to look beyond the next election. Today, elected leaders still adhere to the myth of preserving the status quo and often display indifference to social change that guarantees genuine transformation and progress. This is why various indices still show that Nigeria lacks effective leadership at all levels.
It is in view of this dearth of quality leadership in the country that one finds it expedient to align with Alex Haley’s immortal words: “Find the good and praise it.” This encourages people, especially political and corporate leadership, to do more in the quest to uplift the society that we live in. It is with the aforesaid in mind that the eight years of sustainable leadership of Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) would continue to serve as compass for aspiring political leaders in the country. One of the most important lessons of effective leadership in the present Nigeria’s democratic dispensation can be drawn from Governor Fashola of Lagos State.
Since he assumed office about 2,700 days ago, BRF has never hesitated to make it clear that his administration is about building a state that last. One thing that has stood him out among his peers is his passion to open the eyes of Nigerians to the reality of a country that can work. He opens the eyes of Lagosians, in particular, to the fact that social misconduct that exemplified the popular cliché “Eko gb’ole, o gb’ole” (Lagos tolerates anything) must pave way for a new order. He worked for and insisted that the citizens conform to the “Eko o ni baje” (Lagos must not decay) mantra.
In times past, Lagos was not synonymous with orderliness and cleanliness as people infringed on law and order with impunity. Many of the infringements dealt with public conduct and behaviour. Whereas the Lagos of old earned the sobriquet “Eko for show” in appreciation of the glamour, beauty, urbaneness, style, poise and fashion, the situation degenerated as the population of Lagos increased geometrically with attendant social ills. This was the image of Lagos a number of people had and lived with, until the Fashola administration came on board with a determination and demonstration of capacity to transform the state. So it wasn’t for fun that BRF came with the “Eko o ni baje” mantra.
BRF has deliberately undertaken a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and far-reaching in purpose that anyone nursing ambition of succeeding him must be ready to sustain. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Fashola’s feat is that his works speak for him. You need not tell lie in the effort to highlight his performances. Without doubt, a lot has changed since BRF came on board.
Alongside infrastructure development, BRF has carved a niche for insisting on adherence to law and order believing that everybody must submit himself/herself to the rule of law as a requirement for genuine development. This government choice of boldly going ahead to do the right things, as it is usual with progressive nations, has been instrumental in helping the state live up to its appellation of ‘Centre of Excellence’.
Undoubtedly, the BRF administration has not been friendly with law breakers, tax evaders and defaulters and anyone who embraces criminality for a living. Hitherto chaotic and notorious places like old Oshodi, Ijora, Ikeja and Ojota have since turned a new leaf. The simple response to BRF critics is that he does things with noble motive and far-reaching purposes yielding positive multiplier effects. What he has only done is to break the ancient wall of status-quo by insisting on changing all that’s not good for the good of all. Take, for instance, demolition of illegal structures and enforcing the law against illegal trading at unauthorised places. This is an environmental as well as social issue – environmental in the sense that illegal structures aid flooding, distort physical planning and in some instances contribute to traffic problems. Logic dictates that you don’t wait for ‘tsunami’ before taking a reactive decision.
Similarly, government insistence on proper sanitary habit is for the good of the people. It is to forestall outbreak of disease that could lead to avoidable loss of lives. The other time when there was cholera outbreak in a part of the state, it was mainly due to poor sanitary practice. So, the desire of government is always to ensure the well-being of the people. This explains why BRF signed the Child’s Right Law and introduced ‘yellow card’ for erring parents to ensure that all children of school age go to school rather than being on the street to trade away their future. Aside denying them access to education, using children to hawk goods puts their lives at risk.
One vital area where BRF has also shown the way for others to follow is on the issue of improving the state’s Internally Generated Revenue. This has been done by ensuring that more taxable people are brought into the tax net. Most of the successful democracies in the world thrive on a strong and strict tradition of taxation. It is this tradition that BRF has been able to entrench into the consciousness of the people. Today, Lagos remains one of the few states in the country that could survive without the monthly ‘handouts’ from Abuja.
On a final note, being a sophisticated and cosmopolitan city state, for Lagos to continue to serve as a model for good governance, aspiring candidates into executive and legislative arms of government in the state must be ready to jealously preserve and sustain BRF’s legacies with the necessary political will. Anything short of this would only take Lagos back to the years of darkness. God forbid!
Rasak Musbau
