“When you wrestle with a PIG, the pig gets HAPPY and YOU get DIRTY” – Babatunde Fashola, former governor of Lagos State (August 2015)
This certainly is not the best of times for Babatunde Raji Fashola, the immediate past governor of Lagos State. Recently, there has been an orchestrated campaign of calumny, particularly in the media, as well as some cacophony of repeated diatribes, to deliberately tarnish the image and rubbish the reputation of the erstwhile governor of Lagos State, ostensibly for political reasons, personal vendetta and selfish aggrandizement by some highly-placed politicians, ‘political godfathers’ and their acolytes.
I make bold to say that, no matter the antics employed by those behind the unwarranted and manipulated campaign to discredit or pull him down, the indubitable fact remains that, under the exemplary and visionary leadership of the cerebral and articulate former Governor Fashola (SAN), the state government was able to address some of the fundamental problems associated with rapid urban growth in a megacity like Lagos, through innovative urban development and infrastructural renewal and expansion programmes. Indeed, Fashola recorded unassailable landmark achievements in Lagos during his tenure as governor which have continued to serve as a reference point for other state governors and leaders across the country. From transportation to housing, infrastructure development, waste disposal/public sanitation to the environment, there seem to be a general consensus and public acclamation that the Fashola administration was able to impact positively on the lives and general well-being of Lagosians.
For the avoidance of doubt, the following evidences of his achievements exist: enhanced and reinvigorated public transportation system, through the provision of state government-assisted buses (LAGBUS) and dedicated routes under the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT), Africa’s first and largest BRT lite corridor system, with a current movement of 180,000 people daily and a projected movement of 400,000 people daily by the end of 2015/2016; construction, rehabilitation and expansion of major roads across the state, including, among others, the Lekki-Epe Expressway expansion, Badagry-Mile 2 expansion, Mile 12-Ikorodu expansion, construction of Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge, expanded ferry services through the construction of model jetties/terminals in Marina, Osborne, Badore/Ajah, Ipakodo/Epe, as well as Ibeshe/Ikorodu floating jetties; construction of Light Rail Mass Transit (Blue Line) project along the Badagry-Marina/CMS axis; construction of over 10,000 housing units in different parts of the state, the ambitious Eko Atlantic City project and the New Wall of Lagos on the Atlantic (as part of concerted efforts to decongest and expand the frontiers of the Lagos Metropolis), and construction of transfer loading stations for efficient solid waste management, improved public sanitation and efficient waste disposal by LAWMA in concert with private sector participation (PSP)-assisted waste collection system.
Others include beautification and landscape projects to give Lagos a facelift, with the planting of over 5 million trees and construction of 196 parks and gardens (as part of efforts to tackle climate change and enhance the beauty and aesthetics of the city); improved security system through the institution of the state security fund and partnership with private sector, donor agencies, which greatly assisted in providing the police with the required necessary security equipment and facilities; improved educational and health-care facilities, improved potable water production and supply through the construction of new micro-water works and rehabilitation of the dysfunctional old ones, including the construction of the second phase of the 75 million-gallons-per-day brand new Adiyan waterworks; and enhanced internally generated revenue to execute social services for the benefit and common good of the citizenry.
In order to boost the supply of electricity, particularly to power critical public utilities like the waterworks, courtrooms, hospitals/health-care facilities, schools, police stations, etc, the Lagos State government under Fashola, through Public-Private Partnership, constructed and commissioned five Independent Power Projects across the state, including Lagos Island/Marina/CBD, Surulere, Ikeja, Alimosho and Lekki peninsula power plants, in addition to solar-powered street-lighting projects. Also, in order to boost rural electrification, as part of measures to enhance rural development, about 841 electricity transformers were provided to rural communities in the last eight years, while 95 percent of the rural communities were linked to the national grid. Furthermore, before the end of his tenure, the Fashola administration initiated work on establishing the right of way for the fourth mainland bridge, the construction of which, hopefully, will be commenced and completed by the Ambode administration.
From the foregoing, it goes without saying that Fashola exhibited effective leadership and good governance, as evident by the remarkable transformation witnessed in Lagos State during his tenure as governor. While it is not yet uhuru, as there is still much to be accomplished by the Ambode administration, it must be said that the uncommon initiatives and innovative strides in urban planning and infrastructural renewal recorded by the Lagos State government under former Governor Fashola, through massive and increased infrastructural investments, rehabilitation and upgrade, are worthy of emulation by the Federal Government as well as other state governments in the efforts to bridge infrastructural deficits and ensure sustainable rapid urban growth and development across the country.
Finally, I wish to advise that activists, anti-corruption crusaders and other NGOs should be circumspect and exhibit some decency in the way and manner they go about deriding, denigrating and peddling unsubstantiated allegations against leaders who have served the country diligently and conscientiously, all in the name of fighting corruption! For instance, the allegation by the anti-corruption group, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), that Fashola left behind a debt of N500bn for the current administration in the state was not only hasty and in bad taste, but also frivolous and unsubstantiated, especially when the Lagos State government, which is in a better position to confirm the allegation, is yet to do so! Also, “when asked if he had any proof that Fashola enriched himself while he was the governor of Lagos, Adeniran [who is the executive director of CACOL] stated that CACOL had not been able to trace the destination of all the money that was missing” (Punch, August 23, 2015). It would, therefore, appear to me that there is a deliberate and malicious attempt to implicate Fashola in order to publicly smear his image, reputation and integrity, based on some phantom allegations of corruption.
While not holding brief for Fashola (whom I have never met in person) on the allegations being peddled against him, let me quickly say that, like every human, he is not infallible, neither is he a paragon of perfection. Notwithstanding, I daresay that Fashola has, without doubt, left indelible footprints in the annals of the development of Lagos State which will be difficult to erase. He has been able to raise the bar and set a standard of excellence in governance in Lagos which subsequent governors in the state and, indeed, other leaders in Nigeria at state and federal levels should strive to emulate and possibly surpass.
In conclusion, rather than being demonized and vilified, Fashola deserves accolade and commendation for his tremendous achievements in good governance, especially if we are to inspire, motivate and encourage more competent professionals and technocrats of his ilk who may aspire to serve the country.
KAYODE OLUWA
