It has become the norm in Lagos that when two or more residents are gathered together, their conversation would oftentimes centre on politics and politicking in the state. This has become inevitable as many Lagosians like to lay claim to being politically conscious. Some even boast their knowledge of the inner workings of government in Alausa. If the discussants are not tearing themselves apart about the intrigues of politics in the state, then you can be sure that their argument is about governance or political scheming by politicians — such as the Lagos godfather's next move, likely 2015 governorship candidate and other political speculations.
Last week, I chanced on one of such informal debates about Lagos at a social event. It was an assemblage of Lagosians from all walks of life. As expected with such august gathering, the conversations soon dovetailed into reflections about politics. Of particular interest was the animated argument about the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, and his tenure. It was an interesting discourse about the enigmatic and hardworking governor who is on his second term in office. The bone of contention was the incumbent style of governance since Fashola assumed office in 2007.
While the pro-Fashola's camp argued that the lawyer turned politician is the best thing to have happened to this state, those in the opposing camp noted that though, the governor, who was adjudged as the most performing governor in Nigeria in his first term, has transformed the state, his policies and style of governance have been pro-rich. The anti-Fashola group fervently backed up their claim with ''facts''. They cited several examples to support their view that the Fashola administration and his policies negatively target the poor and the vulnerable. They also argued that though Fashola is inherently good, the manner of his emergence has constantly pitted him in a covert battle against those they called "forces" that have hindered his resolve to unleash his full leadership potential for the good of the state. They listed infrastructure and policies of his administration that favour a certain class and section of Lagos as against other parts which they considered disadvantaged.
I listened intently to both sides. It was heated and intense. At a point, it appeared the two camps would come to blows. But reason soon prevailed. However, like many of such impassioned discussions, the end was inconclusive because none of the camps was ready to back down. However, I walked away from the gathering seriously feeling the compelling need to probe the question of the ideological leaning of Fashola and his policies. Is the governor against the poor? Are his policies pro-rich?
The controversy about Fashola's policies is as old as his second term. Interestingly, this concern was not an issue throughout his first term. Perhaps, Lagosians were at the time too impressed with his performance to read meanings into his intentions. So, at what point did the accusation creep in? Put differently, at what point in time did Saul become Paul in Lagos? Or, is it the antics of the opposition to discredit the legacies of Fashola? Instructively, since the governor broke into national prominence with his controversial emergence as Bola Tinubu's successor in 2007, he has been the most discussed governor among his colleagues. This is due mostly to his sterling performance, especially in his first term. The quality leadership and vision he brought to bear on governance in a political climate peopled by myopic leaders is truly the "breath of fresh air". But the allegation of bias against the poor soon began to gather momentum as soon as he commenced his second term.
The first accusation of Fashola's anti-poor stance is the continuous demolition of slum settlements. The ongoing demolition has displaced millions of poor residents of Lagos. The dislocation of the impoverished inhabitants of the slums is seen as a deliberate attempt to make Lagos the "haven of the rich''. It is observed that past demolitions by previous administrations have replaced those settlements with houses and estates meant for wealthy Lagosians only. Besides, it is also argued that the attempt to turn Lagos into a mega city should not be done at the expense of the poor. The Makoko demolition in particular is still generating a lot of furore.
Another major accusation by the anti-Fashola group which I consider the reason for the proliferation of slums is the failure of his administration and that of his predecessor to provide affordable housing for residents in the last 13 years. Meanwhile, it took the Second Republic administration of Lateef Jakande just four years to build massive Low Cost Housing Estates in different parts of Lagos. The estates are currently housing millions of average Lagosians. The feat by Jakande is considered as unprecedented given the resources accruable to him at the time. The anti-Fashola school of thought is of the view that the failure of both administrations to provide an affordable Low Cost Housing scheme is the reason why slum settlements have proliferated in the city.
Fashola's anti-poor stance has also been fuelled by what is said to be uneven infrastructural development in the state. It is claimed that most of the projects embarked upon by his administration favoured only the highbrow areas such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi Lekki and other parts of Lagos where the wealthy live. Inner cities and suburbs of the state, it is also observed, have not experienced the needed development. The hike in the tuition fees of higher educational institutions was also cited as an example of Fashola's disdain for the poor. But the governor seems not to be unmindful of these allegations. He once came out strongly in defence of his policies.
He gave an example of the award of scholarship to the tune of N700, 000m to indigent students as measure to cushion the effect of the hike in fees. The ban placed on commercial motorcyclists from plying major highways and designated routes in Lagos has also pitted the governor against less-privileged residents. The governor faced stiff criticism for his alleged insensitivity to the plight of poor Lagosians. But it was inevitable that commercial motorcyclists would face the stick. In his defence, the governor cited the danger they pose to the riders and passengers. He quoted statistics of fatal accidents caused by commercial motorcyclists. Before the ban, Lagos had remained the only state that had been reluctant to wield the big stick. Most states across the country had banned their activities. However, in spite of the governor's appeal, his defence fell on deaf ears. Most Lagosians believe it was an attempt to send "the poor back to their villages''. Why was a policy meant to safeguard lives deemed as hating the poor?
It appears the allegation of hatred for the poor against the Fashola administration will not go away soon. With tough decisions come criticisms of government policies. The truth is that most of the policies by this government seem to have negatively affected the masses. Some examples include the demolition of slums. Truth be told, a major failing of the Fashola and Tinubu administrations is their failure to replicate the Jakande housing policy.
By deliberately promoting a housing policy that favours the rich, millions of residents are forced to live in slums spread all over the city. By demolishing slums without re-settlement, the government set itself up as anti-poor. However, some of the allegations may not be true. The ban on Okada is one example. The loss of human lives in the city seems to have reduced since the ban. The anti-poor stigma, however, is one cross Fashola may have to carry for a long time to come. Were he to contest the governorship again in 2015, it would have been interesting to see how this perception would have sat on his ambition. Perhaps, it is the price he has to pay for being the leader who has to take hard decisions. Let's hope this will not taint his good legacies when posterity beckons.
