Akinwunmi Ambode
The Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode is a gentleman in every sense of the word.
The
first time I met him, he went to the trouble of shaking my hand and
that of everyone else in the room and I could instantly tell that he was
a kind, intelligent person.
Unfortunately for Ambode, it takes much more than kindness and intelligence to rule Lagos.
Lagosians have in recent times
put the governor on blast for what they view as a step backwards into the past which former Governor, Babatunde Fashola rescued the state from.
Fashola reformed the image of Nigeria’s commercial capital and made it a darling to behold.
The
transformation of Oshodi and enforcement of traffic laws by LASTMA,
among others, bestowed upon the former governor the reputation of a
disciplinarian, one who would take no nonsense, and the crazies in the
city seemed to fall in line.
Babatunde Fashola
These days however, the story has changed. Commercial
bike riders, aka Okadas, are again plying major roads with impunity,
the torturous “go-slows” have returned, traffic offenders are back in
full force and the fear-inducing LASTMA officials are nowhere to be
found.
The number of in-traffic robberies have also increased and everyone, at least on social media, is blaming Ambode.
One has to consider the fact that for human beings,
the grass is always greener on the other side, but there’s no denying
that Lagos is not what it used to be.
The major
problem in the state is the perception the residents have of their
governor. Ask five people what they think of Ambode and three will tell
you that he’s not serious and that he’s more interested in partying and taking photos than ruling Lagos.
The average Lagosian does not take Ambode seriously whereas Fashola was taken as seriously as a heart attack.
Fashola,
during his tenure, confronted a colonel who had broken the law by
driving on a BRT lane and condemned the action publicly. He, a civilian,
got a salute, from the senior army officer. Ambode, on the other hand,
is 'pleading' with military officials not to break the traffic laws.
on BRT lane (Nigerian Eye)
The governor of Lagos is a genuinely nice guy but the
state which he is now in control of is renowned for being a mad house,
nice guys can’t rule mad-houses.
I have no doubt in my mind that Ambode has great plans for Lagos and that he will eventually achieve great things.
In the meantime however, the governor needs to reform his image, he needs to become serious, as serious as a heart attack.
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