Before Ambode gets carried away

I never had a doubt about the capacity of Mr. Akinwumi Ambode to do well as Governor of Lagos State. In what looked like the absence of governance in the first few weeks of his administration, I thought the newly sworn in governor was only trying to be methodical in his approach to tackling the myriad of issues confronting the state. Today, that judgment seems accurate.

Here, a disclosure is expedient: for about six weeks or so during electioneering campaigns in 2014, I worked with Candidate Ambode. We sat on the same table and had discussions on his vision of a 21st Century Lagos State. I was there when Ambode discussed the speech that would herald the declaration of his intention to be governor of Nigeria’s commercial capital, and the pain that he could not articulate his entire plan in that speech which he eventually delivered at the Onikan Stadium under the scorching weather that visited Lagos on Friday, October 24, 2014.

On the few occasions that I had the privilege of conversing with then Candidate Ambode, he did not only show passion for the progress of Lagos, he exuded confidence in his ability to accomplish. I found his choice of the catchphrase: Itesiwaju eko lo je mi logun, meaning “the progress of Lagos is my priority,” refreshing and an indication of his unwavering commitment.

As a civil servant, Ambode worked in virtually all the local government areas of Lagos State and so he knew the state, its people and their lacks and desires.  He spoke about them and  promised that he was ready to tackle their troubles without fear or favour.

He had said in that declaration speech: “No matter your age, sex, tribe, as long as you reside in Lagos, we will make Lagos livable for you.  We will work to create opportunities for all and offer selfless service… We will leave no one behind…”

Of course, you take a politician on the face value at your own risk. All over the world, promises made by politicians are like babies, easy to make but very hard to deliver.  When you remember former French Leader and Statesman, Charles de Gaulle’s classic offering that “since a politician never believes what he says, he is surprised when others believe him,” you are tempted to conclude that citizens will continue to be suckers to politicians forever.

But there was something believable about Ambode. He was not what you would call a politician at the time, and in my mind, I thought he was bound to succeed unless some unfathomable occurrence turned his heart away. I find it gratifying that one year after, he has proved to be one of the most impactful governors in the country.

It is possible to situate the milestones that the administration has attained in the peculiar financial accruals to the state. That would make perfect sense but we should also be able to agree that regional administration in Nigeria is susceptible to reckless expenditure being largely self-accounting. This is given the fact that in most, if not all of our states, the legislative and judiciary arms of government are mere adjuncts of the government house where the state governor decrees.  It therefore takes a measure of discipline and single mindedness for the governor of a wealthy state to not run haywire and lapse into that state of delirium where how to employ the abundant resources to benefit the people becomes the problem.

One of the things that I immediately noticed about Ambode is his response to issues that tampered with the lives of residents of Lagos. I see the number of pedestrian bridges that the state is currently constructing and the firmness with which it is enforcing its usage.

There is admirable uniqueness in the enforcement of the use of the bridges and discouraging residents from dashing through the expressway and putting their lives in jeopardy.  Over the past few months, government has started erecting barricades, which checks residents from attempting to cross the expressway. You will need to be deliberate about offending the law to cross the expressway these days.  We have therefore moved away from the era of waylaying commuters on one side of the expressway and ramming them into waiting law enforcement vehicles for violating the laws on the use of pedestrian bridges.

But there has been more than that!

One of the first and most inspiring things that Ambode did on assuming office was the creation of a Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment. To deepen this initiative, the governor sent a N25 billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) bill to the Lagos State House of Assembly four months later. This document was signed into law in March with the promise that government would inject N6.25 billion into the fund yearly for the next four years.

The ETF board, which is headed by former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru is expected to provide soft loans ranging from N100, 000 to N1, 000,000 to boost the businesses of qualified residents of the state. I consider this to be a smart move from a governor who realises that the wealth of his state is in the gainful engagement of the citizenry. It is not clear how much the Ministry has done at the moment but it feels nice to hope that government is working towards reducing unemployment in the state. And one hopes that government will live up to expectations here.

There have been efforts to improve security in the state with the unprecedented massive donations of assets to the police and other security agencies. It is said that nearly every police station in the state now has a patrol vehicle. This is to enhance the confidence of citizens. There is the Light-up-Lagos project and the construction of 114 inner roads. Workers and pensioners in the state are also said to have good stories to tell with about N11b to take care of arrears of entitlements of pensioners.

There are several examples of seeds projects which are being sown with expectations of germination between the next one and three years. Some of these include: the landmark fourth mainland bridge; the Oshodi terminal bus stations; the plan to construct more roads in all the Local Council Development Authority (LCDA)basis; the establishment of the Lagos Medical Park in Ikoyi, which will, hopefully stop our leaders from seeking treatment for ear infections overseas; the planned completion of the first phase of the Blue Line Light Rail project; channelisation of Lagos waterways as well as the hope that the collaboration with Kebbi State on the Eko rice idea fosters.

The other thing possibly more impressive than the conceptualisation and delivery of these projects is the unobtrusive manner of execution. Ambode plans, executes and delivers on these projects without throwing stunts in the faces of the people. There have been no elaborate celebration of achievements, no showmanship or courting publicity yet he is about the most reported government in the 2015 class of governors.

The governor must however be reminded that as the fertile wet ground is slippery so is the delicacy of political success not hinged on total selflessness. Let Governor Ambode not get carried away by the euphoria that has greeted his first year in office realising that the culmination of achievements of his four years would determine his place in history.

Let him not be deceived into introducing policies and ideas that compound the situation of the vast majority of our people. The governor should see to the reform of institutions that deliver basic education and healthcare to the people of Lagos, let him make it easy for the poor man to send his children to school, let him consider a community health insurance scheme for Lagosians.

The immediate past governor of Lagos State dismissed the possibility of low cost housing; it would be nice for this governor to explore creative ways of improving the living conditions of the ordinary people.

Although we credit Ambode with performance in his first year, the jury is still out and only a clinical execution of laid out plans will place him in the class of the greats.

Follow me on twitter @niranadedokun