₦airaland Forum

Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos state, on Friday abolished some ministries in the state and relieved Taofeek Oki of his duties as the managing director of the Lagos state development and property corporation (LSDPC). He also scrapped all parastatal monitoring offices (PMO) and ordered that all the ministries assigned with the responsibility of superintending over some parastatals and boards to henceforth sorely undertake such erstwhile responsibilities of the defunct PMO on such parastatals, agencies and boards. Ambode also abolished the ministry of rural affairs and directed that the legislative powers bureau be merged with the new office of civic engagement.

The governor ordered that the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs be renamed ministry of local government and community affairs, with additional responsibilities. He also re-assigned the debt management office and office of the special adviser on taxation and revenue to the ministry of finance.

The governor ordered that the former ministry of tourism and inter-governmental relations be relieved of the inter-governmental relations mandate and the ministry of home affairs and culture be added to the ministry of tourism. “It is now to be known and addressed as the ministry of tourism, arts and culture,” he said. “The hitherto distinct responsibilities of the office of drainage services and office of environmental services have been merged.” Meanwhile, the governor said the state would consider adopting a ‘rent and own’ policy in resolving its housing deficiency. He acknowledged that it was not easy for a winner of a three-bedroom flat, under the state government’s housing scheme, to make an initial payment of about N5 million – half the cost – before spreading out the balance through monthly payments.

Ambode noted that it was unnecessary for a bachelor or spinster to own a three-bedroom flat, saying that it was better for those in this category to get studio apartments and upgrade to more spacious accommodations when they get married and started having children. He appreciated the solid foundation already laid by his predecessors in office and called for suggestions and constructive criticism by all residents, including the media, so as to build on what was on ground. On dwindling federal allocation, Ambode said that the state would enlarge its internally generated revenue drive, without bringing hardship to residents. He said less than half of the taxable adults in the state currently meet their civic obligations and it was time more were made to key in without increasing taxation.

Ambode also said that more effort would be put in place to promote tourism in the state and use this to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed, adding that a summit would soon be convened to address the critical issues in the sector. He was speaking during a chat with media executives, who paid a courtesy call to his office in Ikeja, capital of the state.

Follow us on twitter @thecableng Copyright 2015 TheCable. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.thecable.ng as the source.

Read more at: http://www.thecable.ng

If there is a Nobel prize for First Ladies in Nigeria, how many would have come to Lagos?

Unarguably, Lagos state has produced two active first ladies in the last 16 years. From Remi Tinubu, Asiwaju's better half who is presently a serving Senator of the Federal Republic to Abimbola Fashola, the wife and companion of the outgoing Governor of Lagos. Also, with the declaration of Akinwunmi Ambode as the winner of the April 11th gubernatorial polls, the very hard working and industrious Bolanle Ambode becomes the next first lady of Lagos state. A new addition to the noble list of the First ladies of Grace? Absolutely!

Although, many may not have seen the wife of the Governor-elect Akinwunmi Ambode frequently during the course of the campaign or oblivious of her contributions to the success of the process. However, as it's typical of women of substance, Bolanle Akinwunmi Ambode has been a huge inspiration, motivation and the force behind Mr Ambode's undying strive towards excellence.

Born into the Odukomaiya family in Epe, Lagos, on February 15, 1964, Mrs Ambode received her secondary education at St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan, Oyo state, before proceeding to the Lagos State University(LASU), Ojo, Lagos to study Physics/Mathematics. Her zeal for excellence through improving the intellect spurred her to pursue a higher degree as she applied and earned a Masters (M Sc) in Public Administration in 1994.

Interestingly, her passion for excellence could not have denied the light of love a space to shine. She met and fell in love with Mr Ambode who was then working with the Ojo Local Government Council while she was an undergraduate at LASU. They got married in 1991 and the union is blessed with a set of twins – a boy and a girl.

On her life as a role model, she has inspired many women who have hitherto been finding it hard to combine career life with raising a family. Her rich resumé reveals her career exploits, having worked with firms like the People’s Bank of Nigeria(now defunct), Instant Finance Nigeria Limited and Aguagem Consulting before starting her confectionery business which required her to attend short courses in Bakery Technology in Israel. As an entrepreneur per excellence, she is presently the MD/CEO of Rehoboth Chops and Confectioneries Limited where she's matching experience with results.

As an embodiment of a supportive wife, mother , professional and business woman, Mrs Ambode continues as a model for aspiring industrious women in all walks of life -- whether they're involved in running businesses at Balogun market in Lagos Island or within the corporate ladder pursuing a professional career, etc. In addition, the St. Theresa’s College Old Girl shares the passion for charity with Mother Theresa as it is evident in her regular donations to various orphanages within the Lagos metropolis.

Quite emphatically, Mrs. Ambode will be able to utilise her professional skills as an administrator, business owner and philanthropist to support and address pressing issues affecting women in the state as way of complementing her husband's "Next Level" project. In fact, her professionalism and experience will contribute to improving the welfare of Lagosians.

With a masters degree in public administration and intellectually gifted in her own right, Mrs. Ambode can subtly steer, council, advice and support her husband when difficult administrative decisions need to be made. With these qualities, Mrs Ambode can be described as the Nigerian Hilary Clinton. Also, considering the experience and intellectual capability of the Ambode's, it is safe to say Lagos state is about to witness an era of unprecedented economic, social and cultural growth. One that can only be likened to that of America under Bill and Hilary Clinton.

Undoubtedly, we can say with a bit more certainty that Lagos state, with the Ambodes at the helm of affairs, will be safe in capable hands.

Onyeka Kerous Ibeanusi

Can someone please contact TEHN on this ladies behalf or at least bring her case to their attention?

Thank you and God bless

I have taught and learnt that God is good but why allow so much pain for Remilekun Azeez. I met this eloquent and intelligent 28years old lady at the Orthopaedic ward of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife. * She has been on that bed since June, 2014. * She is a sickle cell carrier. * She is an orphan * She was shot by armed robbers while travelling on Kogi-Kabba express road. * Her legs and a hand got affected by gun bullet. *

She is unable to walk or stand following pathological fracture of right femur, secondary to chronic osteomyelitis. * She has bilateral discharging sinuses in both thighs. * She sold all she had worked for to remain alive. * Her ALL could meet her needs. * She attempted suicide due to hopelessness but God sent help on time to rescue her. * She pleaded for amputation so that she can get back to normal life, but Doctors at OAUTHC, Ile Ife said they can salvage the legs and hand because the damage is not so bad. * She needs #1,900,000 to get back to life but she has none. * She is such a caring and a loving lady to be with yet lack love. Help Remi get back to LIFE! Contact her at the Orthopaedic ward of OAUTHC or on 08130874711:

Give her a reason to live:.... Tell someone about Remi.

Financial assistance should be forwarded to her directly :

Remilekun Azeez
SKYE BANK
1040671947

Pls share this post.

http://hype9ja.com/2014/12/lagos-apc-primaries-delegates-before-you-decide/
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Taking a cursory look at the fast approaching APC gubernatorial primaries in Lagos, one will not fail to observe the amount of work put into campaigns by politicians to be their party’s flag bearer. They have surfaced in their numbers and have presented various manifestos in a bid to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) but in all these, the people of Lagos will be looking for that man who is more than just a political office holder to them.

Lagos unlike any other state in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very unique in various ways. Lagos could be termed the ‘Poster City’ of the future Nigeria or the hope of the Nigeria of our dreams so to say hence stepping into the shoes of BRF will not be an easy task.

Before one gets carried away by emotions andloses oneself in the euphoria and political fireworks of the upcoming APC gubernatorial party primaries scheduled to hold this Thursday, December 4th, 2014, It will be worthy to look critically at two of the most promising and widely touted “favoured” candidates, Akinwunmi Ambode and Olasupo Shasore who have both become the focus in the forthcoming APC primaries. Thus, we will be giving a brief evaluation of both front-line contenders in this epic battle.

It is not news that AkinwunmiAmbode a front-runner for the gubernatorial ticket has been in the lead for months. Sequel to his one of a kind declaration at Onikan a few weeks back and endorsement garnered from high-level stakeholders of the party and a state –wide tour, holding consultations in all 57 LGAS/LCDAS. It would seem only about a week to the primaries that the ticket was already in the bag.

It appeared there wasn’t a strong challenger up until last weekend when Olasupo Sashore “showed-up” in the race for the Alausa seat in what appears to be an arrogant but very well-coordinated strategy orchestrated through a media blitz aimed at snatching the victory at the final end of the race.

So let’s cut to the chase and examine both candidates on their merits and suitability for the job:

Looking at both candidates, one can draw several comparisons with regards to their respective careers and experience. One a former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and Accountant-General, while the other a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Attorney-General who both have served Lagos meritoriously in their specialised fields.

“We must, wherever we find ourselves, create an atmosphere of selfless service”

– Akinwunmi Ambode

Strengths

Akinwunmi Ambode, CEO of Brandsmith Consulting, an erudite scholar and seasoned professional with a background in accountancy, has got vast experience as a public finance expert and comes across as cerebral and soft-spoken individual. He has an inspiring story that can be described as the story of the Nigerian dream, his antecedence rising out from a humble background, serving selflessly and climbing the proverbial ladder to become the youngest permanent secretary in the history of Lagos State then voluntarily retiring as an Account-General.

There are well documented testimonials that attest to his competence, his reputation as a bridge builder between all socio-economic classes, his compassion and character also, his hands-on grassroots experience working in various LG’s in the first 13 years of his career all culminating in 27 years of public service. He can also be looked upon as the right option for continuity having worked in different capacities in six administrations and most recently as Accountant-General under both Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola. It is evident he has a great following in the civil service as well as the professional sphere. Politically, Ambode is believed to have the backing of ex-Lagos State Governor and National leader of the APC Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Below are some of his notable career milestones and achievements;

CEO, Brandsmith Consulting

Accountant General for Lagos State &Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance

Auditor General for Local Government.

Assistant Treasurer, Auditor, Treasurer and finally, Director of Finance

Accountant Grade II Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (now LAWMA)

Organized, in his capacity as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, the first ever National Tax Retreat in Nigeria in conjunction with Joint Tax Board/Federal Inland Revenue Services in 2005.
Was Chairman of the Technical Committee that produced the Lagos State Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (SEEDS) document
Led the audit teams as the Auditor General for Local Government to clear and publish the arrears of statutory audits of 1995 to 2004 within 12 months.
Led the Implementation Team on the restructured wages and salaries payment system for over 3,000 staff of Lagos State Waste Management Authority.
On record as the youngest person ever appointed as Auditor General in Lagos State at the age of 37.
Revolutionized the Lagos State Treasury Office and got the State budget performing at a remarkable 85% annually.
On record as the fir[b]s[/b]t ever Permanent Secretary to retire voluntarily.
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN)
Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management
Founder of La Roche Leadership Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on developing the next generation of leaders.
US Fulbright scholar for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship at Boston University in Massachusetts.
An alumnus of Wharton Business School Advance Management Programme.
“the rush for personal wealth is paved with treachery and deceit while giving and altruism is free of rancour; …..it’s easier to act in the public good than for your own self-interest alone…idon’t need the danger”

Olasupo Shasore
Strengths

Olasupo Shasore is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He has expert knowledge and experience of the public sector through key positions held under the BRF administration. He was former Attorney-General, and is current Chairman of the Lagos State Home Ownership Scheme (Lagos Homs).

With a solid background in law and a firm grasp of the history and law of Lagos. Sashore comes across as an articulate and extremely intelligent bourgeoisie as evidenced from his achievements, his many publications and even from his early background schooling overseas at Middlesex, England. A refined individual, Shasore would easily appeal to the private sector and could prove an asset in attracting foreign direct investments to the state. Politically, Shasore is perceived to have the support band backing of the current Governor – Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF).

Below are some of his notable career milestones and achievements;

Most recently, Shasore led the Lagos delegation to the 2014 Nigerian National Conference. At the conference, the delegation made a case for a ‘special status’ for Lagos

Litigation Partner, Ajumogobia & Okeke,
Chairman of the Lagos Home Ownership Scheme (Lagos HOMS)
Chairman and later Vice-Chairman of the Lagos State Procurement Agency (State Tenders Board)
Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Chaired the Mortgage and Property Law Reform Committee
President, Lagos Court of Arbitration
Chairman, Lagos State Waterways Authority
Chairman, Lagos State Law Reform Commission
Chairman, Lagos State Executive Council Committee on Power
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Chairman, National Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Reform Committee (2012)
Chairman of Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Section on Business Law, Nigerian Bar Association
Member, London Court of International Arbitration, Africa User Group
Member, International Bar Association
Member, Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria
Member, Nigerian Society of International Law and International Association of Prosecutors
Member of panel of experts – Panel of Recognized International Market Experts (PRIME)
Member, Advisory Committee – International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA
It cannot be over-emphasized that both candidates have the pedigree, experience and competence required to assume the exalted position of Governor and take the state to new heights of excellence but it will also be crucial to examine the weaknesses and challenges that they respectively may have had or have to contend with.

For Ambode, his perceived relationship with APC leader Bola Tinubu is a big challenge while some may argue that it is his biggest asset, it has also made him a target from day one in what observers say make him seem like a stooge to the latter. His background and grassroots orientation has created a perception by the elite that he is not one of them and won’t serve their interest. Also, despite having served as accountant-general in the administrations of Babatunde Fashola and former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu he is seen as representing the interests of the old brigade.

For Olasupo Shasore, showing up late means his popularity may be questioned seeing that he hasn’t been seen to publicly consult or engage with the delegates He will be perceived as an elitist and such his policies will only favour the upper class being that he was and is an integral and influential asset in Fashola’s administration. Would social welfare be paramount on his agenda and how would his policies affect the common man?Seemingly a new comer to the race Shasore may have to contend with the possibility of being seen as an alien to both party stakeholders and the masses having declared his intention only last week. The possibility of making him sellable to the masses who will vote in next year’s election since he is relatively unknown to them might prove a herculean task.

In conclusion, while it is clear as crystal that both aspirant have commendable credentials, the delegates will have to look critically at both candidates before coming to a decision based not only on competence of the aspirants but character, compassion and charisma. Though subjective virtues, one has to consider who is best positioned to deliver the goods. They have to choose a candidate who can balance the ongoing revenue drive and fiscal re-engineering of the state while ensuring that social welfare of the people is of paramount importance. In my opinion a candidate that embraces capitalism while genuinely having the people’s interest at heart should be a guide in choosing the next Governor for the centre of excellence.

Gabriel Olukola Ibrahim

Public administrator/Social Commentator

In the first quarter of 2014, Lagos State witnessed proliferation of governorship aspirants from various political parties. In such a situation, it is normal for aspirants to be anxious about their eventual fate in the race. But as events unfolded, it became clear that some of these aspirants were merely using their declaration of interest in the contest as a bargaining chip for alternative political appointments.

Thus, by the end of the second quarter, the rains had washed away many of the posters and banners of the aspirants that littered the states, and there was little effort to replace them. At present, some banners are fluttering in the air in tatters. Field surveys show that many weak aspirants in the different parties, unsure of making any headway, are tactically withdrawing from the race.

Some of the aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC), which recorded the largest number of contestants, are honestly working round the clock, while others are beating the corridors of former governor of Lagos State and a leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, trying to press all the political buttons for the party’s ticket.

Unlike in the APC, not many aspirants showed interest in the governorship ticket of the PDP. This was attributed to the strength of the party, and its low elitist patronage in the state.

PDP shops for ‘right’ candidate

One of the most pressing concerns for the PDP in Lagos is how to get the right candidate that will deliver the state to the party in the presidential election and particularly in the governorship poll.

A source close to the presidency explained that President Goodluck Jonathan and the party hierarchy are ruminating on whether to present the 2007 governorship candidate of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who recently defected to the PDP.

With the defection already causing rancour within the rank and file of the party faithful, the PDP is said to weighing Agbaje’s ability to achieve the desired result of “capturing Lagos” for the party, a dream it has nurtured and sustained for the past 15 years of return of democracy in the country.

The option is for the party to pick former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, who contested and lost the governorship to Mr. Babatunde Fashola in the 2007 elections.

Obanikoro resigned his Defence portfolio last week to make way for his ambition. But from the grapevine, one of the facts the PDP has been able to gather, not from politicians per se, is that the political actors in the state are seriously sceptical about giving their party ticket to a “stranger,” a reference to Mr. Agbaje.

Continue here
http://nigeriapulse.com/lagos-2015-ambode-obanikoro-may-emerge-apc-pdp-guber-candidates/

Approx $1bn debt is disgraceful for a state like Lagos. People should stop being myopic.

20 x that got missing at the Federal level and people are here ranting. Be objective please!

Looking back what would you say were most challenging moments in your various positions in the Civil Service?
The most challenging part was always at that point that government was not able to execute projects because it lacked the finance and worse still I remember the years in which the Federal Government during the Obasanjo administration seized Local Government fund. It meant that the local government could have been crippled and actually not existed. For one to have been one of the major contributors to finding that creative finance arrangement that allowed that arm of government to survive without any hitch and up till today they still exist. One has to be grateful to God for giving me that opportunity to do it for Lagos State.

How did you manage to run the state finances when local government funds were seized by Obasanjo without defaulting on payments obligations?
It is really not as difficult as one would have imagined. The truth is that then, we had a governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who actually believed that the civil servants and Exco members had the essential dexterity to assist in letting the system work. He was not overbearing on suggestions brought by civil servants or public servants and that gave us a platform to allow creativity to thrive. Whenever suggestions were made he was very receptive to ideas and innovations that would work. We all worked as a team and we shared our successes together.

You left a couple of years ago what do you miss working for the State Government?
What I miss most is not being able to continue my act of selflessness in the ambit of governance. Even though, I try as much as possible to interact with my community and my family and all that. But quietly you always miss that moment you were in a position to be part of governance and problem solving situtation for common good. I just miss that.

What is the most difficult decision you had to make as the accountant general or Auditor General of the Lagos State?
There were particularly moments where I happened to be chairman of disciplinary board meetings and you had fraudulent cases being brought up. Apart from the fact that you always want to be good to people but sometimes when you are chairman and as the leader you need to take decisions. There were sometimes that those decisions were very difficult but those decisions need to be taken. The difficult moments were always when you had to take disciplinary actions against colleagues and subordinates. Sometimes you’ll feel sorry but again as a leader you have to be strong enough to take the right decisions at the right time for the sake of the system.

Your name has been bandied around as a candidate to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola. Are you interested or are you already in the governorship race?
I am seriously thinking about it and I have been consulting in the last eight months.And consultation is still on-going

Now you are talking like a politician
I have always been a politician like everyone. We are all political animals. In every home and community, politics is a daily occurrence. As far as I know there is no official school of politics anywhere in Nigeria. You can emerge or put on the toga of politician at any time based on your interest and passion or consciousness.

Let me go back to the last question which is you have been holding consultations about the possibility of giving the governorship a go. What has the reception been like?
I must tell you that my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has actually given every person who is interested in a political office to go to the field and I have been so excited that in the last 8 months we have been engaging and consulting with party leadership, party members and even citizens of Lagos. The excitement is more about these stakeholders asking for positive change which APC stands for. I always try to tell all the people I’ve been consulting with that we are in for a progressive movement in Lagos and it is only APC that creates that platform for us to be able to continue to move Lagos to that next level. I’ve been receiving positive responses from people. A whole lot of professionals who have always been indifferent are becoming a lot more interested in politics and they believe that the future of a better Nigeria is in APC. It is only the APC that can create a new generation of progressive leaders of which a whole lot of us are more interested in.

At the recent launch of your book the Oba of Lagos did say that on behalf of the Obas you are the preferred candidate. How did you feel about a highly traditional ruler endorsing your governorship candidacy?
Believe me, if there is anything I want to take away from the book launch, it is what the Oba of Lagos said and I would forever cherish it. Because this was not something planned or programmed and coming from such an elderly and revered king of course I would take it. There is nothing as good as elderly people coming to say this is our son and this is what they wished and the wish of the people, they say is the wish of God. If that is the way it is then I will be very grateful to God. I don’t see anything negative towards my person, personality or aspirations when people openly associate with me and what I stand for.

I want to assume it was only whispers before he came out and endorsed you. How did that change the calculus?
Nothing has really changed because I am still consulting people and the truth is that there are other aspirants that are still consulting. The party is open to anyone of us. The future of Lagos is about who will take it to the next level. The present governor is wearing very big shoes. The party is interested in who will be able to fit into those shoes in order for the party to continue to remain that symbol of positive change. So everybody continues to move around and consult. We know that at the end of the day the party primaries will throw up one person who will carry the flag of the party to the election.

It has been observed and read in the media that some aspirants and members of APC are opposed to your aspiration. What is your take on this?
It is natural that every aspirant will always want to win any competition. Infact, I will feel odd if everybody supports me. The ultimate task of the party is to create an enabling platform for the emergence of a legitimate candidate of the party. Each aspirant is at liberty to test his or her popularity at the forthcoming primaries of the party.I have grown up to understand that I should never burn my bridges rather I am a bridge builder. All the aspirants are members of the same party. In the cause of this process, whoever wins the primary should have the support of all the aspirants in order for our party to win at the general elections.That is why I will never gang-up or attack any of the aspirants. It is about issues and our people.

What is your assessment of Fashola’s government so far?
I will say fantastic. You know, when we look at the last 15 years. I just want to state that we started with the Asiwaju government and the Asiwaju government could be described as a government that has laid that irreversible foundation for growth and development in Lagos state. What we’ve witnessed right now with the present governor is that he’s been able to consolidate and actualize the dream of the foundation of that growth and development. He has not faltered or waivered. He has been someone focused on the goals of the party and he has delivered. No matter what anybody has to say he has performed.

The challenges of governance are enormous. What makes you think that you will make a better replacement for the current governor?
My belief is that before our party can decide on a person that will carry the flag of the APC, it would have been unanimously agreed that such a person is sound and competent enough to be the candidate. Beyond that, I bring cognate experience that is not shared by any other aspirant in Lagos. I believe strongly that the years that I have worked and the experiences that I have shared with previous governors, almost like 7 governors, working closely with them at the highest levels give me that competitive edge to be able to continue to drive the vision of Lagos State. If it is in terms of character, if it is in terms of capability, I possess all the good qualities that you can find in anybody that will want to become the governor of Lagos State. It’s more about the people and it has to be a people person. I know that’s where my strength is. A people person is one that can be a good caretaker of the resources of the people. That’s why I see myself as the best aspirant that you can muster right now.

If you could change anything about yourself as a person not an aspirant, what would that be?
Maybe to be an extreme extrovert because you know politics is about being an extrovert. Obviously my consultations are making me look more like an extrovert but I am going to mix the two together. I Love my calmness, which is all about the strength of leadership.

Is that your most marked characteristic?
Not necessarily but it’s one of them. But obviously, I am a people person

What do you value most in friends?
Loyalty

What is your greatest fear?
Fear? No. I have since conquered the fear of failure, which is the most common for most people. Only those who dare, stand the chance of climbing the ladder of success. I am not afraid of failure because I have used the strength of courage to succeed thus far and in this new calling, we are going to succeed.

Who are your real life heroes?
If you go through my book, I gave you an accounting book and also a biography of me in the ‘art of selfless service’ which is dedicated to Nelson Mandela. I love selfless people. That is my mission in life, to help as many people as possible. That is what humanity is all about. Nelson Mandela comes to me as someone I need to look up to as hero.

After you left the civil service what did you venture into?
Within the last 2 years I have been running a public finance management-consulting firm where we deal on issues that relate to public finance and try to help the different arms of government in the international public accounting standards set for the public sector. Beyond that I engage myself in community work. In the last two years, with my friend I have written 2 books, one on public sector accounting and the other on the ‘art of selfless service’. I love to engage in community service. I actually also run a foundation called LA ROCHE Foundation where we focus primarily on leadership and education because we believe strongly that leadership is something that should be activated from a younger age not necessarily when someone wants to become a councillor or a minister. We need to start to groom young leaders who will take over from this generation and we’ve already started doing that in different places.

After retiring I made up my mind that I was going to go back to school and start to do some academics again. So, I actually found myself doing a bouquet of business schooling where I tried as much as possible to realign myself to the private sector life. I went to Harvard and I did a course on public finance management. I attended Wharton Business School to do an advanced management program. I went to INSEAD in Singapore and I also attended IMD Business School in Switzerland to do some work on corporate directorship. All combined together this was for like one year and came back in February 2013 to continue working in my private firm.

What did that exposure give you?
One year in Business school is a totally different thing from 27 years in the civil service because you are able to meet the likes of yourself coming from different industries and professional backgrounds from different parts of the world. Most business schools try to teach you is to have some kind of potpourri of achievers talking to each other and that was a very good takeaway for me. It is actually up to me to move on with my post retirement life.

Before now you were not in APC so why did you think the APC was the best platform to pursue a possible governorship ambition?
You know the All Progressives Congress is a new party for a better Nigeria. Yes, we have all sorts of parties in Nigeria and people have always said there is no difference between the APC and PDP but that’s not true because the APC stands for progressivism. APC is about positive change and is about the common coalition of all Nigerians coming together for progress. APC stands for reforms. We are reformers; progressives and we are receptive to change. We are responsive people. We look into the future. The future of all Nigerians can be brought under that banner that is called the APC and we start to pursue it. APC is the best platform for anybody that has the future of Nigeria at heart. Why I am saying this is that the other major party PDP represents conservatism.

What is the difference when we have people defecting back and forth?
It is not about the individuals who are defecting but it is about the ideology. What PDP characterizes in the last 15 years which has been their major message is transformation. But believe me; is there a transformation agenda without parameters? You must transform from a particular place to another point. There must be KPI’s. What are the Key Performance Indicators for this transformation? In the last 15 years they’ve been telling us they’ve been transforming but they’ve not been able to have a bench mark for this transformation because it is all about conservatism. There are have been enormous motion without movement. It is steering every Nigerian in the face embarrassingly. We need pragmatism, we need to start to talk about issues where would be able to say we are reforming the society, to create inclusive governance which PDP doesn’t do. You cannot have people like us who are interested in talking about issues and who are interested in moving the daily life of the common people forward to go and join PDP. It is not going to happen. You go and ask them where are they transforming to? No where. That is the difference. So anybody that has the future of Nigeria at heart and thinks about the common identity that brings all of us together as a united Nigeria must think about progress, must think about change, must think about APC and that’s why I am in APC.

Of recent, we’ve heard some politicians say it’s the candidate rather than the party that wins elections. What’s your view on this?
That’s a fallacy. I believe that competent and experienced candidates should emerge through a democratic process. However, there’s no way a child can be born and grow outside of copulation and parental care. Don’t forget we do not have independent candidacy in Nigeria yet. For me, I submit myself totally to party structure and discipline. If anybody thinks he or she can win elections without the party, then that’s a recipe for personal disaster. Will such a person have respect for the party, its ideals and programmes when he or she gets there? Is any politician bigger than his community? Absolutely not!

How much time have you had to spend with family especially now that you are foraying into politics?
If there is any time I’ve stayed with family mostly is in the last two years of my retirement. The mere fact that I was the Accountant General of Lagos State with such enormous responsibility, took most part of my time. So I’ve spent the last 2 years as the most momentous period for me and I am enjoying every bit of it. I’ve had enough time with my family all this while.

Tell me how is your wife taking your political foray?
We’ve been very challenged about it because if you’ve spent the last 15 years being in a chaotic situation and now you are spending so much quality time with family, of course they believe a whole lot of that time will be taken away but she is also someone that believes in touching humanity. If this is our destiny to touch as many people as possible as we have always done together, then let God’s will be done. It’s a lot of sacrifice and a lot of things we’ll be transiting into, and God will help us. But I tell you, she is in total support.

What do you despise most?
Let me put it this way. It is being in a situation or location to help someone and I am incapacitated.

So what sport do you like?
Ah, I am a football fanatic but when I was in secondary school I used to play cricket. I actually played for Bendel State at a time. But I follow football like food. Then again I am compelled to love all sports right now.

When last did you play to try your fitness out?
Well it has been over a year now. I play on astro turf when I have the chance but not playing like J.J Okocha.

Did any of them try to influence your career path or were you just fascinated by a certain career very early on and decided this is what I want to become?
I can say this today that it was actually my father’s friend that made me who I am today because at age 12 or there about, one of my father’s friends came to the house and he just jokingly asked what I would like to become and I said I would like to be an accountant. He looked at me with some mocking disdain and said “you, can you become an Accountant?” That was my turning point. I believed that I was being challenged at such a young age and I told myself that whatever it will take to become the best of all Accountants in this country, I was going to do it. I was actually in form 2 but from then on, I decided to take Accounting as a subject in form 3. I decided to pursue Accounts as a career in the university. I also went on to become a Chartered Accountant at the age of 24. So, it was that challenge that drove me and propelled me on. That is how I decided to be the best I could be in my chosen profession.


Was he an accountant?
Ordinarily, I think he was but I think he must have been a bookkeeper not a chartered accountant.

Who were your role models very early on in your life?
My father will obviously come in place as my role model. I saw him as someone that had the best of all the virtues and he kept on telling me each time I came back from school that my results were not so good and that I was playful and that he saw that God has given me a talent and I should not let that talent be taken away from me by God. And if I focused on my studies eventually every other thing would be added on to me until he died when I was 18. Ever since, I have held on to that message as someone who had become my hero in life.

When did you earn your first pay as a salary earner?
My first salary would have been in 1985. I actually finished Youth Service in June of 1985 and having come back from Central Bank, Sokoto, I was at home for 3 months without a job. It was difficult getting a job then. The first job that came my way was a civil service job at the Lagos State Waste Disposal Board. I remember my first salary was N324 per month and that was so exciting for me. Today a fresh graduate could get as much as N100, 000 but that is an issue of inflation.


What was the feeling like for you?
I wanted to go back to the man that said I couldn’t become an accountant (laughs). Seriously, I looked into the future and I felt that the money was not going to be enough to take care of the life that I wanted to live. Hence, I decided I was going to pursue additional degrees and professional qualifications to enhance my income, which is what I have been doing in the last 30 years.

You held so many positions during your time in the civil service, tell me about it?
I joined the Lagos civil service in 1985 as an accountant with the then Lagos State Waste Disposal Board. So I joined the civil service and became a chartered accountant within a year after joining and with that additional qualification I applied to the Lagos State Civil Service and joined the Local Government Service Commission where I was deployed to Badagry Local Government. I could say that I’ve had a peculiar career in the Civil Service. Apart from the fact that my additional qualifications were giving me sort of an advantage towards an accelerated career path because I had moved from level 8 to level 10. Then from level 10 to level 12 and with additional qualifications I became a substantive Counsel Treasurer when I was just 29. I have had a rewarding career in the Lagos State civil service. I actually became the Auditor General for Local Government at the age of 37 based on merit. I was confirmed by the House of Assembly as the substantive Auditor General for Local Government in the year 2000. My career has been so peculiar in a manner that I feel that God has actually been the major runner of my destiny. I became the Accountant General of Lagos State at the age of 43, having served almost 10 years in different Local Governments as Counsel Treasurer. I also served as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in 2005 and then I became the Auditor General in 2006. A job that I did for over 6 years and voluntarily retired in August 2012 because I felt that there is so much to conquer in the world and to allow other people to get a chance to move up in their careers. I am happy I retired meritoriously.

You were a Treasurer, Auditor General and Accountant General. Your experiences must have been very valuable tell me about that
The major focal point for governance is security and welfare of the people. However, there are many projects and ideas that are competing for the scarce resources of the state. No matter how much we say that this is the future of what we want Lagos State to be, the dream can’t materialize without sufficient and adequate financial planning. So for one to have had that opportunity to have contributed in almost 3 decades to the financial machinery of different arms of government, it’s something very fulfilling for me. I want to put on record that the last 13years of my career, I was able to experience democratic governance and I have been able to add to the achievements of the various governments I have had the opportunity to work with. Everything is about the present and future growth and development of Lagos State that is driven by a common denominator, which is finance. And for one to have had that chance to contribute quietly and now openly seen by others, it has been a fulfilling and rewarding career.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/the-teacher-s-son-who-wants-to-be-governor/188276/

Until a few months ago not many people had heard the name Akinwunmi Ambode. Well, that was then. The name is on the lips of everybody now. From being the most unlikely of candidates poised to wrestle for a chance to govern Lagos, Africa’s mega city, he is now the most probable. A retired Auditor General and Accountant General of the state, who felt he had done his bit, voluntarily yielded space for others to take his place. But that was before the political permutations threw up his name as a possible replacement for Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Today his name has become a fixture to many Lagosians and watchers of politics in the state. While many other candidates have signalled interest in the race, there is no doubt as to who the “anointed” is, though he would not admit it. Calm, unassuming, jovial and ordinary with a charming smile, he comes across disarmingly likeable and gentlemanly. Just a few months tutorial in politics, he appears to be mastering the ropes very fast and transiting from the retired civil servant that he is to a politician that he is becoming. The nocturnal meetings, the shrewd permutations and all the intrigues in tow. The governorship hopeful speaks exclusively to Shaka Momodu in his first interview outing since his touted candidacy became public knowledge. It provides a glimpse into his background, his personality and more...

Tell me what was growing up like and what kind of parents you grew up under?
Thank you. I was born in Epe, 51 years ago to the families of Festus Akinwale and Christiana Ambode. I am the sixth of 10 children made up of four girls and six boys. I actually grew up in Epe for 4 years before coming into Lagos in 1967 and ever since then I’ve been in Lagos. I come from a Christian family. My parents were hardworking people. My father was a teacher and my mother was a sewing mistress. I have had all my education done in different parts of Nigeria and within a very good family. I am also married with children.

What events shaped your childhood and ultimately your adult life?
I think it was when I went to Federal Government College, Warri at the age of 11. You can imagine how it was for me at that age leaving my parents and going far away to school.

What was it like?
I will say it was interesting and my leadership role started to take shape from my childhood, which I spent in Warri. Apart from the fact that we had a close knit family, I was one of the first amongst the children that actually left our parents to go far way in Warri in the former Bendel State to start an educational life. I spent seven years in Warri away from my parents and that in itself has been a turning point for me and has molded me into the character that I am today.

What kind of parents were they?
My father was a teacher, so obviously he was a natural disciplinarian and you would see that as reflection of my character today. All the virtues you could have in the son of a teacher are what reflect in my life today.

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola pours out his heart on how Nigeria is being run. The Lagos State governor who is one of the influential figures of the opposition party, talks about the challenges of the Nigerian democracy and politics. He delivered this lecture at Timipre Sylva's 50th birthday at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, Read the inspiring article below:


I think it is too elementary to attempt any formal definition of democracy.

It will serve our purpose to say that it is participatory governance in the sense that we all have a say, whether we vote or not.

It is also useful to remind ourselves that participation is largely by representation; in other words, those who are old enough to vote and those who are not, are represented by people elected to speak, think and act for us.

This part is very important because we all cannot be in Government, especially the Executive and Legislative arm, so we must elect or otherwise choose people to go there on our behalf.

The problem is compounded by size.

Can you imagine what a Senate or House of Representatives where all 160 million of us can sit will look like?

From this point we can see the inherent challenges that lie in a process of collective decision making. In order to further highlight some of the challenges that lie in democratic governance, I will share with you a report of developments across the World published by Newsweek Magazine on August 23 & 30, 2010 edition titled “the Best Countries in the World”, Newsweek Top 100.

An article by Rana Foroohar posed the following question before delivering the report of a survey of 100 nations:-
”If you were born today, which country would provide you the very best opportunity to live a healthy, safe, reasonably prosperous and upwardly mobile life?”

In the answer, Finland was number 1, Nigeria was number 99, Ghana was number 86, South Africa was number 82, Brazil was number 48, Singapore was number 20, USA was number 11, United Kingdom was number 14. Greece, with its recent economic and debt crises was number 26, Russia was number 51. The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, that are not democracies in the contemporary sense of the western conception were rated 43, 53, 54 and 64 respectively.

Out of the 53 African countries on the continent, only 18 made the ranking, the highest being Tunisia 65, Morocco 67 and Egypt 74.

South Africa, which is reputed to be arguably the best democracy in Africa and at the time, the largest economy ranked lower than these “undemocratic” North African countries at 82. As if this was not bad enough, earlier this year on a business trip to Abu Dhabi, I was forced to enter into conversation with a middle aged man of Arab extraction.

It was in the evening in our hotel. He had come out to the restaurant to dine and unwind. I ended up on the same table with him and he was insistent on making conversation while he drank a glass of red alcoholic wine. In the event he sought to know where I came from and when I said Nigeria, he accused our Government of pauperizing our country when we have oil like his own country, Saudi Arabia. When I told him that he was not supposed to drink alcohol he asked me if I was going to report to his country. When I reminded him that his country was not democratic, he hit me where it hurts most.

He asked what the value of democracy is to my own countrymen when his own countrymen can build hospitals that we bring our own ailing presidents to. As if this was not enough, he rounded off by saying to me that in his country they see what their leaders are doing with their money, building roads, bridges, new airports, schools, hospitals, rail, shopping malls and generally driving development, and he at least did not care about democracy.

Although I felt hurt that he thought very little of my country, the idea of freedoms, to think, to speak, to act and to ask questions is too valuable for me to exchange for development under an autocratic or undemocratic government.

So I worry as we must all worry, when I hear some people say that it is part of their achievement that they allow us to express ourselves. Utter Rubbish!

They seek to re-define the relationship in the social contract. They are to serve us and not the other way round. It is not a privilege for us to complain when they do not deliver. If the only options left to choose from were between freedom and development, I for one will rather surrender development than freedom. However, I am however convinced beyond doubt that democracy can deliver development and this is the central theme of my presentation.

Political Parties

In order for this to happen, the vehicle of politics, the political parties must be developed as first class institutions. The first thing to seek is the “idea” behind governance (this is often contained in the program of a political party).

This is very important because the extremes of left and right ideologies have now converged around the centre. If China and Russia are democratizing, no matter how imperfectly, it is clear that the communist or socialist ideologies of economic exchange have proven to become unsustainable.
Conversely, capitalism in its purest sense has also had to reinvent itself to remain viable. Therefore it moved from cash to credit and credit almost killed it.

The question of ideology is important because it lies at the heart of choice making for the people who participate in election to choose their representatives. At all times, the welfare of the people is the central theme for the canvassing of votes. It is the ideology, often on economic outlook, sometimes on social outlook that helps to crystallize the difference between the political party machines.

Before concluding on party ideology (because it can be the subject of a full lecture itself) let me say that while some people still delude themselves that there is no difference between our political parties, especially the ruling party and the main opposition, the differences are emerging daily for those who are discerning enough to notice.

If on major policy issues such as power, security, agriculture, corruption and unemployment the main opposition has disagreed with the party in Government and has criticized its choices, I wonder what else the party needs to do to prove that there is a difference.

If you look at the level of progress and development (World Bank poverty index) in the States governed by old and new opposition Governors, there is clear daylight in terms of development.
For example, it is no coincidence that only 2 (two) States, Lagos and Rivers, governed by APC Governors are executing rail projects on their own as a mass transit solution.

The party in government has lied about when there will be stable electricity for 16 years, and an APC state, Lagos led the way in showing what is possible with its power initiatives in Egbin, Akute, Lagos Island and Alausa. Ikeja and Lekki will be commissioned this year.

Other APC Controlled states are clearly Pack Leaders in service delivery across the religious landscape.

The party in power prefers to continue to import fuel with the attendant disruptions, and monumental corruption. It cancelled its own concession of moribund refineries. Lagos believes that in a strategic partnership where it provides land for a refinery, Nigeria can produce enough petroleum products for consumption and still have some to export in 4 (four) years.

The ruling party is now sending a clear message to the people. This is what they are saying:-

“We care about you, but you do not need development so we will not do any developmental work in 3 (three) years. In the 4th (fourth) year we will give you money, kerosene, and rice. Please vote for us, and use the money we give you to provide your own roads, schools, hospitals and security, until we see you again in 4 (four) years”.

In the last election in Osun, the APC candidate sought the peoples vote on a campaign anchored on first his record of 4 years, and a clear developmental and economic agenda to empower the people if elected. For the candidate of the other main party, the election was going to be a war. So said no less a person than the Vice-President of our country. A leading member of that party. The candidate therefore anchored his campaign on an intention to CAPTURE Ekiti. For me there is clear daylight between these two approaches.

Anyone who still pretends not to see this major economic ideological difference will not see the tallest building in the world even if he stands in front of it.

Read the rest of the transcript here;

http://hype9ja.com/2014/08/governor-babatunde-raji-fashola-the-challenge-of-democratic-governance/

Babatunde Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State

Chief Tunde Temionu, a chieftain of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who has handled the Publicity Secretariat of the party in the Lagos East Senatorial District for the past four years, spoke on the implications of the outcome of Ekiti State governorship elections to the party. He also expressed optimism on the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun State and the challenges facing the Lagos chapter of the party over the search for the successor of the outgoing governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola in 2015. SEYE OLUMIDE reports.

With the present political waves in Lagos State, many aspirants are hell-bent on grabbing the APC party ticket for the 2015 governorship election, would there be a level playing ground?

First of all, I wish all the aspirants the best of luck. And I also want to remind them that two persons cannot simultaneously occupy the potential vacancy. And I also believe that as Nigerians, all the aspirants are eligible.

In this circumstance therefore, destiny has a very important role to play. For example, Nigerians voted for the presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief MKO Abiola in the 1993 Presidential election to become our president, but God said “NO”. That should be enough lessons for us. Human beings conduct primaries, but God picks a governor, period.

These aspirants must not be dissatisfied with the party and its leadership. Party governorship tickets are not meant for disloyal aspirants. One thing that I am very sure of is that the Lagos APC will conduct party primaries where all the aspirants will test their popularity at the party level.
So, aspirants who have all it takes to win the primary need not panic and should be able to trust their party leadership for free and fair primaries.
Some of the aspirants appear to have preferred being anointed by the leadership of the party instead of going through the primary?

Well, that may be the wish of those aspirants. But my leaders have not told me of arrangements to anoint any aspirant. In all the meetings that I was privileged to attend, the information was that the party’s candidate would emerge through a democratically conducted primary election. That all the aspirants are still on the field soliciting party members’ support is a clear indication that no one has been anointed. While determined aspirants are working hard to become more popular within the party, to enable them to achieve their objectives, some are reacting to rumours and anointed son.

What is your advice to those aspirants who were hell bent on getting the party’s ticket otherwise they would do in Lagos what Bamidele did in Ekiti?

It is not possible for the primary to simultaneously favour all the aspirants. But it is possible for some people or a mole to have won the contract to destroy the APC in Lagos State. Do it the Bamidele way and get the same result as Bamidele!

Should destiny take its course, in this regard, what do you think would be the likely reaction of aspirants like of the former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Leke Pitan; the former Commissioner for Rural Development, Dr.Tola Kasali; the current Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji; the current serving Senator representing the East Senatorial District, Alhaji Bariyu Asafa; the current LIRB boss, Mr. Tunde Fowler; the current Commissioner for Works, Dr. Obafemi Kadir Hamzat; the current serving senator representing the West Senatorial District, Senator Ganiyu Solomon; and the former Accountant General of the State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode?

Your have asked an interesting and fact-finding question. Evidently, apart from Mr. Akinwumi Ambode and Mr. Tunde Fowler, all the aspirants are beneficiaries of the party. They had one time or another enjoyed the blessing and support of the party leadership.

By virtue of their positions, they are all leaders of the party. And as men of honour and stakeholders, who are fully aware that the party does not belong to one person or a group of persons, they are like people living in glass houses, who must not throw stones. Although you cannot take human beings for granted, they are all party loyalists and positive people who are not supposed to be thinking only of what the party can do for them, but what they also can do for the party.

Are you saying that all of these aspirants are thinking the same way as you?

No, I am looking at the matter from the angle of good minds, and the way things should be if we sincerely put the party first, and join hands with other leaders to build a united, strong and formidable party.

How would you assess these individuals, their eligibility and other qualities?

No doubt, I know some of them to an extent. Subjectively, by all standards they are all qualified to be governor. For instance, I know Dr. Tola Kasali to be a reliable party builder in the East Senatorial District. No matter how smooth or rough the political situation might be, he can never be a party to the destruction of the APC that he contributed immensely to its growth in Lagos East.

He loves the party. We both worked together with other senatorial leaders to nurture the party in the east for the past four years. Moreover, this is not his first attempt at the governorship ticket. Whichever way it happens this time, as a good Muslim, he will accept the will of Allah. He is not a violent person. I wish him well.

Dr. Leke Pitan is a self-satisfied person. He has never been identified with political violence or anti-party activities. As an elitist politician, it will take him only a short while to completely blend with the grassroots. Thereafter, the sky is his limit. Like other aspirants who have benefited from the party’s leadership style, all things being equal, he has the right to benefit again.

But one thing I am sure of is, his medical consulting room cannot disappoint him. A good contestant must be propelled by variable outcomes. Should the worst happen, he is magnanimous enough to think of the other side of the coin, moreover, clinical exigencies will not give him time for an unproductive project against the party.

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Ikuforiji, is a seasoned politician and the number three citizen of this state. By virtue of his position, he is a member of the party’s supreme apex caucus in the state. Should there be the need for the caucus to take a decision on any pending matter in the state, including the governorship race, he (Mr. Speaker) would certainly be a part of such a decision. He has that edge over other aspirants.

As an astute leader and principal stakeholder, his continuous and positive contributions to the political growth of the party in Lagos East will remain indelible in the senatorial archives. In a similar vein, his leadership qualities and administrative values are reflected in the state legislative accomplishment.

As a pathfinder and a lucky politician, he is the first speaker to have contested elections in a sequence, from the East and the West senatorial districts. That was seen as a special dispensation, not an imposition.
His administration also established the first Assembly Commission in Lagos State. All of these are clear proof of a builder. Notwithstanding, all of these notable achievements could not have been possible without the support of the party leadership. Above all, with all of these progressive inputs of his, and all he has gained from the party’s leadership style, he cannot destroy the house he built because of any odd reason.

Senator Asafa is a gentleman to the core. His constituency projects and support for the grassroots were an additional value to the achievement of the leadership of Lagos East. Destiny catapulted him as former Permanent Secretary of Lands to the political arena and he became the serving senator of the district. He is a fast learner, magnanimous and kind. His political advancement was not a solo effort.

He is a jolly good fellow and among those who benefited from the same leadership style. I do not see it possible for him to over react should there be a temporary delay in his political ambition, because he is not a do or die politician. Above all, he is not an ingrate who would bite the political fingers that fed him.

Although I am not that close to Tunde Fowler, from my observation and what people say about him, he is neither a difficult person nor an enemy of progress. The way he propels himself, his figure and vigour depict the gentleman in him, different from a typical Nigerian politician. I was invited to his daughter’s wedding recently; the takeaway pack he gave me comprised a book entitled Self-Improvement by John C. Maxwell. I have read Leadership Gold and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by the same author.

But the book he gave me added to my understanding of leadership, and his action gave me an insight into the stuff that he was made of. From all indications, such a man signifies his intention because he is confident of his leadership qualities and administrative capability. Certainly, politics is a vocation; it will take some time for a political leader to stage a dangerous mutiny. If the primary does not favour him, he has nothing to lose. After all, he is still the boss at LIRS. Although he will need to work more on the grassroots, with him, mutinous harm is not envisaged.

The Commissioner for Works, Dr. Hamzat, is another man that I have respect for. Although he is not a loud politician, he has a solid progressive political background. Not that we are very close. But on the few occasions that we spoke one-on-one, even without his wearing beads, his posture signified nobility, his approaches and princely disposition reflected the blue blood in him.

Evidently, by inheritance, he is a principal stakeholder in the party. His siblings are also in government on the platform of the APC in Lagos State. The fact that his father, an honourable commissioner in Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s cabinet, and who is now The Olu of Afoowa-Shagade, Ogun State, Oba Mufutau Hamzat, is also one of the most reliable pillars of the APC in Lagos State. The monarch not only commands respect within and outside the party, he is a man of honour and one of the trustees of the party in the state. Moreover, based on Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat’s political root, and all the chains of benefits, he is not among those who can destroy the party, come rain or shine.

It seems Senator Ganiyu Solomon has a different approach to the issue…
How do you mean?
While many of the aspirants mentioned have been circumspect in their utterances and actions, Solomon has been on the offensive and warned that the party might lose Lagos if it refused to organise free, fair and transparent primaries to pick candidates. A group called the New Lagos Movement (NLM) headed by Mr. Niyi Akinsiju has also implored the APC national Chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun, to urgently address what he described as problems currently facing the party.

Yes, due to inordinate ambition and the wrong approach, the aspiration of those who are perfidious to the party may be destroyed. Certainly, the party leadership will not fold its arms for vandals and political rascals to take over the party. I am not convinced that the NLM boss outburst had the approval of Solomon! Such a threat and vituperation was not expected of a senator, who is also a party leader or his emissary. The way I understand Akinsiju, in the first place, the Senator’s threat was on the grounds that Tinubu did not anoint him. And secondly, that Asiwaju had anointed a godson for the governorship race.

Suffice it to say that he (Solomon) was aware that Tinubu had that political anointing oil with him. The Senator should also know that the anointing environment is fenced with absolute loyalty and admission is for calm, humane, and courtly party members.

What he is threatening Tinubu to do for him is what he is indicting Tinubu for doing for another person. If for him, it is just; but for another person, it is unjust. A person who wants to be anointed by intimidation is like a baptismal applicant who chooses to disobey baptismal instructions from the priest or his baptismal godfather.

Since baptism is the prerequisite for the admission of Christians into heaven, such an applicant may remain unbaptized, and a semi-Christian. Consequently, he will have problems with admission into the Kingdom of God.

Some reasons why Senator Solomon must not throw stones in a glasshouse are: evidently, he rode on the coattails of Asiwaju as an anointed son to become a council chairman, and thereafter, to the House of Representatives, and to the Senate for the first and second terms. Solomon did well as a legislator, thanks to positive godfatherism. Records have it that about the last four party tickets that Solomon got were synonymous with carrying placard. His encounter with Senator Afikuyomi was a melodrama.

Violence or intimidation could be used to get party tickets in lower primaries but no responsible party leadership will succumb to blackmail of any kind in the case of a gubernatorial ticket. In this cautious and sensitive circumstance, as the leadership of the party is shopping for a formidable and marketable candidate, it is synonymous with antiparty activities for any party member to be vituperative, unruly, or attempt to cause disunity in the party. Above all, Solomon has not been identified with ingrate.

With all that he had benefited from the party leadership style, now that he is on top, he is supposed to work hand in glove with the leadership of the party to fight common enemies and correct usual internal human errors to enable the party to excel, mould and sustain a solid political platform for the unborn progressives. A child, who naively breaks his mother’s cooking pot because of a late breakfast, will be denied lunch and dinner. Good leaders build, they don’t destroy.

Most of the aspirants seem to be irked because the party leadership is already showing special interest in Ambode, whom they said is not a politician but a technocrat and money engineer who might not be able to cope as governor?

Like I said about all other aspirants, Ambode is a special stuff. The people you mention do not understand that his financial expertise and technocracy add value to his eligibility. His twenty-seven years as a professional accountant and civil service career was grassroots oriented. So by virtue of his job, he has been a non-registered practising politician for many years. But now that he is formally registered to practise politics, his political sophistication and broad grassroots coordination skills have taken aback those who did not see him as a politician before now, and made him formidable, and a challenge to his opponents.

What do you mean by ‘non-registered practising politician’, and how does that reflect in his (Ambode’s) aspiration?

A person whose day-to-day job functions are connected with politicians, but who is not directly involved in politics as a result of his job, and in accordance with the law of the land, is a non-registered practising politician. For instance, Ambode had worked as council treasurer in virtually all the 20 existing local government councils in Lagos State. And when we say local government, we mean the grassroots.

Thereafter, he proceeded to the state in the same capacity but at a more advanced level. He became Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance. He was the sitting Accountant-General of the state during the 2007 and 2011 governorship elections, and was able to effectively curtail the excesses of politicians. Wise men know what that means,

Ambode’s case is like that of a team-player-craftsman who had gone round all the sections of a construction project, became a supervisor, and headed the project. Should he eventually become the project manager, definitely, the project is in safe hands.

Now, to your second question, Ambode’s antecedents reflect very positively on his aspiration. As a journalist, go to town and find out for yourself. You will observe that his friends, colleagues and well-wishers have formed many campaign groups awaiting his party ticket.


It’s being alleged that he is not an indigene of Lagos?

That is a trivial issue. Unless those who doubt his indigene status want to as well doubt the status of the Olisa of Epe, Chief Korede Kareem Alaolu who in his public statement said “Ambode is by all rights and privileges a native of Epe and Ajagonobe extraction and therefore, he is a descendant of Ajagonobe family.”


Therefore, many people see it as tantamount to being a busybody, or being Catholic more than the Pope to say that Ambode is not a member of the Ajagonobe family in Epe.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/features/policy-a-politics/173866-lagos-apc-has-no-plan-to-anoint-any-candidate

By Seye Olumide

Hi all, this article was sent to me by a friend a few days ago and I was struck by Edo Ukpong's view on how Nigerians react to the political goings on , the art of misdirection by the ruling class and how we all seem to have collective political ADD.

Very good read. I believe you will all enjoy it if you haven't read it before.

Source: Sahara Reporters

These past weeks have not been any different from the past months, Nigeria has been stumbling from one crisis to another, from one killing to another, from one scandal to another from one distasteful act of impunity to more disquieting acts of impunity and so on.

In all of these there is no hope that things will quiet down anytime soon or indeed that we have seen/heard the worst. Things happen with such varying degrees of absurdity and at such frenetic pace, that it is not feasible for any ‘breaking news’ to grab our attention for any length of time. The military clampdown on some media organizations and seizure of their newspapers, is distant memory. The infamous tragicomic ‘only you waka come’ rendition has had its screenplay hijacked and adapted only for pure comedy away from the horror show that it so cruelly depicted. The Chibok saga is still in the news thankfully because of the ‘#Bringbackourgirls’ campaign.

Even at that, the fact that Onyeka Onwenu and Kema Chikwe both frontline national women leaders publicly doubted the fact of the chibok abduction is faint memory. The bombings in Abuja have receded from our memory to be replaced for now with the apprehension of where next. The Ekiti election has come and gone and any messages, if at all, drowned out by contrived public commentary which very much mirrors a situation where a commentator watching a football match at Onikan Stadium will be commentating on a basketball match at National Stadium. If the election itself is distant memory, then talk less of the interview, Senator Ayo Arise gave, penultimate day to the election, on national breakfast television where with the typical arrogance of ‘today’s people’ he boasted of certain victory. His deep insights included the fact that the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan had made money available to the Fayose campaign and so they will outmatch the APC cashwise! That kind of talk has not been worthy of any further analysis, not even in the shortlived post Ekiti debate.

The polarization of the country has obviously fractured every institution and every profession and it takes the deeply discerning to have a fair idea as to what is really going on because in most cases reportage or public discourse is only the end product of serious back room strategy by various interest groups. So when in the past few weeks personal attacks and ‘damaging’ reviews, overviews and opinion pieces started appearing regarding Senator Bola Tinubu, my senses went into auto alert. When the brilliant Rudolf Okonkwo of Sahara Reporters joined the fray I knew the onslaught was akin to the Ekiti election, ‘operation blanket cover’ and like the Ekiti version with seamless execution – no blood, only tears which dry very fast!

Many commentators even blame Tinubu for the APC Ekiti ‘loss’, tracking his overbearing godfatherism as responsible for the revolt of the Ekiti people. The line of argument being that Ekiti people do not want to be ruled from Lagos. Presumably the security cover for the election was provided by proud independent Ekiti people. Also the money referred to by Ayo Arise did not carry any ‘foreign’ stamp. Indeed the argument stretches to cover the proposition that the Ekiti loss is the signpost of APC’s impending death because of an overbearing godfather, which has suddenly become exclusive to Tinubu and a cardinal sin in Nigeria’s politics! What confuses me further, is deciding whether to be persuaded whether Governor Fayemi lost because of Tinubu’s unpopularity or Fayose’s popularity in Ekiti? In my view a marriage of both positions is contradictory and will remain so even in this era of same sex marriage. Still more confusing is the general, albeit grudging admission that Governor Fayemi governed Ekiti conscientiously and prudently and transformed Ekiti State even if not to the level of ‘uncommonality’ but definitely beyond the scope of the states resources. So if Ekiti was being run from Lagos, are we also insinuating that Tinubu should be seen as the non resident architect of that rare example of good governance? At times I wonder what to make of public discourse in Nigeria, it gets too complicated and confusing.

Excuse the digression, but in truth that is what this piece is about. It is about our inability as a people to correctly tune in and stay focused on issues for any length of time, the issues that affect our overall well being as a people. It is so easy to divert our attention and I give it to the strategists of the government, they are getting better at the art. How can we in all good conscience analyse the Ekiti election without analysing the fact of misuse of military power and its bearing on our nascent democracy. So in a boxing match if one boxer is tied to one spot and consequently pummelled to submission by his mobile opponent, we should take the view that the restraint was not important because being smaller in stature and lacking crowd support he would have lost anyway! Or perhaps that his coach was too overbearing! Why do we not surmise rather that the people who put the restraints are not fools and that if victory had been assured they will not have resorted to such absurdity. If Fayose and PDP were so popular and Fayemi, APC and Tinubu so unpopular, why the resort to all manner of crudity?I know Fayose may be rough but is not foolish, PDP may be ‘anything goes’ but is not a stupid party and my dear president Jonathan is clued up on winning elections.

Tinubu has been accused of many things and not having sufficient information, it will be foolhardy for me to attempt any defence. That is also not the objective of this piece. It is a notorious fact that Tinubu is living large today and being a party leader of a formidable party in the Nigerian setting, with the attendant ‘responsibilities’. I will not argue with anybody who takes the view that his stint as governor and now party godfather has conferred other benefits for which many will not mind the attendant sleepless nights!

My view though is that the ruling party sees Tinubu as the single most significant factor that can threaten its continued dominance of power in Nigeria. His energy and organisational ‘never say die’ determination has in their view been allowed to go too far. So time to take him out. Take him out and the opposition will fracture and evaporate. So there is a concerted effort not only to criminalise opposition politics but also rubbish Tinubu the arrowhead and even blame him in crocodile tears fashion for his party’s simulated impending death so as to create doubt and confusion in the ranks of its supporters and other opposition politicians. In Nigeria’s fickle and monetized political culture, it will take genius guile, money, luck and superhuman perseverance to overcome the desperate antics of a party with no qualms about using every trick in its huge divisive bag of tricks.

All the talk of godfatherism and definition of who is or not a progressive is just to goad the opposition to restructure APC into another National Conscience Party, a party populated with only progressives but which is yet to win any election. Of what use are all the progressive ideas in the world and saintliness of operators if the result is not access to the power required to effect those progressive ideas?

What seems to scare the PDP is the realization that APC also understands Realpolitik and that Tinubu a product of the NADECO struggle who survived, Babangida, Abacha and later Obasanjo has a few tricks up his sleeve too and may just lead APC into Aso Rock by road whilst the PDP machinery is deployed at the Airport!

Edo Ukpong

Legal Practitioner


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