CPMG: LAGOS AT 50 CELEBRATIONS…IF I WAS AKINWUNMI AMBODE

I promise I am not a wet blanket. Neither a spoiler. And I don’t belong to the PDP, Alabukun, Panadol or any opposition party to the ruling APC. I also appreciate the hard work the man in Lagos House, who casually uses my family name as his first name is doing for the “Itesiwaju Eko”. Mine is just a citizen’s simple opinion.

From the (sneak) previews and the various activities announcements we have heard and seen so far, the State and Ambode plan to roll out the drums and slaughter the fatted calves for the State’s 50th anniversary. From all indications, it promises to be a high decibel set of events and activities.

All of these most naturally will cost money; indeed tons of it. Thankfully, I think the governor can echo one of the most curious statements Gowon reportedly made as a young Nigerian head of state: “Money is not our problem; how to spend it is”. The state is wealthy and so can afford to splash.

And there are good reasons too. More than any other state, and curiously, even more than the nation itself, Lagos has made some impressive progress and is fast metamorphosing into a modern city. The state has been very fortunate under the civilian democratic dispensation to have progressive governors who have laid and built on solid foundations of turning a sluggish economy into a powerhouse one to meet the needs of over 20 million citizens in the megacity. Really there are solid reasons to rejoice.

But I am thinking.

From what we have picked up, many of the series of activities and events sound familiar. They are all decorated with a lot of razzmatazz. And it should be plenty of fun. But I am seriously thinking that what if Ambode had approached this differently? Of course we would still have the usual state dinners etc., but what if the governor were to decide that for a change, to mark this 50th anniversary, the bulk of the monies would go into landmark projects that would directly touch the lives of the people and leave an eternal memorial.

What do I mean?

In a few weeks, no matter how grand, the splashiest balls and dinners would be forgotten. Most of the activities and events would be forgotten, except of course if you happen to have made a lot of money from them as an event supplier or planner.

What if the governor decided that for the 50th anniversary, he would do this major thing:

REHABILITATION AND REFURBISHMENT OF THE SEVERELY DILAPIDATED SCHOOLS WITHIN LAGOS STATE.

You don’t even need to go into the hinterland of the state; as you approach Ikoyi from Dolphin, you will see some schools to the right. The windows need replacement and the schools can use a touch of paint. Its worse when you visit the hinterland. A school board I sit on visited a state primary school off the Lekki road to inspect what needed to be done because we decided to adopt the school and do major renovations.

I almost wept at what I saw, the unbelievable conditions, the squalor, where children in Lagos state receive education. I have no words to describe what I saw. Everything that should stand was broken down. And amazingly, shockingly, the students were all smiles. Only the teachers wore mournful looks as they lamented the impossible conditions under which they have to impart knowledge. If the state were to decide that for the 50th anniversary, all such schools in Lagos would be totally rehabilitated…broken fences mended, leaking roofs replaced, proper toilets put in place, sporting and recreational facilities provided, generators made available, proper chairs and tables fixed, ceiling fans installed to control the severe heat etc., I rather believe the legacy will be profound and generations will not forget the 50th anniversary.

And the beauty of this is that the state need not fund these alone. If Ambode were to invite the Corporates to join hands with him, I doubt if any of them would balk. Of course this would cost a lot of money, given the large number of primary and secondary schools in Lagos, but I assure you it would be money better spent than some of the activities lined up. And it can be a project that continues to give life. As part of the 50th anniversary, Corporates and wealthy individuals can be encouraged to adopt some of the schools for future management. Can you imagine the huge impact?

It is my opinion that apart from this project of doing something for the schools and the future generation, the government can also consider other very critical areas where in the spirit of the 50th anniversary, people’s lives will be genuinely touched; people can speak in 5, 10, 15 years from now that when Lagos was 50, instead of the usual parties, instead of a few people wining and dining, a governor moved against the grain and decided to do something lasting for the real heroes of Lagos State:  THE PEOPLE.