•LAGOS Lawmaker, Hon. TUNDE BRAIMOH
There is no gainsaying the lockdown imposed by the federal government on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja has had a very telling effect on the economy and on Nigerians who survive basically on their daily wages. This is why the government, both state and federal, have stretched themselves to the limits to see how they can cushion the effect of the lockdown on the populace. From individuals to private organisations and government agencies, there’s been a concerted effort from everyone to see how stimulus packages can reach the most vulnerable in society. The Lagos State House of Assembly and its members have also played their part in seeing that palliatives get to the very needy in our midst at this very critical time. In this interview with City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL, the chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable Tunde Braimoh, the Lawmaker who represents Kosofe Constituency II, speaks on the role the House has played in easing the pains of the most vulnerable during the lockdown and why he believes government did the right thing to ease the lockdown.Â
Tell us, sir, how has the Covid-19 situation and its attendant lock down affected the momentum of the house?
Of course, the Covid-19 pestilence is a worldwide scourge. It portends a dastardly and devastating omen to lives and living across the world.
All aspects of human existence from law, order, public health, security, economy; name it are all adversely affected and turned southwards and the House of Assembly of Lagos can not and is not an exemption.
However, the House of Assembly given the pragmatic, highly intuitive and administrative acumen and managerial savvy brought to bear on it by the ultra high-level cognate experience and know-how of the Speaker; Rt Hon Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa and other fecund – minded legislators constituting the Assembly is precociously in tune and in sync with the attendant dynamics and kaleidoscopic changes occasioned by the deadly pandemic and has therefore been able to chart a course of survival even in the excruciating circumstances.
First, the House of Assembly was able to promulgate a law to address the various exigencies and emergencies that may be brought about by the causes and effects of the pandemic. In the same vein, the Lagos State Legislature which prides itself as being above the common standards of living was able to assiduously and spontaneously activate its efficacious apparatus of oversight powers and functions through which the House of Assembly has been able to engender the required cooperation, collaboration, checks and balances on the Executive arm of government through the instrumentality of which the Assembly receives periodic briefing especially from the Commissioner for Health and relay the concerns, yearnings and feedbacks of the people to the Commissioner and, even in some instances, to Mr. Governor. The House of Assembly was also able to set agenda in some instances; enunciating policies, plans and programs to enhance the impact of the government on the pandemic.
Pursuant to the above-stated principles; the House of Assembly mandated many of its committees to conduct inspections, hold interactions, have interfaces and discussions with various federal, state and local government agencies and officials and even with some private entities to address emerging issues with a view to making life more bearable to the citizenry in the prevalent circumstances and also to develop, foster and muster appropriate strategies and tactics calculated towards winning the covid war with the least fatalities or casualties possible. Example of some of these activities are the visits and meetings held by the House Committee on Health, and that of Information and Strategy to the Covid-19 isolation centres at Yaba, Onikan, Victoria Island and Gbagada.
Another example is the meeting of the House Committee on Energy along with the Committee on information and strategy with the management of Eko Disco and Ikeja Disco as well as the managers of the Lagos IPP and the State Energy Commissioner with a view to making electricity supply more constant in supply to the metropolis so as to cushion the effects of the total lockdown of the last five weeks and the current dusk to dawn curfew.
Let’s talk about efforts collectively made by the house in terms supporting Lagosians with palliatives, did the House do much in that regard?
The constitution is clear on the roles of each arm of the government. To that extent, the legislature makes laws, performs oversight functions or act as a check on the executive and make appropriations or allocation of funds for the other arms of government according to their needs and plans in a yearly fiscal document called the budget.
This simply put is that while the legislature provides the funds for the executive to spend by way of budget or appropriation, the legislature does not touch or spend the money itself. That’s in accordance with basic accounting principles or the principles of separation of powers. The power they say corrupt and absolute powers corrupt absolutely. A concentration of powers in one organ or person is the simplest definition of totalitarianism. It, therefore, goes without saying that all the funds spent by the executive on Covid-19 are so allowed by the Legislature. This includes even donations or any grant or aid made to or in the name of the state government. The Legislature of Lagos has ensured unfettered availability of funds in the war against Covid.
Given the idiosyncrasies of our polity, however, Lagos Legislators remain conscious of the love, confidence and admiration reposed individually in them by the populace and collectively in their party: the APC and to whom much is given, much is expected. Each and every one of the Legislators is going all out to provide empathetic support to the good people who gave them the pedestal of representation.
From the numero uno; the Speaker, Rt Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa who personally and with the support of his personal friends made a wide range of relief items available to his electorate in Agege. From rice to beans, garri and scores of thousands of loaves of bread to direct token cash transfers, he left no stone unturned to manifestly demonstrate his passion and desires to wrestle his people from the scourge of hunger even as the government struggled to protect or cure them of the pestilence.
This goes for every other of the thirty-nine Honorable members who in their respective individual ways are making discernible and unmistakable efforts towards supporting the people in minimizing the incidental effects of hunger in the overall war against Covid.
Honourable members are making cash, food items, groceries, face masks, sanitizers and general daily – need items available to the people to epitomize their depth of care.
You are someone who is known to be a philanthropist, always seeking ways to better the lot of people around you. How much did the plight of your people in Kosofe during the lockdown hit you and how were you able to react to the situation?
The exigency nature of the pandemic came as a rude shock and I’m sure most people were caught unawares. My constituency is a hybrid of very urban and many rural localities. Though you may argue there’s no rural area in Lagos but that’s in terms of demographic terminologies. In the pragmatic sense of it, some areas are largely rural and without basic infrastructure except electricity which is largely used as the measure of rural/urban classifications. While the urban dwellers are highly elitist and can survive even with years of holiday or lockdown, most of the not so privileged part rely on their hands for daily survival. This means they live by the day and inability to ply their respective trades for one day will take a huge hit at their economies. I, therefore, had to recognize the challenges and grapple with it. That explains why I make bulk purchases of food stiffs and groceries on a daily basis for repackaging and distribution as stimulus support to the needy which has a high number in my area. This is in addition to the great efforts also made daily by our state and local governments including the senator representing my constituency.
What I observed in this process were the anxieties and rushes that greeted the distribution of these items which made me do more of direct cash transfers whereby people received cash credit Alerts from their banks in the comfort of their rooms. The least beneficiaries of my direct cash transfers numbering 1,648 as at the last count got 10,000 naira each. Some got 15,000 and some others got 20,000 naira each.
In the wake of the Ramadan season, we’ve had to resume the food distribution but this time around, we target specific persons and make personal deliveries. We will also need to do some more of the cash transfers or deliveries because it appears preponderant. The basic principles and guiding factors I use in allocating the cash and/or stimulus packages otherwise known as palliatives are need, request, fairness, personal knowledge of the beneficiary and suitable recommendations or references.
Do you think the decision to ease the lockdown for two weeks was a wise one considering the massive turnout of people in Lagos and Abuja with near stampede situations in many banks and the mammoth crowd showing no regard for physical distancing, commercial drivers loading their buses to the hilt with passengers and markets overcrowded with people?
The easement and adjustment of the lockdown to allow for controlled movement and activities during the day was a decision Mr. President had to make as a hybrid or a mid-way option between two extremes.
The lockdown itself was advised to flatten the curve of the pandemic or slow its pace of spread as there’s as yet no vaccine in place empirically proven to be potent enough to combat the dreaded disease.
On the other hand, however, our local economic realities do not appear prepared to contain the harsh and excruciating effects of hunger and other basic needs attendant to a lockdown. As a matter of fact, many people had said they would rather take the lottery of death resultant from a likely infection rather than the certainty of death which was sure from hunger attendant to lack of daily bread.
Government is social engineering. A good public administrator should be able to articulate, aggregate and evaluate emerging or contending issues and then strike a balance. It is therefore commendable of President Buhari to have taken a bit from each persuasion for and against the lockdown and arrived at a relaxed or abridged lockdown and controlled movement. In spite of the Government’s position however, the citizenry is advised to be guided as the relaxation of the lockdown does not in any way translate into or signify an end of the pandemic. Rather, available statistics tend to show an upward movement of the disease’s graph. It is therefore in accordance with self – preservation- instincts that citizens should be extra cognitive of precautionary measures and go out only when absolutely necessary. Good a thing, many transactions could be initiated or even concluded on mobile phones and devices these days. For those whose daily bread depends on going out, they are advised to kindly be aware of their surroundings as it is heavily laden with plague and therefore take all prescribed cautionary measures. Regular washing of hands and personal hygiene, wearing of face mask, regular use of sanitizers, physical and social distancing, the prohibition of congregations etc are now ordered that regulate our daily lives and they must be religiously obeyed.
The curfew is a legal restriction issued pursuant to extant laws and it is criminal to flout same. Other regulated items like face mask are assuming the same dimension in accordance with the public health law and other regulations.
