“I hate ingratitude more in a man more than lying, vainness, babbling drunkenness, or any other taint of vice whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood… Shakespeare, 1564-1616. VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS P. 89 online.
Mr. Bolaji Jolayemi, a trader, is one of the rarest types of Nigerians I have ever encountered in my 37 years in the media. He astonished me on Saturday, August 31, 2024, by expressing gratitude to Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for coming to meet traders in Lagos Island to start personally distributing cheques promised to traders whose shops were demolished when a fire incident, engulfing six buildings, resulted in the demolition of several others. Incidentally, it was a measure of the generosity of Bolaji’s spirit that he was not even one of the first recipients. He is still waiting for his cheque. He was very happy that others receive relief from a compassionate Governor. But, before delving into the full report of Sanwo-Olu’s demonstration of what a listening and caring leader ought to be doing, permit me to take you home to another leader – my Oba.
ABOWA OF AGBOWA-IKOSI
“Aye, every inch a King”. – William Shakespeare, 1564-1616.
Oba Owolabi Saheed Momson, LLB HONS, BL, MABUDEJE ADULOJU III, is, to me, what a Royal Father should be in the modern age – young, vigorous, articulate and well-educated. Being a lawyer means that he ‘’has a second address” – as Dr Muiz Banire would say. He is my Royal Father. My first meeting with him was on Saturday August 24, 2024, at my own request, regarding disputed lands in our town; which was being litigated, but, could become violent. Two judgments at lower and Appeal Courts had gone against my family before I was even aware that my name appeared as one of the Defendants at the Lower Court and Appellants on appeal. We got a lawyer to contest the judgments; before it occurred to me that we should try mediation by asking the Oba to intervene. He graciously granted us an appointment. Several shocks were waiting for me. You probably assume that he sided with us. Wait.
Gov. Sanwo-Olu
Instead of the typical old ruler, I met my Father; young enough to be my first child if I had not absconded to America in 1964; and handsome as a Nollywood actor, as well as articulate. This was followed by the disclosure that he is a lawyer. He had obviously been briefed about the matter and had read the two judgments. He wasted no time in pronouncing that the courts were right in their decisions; that we lost the cases because our representatives messed up. But, he left it up to us to decide if we want to continue litigation. It took me less than one minute to announce that we would not go to court. He suggested mediation by Elders. We agreed and August 31 was set for meeting with the other parties. And in less than two hours the two families in conflict were shaking hands; snarling gave way to smiling. It was a case of “all is well that ends well”.
GOV SANWO-OLU AND LGSG OFFICIALS DONATE MONEY
“Everybody, please help us to thank Governor Sanwo-Olu for coming to our assistance yesterday. The Governor came to personally deliver some cheques to traders affected by demolition”.
I raced back to Lagos Island to celebrate God’s gift to the Agbowa-Ikosi community in the person of our young Oba. I swallowed two glasses of beer after seating down. Then Bolaji walked in and made the announcement. I stopped drinking. This is too good to be true. The interview started immediately. This gesture must be properly documented for posterity; because, all too often, columnists, including me, are too eager to publish negative reports about those in authority. But, the truth is, leaders are not always wrong; just as they are not always right. However, they sometimes take measures which are effectively extra-ordinary and which will promote the welfare of the people they lead in more ways than they realise. Bolaji’s eye-witness account of what happened is summarised below. Here they are.
Governor Sanwo-Olu arrived, promptly at 12 noon, at the Dosumu Street, Lagos Island business area, most of which had been demolished when fire broke out and rendered several buildings unfit for human habitation. Stress test undertaken by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LABSCA, revealed that several more building were also distressed and had to be pre-emptively demolished. That was not, by any means, a popular decision – even among those, like me, who had no shops in the area. But, as the buildings were coming down, one by one, it became clear that Lagos Island was sitting on a far greater catastrophe than the fire incident. I took the trouble to visit the area more than six times to convince myself that the LASG had done the right thing – for which it will be better remembered by posterity. That was the background for the Governor’s visit on Friday, August 30, 2024.
Obviously realising that the monumental task of reconstruction will continue long after his term expires in 2027, Sanwo-Olu arrived with an entourage including the Deputy Governor, Dr Hamzad (the heir apparent?), Honourable Commissioners, the General Manager of LABSCA, Architect Oki and the two Chairmen of Lagos Island East and West, Honourables Toyese Olusi and Lara Oyekan Olumegbon. The traders were classified into three groups for compensation: Group A would receive N2.5 million each; Group B would receive N1.5 million each and Group C would receive N750,000 each.
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According to Bolaji, there was jubilation from the traders who were caught by surprise by the generousity of the Lagos State Government. And, being aware that Igbo traders were in majority, the compensation was structured to reflect the ethnic composition of the traders. Eventually, a member of every ethnic group trading in the area will benefit from the exercise. The Governor and top government officials departed; leaving Ms Lara Oyekan Olumegbon to distribute the cheques brought. The rest will be called in batches to the State Secretariat to collect their own cheques.
FAITH IN LEADERS
“Faith is not belief without proof, but, trust without reservation.”
Elton Trueblood. VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, p 55, online.
To me the most remarkable aspect of Sanwo-Olu’s unexpected step was Bolaji’s response to it. He was not among the first recipients of cheques. Yet, he was expressing gratitude for benefits yet to be delivered. That positive attitude about government requires great faith in the leader. To me, this is something lacking in our society today. It is something we have to re-discover. Like Bolaji, I also believe his cheque will be delivered when it is his turn. Even though I had no shop in Dosumu Street, and no cheque expected, I join Bolaji in thanking Governor Sanwo-Olu for caring. I honestly believe the promise to other traders will be fulfilled.
STOP PRESS!!!
Just as I was undertaking the final editing of this article, Bolaji dropped in. He was among the next batch of recipients. He will remember it forever. So will I.
CLEANING THE JUDICIARY: WHO WILL START?
“All the rights secured to the citizens under the constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous judiciary. US President Andrew Jackson, 1767-1845.
The Nigerian judiciary has voided the constitution with corruption. Is the Nigerian judiciary virtuous? The question was answered when a survey declared the Judiciary as one of the most corrupt institutions in Nigeria. Is the Nigerian judiciary independent? That question is not so easy to answer. But, it can be inferred from indisputable evidence. The article in VANGUARD on August 31, 2024, written by Senator Sola Akinyede titled “As corruption tears through our justice system…Let’s rescue NJC now”, supplied several plates of food for thought. Before Akinyede’s article, my colleague in the paper, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, had carpeted the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, several times – charging Ariwoola with corruption with regard to appointments to Federal Judiciary. Granted, as a serving Justice, the former CJN could not have defended himself. But, to me, the most remarkable thing was the fact that nobody came to the CJN’s defence. Silence always implies consent. Are we to assume that Ariwoola was guilty as charged? The heat has been turned on Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun; who was on the Court of Appeal when a candidate who came fourth in the Imo State Governor’s election was declared the winner.
“Are you going to hang him anyhow and try him afterwards? – Mark Twain, 1835-1910, VBQ p 85.
Nothing is more freely abused by Justices in Nigeria than granting ex-parte injunctions in favour of governments in cases not listed. A favourite ploy is to freeze the bank accounts of people who have not even been charged to court nor convicted of any crime. Will Kekere-Ekun clean up the rot? Time will tell.
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