Ambode has shown clearly that he is a no
nonsense leader, as against the perception by many at the very beginning
of his administration in 2015 that Lagos has elected a go-slow-leader.
It is crystal clear from all indications that he is a careful manager
of resources and situations, essentially on peculiar issues that
concerns the people of Lagos. He has shown this in many ways, and a
recent example is his swift response to the security crisis that
enveloped Lagos in the last quarter of 2015 and the recent rescue of the
3 abducted students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary in Ikorodu.
If we had a smart thinking and concerned president like Ambode when the
Chibok girls were kidnapped, the abduction saga of the Chibok girls
certainly would have been much different.
It is very sad that Lagos has again
recorded another incident of collapsed building; it is even more painful
and critical when one considers the news update that the incident was
clearly an avoidable one, if the Managing Directors of of Lekki Gardens,
Richard Nyong and Taiwo Henry didn’t flout orders from concerned
regulatory agencies.
I am quite impressed with the steps taken
so far by the state government and the Nigerian Police. Leadership is
essentially about taking charge and not giving flimsy excuses.
Definitely things will go wrong sometimes, most especially in a country state
like Lagos, but like Ambode has always shown, standing up to the
occasion with speed and tact will always be the key thing.
The argument raised by some prominent
media giants and influencers, comparing the recent Lekki Building
collapse with that of the TB Joshua building is quite shameful. No two
human are the same, and in the very sense, no two leaders will ever be.
The Lagos state government has clearly said that the directors of Lekki
Gardens, allegedly, in a blatant act of defiance, unsealed the
collapsed property and continued building beyond the initially approved
floors, ignoring all warning signals until the unfortunate incident
which claimed about 34 lives.
I think it is shameful to raise any
argument in support of a distasteful act like this. The least is to
allow justice take its place, for crying out loud, some innocent lives
were lost and many are in either physical or emotional pains at the
moment. Those struggling to raise an argument in support of TB Joshua
should be reminded that the TB Joshua case is actually still in court.
The two directors of Lekki Gardens are being reprimanded in Panti
because the police has demanded from the court that they be held back to
ease investigation.
In the case of TB Joshua, the Lagos state
government claimed the church didn’t get approval for the said
construction before building. In the case of Lekki Garden, there was a
clear case of ignoring warning from the government directly. I think the
latter case is more severe. Some analysts have even gone forth to
explain that the previous administration did its best to handle the TB
Joshua case with utmost caution, probably due to the fact that Fashola
was cautious of religious tension that the case might raise.
However, Man of God or no Man of God, anyone who is found guilty should be made to face the law.
It is impressive to know that Governor
Ambode isn’t holding anything back. After asking the Lekki Gardens
Directors to report themselves to the Commissioner of Police or face
arrest; he didn’t stop at that, or simply allow the Police or Judiciary
dish out justice, while the acts of negligence by the concerned state
agency be swept under the carpet. No, that’s not the governor of Lagos!
He has ensured the dismissal of the General Manager of the Building
Control Agency (LASBCA), Engineer Adeigbe Olushola, Ambode has also
dismissed the Head of Inspection and Quality Control in the Agency,
Adeoye Thomas Adeyemi, the Zonal District Officer in the Agency, Dosunmu
Gbadebo, while the Zonal Head of Eti-Osa West of the Agency, Mrs.
Akinde Adenike Sherifat has been compulsorily retired from the Civil
Service. These top government officials have been sacked due to acts of
negligence that we most times over look as a people.
It is important to know that this is how
to sweep impunity out of our nation. This is essentially some of the
wind of change we desperately need but we are stylishly neglecting.
Many top officials in time past only get
indicted, and then they still retain their top positions. We should be
reminded that despite the death of 19 young people who died due to the
stampede that occurred during the recruitment exercise poorly conducted
by the Nigerian Immigration service, under the watch of Abba Moro, the
former Minister of Interior. The minister was never relieved of his
position neither was any disciplinary measure taken against him.
If we fail as a people to objectively and
gradually strengthen our institutions and get rid of lawlessness, we
would continue to pay for such in ways too many. Definitely, the actions
taken by Ambode will send strong warnings to other civil servants and
also business owners in the construction sector and beyond.
I am @Lanre_Olagunju on Twitter.
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