Aftermath of Buhari’s Lagos visit: A tale of civic dolour

Philip Wilson, MP, United Kingdom, once said: “Power creates distance. Leader bridges the gap.” I could not find a better statement that well defines the dichotomy that exists between the Nigerian electorates and their politicians other than Wilson’s words. I have always thought that the popularity of a leadership is tested on the platform of […]

Philip Wilson, MP, United Kingdom, once said: “Power creates distance. Leader bridges the gap.” I could not find a better statement that well defines the dichotomy that exists between the Nigerian electorates and their politicians other than Wilson’s words. I have always thought that the popularity of a leadership is tested on the platform of its acceptance by the grass roots. Its wide acceptance in this area is often a good litmus test of the overall quality of such leadership. However, it often beats my imagination and my heart bleeds whenever I witness the anguish and the colossal commercial loss being experienced by the common man on the street just because a leader paid a visit to the city.     

Prior to the buildup of the 2015 General Elections, precisely on March 19, 2015, Agege stadium was agog over President Buhari’s presidential campaign. The political ambience of Lagos was permeated with the slogan “sai baba; sai Buhari”. No road was shut down. Various commercial activities were booming at every road that leads to every campaign ground. People came out en masse to show their unreserved support for the President to-be; one could almost physically feel the impact of a great feeling of solidarity that was exuding from his loyalists. Ironically, three years after, things have really “changed”.

The recently concluded two-day visit of President Buhari to Lagos did not go without mixed reactions from Lagosians. One could have thought that the President’s visit would in one way or the other stimulate commercial activities at the various designated places where he would be commissioning some laudable projects. Unfortunately, the reverse was the case. Transport fare skyrocketed in an unimaginable manner as a result of the closure of some of the major roads where the President’s motorcade is expected to ply. In the mainland, Agege motor road, Mobolaji Bank Anthony way and some feeder roads along Ikeja axis were shut down while other areas were jammed as a result of traffic diversion. People resolved to trek in their tens and hundreds just to reach their various destinations while commercial activities practically came to an abrupt freeze. It was so pathetic that Lagosians had to pay the price for a hitch-free visit of their President with their sweat and suffering on the streets of Lagos. Yet, the Lagos state Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal, asked Lagosians to bear with the government for the “little inconvenience” the development has caused us. The story was not different in Eko Hotel Road, Victoria Island and Old Marina axis in Ikoyi. It is unfortunate that commuters and the common Lagosians had to bear the brunt of the cost of Mr. President’s security logistics and protocol. 

The compulsory stay-at-home order did not even spare the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and some civil society groups who had planned to solicit President Buhari’s intervention through a peaceful protest on the newly introduced Land Use Act by Lagos state government. Report revealed that armed policemen stormed the Ikeja branch of the NBA office to prevent the planned protest by the wig and gown professionals. 

I still could not, and I believe many Lagosians, fathom the rationale behind shutting down major roads in a cosmopolitan city like Lagos just because a President came to commission projects. Going by our history, it is obvious that most Nigerians enjoy having public holidays, but the work-free day declared by Governor Ambode in honour of Mr. President’s visit did not augur well with many Lagosians. The political rationale behind Ambode’s declaration of public holiday appears to have beaten the imagination of the likes of me. Did it worth it to put Lagosians under such untold suffering just because our President came to commission a Bus Terminal? Even the Lekki Deep Sea Port project which is worthy to term a groundbreaking project was flagged off without the presence of Mr. President. Although the President graced the 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium with his presence, it appears that the programme which was meant to commemorate the 66th birthday of the national leader of the APC was the covert purpose of the President’s visit. Could that have been a political detour as part of the strategies to appease the Jagaban of Borgu? Even there are those who consider the visit as unwarranted calculated campaign tactic for the fast approaching 2019 election. 

Before now, the last time Lagosians were focused to bear such unpatriotic brunt was in April 2012 when the former Nigeria First Lady, Patience Jonathan came to Lagos. Her visit did not augur well for Lagosians, especially those in the mainland, having been characterised by untold traffic gridlock and abrupt paralysis of business activities within the hours while her visit lasted. So, the two-day visit of our President was not in any way different from what we were usually subjected to in the past. Nothing has really changed in this regard. The rituals and paraphernalia of government are often carried out at the expense of the poor masses. 

People like me cannot wait to see what would happen should President Buhari officially declare his intention to run for 2019 presidential election. Although it is clear from all indications that he will, will Ambode declare another public holiday and also shut down major roads in Lagos when the President would come to woo Lagosians for their votes? It has been the attitude of an average Nigerian politician to demonstrate “consideration humility” by identifying with the grass roots whenever elections approach. They are ready to even dine with the most destitute in the same food plate. But once they assume office, power would invariably create distance, just as Philip Wilson says. Does this dichotomy exist in other developing countries? The presence of a President should not leave a trail of misery, but warm support. The poor masses are looking for a new Nigeria where the dichotomy between the government and the governed would be bridged by servant-leadership. May Nigeria succeed.    

Bakare wrote this piece from Lagos.