By Lillian Okenwa
When a rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong said “Lagosians are back to the regime of real Governor Sanwo-Olu that they know, and not the pretentious one who tried to project himself as a populist or respecter of human rights during the campaigns,” a section of Nigerians condemned the utterance which he made with regards to the appeal filed by Lagos State challenging the 14 March 2023 Federal High Court judgment that ordered a 5 Million naira compensation to Adedotun Clement, an Uber driver that was brutally tortured during the first #EndSARS anniversary on 20 October 2021 at the Lekki Toll-Gate.
Following the negative publicity and outrage generated by news reports about the appeal since the action came less than a week after Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s reelection, the Lagos State Governor who has declared his readiness to move the state forward and forge new frontiers for its progress during his second term regime ordered the payment of N5 million compensation to the Uber driver, Adedotun Clement.
But it does seem like controversy is synonymous with Lagos state and as they say in naija parlance gist no de ever finish for Lagos.
While receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) days ago, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “Today, I stand before you older, wiser, more experienced, and more committed than ever to deliver on the contract that binds me to the good people of Lagos. We have made promises and we have also delivered on so many of them over the last four years, in line with our THEMES Agenda.”
But the Governor has discontinued the 50 percent reduction in the fares of government buses. “This is a major pain inflicted on Lagosians after being re-elected into office”, said Tayo Akinwale, a Lagos realtor.
Likewise, Olatunbosunkanmi a Twitter user said, “Election yaf finished, it’s understandable.”
Sanwo-Olu slashed bus prices by 50 percent on 8 February 2023 following the Naira crunch that drastically increased the cost of living. The Naira scarcity was induced by the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which phased out old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes.
This reduced the Naira in circulation with many unable to access the new Naira expected to replace the old Naira notes mopped out of circulation.
On account of this, Nigerians were buying Nigerian currencies on the black market, paying as much as N1,000 to receive N5,000, as the banks said the CBN didn’t provide sufficient new Naira notes to circulate.
Given the CBN’s decision to accept the judgement of the Supreme Court, which held the old Naira notes are still legal, the scarcity is expected to end in the coming weeks.
However, the havoc that decision dealt the economy and ordinary Nigerians remains unprecedented. Yet, Sanwo-Olu directed that fares for the state buses should be restored to 100 percent starting from April 1, 2023.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) on Tuesday, 28 March 2023.
His decision to cut the fare occurred weeks before the Governorship election in Lagos State. Sanwo-Olu was seeking re-election. Also, the discontinuation was announced weeks after he was re-elected as governor of the state.
Does this mean that the quality of life for Lagosians suddenly improved overnight to warrant to reversal of the 50 percent slash in a flash? Over the years Nigerian politicians have used all manner ploys to lure the electorates.
A part of an article published by Premium Times on 31 March titled: ANALYSIS: Five propaganda strategies politicians deploy during elections reads:
“If you see a typical Nigerian politician stopping by the roadside to buy roasted corn, entering a local restaurant to eat local meals, or even taking a sachet of water, don’t fall for such humility, especially during an election period. Politicians use this propaganda technique to make the common man feel loved or remembered.”
During his reelection campaign, Governor Sanwo-Olu went as far as stationing himself at the entrance of a Lagos megachurch to exchange handshakes with worshippers.
Steven Kefason a political enthusiast shared his thoughts on these matters in his article: The Weaponisation Of Poverty published by Sahara Reporters on 22 November 2019.
“Since the return to democracy in 1999, politicians in Nigeria have continued to cajole the electorates into giving them mandates using different exploitative cum inhuman strategies. This callous exploitation has contributed negatively to the development of democracy in Nigeria.
“Politicians display lackadaisical attitudes after assuming offices only to show up during election period with huge financial war chests to take advantage of the poverty of the electorates, the politicians themselves have deliberately facilitated for such a time as the electioneering period…
“Because this hunger informed the decision of a larger chunk of the electorates, it has become a tradition among politicians to abandon the electorates to wallow in wants until election approaches so that the politicians can come back with enough money to sway minds directed by their stomachs into making favourable decision for these politicians.
“The trader money and other financial empowerments embarked upon by the incumbent Federal Government is a typical example of how the poverty of the Nigerian masses was used to affect the outcome of the 2019 general elections.
“Funds that should have been channeled towards people-oriented projects that will benefit the generality of the masses are now being used to sway unsuspecting voters to vote for the incumbent government. The poverty of the people is now a political weapon for politicians. And because poverty is a weapon, most politicians would not want to be disarmed of this weapon by ensuring that poverty among the populace is perpetrated and perpetuated. It is responsible for why the country, states, and constituencies cannot enjoy sustainable development, because development will mean disarming the politicians of the weapon of poverty.
“For power to return to the people, the people must be empowered. The economy must be better.”
