Death, which legendary playwright, Williams Shakespeare describes as a necessary evil, finally caught up with the first civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (LKJ) on Thursday, February 11, 2021.
His death has been described as a great loss to Lagos State and indeed the country as a whole. It is, however, gladdening that the pace-setting former governor passed on at the ripe age of 91, having selflessly served God and humanity in various capacities and fields.
A consummate journalist, publisher, politician, and public administrator, the late Alhaji Lateef Jakande touched and transformed many lives, especially in Lagos State, through his visionary leadership, selfless outlook to life, and spartan lifestyle.
An associate of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Jakande epitomised honesty, fairness, and justice. A fearless journalist, he was the first President of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, and a former Editor-in-Chief of the ageless Nigerian Tribune newspaper.
One of the golden eras in the socio-political evolution of Lagos State was, without a doubt, between October 1, 1979, and December 31, 1983, when Jakande held sway as governor. From the outset, he had clearly promised to give Lagos a purposeful leadership. Upon inauguration, LKJ pledged to model his government after that of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria, from 1952 to 1959, headed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He said: “That Government was the most efficient, the most dynamic, and the most responsive of all the Governments of the federation. That Government was the country’s pacesetter- the first to do all good things that others later copied. There has never been a government like it in Africa before or since.”
True to his words, LKJ assiduously went to work to realize his vision. There is hardly any sector that the magical hands of this visionary leader did not transform. LKJ simply took governance to an unimaginable height in Lagos State. Till date, many of his populist policies and programmes, especially in the housing, public transportation, and education sectors, still endear him to all and sundry.
His passion for the development of Lagos State knew no bounds. The ambitious Lagos metro line project, which, if it had seen the light of the day, would have revolutionized public transportation in the state, was conceived by his administration. Till date, some of the Housing Estates he established across various locations such as Iba, Isolo, Iponri, Ejigbo, Amuwo-Odofin, etc are still serving the housing needs of Lagosians.
It was under his administration that moves into the State’s current Secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja, began. LKJ reportedly attached so much urgency to the construction of the present government secretariat that he was so bent on the relocation plan that he virtually caught everyone unawares when it finally happened. According to him, if it was not done when it took place, there would be no appropriate time to do so. So, the State holds the present Secretariat’s vision to him.
Being a consummate journalist, and following the trend of his political mentor, Chief Awolowo, who established the first television station in Africa, the defunct Western Nigeria Television Station (now Nigeria Television Authority), LKJ also established Lagos Television, LTV, which happens to be the first State-owned Television in the country. Aside from this, he also established the Lagos State University in 1983 for the advancement of learning and establishment of academic excellence in Lagos State. His administration also constructed waterworks at Shasha, Agege, Somolu, Apapa, Badagry, Aguda, etc to improve water supply and avoid outbreaks of water-borne epidemics.
A workaholic and tireless leader, LKJ worked round the clock in his bid to fast track the development of Lagos State. Reports had it that on December 31st, 1983, when the Shehu Shagari civilian administration was toppled, in a military coup d’état, soldiers who came to arrest LKJ met him at his office working deep in the night, on a New Year eve. Such was his legendary dedication to duty and passion for hard work!
It is, therefore, not surprising that LKJ became a star among the 19 governors of the Second Republic (1st October 1, 1979- 31st December 1983). He soon became popular and given several appellations in the media such as ‘Baba Kekere’ (junior Awolowo), ‘Friend of the Masses’, ‘Action Governor’ etc. Out of the lots, the one that really became most prominent is ‘Action Governor’. Sure, during the Second Republic, LKJ was an ‘Action Governor’. The kind that we refer to in local parlance as ‘talk and do’.
It was LKJ that begun the transformation of the State’s transport sector. On November 29, 1979, 59 new buses belonging to the Lagos State Transport Corporation were inaugurated with a view to enhancing public transportation in the State. On January 28, 1980, the parking meters began to function in some busy streets in central Lagos. It was the first of such to be introduced in Nigeria.
In the area of opening up public education to accommodate more pupils and students, the Jakande administration did a whole lot. After only one year in office, additional schools were constructed by the administration. For instance, the number of public primary schools in the Ikeja Local Government alone increased from 54 to 86. This implies that 32 new primary schools were built. The number of public secondary schools in the area also increased from 13 to 42, which means 29 new secondary schools were built. All within just a year!
Throughout his public service career, LKJ was on the side of justice and fair play. As a governor, he lived in his private house (where he lived till his death) and drove in his personal car, a ‘Toyota Crown’. In a society where leaders go to unbelievable lengths to acquire ill-gotten wealth, LKJ opted to be different. It is hoped that leaders across all sectors would take a cue from the life and time of this visionary patriot and learn selfless leader.
They also need to pay heed to the words of Ron Kaufman that “Selfless acts are a source of profound meaning for yourself and your life”.
For the departed legend, death has not, by any means diminished his stature. Though he is passed on to glory, he has left behind a good name. Like every selfless leader of his stock, his good name will continue to remind us of the beautiful life he had lived. His name has become his legacy. It will continue to reverberate in our consciousness the good deeds of a man who lived to serve and serve to live.
Thus, for Jakande, the truth is that death is not the winner because he lives on through his enduring legacies.
Adieu, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande!
Ogunbiyi is Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja
Profile in Leadership
Great is Him that serves his people
Lagos 1979- 1983
Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande was born in the Epetedo area of Lagos State 29 July 1929 Both parents are from Omun Aran Kwara.
He was the govenor of Lagos State for 4years and 3 months before the Military Government led by Buhari truncated the civilian administration.
In just 4 year and 3 months.
- His government built the current Lagos State Secretariat which houses all the state ministries as well as the popular round house hitherto occupied by all subsequent governors of the state.
- His government built the Lagos State House of Assembly complex.
- His government built the Lagos State Television
- His government built the Radio Lagos
- His government built Lagos State University
- His government established General Hospital in zones all over the state with assurance of free health care.
- His government established Teacher Training College and the College of Education.
- His government built low cost houses in Ijaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, Ije, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nla, Epe, Amuwo-Odofin, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu, Badagry, Isheri/Olowu, Orisigun etc.
- His government established the Water Management Board and Waste Disposal Board on the 18th of August, 1980.
- His government constructed the Adiyan Water Works to increase water supply in the state to 18.16 million litres per day.
- His government modernized and expanded the Iju Water Works which was first commissioned in 1915. This increased daily capacity from 159 million to 204 million litres per day.
- His government purchased and commissioned the giant car crusher equipment. The equipment was designed specifically to crush derelict vehicles in Lagos State. It had the capacity to crush 45 vehicles per day.
- His government constructed, rehabilitated and resurfaced Epe/Ijebu-Ode Road, Oba Akran Avenue, Toyin Street, Town Planning Way, Alimosho-Idimu-Egbe Road, Idimu-Iba-LASU Road, the new secretariat road and several others.
- His government constructed Victoria Island/Epe Road and thereby creating an ‘oil rig’ for Lagos State.
- His government established Asphalt Plant for the Department of Public Works.
- His government established Electricity Board for Rural Electrification with provision of street lights.
- His government modernized, expanded and commissioned Onikan Stadium in 1982.
- His government established a singular school system and ensured genuine free education in Lagos State and the beneficiaries of this policy are in different positions of eminence in the country and around the world.
- His government raised the primary schools in Lagos State to 812 with 533,001 pupils (against 605 primary schools with 434,545 pupils he met in 1979) and secondary schools to 223 with 167,629 students (against 105 schools with 107,835 students in 1979).
- His government constructed 11, 729 classrooms with the maximum of 40 children per class between March and August 1980, by 1983, he had constructed over 22,000 classrooms.
- In July 1983, two commercial passenger boats christened “Baba Kekere and Itafaji” to run the Mile 2 – Marina (CMS) route via the lagoons were inaugurated by his government to mark the official launch of the Lagos State ferry services.
- His government took over the ownership and financing of Lagos State Printing Corporation in July 1980
- His government established the first State Traffic Management Authority (Road Marshals).
- His government established small scale Industries Credit Scheme which preceded the EKO bank.
- His government established LASACO Insurance.
- His government expanded existing market and built new ones.
- His government established Traditional Medicine Board.
