Open Letter to Governor Babajide Sanwoolu

                                                                                                                                     9th January, 2023                                                                                                                      

OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR MR. BABAJIDE SANWOOLU

“It is the duty of every man as far as his ability extends to detect and expose delusion and error” said a great man known as Thomas Paine. I wanted to humbly, write out lines on an issue that I believed in one way or the other, may have negative impact our life and its entirety. What we are about to discuss did not only affect one or two people of Lagos but some millions of people are grossly affected negatively, our children, as well as our daily activities. 

Let me quickly extend my greetings to the Governor Babajide Sanwoolu and the cabinets, may Almighty guide you all in your decision(s) making to move Lagos state forward and to support you as you’re projecting and looking forward to another term in office. My name is Babatunde Kolawole from Mushin axis of Lagos West.

I will like to be brief, concise and practical about this open letter. On a safer side, in order to clear out any misinformation, disinformation, rumour, assumptions and maligning over the person that put up this open letter to you, I believed I’d let the public know what prompt me. I am a party member (APC) in Mushin and the purpose of joining AD then, was to be part of the “progressive” she was, till she metamorphosed to APC at this moment. I think and believe that the progressive is still inherent. This is my first Open letter to you or any public office holder, it is necessary I go open after several attempts to get your attention on this impending issue, failed.

 Starting with the purpose, “progressive” can mean different things to different people. I do understand  that it has a root meaning which we can term “Improvement” or “Development”  and that is absolute. The direction of Improvement/Development may be differ as well, on the qui vive, improvement on the people’s life. People here, on the moral perspective, are  the law abiding; uneducated ones, aged ones, sick one, average ones, the low class ones and weak ones should be the priority. I understand as a Lagos state Governor, it hasn’t be an easy feat, at the same time, Lagos do has its guiding principle as a business hub of the Nation where all tribes of Nigeria are striving, I know the responsibilities are Huge!. 

The concrete reason for this open Letter is still on your Ban/Proscription on Commercial Motorbike, well known as Okada. I want you to know this; in 2013, I have been robbed off my Phone at Layi Oyekanmi Street in Mushin, not far from the then, Mushin APC secretariat by two people riding on Okada, also I have been involved in Okada accident though with light bruise in the leg.  Why am I telling you this, Sir, is for you to acknowledge the fact that, I have been a VICTIM and many people ARE! 

At that same angle, there are questions that keep pondering my mind Sir, ever since this banning of Okada in some part of Lagos state: is/are there no accident(s), is/are there no killing(s), is/are there no case(s) reported in Lagos Police Station(s)? The answer(s) to the/those question(s) will tell us where we need to focus!   

In the meantime, I want us to do some evaluations by looking into few factors why I want you to reconsider your decisions on proscription of Okada riders.

 ECONOMIC FACTOR:  Decade past, Nigeria and Nigerians have been facing huge challenges on unemployment, it was overwhelmed in 2020 when COVID-19 was at its peak. Not almost, everyone and all sectors were grossly affected by the Pandemic and Thank God, Nigerians as well as Lagosian survived it due to their Hardworking, Tolerance, Perseverance and Resilience nature. I want to tell you that the negative offshoot of the so call pandemic cannot be unimaginably disappear in the next 10 years. 

The Nigeria Bureau of Statistic release huge indices as at Last Quarter of 2020 which I will list below

1. Inflation Rate CPI 21.47

2. Un-employment Rate 33.3%

3. Underemployment 22.8%

4. Youth Unemployment 42.5%

Two months ago, November 17, 2022 precisely,  our NBS data reveals the below figure

        1. Inflation Rate 41.6

       2.  Un-employment Rate 66.7%

This is the practical aspect of this letter. If our unemployment rate can be double in percentage, at approximately second year of COVID-19 Pandemic, how can we forecast the next 2 years to come or let say next 6 years. Obviously in the next 6years, you’ll not be on that Governor sit assuming you were given the opportunity for second term. Let’s say this unemployment rate grows, you won’t believe you have contributed to its geometric expansion in Lagos Vis a Vis Nigeria. 

Though you may have your reason(s) to back your decision by proscribing the commercial use of Okada but the negative economic impact of your decision to the people’s livelihood has not yet justify the proscription. I actually have dibs to my own estimations or forecast but I still can’t figure it out! How can banning of Okada improve life of people, especially the weak ones in the society? How can your decision help needy family? How can your decision support those that are slogging away to meet their end? How can you ban someone’s source of income and allow cash to flow, reduce inflation, create job etc. Proscription of commercial motor cycle has added to our economic challenges and not helping at all. 

For instance, Transport system in India is one of the sector that help Indian build their economy, they have four major means of Transport; Roadways, Railways, Water ways, and Airways. Due to their people’s economic priority and income, 85% of them make use of Road transport, it include Bus, Vehicle, Tricycle (Popularly called Marwa here) and Motorcycle (Popularly called Okada here). They grow to have more Railways stations, about 1,408 in Delhi alone, Several Bus Stations, tricycle and Motorcycle Parks and Waterways Jetties. They never disregard the use of Commercial Motorcycle or Tricycle because every means of transport has its own route.  Rather, the Indian Government support their people and regulate their functioning. They are making use of their large population to provide work for their people. I am not saying that the Indian economy is better than ours, all I’m trying to pass across is that they are taking advantage of every tiny opportunity through their hardworking citizen by supporting them and in turn, building their economy. They are not frustrating the effort of their people to build their business, since it is legitimate. 

Can we just look into the Indian Government example and support our own? Support the hardworking Lagos people who are riding Okada to feed their family and help in reducing unemployment rate Sir.

POLITICAL FACTOR: Sometimes it amazed me to believe if truly our vote counts, forgive me if I have to be blunt here. Does individual vote really counts? Because if it does, in reality, I don’t think such decision, to ban an electorate’s source of income by the authority they really voted for and trusted, can be made without thinking of the consequence. 

Let me share a little experience in 2015 election, I happened to be APC party agent in one of the three polling booth in Olasonde street, any resident in Olasonde street then can testified to this story, because I was the secretary to the Resident association at that time. We all know what tempo we all had to change the Federal Government of that time, not only that, I and many association excos worked hard to earn the residents and Business owner’s trust through our selfless service to the association which includes but not limited to; Road repairs, Visiting Power Station to restore us whenever our electricity feeder is faulty, Conflict resolution among the Yorubas and Ibos living in the street and the most indispensable, Accountability. My chairman is a listening type and there was lot of cooperation among all excos as what decision to make that will benefit all. There’s a lot to share here… Where am I going? Some months before election was voter’s card registration at every polling booth, in our booth, we made it easier for all to register; little or no queue while waiting, as we gave priority to the aged, Women, Pregnant women and Nursing women for registration. Young men and older men were the least in our priority and we experienced cooperation by all eligible resident member. This made the arrangement smooth. There exist an errand boy whose job was to link the scheduled eligible people to the Inec registering officer every day and that’s me! I did visit Old Grandma, Nursing Mum or Pregnant Women to come and register and call on others that the time of their registration is up.

That was how the whole PVC registration was done and I think I am the one that registered last. The same process for the collection of PVC. Regardless of their tribe and since we all know each other, we checked on those we found their PVC, call on them to personally come to collect it.

The overall beauty of those efforts, plus jingle that I and Daddy Korede (Neighbour living at No 20 Olasonde) usually made throughout the street, to draw people out to vote and canvasing on the day of election yielding a good result for APC whom I am the party agent, I am glad to deliver that polling booth for APC with clear Margin, PDP didn’t even come second, Accord Party did. All APC candidates won at all levels including the first term of our Late Sobur Olawale (Omititi) in Lagos Assembly, may his soul rest in peace. Kindly check 2015 election result of this polling booth number 24/16/09/050 for verification. Though, there was high tempo to change the Government, added to the trust that people had in our Association and little added Canvassing from us, we were able to attract more people to vote for us. 

Back to Okada banning, if we are to canvass for voting and voting for us, what are we going to tell someone that his means of livelihood was truncated, what are we going tell wife of Okada man that is hungry- to re-elect the Government that stopped his husband from earning, by extension impoverished their family. What are we going to say to someone that loses his/her family due lack of quick intervention because of Transport to the Hospital. More and more of these are happening but your Government shrug-off those hard realities and facts. 

Quickly sir, when gun shooting was rampant in the US where many Americans regardless of their age and tribe were subjected to untimely death, the US Government did not abolish Gun handling because they understand what consequence they can face for that decision by the Americans rather the modified gun handling through legislation “Strict background checking for handling Gun”. Apart from the fact that the perpetrators were charged according to law, their quick response shows that the Government considered the safety of their citizens, high priority.

Kindly consider the political stand we are in and what the opposition looks like, save the life of Okada riders and save your Political image too. No doubt Sir, you can Restrict and Regulate them, as well as, Enforce law(s) that can check their excesses. If you think your reason(s) or those data  you accumulated to ban Okada riders really outweighs the negative effect it has on millions of Lagosian,  losing their only source of  income, including those Selling parts, Vulcanisers (Men and Women), Motorcycle Mechanics, I think you should go back to check the margin that APC had over PDP when you won that election in 2019.

SOCIAL FACTOR: On the social front, I think the benefit that we all garner here is enormous and countless. Though there has been challenges to some extent, in terms of criminality but the benefit is far outweighs its corresponding shortcomings. Looking at it from the angle which Nigeria is not only clamoring but spending huge amount on our annual budget to achieve, our Unity. Lagos State comprises all tribes of the Nation, virtually, all tribes are in one way or the other, directly or indirectly involved in  Okada as a means of livelihood. The interaction alone due to this “on the go” work among all tribes help us to know each other more, it create unity and love among us all. Lagos is the not only Centre of Excellence but Centre of Unity as well. Arguably, can you please compare, in orientation wise and exposure wise, Hausas living and making Money in Lagos to same tribe in Northern Nigeria, same goes to Ibos in Lagos. Lagos state is the place where Nigeria is achieved through this little or menial job like Okada riding. If you can reconsider your decision of Okada riders Ban, you are not helping Lagos alone, you are building our Nation as well, Nigeria. This is what makes Lagos state special our peculiarity. More so, the special way by which our Governors handle the overwhelming challenges that comes with this special quality is what makes Lagos State Governors the Special ONE.

Your Excellency Sir, I actually didn’t want to challenge your decision out rightly, I know there are facts before you, I know you made such decision to provide safety to Lagosian and residents, security and protection for us all. On the off the chance, I believe there’s no amount of challenges or how insanely those reasons could be, that your reputable office wouldn’t have level up to. To me, it looks more of oppressive than anything you call greater cause.

At this point, I wanted to implore you, your Excellency, to be flexible on your decision and consider how many people in millions that were negatively and grossly affected and reverse your decision on Ban of Okada in all affected Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas.

I can remember, during Governor Fashola 2nd term in Office, he made a decision to wipe out street/Traffic hawking in Lagos roads, due to some criminal activities that put threat to road users around the potential Traffic roads. After some time and considerations, he was flexible with it. Same goes to Vision Scope that was brilliantly conceived by Governor Ambode, despite his Good intention and sound judgments of the waste management system. He was flexible and reverse it. I believed it takes both rain and sunshine to make a rainbow, both Governors are among “Governor with Class” that has ever lead Lagos State.

On the summary your Excellency, I think you should act by leading and not by something like being ruling. A leader should not tolerate putting down some sector of people, living by doing some legitimate business no matter how dirty, menial and unskilled it looks, there’s surviving factor at the background that we should all consider humbly and morally. 

Hmmmmm….Can we just shift focus a little bit? Lagos is not immune to all social vices that cloud our atmosphere in Nigeria, there are several cases of fraud, impersonation, Drug & Narcotic selling, to mention a few. What are we doing to curb, mitigate or reduce this vices? How are we preparing for future adverse effect of those that are currently involved in drugs, definitely, the effect will come back to the same society that brew them. These vices are not only killing but deteriorating our society, our youths and the coming generation. Those riding commercial motorcycle have faces and history, they are legit, they need to feed families and need to take care of other immediate responsibilities.

Dear Mr. Governor, I want to believe you will consider this letter as “society fertilizer”, that’s, a letter that help us grow our society in a positive way and fruitful. I want you to see it from cooperative side and not competitive side. Kindly consider the three crucial factor mentioned above and find a way, the center bud, with your authority to support our people who have being strong in hard times and braver in challenging times. Part of your responsibility as a Governor is not only by serving citizen but by giving them support and most importantly giving them “hope” and “renew hope”. You’ll agree with me that, that’s politics of Progressives.

We don’t stop living until we are actually dead!

Yours sincerely,

Babatunde Kolawole (10 10) 

(08038193742) 

babsozone@gmail.com

Facebook:babatunde kolawole

Twitter:@babsozone