Lagos: Hard life covered with pride

By Clement Udegbe

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last– Winston Churchhill.

A foolish rat copies a Lizard and goes out in the rain– Igbo Proverb.

THESE two sayings reflect what may become of many Nigerians this year and beyond, judging from how our leaders treat us in this nation.

Many Governors have copied from Lagos State Government in the past, not just for being Nigeria’s “Centre of Excellence”, but more for the fact that Lagos is a City that was developed with the common wealth of Nigeria, basically as seat of the Federal Government. Lagos therefore became the host to all the peoples of Nigeria. But gradually, since 1999, opposition politicians have continued to use Lagos for politics, and today there is a subterranean subterfuge of ethnic division and xenophobia that is developing in Lagos, and when they mix with the hardship that is promising to come from living in Lagos, things may begin to ‘spoil’ and fall apart. I pray that Lagos will not ‘spoil’.

On Tuesday  this week, it was reported on page 10 of Vanguard, that  in spite of the economic recession in the country, the Lagos State Government realised over N312 Billion in 2016, from  Internally Generated Revenue , IGR, a N64 Billion increase above 2015 income. A break down of the total IGR by the State revealed that N26 Billion was generated monthly on the average by government within 2016, and naturally,more income will be expected to be generated this year 2017, by the state government from the inhabitants, residents and visitors to the state.

Many Commissioners of Finance and Commerce of other states will adjust their clothes and hats begin to device means to copy Lagos in order to increase their own states’ IGR, especially as their parent, the Federal Government, does not care or blink an eye lid over the number of companies sent packing by their drive for taxes through the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS.

The new management of FIRS, appear only interested in sitting at the gates of their target asking for money or no movement, like a callous landlord.

And like a child sent by his father to steal will break the victim’s door with every audacity, states’ governments will start new moves to increase IGR, inflicting more hardship on their people’s in this recession.

The ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, are masters at propaganda, and since the month of March, there is a new propaganda that Nigeria will get out of recession soon, some have predicted that Nigeria will be among the few giant economies of the world by the year 2050, hereby shifting the goal post from 2020 to 2050.We have to be alive still to see that Eldorado.

For now, price of staple foods remain astronomically very high in the market, agricultural production is low and reducing due to Fulani herdsmen menace within farming communities, manufacturing companies are struggling with power, water light, poor infrastructure and facilities, and  the free falling Naira exchange rate will not help matters, leaving hunger galore in the states. So it is all propaganda to lay foundation for increased IGR!

Increased IGR in Lagos State, is mainly from land use charges, taxes, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA, and Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO, harsh unfair traffic enforcements and fines, plus the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, enforcements against poor road side traders, house wives, widows who have only one table with a few tomatoes and vegetables to depend on for food, and other needs.

The VIO in their white and black uniforms do not differentiate between a federal and state law, and have little or no respect for federal laws. For example, they have no respect for a driving license issued in a state like Benue, that went digital with E-Licensing only in February 2016.

In my experience with them at Mile 2, in March, the boss insisted that my driving licence was not with the “ Captured Picture” therefore invalid. I got the officer who signed my license in Benue State to speak with him, and all explanations from the Benue State officer fell on his deaf ears. I had to pay a fine in spite of my age as a Senior Citizen. If I were a Yoruba man, he would have bowed his head and used his brains. Lagos has changed and is being divided and spoilt gradually by politicians!

Only in Nigeria will a man who started driving at the age of 20 years, renew his driving license every five years, and by the age of 60 years would have renewed his license twelve times at a conservative cost of N120,000 Naira, with nothing to show for it from government, no roads, no road signs, no speed breakers, nothing except uniformed men positioned strategically along the roads helping themselves in the guise of checking vehicle papers, etc.

At Second rainbow bus stop near Mile 2, Okadas have taken over the road along the express way, causing a huge nuisance, while smoking trucks and yellow buses we call Danfo roar around the roads, mocking these officials without headlamps, windscreen wipers, indicator lights etc, yet VIOs and LASTMA officials busy themselves running after mini buses that ply that route to Festac from Apple Junction, extorting money from drivers, in a selective Lagos Enforcement !

Lagos State government appears to be in opposition against her citizens, in spite of the fact that APC is ruling both in Abuja and Lagos State.

For example, in Apapa, the road portion at the Tincan Island Port second gate has failed completely, with nothing happening. The new road from Lagos Island via Orile to Badagry will not be completed by 2023,judging by the pace of work so far,  with the entire Ojo LGA completely neglected. The LASU- Iyana Oba junction is hell on earth, with no order at all. A journey of ten minites, from Festac Town to LASU takes about three hours on a good day, yet these are areas with high  IGR .

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, must not let the pride of Mega City blind him into killing other parts of Lagos State.

 

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