Ap’ejalodo’s Second Journey To The Riverside -By Festus Adedayo

There are two issues which, as a commentator on contemporary issues, this writer intervenes on with great pains in his heart. If it was possible to totally refrain from lending an opinion on those matters, for me, it is better. One is commenting on Muhammadu Buhari and the desirability or otherwise of his presidency. I have lent my opinion to the level of boredom and I believe that, as things stand now, all of us will, post May, 2019, reap the consequences of where we stand in the present political equation. The other issue is Lagos State and its de jure and de facto administrators. They are two pains in the neck which, whenever they happen on national discourse, this writer’s first instinct is to blank them out from his flowing ink. And, for two reasons. One is that, having on occasions lent opinions on them, a rehash would be an overkill. Second is that, the recurrent oozes from their maladies have become notorious facts to Nigerians. They have also assumed the level of acceptable norms.

When Asiwaju Bola Tinubu began moves to stop Akinwunmi Ambode from a second term a few months ago, this writer, in a piece entitled Tinubu the Apejalodo and his strange fish friend, warned that danger lies ahead in the untrammeled hire and fire power wielded by Tinubu. I told the story of an indigent fisherman who was made rich by a strange fish goddess and how the fisherman’s petulance and ingratitude brought him back to his early penury. The writer’s query was whether the grouse against Ambode was performance. Lagosians that I interviewed said it was far from it. Occasionally when I emerge from my hinterland habitation to enter the Land of Aquatic Splendour, the administrative acumen, feel good feeling and developmental sagacity that confront me can be likened to the hit by music which Bob Marley adumbrated in his Trenchtown Rock track. “One good thing about music,” Marley had said, “when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

The question that agitated the minds of all was, this new proposed replacement to Ambode, in what capacity has he manifested requisite skills of governance that could dwarf the credentials of an incumbent? Is it that this newfound heir to the throne possesses such glowing credentials, so much that even a blind can project that he would impeach the performance of the incumbent? Or he is a bigger truck capable of moving Lagos cash into the group’s vault?  The Lagos society is so helpless and hapless in this regard and it is at the mercies of those who think for it at Bourdillon. Even not being a politician, the moment you enter this Land of Aquatic Splendour, you could tell without being a diviner that the captivity is not about to witness a let.

Now, the latest news is that the one who holds the Land of Aqua in captivity has decreed that, for his perceived insolence, the man he has decreed his governmental memorial; who has just a few months to his departure, must be impeached even before his few months tenure comes to an end. The Lagos House of Assembly has thus summoned Ambode to appear before it within one week over his alleged failure to formally present the 2019 Budget before it. Already, a group, the Lagos Liberation Movement, (LLM) has vowed to resist the planned impeachment. Its Convener, Mark Adebayo, said Tinubu’s most recent grouse against Ambode stemmed from his refusal to part with N200 billion of an expected state fund accruable to Lagos. While Tinubu had allegedly asked Ambode to meet him over the impending fund which Ambode had reportedly slated for completion of some projects, the governor had filibustered from meeting him. Hence, the need to scare Ambode with an impeachment. Is this progressive politics? Is this the trait that the Awolowos bequeathed to the South West?

I honestly pray that these allegations are all political fabrications aimed at discrediting Tinubu and the House will emerge to tell all that it was merely trying to play the fool. As I said in Ap’ejalodo, Tinubu’s Maker, his strange fish friend, has been hyper-generous to him to warrant him fleeing from the evil of playing God. As the Igbo say, Tinubu possesses a benevolent chi.  More than any politician in Nigerian history I know of, Tinubu has single-handedly produced a Vice President, governors, ministers and, you name it. Why would he affront God by asking to own His power of life and death?