Has Lagos Enjoyed Credible Representation In the Senate? -By Ayodele Adio

Ayodele Adio

Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous State, is one of Africa biggest economies with a Gross Domestic Product of $136 billion. It accounts for 30 per cent of the entire country’s GDP and close to 90 per cent of its foreign trade flow, even though it still struggles with major infrastructural deficits in terms of roads, housing and mass transportation. Of the many challenges Lagosians face, one that gets top of the mind share is the special status recognition from the federal government. Lagosians have argued for a better deal from the federation account based on the enormous contributions they make to the government coffers via tax receipts and being the gateway of the country (alongside the concomitant effects and pressure on the infrastructure that comes with it). On this scorecard, it would seem that the senators representing Lagos have failed to get their constituents a better deal.

It would become imperative to x-ray the legislative performance of these senators in the last three years, to determine whether indeed they deserve another term or be shown the door out. I must also add that it has become expedient, due to the high turnover of federal legislators, to closely examine their roles and fairly access their performance in a bid to divorce their re-election bids from the discretion of the governors in their respective states or the king makers. In Lagos, for instance, one might have to cross over the rivers of Bourdillon to get the party’s ticket to seek re-election, thereby making such legislators loyal to the ‘queen of the aforementioned river’, rather than their immediate constituents.

The roles legislators play is inadvertently crucial to the survival of our democracy and must never be taken for granted. The troika mandate of legislation, representation and oversight is the bedrock upon which any strong democratic institution is built and as such must be paid special attention, particularly in a country like ours where the executive, more often than not, sucks all the oxygen in the room.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa

Nicknamed the ‘Rail Man’ for the incredible legislative support he continues to give the executive in its bid to turn around the rail sector across Nigeria. He led the passage of the Nigerian Railway Bill of 2016, National Transport Commission Bill and the Labour Transportation Bill which seeks to breakdown the railway sector into the regulatory and operations component, in-line with international best practice but more importantly to create a level playing field for private sector participation. Notably also is his role as a member of the Constitution Review Committee, where he worked to ensure amendments to the 1999 Constitution. He makes no pretence about his beliefs in a better structured Nigeria and his commitments to playing his role towards achieving that within the ambits of his legislative capacity. He has however not spoken loudly enough on the police brutality of young persons in Lagos State and had probably not built enough consensus to ensure the Lagos Special Status Bill scales through.

Senator Remi Tinubu

Wife of the political maverick, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represents Lagos Central in the Senate. She had a very rocky start with the leadership of the Eighth Senate, which in several ways has affected certain considerations for Lagos State. Her inability to build healthy relationships across the Senate has consistently seen her push against a brick wall in the Red Chamber. Even though Senator Remi has done a whole lot in terms of girl child education in her immediate constituency, she failed to push through the proposal to see women become entitled to 35 per cent of all appointive positions in the country. Same goes for the gender and equal opportunity bill. She also was unable to get the Lagos special status bill through and has not put forward the case of police brutality, even when most of her constituents suffer from this.

Senator Olamilekan Adeola

Popularly known as ‘Yayi’, Senator Adeola represents Lagos West in the Eighth Senate. He has no doubt been vocal in the Senate on several topical issues. He has however been more concerned with Ogun politics than he has been with the immediate constituency he represents in Lagos. Senator Adeola wants to be governor of Ogun State and this has taken front burner in most of his political dealings, leaving his constituents in the cold. Of course, he has provided several welfarist support like motor bikes, buses, tricycles, sewing machines, boreholes and several other palliatives to his constituents but real legislative interventions have come in second.

The people of Lagos will have to think deeply about where their long term interest lies and who is likely to champion it for them at the upper chambers. ‘Baba so pe’ should no longer be the deciding factor.

Eko oni baje o.

Ayodele Adio, a communication strategist, writes from Lagos.