There’s
a good reason to admire Babatunde Fashola, the hardworking Governor of Lagos
State; it’s so easy to see that the man wants to contribute a key chapter to,
and not become another footnote in, the history of Lagos. All well-meaning folks
should therefore support his ongoing efforts to make Lagos a better place for
the coalition of tribes and tongues that reside in this former federal
capital.
a good reason to admire Babatunde Fashola, the hardworking Governor of Lagos
State; it’s so easy to see that the man wants to contribute a key chapter to,
and not become another footnote in, the history of Lagos. All well-meaning folks
should therefore support his ongoing efforts to make Lagos a better place for
the coalition of tribes and tongues that reside in this former federal
capital.
Regrettably,
I have once again found cause to disagree with the Governor on another social
message that he is trying to sell. I refer to his characterization of Nigerian
city habits as “village” habit. Mr. Fashola was quoted by the media to
have said that his government “will not fold its arms while some residents live
in Lagos as if they are living in their villages.” His words: “You can’t
continue to live like you are in your village here in Lagos. Life in Lagos is
changing by the day. The government has spent a fortune to ensure good
environment, drainages, roads and transportation system. It is unfortunate some
people are still living as if they are in their village. Please, if you can’t
obey our environmental and traffic laws, stay back in your
village.”
I have once again found cause to disagree with the Governor on another social
message that he is trying to sell. I refer to his characterization of Nigerian
city habits as “village” habit. Mr. Fashola was quoted by the media to
have said that his government “will not fold its arms while some residents live
in Lagos as if they are living in their villages.” His words: “You can’t
continue to live like you are in your village here in Lagos. Life in Lagos is
changing by the day. The government has spent a fortune to ensure good
environment, drainages, roads and transportation system. It is unfortunate some
people are still living as if they are in their village. Please, if you can’t
obey our environmental and traffic laws, stay back in your
village.”
On
reading what His Excellency said, my mind went back to my village and I found
myself violently disagreeing with the governor. In my village, we do not spend a
fortune on public works but the village is better: the air is fresher; the
roads, though un-tarred, are always weeded and kept clean through communal
efforts; our pathways are adorned by natural green shrubbery; there are no
traffic snarls occasioning mad and reckless driving; and no group of people goes
into virgin village land to construct and live in shanties. My village evokes
nostalgic feelings in me, and I am not alone; this is one reason why a certain
ethnic group performs “mass return” every December – because village life
provides an opportunity to escape from the madness of city life; they can
breathe fresh air, free themselves from traffic wahala, and enjoy the
sense of community that city life gradually drains from us
all.
reading what His Excellency said, my mind went back to my village and I found
myself violently disagreeing with the governor. In my village, we do not spend a
fortune on public works but the village is better: the air is fresher; the
roads, though un-tarred, are always weeded and kept clean through communal
efforts; our pathways are adorned by natural green shrubbery; there are no
traffic snarls occasioning mad and reckless driving; and no group of people goes
into virgin village land to construct and live in shanties. My village evokes
nostalgic feelings in me, and I am not alone; this is one reason why a certain
ethnic group performs “mass return” every December – because village life
provides an opportunity to escape from the madness of city life; they can
breathe fresh air, free themselves from traffic wahala, and enjoy the
sense of community that city life gradually drains from us
all.
The
point must be made that Nigerian city habits – which the governor
incorrectly describes as village habits – is caused by bad governance.
The masses are merely victims. Bad governance is reflected in poor urban
planning, poor and compromised supervision of public works that lead to poorly
constructed and maintained roads, poor waste and sewage disposal management,
poor enforcement of building codes, and poor transportation systems. Poor
governance puts pressure on low income urban dwellers, forcing them to react in
ways that the governor describes as village habits. Governor Fashola is
wrong. Nigerian city habits are symptoms of a terrible disease vended by bad
governance; poor people’s reaction to this state of affairs is not and cannot be
characterized as village habits.
point must be made that Nigerian city habits – which the governor
incorrectly describes as village habits – is caused by bad governance.
The masses are merely victims. Bad governance is reflected in poor urban
planning, poor and compromised supervision of public works that lead to poorly
constructed and maintained roads, poor waste and sewage disposal management,
poor enforcement of building codes, and poor transportation systems. Poor
governance puts pressure on low income urban dwellers, forcing them to react in
ways that the governor describes as village habits. Governor Fashola is
wrong. Nigerian city habits are symptoms of a terrible disease vended by bad
governance; poor people’s reaction to this state of affairs is not and cannot be
characterized as village habits.
I
have been living in Abuja for 10 years now, and I lived in Lagos for 16. Thus, I
have seen firsthand the devastation that poor planning has wrought on these two
city-states when we forcibly converted them to federal territories. Poor city
planning and poor supervision of environmental and building laws forced poor
people to congregate in areas that would enable them have quick access to
opportunities in choice locations that the rich appropriated to themselves; this
is the only way they could catch the crumbs as they fell from their
masters’ tables. In addition, lack of attention to the needs of original
inhabitants compelled them to also flee to shanties akin to the abodes of the
resident poor.
have been living in Abuja for 10 years now, and I lived in Lagos for 16. Thus, I
have seen firsthand the devastation that poor planning has wrought on these two
city-states when we forcibly converted them to federal territories. Poor city
planning and poor supervision of environmental and building laws forced poor
people to congregate in areas that would enable them have quick access to
opportunities in choice locations that the rich appropriated to themselves; this
is the only way they could catch the crumbs as they fell from their
masters’ tables. In addition, lack of attention to the needs of original
inhabitants compelled them to also flee to shanties akin to the abodes of the
resident poor.
The
worst parts of Abuja are areas inhabited by poor residents and original
inhabitants. Yet, before Abuja was annexed and made a federal territory, it was
known, among other things, as the place where great potters were produced. A
certain Mr. Michael Cardew, a colonial officer and renowned porter, was given
the task of choosing a site for a pottery center for Northern Nigeria. In April
1951, after an extensive tour, he recommended to Kaduna as follows: “We decided
Abuja after all…; it is good and central for Northern Nigeria, wonderful local
pots, a nice town where trainees can live…” This is not the description of Abuja
where the original inhabitants live today. Fashola’s state is the same: Makoko
and Mushin, the areas where original inhabitants live in Central Lagos, are the
worst neighborhoods in Lagos.
worst parts of Abuja are areas inhabited by poor residents and original
inhabitants. Yet, before Abuja was annexed and made a federal territory, it was
known, among other things, as the place where great potters were produced. A
certain Mr. Michael Cardew, a colonial officer and renowned porter, was given
the task of choosing a site for a pottery center for Northern Nigeria. In April
1951, after an extensive tour, he recommended to Kaduna as follows: “We decided
Abuja after all…; it is good and central for Northern Nigeria, wonderful local
pots, a nice town where trainees can live…” This is not the description of Abuja
where the original inhabitants live today. Fashola’s state is the same: Makoko
and Mushin, the areas where original inhabitants live in Central Lagos, are the
worst neighborhoods in Lagos.
It
is instructive that when public officials wake up from their criminal slumber to
rev their bulldozers of destruction, they bore into the sabon garis
abodes and side-step the areas inhabited by the original settlers. For instance,
on Saturday, 14 July 1990, rather than face north towards Makoko and Mushin,
Gov. Raji Rasaki’s bulldozers turned south to crush Maroko; they have continued
to growl at Ajegunle and Okomomaiko since then. In Abuja, Malam el Rufai’s
bulldozers left the unsightly huts of original inhabitants and went after slums
created by poor residents. The current FCT Minister is completing the
devastation, beginning with Mpape.
is instructive that when public officials wake up from their criminal slumber to
rev their bulldozers of destruction, they bore into the sabon garis
abodes and side-step the areas inhabited by the original settlers. For instance,
on Saturday, 14 July 1990, rather than face north towards Makoko and Mushin,
Gov. Raji Rasaki’s bulldozers turned south to crush Maroko; they have continued
to growl at Ajegunle and Okomomaiko since then. In Abuja, Malam el Rufai’s
bulldozers left the unsightly huts of original inhabitants and went after slums
created by poor residents. The current FCT Minister is completing the
devastation, beginning with Mpape.
Our
bad city habits are not a Lagos phenomenon; every Nigerian city, including
Abuja, is equally guilty. The point is that these city habits were not caused by
poor residents but by bad governance that dehumanizes the poor. I commend
Fashola because he is taking proactive measures to right the governance wrongs
that give rise to bad city habits, but to suggest that this phenomenon is a
“village” habit is to betray a state of mind of someone who was neither born nor
grew up in a real village setting in Nigeria.
bad city habits are not a Lagos phenomenon; every Nigerian city, including
Abuja, is equally guilty. The point is that these city habits were not caused by
poor residents but by bad governance that dehumanizes the poor. I commend
Fashola because he is taking proactive measures to right the governance wrongs
that give rise to bad city habits, but to suggest that this phenomenon is a
“village” habit is to betray a state of mind of someone who was neither born nor
grew up in a real village setting in Nigeria.
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