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Olanrewaju AjiboyeFriday, October 3, 2014
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AGAIN, IN DEFENCE OF BOLA TINUBU

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t is in my character to use reading of any sort to put me back to sleep whenever the night chooses to play the game of the day in my twenty four hour chore. And so it was on the night of 30th September 2014.

Trying to apply that tranquilizer therapy that mid-night, I came across a Punch newspaper story where Asiwaju Tinubu advocated "Common sense" revolution by voting out PDP in 2015 to end all forms of substandard governance.

I read it online and as usual of me, I love to read comments which is called feedback in journalism parlance. But in this instance, there seems to be cast iron mistrust for the guts of this consummate politician by many commentators.

As a keen observer of the political adventure of Bola Tinubu though not a daft follower, I am inclined to express my own opinion and perception of the man in a " No hostility, No Commitment" paradigm.

Suffice to say that this piece is intended to de-construct him on the bases of his political voyage and his performance as ex-governor of a state which is a microcosm of the entity called Nigeria. And this is sure a clear departure from my previous opinions about him which tilted more in his favour.

But before going any further it is imperative that I disclose my imperviousness to vituperations from subjective minds.

It may be instructive to start the deconstruction on the substance of the statement as reported by the newspaper. Asking for a mind set revolution that rejects dogmatism of voting based on sentiments is an inspirational material in the first instance. Perhaps some readers chose to adopt selective amnesia. Happenstance, some were too busy to read the story the catchy headline attracted, or were being outrightly mischievous in giving a different interpretation to a lucid story presented in simple english. And here is the link to the story in contention (https://www.punchng.com/news/tinubu-calls-for-revolution/).

An objective digestion of this message regardless of the personage of the messenger in the opinion of this writer only corroborates the Yoruba proverb on subjectivity that "The one we don't like cannot win a dignity of persuasion ". ( Eni ti a ko fe aalo ko ran).

Unless we chose to play the ostrich, we all know that we are more divided today along religious and ethnic dichotomies more than ever before when indeed we should be united against our multi-dimensional challenges militating against good living.

You could criticize the dalliance of Bola Tinubu with a medley of societal scourge which comprises cells of militias, hireable political thugs, extortionists and bloodshot crude and ill-trained security guards. Unfortunately, that seems to be the vogue among many politicians and also the pass time of major political parties. More of the blame goes to the security agents who more often than not exhibit partiality and partisanship when the occasion demands for neutrality. Notwithstanding however, patronizing hirelings for whatever advantage is condemnable.

This writer unreservedly condemn the role of Tinubu and other 1999-2003 Southwest governors in supporting Obasanjo's second term bid in 2003 as a counter productive strategy and the one that ridiculed their claim to progressive politicking.

Good people like ex- governor Chukuemeka Ezeife were available then as Presidential material but the Alliance for Democracy bungled the opportunity to give him ticket. Tinubu and others' decision then was short of altruism.

Bola Tinubu is also perceived by some opinion groups as being greedy on the account of his wife becoming a Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria and his daughter becoming the Iyaloja in Lagos. He is also often accused of imposition of candidates for elective positions.

As a Democrat, should a qualified spouse be discouraged from legitimate aspirations? Even in developed democracies, spouses have had the cause to aspire to positions regardless of their partners' past position. The Clintons in the USA are a good reference.

There is little literature to understand the succession culture in the Iyaloja title, but Tinubu himself once denied influencing his daughter's choice as Iyaloja.

On the allegation of imposition, the man may have been traveling the route of a hero which is the "road less traveled" by others and in the process he is always seeing what others are not seeing. Perhaps where others see imposition, he sees talent and good material hence the likes of Fashola, Aregbesola, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, and Leader of House of Representatives, Tambuwal among many others who are a blessing and not a curse as the imposition by others often brought.

There is no sin in aspiring to be rich provided it is pursued legitimately. It is also not a sin to tap into an opportunity when it beckons itself. An investment or seed of growth can grow to become massive, it depends on the investor's vision. Many think Bola Tinubu's famed stupendous wealth occurred through corruption but it is doubtful if he joined politics as a poor man.

Tinubu was one of the financiers of NADECO and other activists in the struggle to dislodge dictatorship. The ability to give and spend is a gift not bestowed on many, but Bola Tinubu may have been one of the cheerful givers going by the attestations of those who have benefited from his deep pocket.

Is Bola Tinubu an expansionist? No. Rather, he is an agent provocateur against the oppressors but also for spreading freedom and discouraging tyranny across the land through the instrumentality of the law.

Now one needs to come to the real value of the man Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the political process in Nigeria since his days as a Senator in the aborted third republic and as a two -term governor of Lagos state which is a microcosm of Nigeria.

Tinubu along four other Senators demonstrated courage in defence of Democracy when others chickened out of the arrangement that would have nipped in the bud the usurpation by the military under Abacha.

In exile, Tinubu was not only financing the activities of the opposition groups he was actively involved in every act that were putting the dictatorship at edge back home.

As the executive governor of Lagos state, Tinubu started on a good note by remembering the fallen heroes and naming streets and infrastructures after them. Intangible to some, but very tangible to the vicarious victims of oppression.

The Bola Tinubu administration reversed all the fire brigade approach to governance and instead applied soundly wrought policies to tackle monstrous challenges of governance.

Refuse heaps that were hitherto winning the war against residents of the state were not only conquered but wastes were turned to wealth and also became a source of remarkable employer of labor through private sector partnership initiative.

Though the "Operation Sweep" security outfit was getting result but it took away civility and reduced the police to redundancy in its traditional role, Tinubu modified the outfit by empowering the police and also restored civility. The security efforts have now been taken to an enviable level under Fashola.

Tinubu demonstrated leadership during the ordinances accident that happened in Ikeja military cantonement in 2001. There was a severe confusion on that day, that many leaders went into hiding thinking there was a coup d'etat.

The coming on air later that day by Tinubu saved many more lives that would have perished in the confusion.

Tinubu challenged the willingness of the man at the centre to turn Nigeria's federalism to unitary government where governors could be summoned at will to report in Abuja by presidential order. While Abuja gravitated towards de facto, Alausa was in favour of de jure.

The Abuja de facto leader visited his irascibility on Odi community in Bayelsa state when he ordered the military to pummel the poor community. The president did it and he liked it and wanted to visit same on Lagos. He wrote a letter to Tinubu expressing his intent to order shoot on sight on warring communities in Lagos. The governor, Bola Tinubu replied that they were running a Democracy based on federalism values and would therefore not welcome any violation of those values. Perhaps that started their frosty relationship.

Hardly did any other government pursue liberation through judiciary as did Lagos under Bola Tinubu against the determination of Abuja to enforce a "Principal and Students" relationship between the federal government and the state governments.

Lagos also scored many firsts during the regime of Bola Tinubu in innovative initiatives such as E- governance, healthcare, housing, rural integration and human rights, Infrastructural renewal and human capital development.

To his administration's credit goes the adoption of templates of traffic management and internationally generated revenue IGR by other states that were and are in government under different political parties platform outside the then AD and AC.

This writer is a strong critic of the excesses of authorities and agencies like LASTMA, KAI and the federal /state arrangement like VIS, but LASTMA has been a blessing more than a curse and would indeed become more handy if reinvigorated and reformed. The establishment of traffic radio where travelers are advised on how to plan their journeies is part of the wisdom of the agency.

History would be kind to Tinubu and Orji Uzor Kalu who both as governors refused the enticements of third term by frustrating the subterfuge of the then desperate government at the center. Mention must made of Senator Ken Nnamani, a man of immense quality and a gentleman who also demonstrated strong conviction to do what was morally right.

Also to Tinubu's credit and few others is it, that the PDP has not been dead drunk. With the formation of the APC, an initiative that put an end to regional parties, the PDP knows that there is fire on the mountain and that they have to work extra hard to retain their hegemony.

Going by the vehemence of the "For" and "Against" responses whenever this political colossus sneezes, the following are easily deducible: that his adversaries are succeeding in winning converts against him; that he is grossly misunderstood by those who should be grateful to him; and that his image launderers are lagging behind in the battle of wits for political leverage.

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