LASTMA - The Legality of Traffic Management in Lagos

Like many Lagosians, I welcomed the determination of the Federal High Court in Lagos late September stopping LASTMA - the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency from issuing fines to traffic offenders.

Unlike many Lagosians, I do not question the legitimacy or the need for LASTMA, I will even go further to agree with the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola who said "LASTMA is a local solution to a unique traffic problem." However, this is where my support for the Governor's statement ends. Although I believe LASTMA can be a force for good in traffic management, it appears that, just like the Nigeria Police 'Force' it has evolved to become a force of oppression and misery for unwary motorists. I have had a few encounters with LASTMA and I have come to the realisation that it is an institutionally corrupt agency with little or no training for its staff to effectively manage traffic in a so-called megacity.

On one occasion, I turned left at a T-junction in Victoria Island and was immediately accosted by a LASTMA team that almost drove into me from the wrong side of the road. They had apparently been waiting to 'catch a prey'. When I questioned why I was stopped, they shouted at me "didn't you see that you should not have turned left at that junction." When I asked for the sign, one of them pointed at a rather small pole. I insisted we walked to check the pole. When we got to the pole, the sign on it had faded, and no one could be reasonably expected to decipher what it says. Little wonder I didn't notice it. I asked again 'Where is the sign and what does it say? When they maintained their position, I whipped out my phone and took a picture of the non-sign. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, one of them just said to me 'Go.' I walked calmly but triumphantly back into my car and drove off with two of them perplexed as to what had happened. I have no doubt they stayed behind to continue the harassment and extortion of other motorists.

The second encounter was even more unjust. I found myself driving behind a waste truck that appeared to have stopped moving;after a few minutes, I proceeded to overtake it only to find out it was queuing for the turn that I also needed to make. I indicated to go back on the lane and incredibly enough, the vehicle beside me gave way. I was back on the lane and we were at least 300 yards away from the turning. A LASTMA official approached me and I explained what had happened, and he waved me away removing the set of nails he had placed before my car tyres. A few seconds later, another LASTMA approached and I wound down the window to explain to him that I had cleared with his colleague. This was a mistake on my part as he dipped his hand into the car, unlocked it and jumped in. He also opened the back door for his colleague to jump in. They then ordered me to drive on. The one seated beside me was reeking of alcohol. It was getting late, I was tired, hungry and looking forward to going home. I was dejected and knew that though I had not contravened any traffic laws, I was at the mercy of these two hoodlums. I drove on but decided I was not going to their destination, I drove past where they asked me to turn, they struggled with the handbrake whilst in motion, pulling it up. I kept pushing it down and refused to stop. It was almost like a thriller and I could not believe I was the lead actor. I drove on until one of them started to talk nicely to me. At this stage, I was near my estate and I knew I was in safe territory, so I stopped. The one in the front passenger seat turned off the ignition, grabbed the key and stormed out of the car. They both soon realised the game was up and gave my key back begging that I gave them money to get back to where they came from. I was not having this and I drove off determined to teach them a lesson.

Coming back to the judgement of the High Court and Governor Fashola's statement. Yes, it is good to use a local challenge to create opportunity for almost 5,000 people, I would rather they are properly trained and monitored to stop them from terrorising motorists. I hope the Governor is not surreptitiously inviting us to applaud him for doing what he was elected and paid to do? I have no doubt that, in the Governor's words, some elements of LASTMA "are working showing dignity of labour, staying in the sun and in the rain working for all of us." I suppose they are not any different from other Lagosians who carry out their work conscientiously. In any event that is not the issue here Governor. So don't pull the wool over our eyes by going on the emotional lark, the High Court judgement is not about whether LASTMA officials are doing their work or not, it is about the legality of issuing fines. I would also add, Is it legal to jump in people's cars because of a traffic offence? I have no doubt that many motorists have had worse encounters with LASTMA staff. It was reported recently that a motorist was beaten to death by LASTMA officials. I have no doubt that If I had gone with the LASTMA officials to their depot, my car tyres would have been deflated and I would be made to part with money for a spurious offence.

So Governor Fashola, please look again into this matter, whatever is what doing at all is worth doing well. The original reason for creating LASTMA is not to create 5000 jobs but to manage traffic well. Well, lets make this happen Governor and stop presenting a dog to us as a monkey. The challenge of leadership is to solve problems. Lets devise a system of enforcing traffic laws rather than jumping in peoples' cars, running after vehicles, beating motorists or setting people up to fail. LASTMA staff need training, they need to be made aware of their boundaries, motorists need to be made aware too of their boundaries. More people will obey the law if they see the government's sincerity.

Last word, I believe in LASTMA, but even the Governor knows that you cannot enforce the law with illegality.

Purple Rain in Lagos

It’s raining again in Lagos this morning. Yesterday, it rained non-stop from 9 in the morning until 9.30 in the evening. It was a continuous symphony of heavy torrential downpour followed by mid-level rainfall that lasted for hours. Although no one measures rainfall levels, this is probably the longest stretch of downpour I have experienced in Lagos. For no reason at all, I can only think of the ‘purple rain’ song by Prince. Not that there is any link that I know between the two.

As much as I love the coolness and the smell of freshness that rain brings, I am also mindful of its destructive impact on the city and the difficulties it brings to commuters and other city residents. Many commercial buses, given their substandard state, wisely stay off the roads when it rains leaving commuters stranded for hours and being ripped-off by the few buses that can brave the downpour. Also, houses are easily flooded due to lack of proper drainage and in some areas, rain-induced erosion may be irreparable. A few days ago, after another downpour which was mild in comparison to what we are currently experiencing, I watched a father gave a gut-wrenching account on television of how two children went to school and only one came back home, the other swept away by the flood. 

There are very many reasons why Lagos finds it difficult to cope with heavy rainfall. For a start, drainage infrastructure is non-existent, so even for the most affluent part of the city such as Lekki, Ikoyi and Victoria Island; rain is a curse not a blessing. Added to this are the other issues of poor planning, illegal buildings on drainage paths, and as pointed out by a commentator, many compounds are completely concreted resulting in all rainwater being drained onto the roads rather than naturally into the soil.

I have no firm information on the damage this rainfall has caused, but Lagos State has today closed all schools, and homes and offices in many areas of the city are said to have been flooded too. Typical of the stoic approach to all things in Nigeria, people have made light of the downpour with blackberry broadcast such as this one:

“Rain has reshuffled Lagos, houses are being moved to new locations... Eko Hotel now in Abule Egba; MM2 in Orile; Kirikiri prison now in Oniru; Unilag now in Ikorodu; Alausa Sectariat now in Badagry. Please confirm your office location before setting out today so you won't miss your way.”

The reality is that apart from a statement released by the Lagos State Environment Commissioner, there is not much happening, no statement from the President and no word from the National Emergency Agency. This problem will not go away if not tackled. It can only be solved if we all behave responsibly - Lagosians and government alike. Perhaps as Andrew Onalaja commented, we can begin to solve this problem by “breaking up the concrete in all our compounds compressing it as hardcore and covering the entire area with gravel, that way we can get rid of some of the water that would otherwise flood our roads.”

Importantly, we need responsible governments with the political will (not just in Lagos), to not only enforce planning rules, tackle erosion, but also provide an efficient and affordable refuse disposal system so that Nigerians can stop dumping refuse in the gutters, canals and rivers.

"I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to cause you any pain, I only wanted to one time see you laughing" are the first three lines of the song 'Purple rain', perhaps there is a link after all with the Lagos rain of the past 24 hours. PostcardfromLagos

Three men and a ram

On my way out sometimes last November, I noticed three men pulling and pushing a ram (male sheep) that appeared not to be co-operating with them. At the time, I had no idea that the Muslim Ileya festival was around the corner. It was possible that the ram had got wind of this too, hence the defiance.

One of the men was pulling the ram with a rope and the other two were pushing from the back with their hands. The ram literally dug in his heels refusing to be moved. I guess the thought running through his mind was “you will have to break sweat, if you must move me.” Thinking about it now, I’m surprised that the ram was that defiant given that sheep, unlike goats are known to be generally docile. Could you blame him? Who wants to die?

Coincidentally, when I attended Sunday service the following day, the title of the sermon was ‘Are you a Sheep?’ Taking his text from Matthew 25 the preacher looked at Jesus’ analogy of how the sheep will be favoured in God’s kingdom and the goats cast out into outer darkness. To drive home his point, he proceeded to give a comparison between goats and sheep. They were revealing to say the least:

· Goats are pushy, self sufficient, headstrong and quarrelsome whilst sheep are generally gentle.

· All goats are horned, not all sheep are. The irony is not lost here as horns are needed to harm other animals.

· Goats do not require supervision or care, they are independent and they can easily retire to their wild condition. Sheep on the other hand require tendering.

· Goat’s tails point up toward the sky. Sheep have theirs hanging down, pointed at the ground

· Unlike sheep, goats do not graze. They browse. They wander around.

· Goats emit a bad odour – it’s like a smell of pride which gets them quick attention. Sheep do not

· Anywhere there is a goat, there is a problem.

I remember that while I was growing up, a few people reared goats in our very large and overpopulated house. All the goats got into one kind of problem or the other, entering people’s rooms to ‘eat’ their stew and even children's homework. One goat owned by my grandmother had to be quickly put down because she ate something that got her fighting for dear life.

Last word - So what got the ram I saw so hardy?

Catherine Middleton and Prince William - My Thoughts on the Wedding

Like millions of people around the world, I was glued to the television set for the greater part of Friday 29^th April 2011. By a twin conspiracy of a business engagement and conjunctivitis, I was not meant to watch the event live, however by a more powerful design, the business engagement was shifted without my prompting and the conjunctivitis had cleared by the morning of the wedding. So there I was at 9.00am sitting pretty before the television at the start of an incredible channel hopping exercise that lasted for hours.

I must first confess that I am a fan of the British Royal family; I also love weddings, and good love stories. I like to see dreams come true and I cherish tradition. These are my thoughts on the event:

· Only the Brits could have put up such an impressive performance, unforced, highly entertaining and time conscious. Everything was properly planned to the minutest detail.

· The entire service took all of 75 minutes. That’s not enough time for many Nigerian Pastors to give their sermon. There was no shouting by the priests, no attempt to upstage the couple, no ‘too big for their boots’ moments by any of the ministers. They led, prayed, joined, and preached with dignity, panache and with the focus on the solemnity of the occasion.

· Did you notice that there were no blaring siren; no over the top security men pushing and pulling people out of the way for important dignitaries, no standby generators in the event of power failure, no terrorising area boys, no aso-ebi.

· I also hope that Nigerians will take note that all guests should be seated before the arrival of the bride.

· I was fascinated by the little details, like the men that received and delivered the caps and gloves from Princes William, Harry and other senior members of the royal family at arrival and departure from the Abbey respectively. My wife opined that if it was in Nigeria, a glove might be missing when it was time to deliver them or that one of the keepers would have gone to the lavatory at the crucial time he was needed.

· I doff my hat to the heavily armed police officers lining the procession route and watching the crowd for any acts of terrorism. How about being at the event and also not being there. None of them stole a glance of the event happening behind them. Theirs was the height of professionalism.

· I admire Prince William’s thoughtfulness in mingling with the crowd on the evening before the wedding. Interpersonal skills par excellence I would say.

· After the first kiss, I listened to Piers Morgan, who as the all knowing royal pundit on CNN authoritatively proclaimed William will never do a second kiss because royals are trained not to give more than what is necessary. The word had barely left his mouth when the second kiss happened. I could not see Piers Morgan at the time, but I could almost see eggs splashed all over his face. As someone said, the first kiss was duty, the second was definitely romance and it proved that the young man is at ease with himself and not encumbered by the stuffiness of royalty.

· The drive by the couple from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House shortly after the wedding was a crowd winner. The decoration and the ‘L’ plate on the car almost certainly have Prince Harry’s handwriting all over them.

· What about the priest who did the multiple cartwheel display at the Abbey after the ceremony. It was probably his way of breathing a sigh of relief. Perhaps it was his way of praising God for a successful outing. Who said the British are stiff?

· The wedding is a proof that all things are possible. Kate Middleton is not only married to the future King of England, she will be crowned Queen and one of her children will become Queen or King of England. Would she have imagined all these 10 years ago? This reminds me of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us” Ephesians 3:20.

· It is almost certain that Prince William was only allowed to marry Kate after the royal family were sure there were no skeletons in her past. In other words, the past has a role to play on the present and how you live your present determines your future, so it is advisable not to live a reckless life.

· The sacrifice that women make was fully played out during the ceremony. Wasn’t it ironic that of all the five members of the Middleton family, only Kate’s mum, Carole Middleton did not have any public role at the wedding? Daughter Kate was marrying the future King, daughter Pippa was the celebrated maid of honour, son, James read the Bible passage and husband, Michael accompanied their daughter to Church, led her to the altar and stayed until they were joined together. Carole, the woman who carried Kate in her womb for nine months, and went through the pain of delivery; the mother who fed and nursed her for years was for all intents and purposes a spectator. I have always felt that this is an African thing. I now know it isn’t. Little wonder the Bible prescribes in 1 Peter 3:7 that a husband should love his wife and honour her. Even if you have never thought of this before, think again.

· The wedding unintentionally showed the two parallel worlds that exist in Britain. Those in the Abbey are streets apart from those lining the streets to cheer the couple. The Abbey guests are the Eton-Oxford, land-owning champagne-quaffing pack whose hats for the occasion will pay the entire mortgage of most people for a year. Very occasionally, the footballer who has made good like David Beckham or the world-acclaimed musician like Elton John may be able to cross the carpet from the lower world to the upper class. Otherwise, the two classes are set apart by the family you are born into or which school you attended. That’s why more than half of the current UK cabinet are Ox-Bridge educated and 75% are millionaires including the Prime Minister, his deputy and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. No one should begrudge them about this; it’s just the way things work. You need to be outstanding to enter this new world.

· This leads me to the next point - why parents must plan for the future of their children. Kate’s parents are self-made millionaires who were moneyed enough to have their children publicly educated (this means large fee paying private education in Britain). Kate attended £29,000 fee per year Marlborough College followed by the 600 year-old St Andrews University, one of the four leading universities in the UK where she met Prince William. In other words, Mr and Mrs Middleton made it their business to provide a good foundation for their children. The result is what we have seen. Kate Middleton would probably not have met Prince William if she studied at a pedestrian London university.

· Sadly, many Nigerians living in England only ever see the struggling life and have no serious strategy for their children to move up to the other side. They hardly visit the art galleries, attend theatres or go to the museums which are free. We had better wake up and smell the coffee.

· The ceremony showcased the importance of marriage, and why no one should put asunder what God has joined together. The symbolic use of his sash to bind the hands of William and Catherine by the Archbishop of Canterbury underscores this point. I felt the ceremony will strengthen the marriage institution and will make many opt for it. I also hope that many who may be struggling in theirs will be guided by the words of the vows and find grace and strength for the enduring commitment required.

· Bishop Chartres’ sermon was excellent:

• "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
• “Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.”
• “William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.”
• “And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another.”
• “A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves.”
• “The more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed.”
• “Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner.”
• “There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom.”
• “In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.”

· What a choice of Bible passage too by the young couple! Romans 12 – “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect…. ”

· Sorry, Mr Alistair Campbell, British people still do God. Even atheists Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Leader of the Opposition Ed Milliband had to offer songs of praise to God. Whatever people may say, God is still very much central to the core tradition of the British people.

· The event was rich in both tradition and history. Westminster Abbey is nearly 1000 years old; the Queen got married and was crowned there in 1947 and 1953 respectively. The Queen herself is all of history, tradition and continuity personified – her first Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born in 1874, her current Prime Minister was born in 1966, and she would be 60 years on the throne next year.

· I am fascinated by the rigid pecking order of the royal family which determines everything including sitting arrangements, order of arrival and departure, titles and more. It is curiously interesting that the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, who is the second child of the Queen is way below her two younger brothers, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and their respective children just because she is female. I think the law of primogeniture should be changed.

· The wedding also revealed the delicate balance between the Church, the Monarch and the Executive. The Queen is highly respected as head of State and she gets the pomp and pageantry, yet, it is the Prime Minister that exercises nearly all the power. He can even arrange for the abolition of the monarchy.

· Does the queen look like someone who turned 85, eight days before the wedding ceremony? How can she die, when millions of people one way or the other daily petition God to keep her safe?

· Just wondering! Should Nigeria decide to adopt a constitutional monarchy style of government, how do we unite our babel tongues? Who would we adopt as King of Nigeria? Would it be the Olowo of Owo, Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi III or the Oba of Benin, Uku Akpolokpolo, Omo n'Oba N'Edo Erediauwa? Would it be the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Saa’du Abubakar; Alafin of Oyo, iku baba yeye Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; the Obi of Onitsha, Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe or Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade? The case will probably sit in court forever.

· There is no denying the fact that the couple are in love, they looked at each other’s eyes when they took their vows; they stole glances of each other even when the sermon was being delivered. According to lip readers, he said, ‘you look beautiful’ when she arrived at the altar. ‘Are you happy’ she said when they were entering the coach at the end of the service. How else can fondness be defined?

· The bride had a great smile, an enviable figure and she was elegant and stylishly turned out. The groom has a good personality; his head appears well screwed on. In his hands, the future of the monarchy is assured. I wish them well.

Finally I will like to borrow the first hymn at the wedding which is very powerful and apt for everyday living. This hymn like many others has in-built life and I’m sure many lives would be transformed by it. If like me, you need God to guide you through the minefield of life, then it’s a song to sing.

Guide me, O thou great redeemer,

Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer;
Be thou still my strength and shield;
Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee;
I will ever give to thee.

Dancing Steps, 'Big English' and a Dearth of Brooms - It's Election 2011

It’s election time in Nigeria. The media – television, newspapers, radio and even Facebook is littered with solicitation for votes from politicians. Their hangers-on in the guise of ‘Concerned Citizens of Nigeria,’ ‘Coalition for a Better Nigeria,’ and many other interesting names also put in a word or two in the newspapers and on Television with their very own personal pictures in tow.

The curious part of this election is that no one knows what any of the parties stand for. The President, Goodluck Jonathan has been criss-crossing the country making a lot of promises to traditional rulers and large crowds of specific things he will do for their community if elected. There is no coherent strategy to these promises and I suspect there will be no coherent strategy to implement them. It appears that there is no coherent strategy to governance either from the President or from his party, PDP, at national, local or state levels. The other major parties - CPC, ACN and ANPP do not fare any better. This contrasts with the elections of 1979 where nearly all the parties campaigned on issues rather than personalities. I can recollect that as school children in those days, we were able to recite without hesitation the ‘4-Cardinal programme’ of the Unity Party of Nigeria UPN. How politics has changed for worse in Nigeria!

To a very large extent, the campaigns have been amusing and sometimes saddening. Here are some of the highlights:

• It has been a season of party hopping, politicians camping and decamping from parties they know are unpopular in their region.

• The mandatory regional attires worn by Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo in each of the states and region they visit. Colourful and varied.

• The also mandatory dance by politicians at the campaign rallies - from the ridiculous swaying of arms to the ridiculous swaying of the waist. Some of them, I must confess are masters of the art.

• Some State Governors are making it difficult for opposition parties to hold campaign rallies in their State in the name of security or by simply ensuring that opposition parties cannot book any venue to hold their rallies. The truth is that Governors hold a tight rein on the affairs of their States in an almost dictatorial way and this is bad for politics and for our national development.

• The recent Gadarene rush by Governors to make donations of vehicles and equipment to the Police Force in their respective States is blatantly criminal. How we allow this to happen is beyond me. Obviously these are protection money and inducements to the police come election time. It also means that the police will sabotage any opposition before, during and after the elections.

• The stifling heat and the massive, often rented crowds who will shout ACN today and in the next chorus PDP, CPC, LP or ANPP. Who can blame them? After all, ‘they must eat’ and whoever provides the means is the Messiah for the day and he gets the fleeting Hosanna chorus.

• The political elite understand that hunger is the key to the heart, mind and presence of a poor man. So they deliberately keep the poor majority in poverty and ignorance.

• I am intrigued by the political marriage between Muhammadu Buhari the ‘almost’ fundamentalist Muslim Presidential candidate of CPC and Pastor Tunde Bakare, his ‘almost’ fundamentalist Christian running mate. Wonders never end.

• The overwhelming evidence of the ‘ch factor’ problem in Nigeria as politicians shout from the top of their lungs, “give us the ‘shance’ (chance) to ‘shange’ (change) the country.” “I was not born ‘rish’ (rich).” We will ‘ashieve’ (achieve) ….

• Imah Nsa Adegoke, a female gubernatorial candidate in Cross Rivers State speaking in impeccable English to a not too impressed audience. Poor lady!

• The campaign adverts - the best in my opinion are “Goodluck for me, Goodluck for you, Goodluck for everybody, Goodluck Nigeria” of Goodluck Jonathan. I also like Fashola’s “We no dey see am again”

• The unfortunate bombings at some party political rallies, victims of whom in most cases are ordinary poor Nigerians who were probably paid to attend the rallies.

• The faces of the victims of the bombing in Suleja, Niger State as they lay helplessly in blood-drenched hospital beds with no bed covers. Ironically the Governor of the State, Babangida Aliyu is an outspoken critic of his fellow Governors. Is it a case of all talk and no action?

• Perennial presidential candidate, Reverend Okotie’s strategy to solve the problem of Nigeria with ‘big’ grammar is a major letdown by someone who, though, considers himself a philosopher has shown his inability to grow-up. How do you explain his incomprehensible ‘I am Reverend Kris Okotie advert?’:

• "I am Reverend Kris Okotie, I believe we must rise above the mosaic of religion."
• "I am Reverend Kris Okotie, gender equality is a prolific attestation to my faith in an egalitarian society."
• "I am Reverend Kris Okotie, I believe change derives from a vertical impetus which translates into horizontal movement." (acted by a roast yam seller)
• “I am Reverend Kris Okotie, the forces of political monopoly and economic monopsony will only lead to the monotony of failure.”
• “I am Reverend Kris Okotie, Nigeria needs a man who can combine intellectual capacity with spiritual profundity…."

Has anyone explained to Reverend Okotie that communication is the ability to transmit meaning? How can you win an election when you do not make sense to the majority of your audience? Or how will a roast yam seller understand the meaning of ‘impetus’ or a professor for that matter the meaning of ‘profundity?’

• Broom merchants must be making a kill at this time. ACN’s symbol is the broom and it’s a must-have accessory at rallies. The last I heard is that the United States is about to go to war with Nigeria because their stockpile of brooms have been depleted by Nigerian ACN members.

• The stand-off between father and political Godfather Olusola Saraki and his Governor son, Bukola over who the next Governor of Kwara State will be. Olusola wants his daughter Gbemi, (Bukola’s sister) as the next Governor, Bukola says this will only happen over his dead body. Is the alleged feud a stunt?

• The reality of election in Nigeria is that the wealthy and many educated people do not vote because they cannot cope with the 'indignity' of queuing hours on end in the sun before a makeshift polling booth. Our wily politicians understand this and also know that their votes mainly come from the downtrodden who can be bribed to do them the honours. So politicians will probably never make voting easy in Nigeria.

• Having said this, I am encouraged by the enthusiastic turnout of Nigerians during the voters registration exercise earlier this year. It appears that against all odds, the vast majority of Nigerians recognise that they can no longer watch from the sidelines. If we take this same enthusiasm to the election proper. Who knows what will happen.

Brave the Odds - Register to Vote

Though the laptops may not always work;

Though the batteries may be flat by 3pm;

Though the queue may be long;

Though the mango tree location may not be the most conducive;

Though you may have to make repeat visits to get registered;

Though INEC may get a few things wrong;

Don't get it wrong by not registering.

Brave the odds, register to vote in the upcoming general elections.

We all build our nation by getting involved.

BBC News - Africa's cities to triple in size

BBC News - Africa's cities to triple in size

BBC News - Lagos aims to be Africa's model megacity

BBC News - Lagos aims to be Africa's model megacity

Has Nigeria Changed Me?

Someone asked me the question recently if my wife has changed since our move to Nigeria. I get asked this question fairly frequently only that the question is usually about me not my wife. Has Nigeria changed you? This, I suspect, in many instances is tinged with an expectation of a foreboding answer.

Has Nigeria changed me is certainly not a $64,000 question to answer. I must admit however, that it is one that requires serious thought as I know that the answer I give, even to me, may not be palatable. I will explain why.

It is, of course expected that if you move to a new place, you will imbibe some of the traditions, fad and culture of the land. However, when I moved to Nigeria, I came with the personal mandate, right or wrong, to influence the country and not allow myself to be influenced. This is set as a weekly calendar activity on my phone, a reminder of the great task before me and a personal code of conduct to which I must scrupulously adhere. Did I come with a sense of foreboding? Yes I did. Why then did I come you may ask. The same reason why some people volunteer as aid workers to go to Afghanistan and some climb the Everest or walk to the North Pole.

Am I admitting I felt Nigeria could influence me for bad before I came, I’m afraid, Yes. Is this fair? I hope to write about this another day.

Back to the original point; given the foregoing, you may now understand why answering the question often asked of me – 'Has Nigeria changed you, is, for me, a huge one. If I answer Yes - if I say Nigeria has changed me, I am admitting that I had failed in the original mandate I set for myself and that for me is a serious issue.

Perhaps a further question is this; Is the change for good or for bad? In answering this, let me simply say, I frequently wear buba and soro which I feel suits our weather better. I like the odd slang like ginger-swagger which I came about a week before this article, although it sounds arrogant. I admire some of the talents in music, in the arts and in literature particularly Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who in my view is one of the most expressive writers I’ve read.

On the other hand, I feel more conscious of what I wear and how I look in Nigeria, a ‘predicament’ I never noticed when I lived in England. For example, although I have been greying since my teens, it had never been an issue for me. Nobody was strongly concerned about it either, or felt the need to refer to me as ‘Sir.' A few people in England did suggest I consider the tint option; this was never part of my script and I had no cause to feel the slightest urge to do so. In Nigeria however, I have thought about this option, not the least because of a new found aggressiveness of the greying process but also because most people I meet erroneously believe I’m older than I am. As a result I get the respect I do not deserve from people who left secondary school whilst I was still languishing in primary school. Many people even believe that I am in my fifties, and my wife in her twenties making me an aristo - a Nigerian slang for older men who prey on very young women. I suppose the issue here is that I feel vainer and it pains.

I have also found that I feel more helpless about the hopelessness around me, a departure from the brimming enthusiasm that I brought from England. This ordinarily would be expected given the many issues we face in Nigeria. However, it appears that I now suffer from the occasional doubt that being on the ground presents. I must say that my optimism for Nigeria has not waned, only that I have moved the goalpost a bit. Call it ‘progressive optimism’, I know Nigeria will be better, I just sometimes doubt whether it will happen within the next five years.

Coming to the question that my friend asked about my wife, the answer I gave was ‘Yes’. She has changed in many ways. She is certainly more at ease with herself, she even eats the occasional white bread, an abomination in England. Could it be that she is being pragmatic or wiser, I still can’t say. What I know is that there are a few things I can’t discuss now that I hope and trust I will be able to write about in the future. Would she get to know of me writing about her this way? I guess so given that she edits most of my writings. Would she be pleased that I have written about her? It’s a risk worth taking, after all I took the risk of moving to Nigeria and some people are still climbing Everest.

Nigeria at 50 - Optimism and Responsibility

We celebrate our 50^th independence anniversary today. We are divided as a nation on the significance of this day and whether to celebrate or not. Americans and Europeans - who are better organised, with good infrastructure etc - are also divided on several issues of importance to them like Wade vs Roe and how to manage the economy. So we are not alone in being a divided nation on issues that are important to us. If anything, the fact that we register our anger, anxiety and frustration is proof of our engagement in the discourse that will ultimately change our nation.

I understand the emotion of those who argue that we have nothing for which to celebrate - no good roads, no electricity, non existent medical care and the collapse of the public school system. Like many other Nigerians, patriotic or not, we do not only suffer from these problems together; we must resolve to solve them together. However, I feel that just talking about the issues has not got us anywhere. We need to do more! That is why I am today advocating the following:

Optimism

If Nigeria must be better, we have to be upbeat about the possibility of making change happen. Nobody has succeeded in making change happen by nursing despair and pessimism. Whilst there may be the odd moments of doubt, for real change and success to happen, these doubt moments must be dwarfed by the consistent wellspring of optimism.

With optimism, I’m not advocating vacuous parties or entertainment-loaded, face-capped celebrations at Abuja’s Eagle Square or Lagos’ Tafawa Balewa Square that only numb the pain of our protracted failures. Such non-events often at the behest of fame-seeking individuals egged on by their huge ego only take advantage of people and have no lasting relief for our national problems. These non-events places us squarely with the analogy articulated by St. James of a man who beholds himself in the mirror, probably thinks he is cool, but forgets what he looks like the moment he walks away.

Proper optimism is not only about keeping hope alive; what it does is to motivate the optimist to do something to make change happen. It is no rocket science that it is much easier to give your all to when you believe in a course. If we despair about Nigeria and join the bandwagon of those who believe that Nigeria will never change, then we defer the moment of change.

Only a fool will argue that the problems our country faces are not formidable. They are! We all know it. But do we stop there and just accept that it is not possible? Do we just accept our police are corrupt and there is nothing we can do about it? Do we just accept that bribery is a way of life and it can’t be changed? If we do, it will be a case of the Yoruba adage which says “when a bird lands on a string, there is no rest for the string and no rest for the bird”. We all will continue to suffer the consequences if we do not accept that it is possible to make a change. A good way to engineer change is through optimism.

Responsibility

Once we nurture optimism, the next level is to be individually responsible. Whilst optimism motivates, responsibility is the beginning of the action that changes society. We accept that our governments are largely irresponsible, but we, the citizens, can become responsible. I say again, we, the people can be responsible!

• Through individual responsibility, we can stop throwing litter on the streets and dispose off our refuse properly.

• Through individual responsibility, we can treat our staff, subordinates and colleagues with dignity and fairness.

• Through individual responsibility, we can drive responsibly and with due care for other road users.

• Through individual responsibility, we can force the police to change by not giving bribes, we can make governments – local, state and national to sit up and shape up.

• Through individual responsibility, we can begin a revolution devoid of guns, spears and arrows that will go viral and transform our society.

Becoming responsible does come with a cost. It will inconvenience, it may lose you contracts, but these are hardly huge prices to pay for social and national change. People paid with their lives in Britain for the right to vote. Martin Luther King Jnr and many others paid with their lives for the civil rights enjoyed by millions of black Americans today. School children paid with their lives in the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 for today’s black majority rule in South Africa. My point is that, responsibility is not lame. True responsibility is an action thing. It talks, it refuses, and it is often painful.

Community Action

What can make change faster is when we join efforts through community action. This is an extension of individual responsibility. Community action is in effect community responsibility. In Nigeria, we have several community groups such as religious bodies, schools, social clubs, sports clubs, unions, corporate organisations, professional bodies, residents associations that can begin to act as think-tanks and pressure groups.

Let us use these community groups to pressure our local, state and national governments to make change happen. If a significant number of these groups change their tack and become responsible, we will make change quicker and faster.

We can use these organisations and groups to support and fight for members who suffer because they refuse to give bribes. By standing together, it will be easier for individuals to stand up, knowing that they have the backing of others, and then we will be able to slay the Goliaths of bribery, police brutality and government irresponsibility.

So on this, our 50^th independence anniversary, keep optimism alive, be responsible and use your influence to ensure that any organisation or group that you belong engages their community responsibly. The change we all yearn for will be nearer than we first believed.

Happy anniversary.