By Philip Agbese<\/p>\n
It takes a courageous man to admit the failings of his generation. It takes
\neven greater courage to set about making amends for such identified failure
\nby presenting oneself in service to the people for the sole purpose of
\nturning the failings of the past into success stories. This is exactly what
\nPresident Goodluck Jonathan did when he declared that his generation has
\nfailed.<\/p>\n
In saner climes, the admission by no less a person than the nation’s number
\none citizen would be greeted with sober reflection that will galvanize the
\nentire nation into a solution seeking mode particular to figure out what
\nwent wrong and also decide how to end the circle of failure.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the likes of Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola
\nare allergic to raw truth as he apparently would prefer that truth be told
\naccording to templates he subscribes to and not the universal concept of
\ntruth and full disclosure. When President Jonathan declared the failure on
\nthe part of their generation, Fashola’s base reaction was to immediately
\nswitch into desperate mode of trying to absolve his person of complicity in
\nthe failure that has brought us to where we are. Such instinctive reaction
\nis to be expected but resorting to name calling signalled that President
\nJonathan must have touched on some raw nerves. This attitude of the Lagos
\ngovernor smack of attempting to deconstruct what people know as the truth
\nand in its place erect a shrine to deceit and falsehood for the sole
\npurpose of assuaging a conscience that is long dead.<\/p>\n
It is sad that Fashola, in pursuit of his own version of truth, refuses to
\nsee the deceit that his government has unfurled on Lagosians and by
\nextension Nigerians with the failed projects and programmes of his
\ngovernment. A simple Google search of Lagos state with key words like
\n‘strike’, ‘protest’, ‘fraud, to name just a few will throw up the reality
\nor otherwise of Fashola’s claim of sainthood.<\/p>\n
He presides over an empire that boasts of a failed health system except of
\ncourse one wants to rate healthcare delivery in Lagos state from the
\nviewpoint of the Ebola fight that was largely made successful with federal
\ngovernment intervention. The strikes in Lagos health sector only has a
\ncontender in the state’s education sector where poor quality education is
\nonly matched by outrageous school fees that Fashola has no reservation
\nabout save to latch on an additional ten thousand naira as admission fee.
\nIf the hike in fees are outrageous then one need not think of the sadistic
\nmultiple taxations that are in place chiefly to satisfy the fiefdom to
\nwhich, it will seem, successive Lagos governors now serves. In this regard
\nFashola failed in the electoral promises he made to the people in terms of
\nimproving the quality of life.<\/p>\n
Fashola goes about basking in the euphoria of achievements rated on the
\nbasis of questionable self-assessment that cannot stand the scrutiny of a
\ntruth seeker while the subject of his umbrage, President Jonathan has
\nremained quiet. He prefers that his projects speak for themselves and
\nbecome basis for Nigerians to deliver their verdict on his administration.<\/p>\n
Beyond the presenting physical structures – listing them here will take up
\ntoo much space, to the credit of his administration, rebasing the economy
\nand presenting Nigerians the unique opportunity of being citizens of
\nAfrica’s largest economy is a feat for which President Jonathan should be
\nhailed similar to his admission about his generation. KPMG and other
\ninternational groups recognise the result of the effort that produced the
\nrebasing and scored the administration high on this score.<\/p>\n
Instructively, a latter day progressives convert and Rivers state governor,
\nRotimi Amaechi once warned Nigerians to be careful of people that walk
\nabout carrying brooms and their houses are still dirty. Given that Amaechi
\nmade this assertion before his judgement became beclouded, it offers
\ninsight into the warped mind-set that allows an esteemed public office
\nholder to be in chronic denial.<\/p>\n
A pattern does emerge here. Fashola may be allergic to the truth but the
\nreality is snaking back to his house, his political party, the All
\nProgressives Congress (APC) that Amaechi once described as dirty despite
\nall its residents parading around with brooms. They are behind this
\nnarrative of denying the failure of a generation that failed to take
\nNigeria places. The problem here is not that this band of self-righteous
\nmen are refusing to admit responsibility for failing the generations after
\nthem and those unborn, the problem is that refusal to accept that things
\nare not right and that they rightly have blames for the sorry state of
\nthings. How do you fill a cup that is already up to the brim with putrid
\nliquid if you don’t first empty the corrupt content and rinsing out the
\ndecay before pouring in something new?<\/p>\n
This is what Fashola and other men who opt to go down in infamy will find
\ndifficult to do because accepting failure means they must do away with
\ntheir present conceited self. Accepting failure means they must acknowledge
\nthat they un-necessarily enslaved their states and a people to a godfather
\nwho instigate them to implement draconian tax regimes. Accepting failure
\nwould mean Fashola and his puppet master will have to give up the lucrative
\nconcessions to shady companies spanning several generations.<\/p>\n
The foregoing underscores the reason for discerning minds to leverage on
\nthe forthcoming elections to demand that those who occupy elective public
\noffice or any other public trust for that matter are not people who would
\nmake
\ntruth to be scarce because for some of us truth is sacred.
\nAgbese is a public affairs commentator and contributed this piece from Abuja.<\/p>\n
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